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Ebay did not refund me for a return even if I sent it back by (or within) the return date window
I purchased an office chair on Sep. 8th, 2025. I didn't like the chair at all when I received it, and opened a request to return it. The return window given by Ebay was BY (in caps by purpose), or within the date of Sep 29th, 2025.
It took me several days to be able top disassemble the chair due to the fact that the pressure tube below the seat was not disassembling with ease from the metallic structure below it that sustains the seat pillow. I communicated it to the seller that I had tried everything I could with the tools I had, and even went to a fe professionals to try to disassembling it so I could sent it back on time.
Finally, it was realized that the pressure tube was stuck in metallic structure below it that sustains the seat pillow. I tried to disassemble it from other chair I had from another brand, and it came out relatively easier.
So, I decided to sent the chair back the way it was, and was surprised to see that it fir in the original box with the other disassembled parts.
I sent the chair on Sep 29th, 2025. Ebay, again, had told me to send it *** BY *** Sep 29th.
I have proof from FEDEX that the item was shipped on Sept 29th, 2025 - Tracking # 393191197903.
THe item was delivered to the seller on Oct 3rd, 2025th.
Yesterday, Oct 9th, 2025, I went to check the status of my refund. For my surprise and frustration, Ebay App said the return window was closed, and that I would not get my refund.
I contacted support to appeal the situation, and a customer service representative from Ebay said that I needed to have shipped the item BEFORE Sep 29th, 202t, and that the "BY the 29th" in the message meant BEFORE 29th.
This is utterly wrong and untrue, and not an ethical business practice. I re-checked the legal meaning of the word "BY" and what it really meant in cases like this, and confirmed that Ebay's argument was flawed.
Here is a link to CHarT GPT Answer, about my inquiry:
https://chatgpt.com/share/68e83c18-18f0-8003-9a85-6d8835a46862
And a summary of its response, based on the legality of this "BY" term:
"If a company says that I need to return a product by September 29th, does that include the September 29th, or it has to be before September 29th?
Good question — this comes up a lot in returns and legal deadlines.
If a company says “you must return the product by September 29â€, that date is included unless the policy explicitly says “before September 29†or gives a specific time cutoff (like “by the end of the day on September 28â€).
So:
✅ You can ship or return it on September 29, and it will still count as on time.
⌠Only if they state “before September 29†or “no later than September 28†would it have to be earlier."
So, since it seems to be impossible to contact Ebay now since they "closed my case", I have 2 options:
1) Spread what happened in Social Media, ino order to protect other customers to experience similar issues like this, especially those who trust in Ebay's return/refund stances as trustworthy.
2) DIspute the charge with my credit card as a fraud.
