Seller trying to wriggle out of refunding

[Rafflesway]

DH recently purchased a brand new dash cam from Ebay for a product that has 5 stars. (Please bear with me - could be long.)
He also needed to buy a new micro SD card to fit the dash cam which cost almost £10.

DH put the SD card into the slot but then the machine - after charging - kept asking him to insert card. DH tried to retrieve card back from slot but it wouldn't budge. Emailed seller asking how to retrieve card and we tried all suggestions but nothing worked. Bearing this in mind and the fact that the device isn't recognising the card anyway, we emailed - via Ebay as always - back to seller to say there was an obvious issue with the card slot and we wished to return for refund. Also requested a return via ebay at the same time.

Since this time we have done lots of homework on this seller and the whole set up is very shady. Lots of people complaining about the same dash cam but seller has 99% ratings due to a massive amount of cheap things he sells. (DH never checks as thoroughly as I do before buying 🙄).

Several emails between DH and seller where he was obviously trying to get out of accepting return. In the end DH flatly refused to do what seller was asking and threatened him with Ebay. The CF has just emailed DH to ask would he accept a 50% refund to keep the item 😱.

When we requested the refund no returns label was produced and Ebay automated response said we could contact them again on 03 August if no resolution. We think the behaviour of this seller is atrocious. Do we wait until 03 August to contact Ebay? DH is not replying to this 50% offer email as he is so incensed.

Any assistance from many of you Ebay experts would be greatly appreciated. Seller was listed as being based in Dunstable but every email appears to come from China then had one the other day from someone based in a very ropey looking area in London, (Streetview)
Listing states returns will be paid for by seller which I did think was strange although know sellers are supposed to cover postage for faulty items. DH is resigned to losing the SD card we can't retrieve. He just wants his refund and return postage covered for the dash cam.

Chinese sellers will always argue and try and convince you to take a partial refund. Just ignore them and go straight to ebay on the 3rd. It’s standard procedure to have to wait a week once you open a case, unfortunately.

Chances are the seller will eventually refund and you won’t have to return the item.

Cheers Lottie!

What is particularly annoying is the sneaky way they tried to make it appear as if the seller was U.K. based. We NEVER buy from overseas!

We have ignored the partial refund email and will just go back to Ebay on 03 August.

A lot of foreign sellers are trying this trick.

Look at the bottom of the page for their registered business address, if they are based in China it will give the address as being their, despite heir location as being U.K. based.

Also look at the delivery estimate. If it’s a week or more then chances are the item isn’t actually in the U.K.

Definitely will in future Lottie and many thanks for the great advice.

I'm still waiting for my refund for a crappy tent i bought. First they offered me £6 compensation, then £20 as it would cost me so much to return it myself, then when i sent them a screenshot of the ebay page saying seller must pay return costs if item faulty, they agreed to full refund to be paid within 24 hours and a request that i leave 5star feedback! ..that was 3 days ago and i've just sent them a reminder today. Looks like i'll have to go through Ebay eventually.

Wait until the 3rd, eBay will give you the money back after you ask them to look into it. Ebay is very much a buyers market so you will get your money back!

A lot of chinese sellers say delivery from UK but not usually, and almost always offer you a discount to keep the item, even if its no good
Ebay will sort it out,i always ring them, its feephone