EBay seller sent me wrong item

[wondabar]

I bought a fake tan on EBay. The seller sent me a completely different product by the same company. She asked me to send it back which involves a half an hour journey to the post office and that she would then send out the correct product. Absolutely no apologies from her regarding her mistake. She has now sent me a message to say the item I ordered is no longer in stock. I am beyond furious. An hour wasted in my day to return something that I didn’t even order.

That is shockingly poor customer service.

There was a thread on here recently where the OP accidentally sent the wrong dress (one which she wasn't selling) to somebody who had bought a different dress (the one she was selling) from her on Vinted.

She seemed most aggrieved at this poor customer who now wouldn't receive the item that she bought in time for when she needed it, and her main concern was that she must get her own (wrongly sent) item back.

I think a lot of people are quite happy to make money by selling stuff online, but don't pay the slightest thought to the fact that the people buying from them are actually real, valuable people with their own lives too - and don't just exist as bit-part players in their own lives.

I fell for that and lost.
Wrong set of mugs received. I was courteous by contacting seller and returning them. Courier said parcel left in sellers enclosed porch who denied ever seeing it.
Had I marked it as "Item not as described" and done it through eBay, they would have refunded me.
Treat everyone on eBay as scammers until they prove otherwise.
Don't return it to her. eBay Not as Described only.

Royal mail pick up from your house for free now so you don't need to go to the post office

Do they give you a specific time, though? And do they come in the evening or at weekends?

It's still a hassle and a chore to do, even if somebody else does the travelling for you.

I just book it the night before and leave out side my front door

I sell online for a living, and I have a few times in the 20 years ive been doing so sent the wrong thing, it happens. It is normal to expect it to be returned for a refund, and for the seller to cover postage costs. To not apologise to you for the inconvenience this has caused is rude.

That sounds handy - but not so easy if you live somewhere less 'naice' or if you have a door that opens straight on to the pavement.

Does the person who collects it from you not have to get your signature or a photo of you handing it over, though? It sounds like they're potentially leaving themselves in a very vulnerable position.

But what happens if there's a big price difference (either way) between what you ordered and what you were randomly sent?

I always understood the law to be that you could either inform somebody of the error/unwanted item received and then they had one month to collect it from you, otherwise it became yours; or alternatively, if you say nothing at all, if they haven't asked for it back in six months, it's yours.

The law may well have changed in the last decades - and I realise that the law was enacted long before Internet shopping - but surely it's still doing you a favour if somebody to whom you've sent something they did not order does the work in getting it back to you, and not your automatic right?

Online ordering is popular because it's so convenient; but having to return unordered goods yourself really does massively detract from the simple convenience of it all.

I have returned the order and not heard a word from the seller who promised me an immediate refund. Going to take it up with EBay. I just can’t believe this is allowed to happen

Get your refund back then neg her.

The one time I did it, two regulars got each other's items. I told them to keep them and reposted the same day.

Well she won’t have received it back yet will she? She won’t refund until the product is back with her

An apology costs nothing but goes a long way.
I also wrapped each product in bubble wrap, then a sticky label with a nice border, attached saying "Thankyou for shopping at xxxx xxxx"
It's a bit warmer than sending something out with no gratitude.

She said she would refund as soon as she had proof of postage. The product she sent cost far less than what I paid and I am worried I won’t receive a refund for what I paid

Not for the last month or so. Now 30p per item

I would complain to Ebay about her, this is truly awful behaviour, bloody rude woman.

A slight over reaction