Damaged Item Return to Seller
Summary: jedjr2017 shared their experience with a problematic eBay transaction, where hurricane lamps arrived damaged due to poor packaging by the seller. Despite the seller's agreement to a return, they failed to provide a return label, leading jedjr2017 to engage eBay's customer service for assistance. They appreciated the help from an eBay representative who promised a refund if the issue remained unresolved. kathiec suggested that the process could have been simpler by using eBay's automated return system. kensgiftshop advised seeking eBay's intervention on day four if necessary.
Just recently I ordered a set of Hurricane Lamps. The Seller quickly accepted my offer and payment was automatically made to seller by eBay. Shipment arrived within a reasonable amount of time.
On receiving the box was a used (Turkey stamped on side) thin cardboard box haphazardly taped. As you know the chimney of hurricane lamps are very thin and fragile to breaking. The seller wrapped the four pieces in thinly made bubble wrap with hardly any packing to stabilize and cushion the lamps. They placed one of the chimneys at the bottom of the box and of course this was the one that shattered. Nothing on the outside of the box indicated "Fragile Handle With Care" ' no warning what so ever and label was hanging from a piece of lose packing tape.
Never in all the years I have been an eBay buyer have I received such a package as this and having to leave a negative review.
Here is the review I left for the Seller:
"This has been a very stressful transaction & I’ve hesitated making a negative review. I notified the seller of item arriving damaged due to inadequate packing and negligence therefore, causing the sellers description to be inaccurate. Seller accepted my request to return damaged item for a refund but has ignored my messages and has failed to provide a return label. Still awaiting for an appropriate resolution. I’m not so confident there will be one. Buyers beware! "
Right away receiving the pkg I messaged the Seller (with a picture of the box and damaged item) and got no reply. After much searching, I finally found a way to report this to eBay. I was informed the Seller had the "no returns" policy but, under eBay MBG if the item is damaged due to the seller's negligent then it is covered. I received two emails; one the seller agreed for me to "return" the item to him and sent a check list of if I wanted USPS to pick up the pkg or drop it off. Ok, fine so far BUT, I was told I needed to return the lamps by a certain expiration date or the return would be cancelled. There was no RETURN LABEL attached!
I messaged the Seller asking for one.......no response. Read the email more carefully and eBay said they will not step-in until after 3 days of no response from the seller and I would have to wait until they activate a button to contact them.
My questions to the readers of this post: Has anyone had to face this kind of problem or did you just give up the fight? I can't help but wonder if this seller is trying to wear me down to give up or "cancel the return" getting him off the hook.
Do you think eBay will help me after the 3 days (tomorrow) and have I done the right thing by this seller and asking eBay for a refund?
Sorry for the long post.
kensgiftshop
·Jul 10, 2026 at 9:25 PMIf you filed an INAD you can return to the case on day 4 and ask Ebay to step in.
jedjr2017
OPJul 10, 2026 at 7:32 PMGood news! After the 3 day wait period for a return label from the seller with no reply I managed to get the AI to transfer me for a call-back from an eBay Cus. Rep. I did receive the call-back within two minutes from a real live person who was more than helpful. I was impressed he pulled up all the history of my complaint seeing how I had tried to contact the seller with no results.
He assured me they would notify the seller of my (Buyer) need for a return label. If the seller did not respond within 7 days I was to call them back and my money would be returned to me under eBay's MBG. I will keep this post updated to the progress of my eBay case.
It is beyond my understanding why this Seller is not being forth coming to me regarding the damaged order. You would think they would respond to this, if not for their eBay reputation. then at least being humanly responsive to their mistake. I will not let this one seller cause me to be judgmental on other eBay Sellers. I have been ordering for years on eBay and know for a fact all other Sellers I have dealt with has been honest.
kathiec
·Jul 10, 2026 at 9:41 PMThere was no need to call CS, and it actually can impede things. The Money Back Guarantee process is fully automated (and linked in every listing). All you needed to do was go to the item in your purchase history, click Return this item under More actions, then select Item was damaged as the reason. The seller then has three business days to send a return label. If they don't, on day four you go back to the case and ask eBay to step in, at which point they usually refund without requiring a return. You've made the process much more complicated than it needed to be.
jedjr2017
OP3 weeks agoThank you for the advice but out of all due respect from this experience I did everything right. Getting through to a live agent set my mind at ease.
After the seven day deadline from the time the agent notified the seller, I did not have to call back, my full refund was automatically credited to my CC account. Maybe I made it more complicated but I am glad both eBay and I gave the seller as much of a chance to make things right as we possibly could, thats all I wanted.
The seller could have followed through with my return and a refund of the remaining undamaged parts. All he had to do was replace the shattered globe and resell them for twice the original price and shipped them properly pkg. He would have made a profit and I could have given a positive review.
They were/are beautiful hurricane lamps. The way they were boxed and packed, these fragile vintage lamps could have been completely destroyed out of the sellers negligence.