Seller cancelled and refunded item after 15 days.
Summary: The discussion revolves around a user's experience where a seller cancelled and refunded their item after 15 days. tamarawaho initiated the discussion, potentially frustrated by the delay and unexpected cancellation. Multiple participants, including klhmdg, bennotbill, ryry-jj, and albertabrightalberta, contributed to the thread, possibly sharing similar experiences or providing advice on how to handle such situations in the future. The conversation highlights issues with seller cancellations and draws on shared experiences of different participants.
Hi all, I bought a book from a seller on 7th May for $14 and postage was $1.70 I didn't find this out of the ordinary as some sellers have free postage so didn't read too much into it. Around the 9th May the seller dm advising they had posted the item. Around the 18th May I still hadn’t received it and I sent a message via eBay to ask the seller for the tracking number.
The seller came back and responded that Australia Post had delays and to give it more time but gave no tracking number.
On the 20th May I received a notification from Australia Post to collect the item from the Post shop counter. When I arrived at the Post shop they asked for a further $7 to release the item as the seller had used a $1.70 postage stamp and posted from another state, which was way below the cost.
So.. I paid it.
On the 22nd May I receive a notification from eBay that $15.70 was refunded to my account. I then received a dm from the seller instructing to post the item back to them.
Some messages continued from the seller asking whether I had opened the package and have I sent it back already because by rights he still owns the book because he refunded the amount.
I sent a request asking eBay to resolve via official channel (purchasing history via the platform) however I've realised it’s AI and there will be no resolution. I have no probs posting it back because I still owe him $7, not sure if it will cover the postage cost however he said to re-use the $1.70 stamp and then he will pay for the underpayment his side.
Its puzzling and more then I would like to deal with due to the inconvenience.
Should I just send the item back and leave a negative review?
**Thanks all for your responses. I have decided send the book back to the eBay seller, only because now.. it has bad juju haha and we all can't afford bad juju around us atm so best to send it back and buy from another seller. Thanks heaps though. Kia Ora!
janet9988
·4 months agoYou do not owe the seller 7 dollars. That makes NO logical sense.
ryry-jj
·4 months agoIt does if he wants to keep the book and feels obligated to pay for the book, which they don't have to since they were refunded the $15.70 first.
Originally paid $15.70 then paid another $7 at PO ....The buyer is owed $7 for the postage paid, if they wanted to keep the book and repay for it, they would send $8.70.... so yes not $7. Is my math off or incorrect thought?
albertabrightalberta
·4 months ago"On the 20th May I received a notification from Australia Post to collect the item from the Post shop counter. When I arrived at the Post shop they asked for a further $7 to release the item as the seller had used a $1.70 postage stamp and posted from another state, which was way below the cost.
So.. I paid it."
When an item comes with postage due, that's a valid reason for you to refuse delivery. You did NOT have to pay any extra.
"On the 22nd May I receive a notification from eBay that $15.70 was refunded to my account. I then received a dm from the seller instructing to post the item back to them."
"I have no probs posting it back because I still owe him $7,"
You owe him nothing. Ignore the messages. He made mistakes but those errors aren't your problem.
If the seller refunded, that was his choice but you aren't obligated to return it. (You'd already paid extra for the book, something that shouldn't have been necessary!)
"Some messages continued from the seller asking whether I had opened the package and have I sent it back already because by rights he still owns the book because he refunded the amount."
He shipped the book and no longer owned it. He's trying to fool you into believing him.
tamarawaho
OP4 months agoYa right! Thank you albertabrightalberta. Much appreciated for taking the time to respond.
ryry-jj
·4 months agoI don't understand why this is happening...did you file a case before receiving the book? Did tracking ever show it arrived? It "reads" to me you filed a INR case, eBay refunded, the seller sees it was delivered, but wants you to return now. Since the seller shipped late, they cant go back to eBay and collect when the item was finally delivered. They need to purchase postage on eBay, have tracking and ship on time to then be able to reverse the refund...at least this is how it works in US.
If you're willing to return, the seller needs to send you the label or money to purchase a label...also you are still out the postage you paid at the PO if you return the book. Simpliest thing to do is send the seller the refunded amount minus the postage you paid at the counter upon pick up....total about $8 or so.
edited to clarify who is seller and buyer per klhmdg help
klhmdg
·4 months ago@ryry-jj
Very confusing post -
You seem to be mixing buyer and seller throughout the post.
ryry-jj
·4 months agooh...thanks....geez...I see it...."seller sees the package was delivered" & "seller shipped late"...its cuz I'm left handed! 🙂
tamarawaho
OP4 months agoThank you for the response. There was no tracking number, the eBay seller used a $1.70 postage stamp and posted in a Post Box.
We still have Post boxes in Australia, they are located outside Post Shops or near supermarkets and you pull down the loading drawer and if the item fits it slides into the post box. Australia Post will still collect the item from the box and send it. eBay here in Australia doesn't sound the same as the US? I can hear that in some of the responses above. I don't even know what an INR is? lol Sorry
The only interaction I had with eBay was to ask if they could send a message to the seller to ask for the tracking number which I never got and I also reached out after I received the refund to my account from the person who had the book for sale. The purpose of the second request (to eBay) was to ask why the seller refunded, all I can think of is perhaps he thought the book was too cheap and wants to re-sell at a better price? I can't think of any other reason. The book is not that valuable, its a book on colour matching I have seen it on other eBay stores for $20 so I don't know why so much panic to get it back.
Anyway 🙂 thank you all so much for offering advice and taking time out of your days to respond. Much appreciation to you all.
bennotbill
·4 months agoWhy would ebay refund you?
Did you open an item not received case?
tamarawaho
OP4 months agoThanks for your response. No it was the eBay seller, who sold me the book, who reversed the amount of $15.70 it wasn't EBay.
I did open a request for review with eBay here in Australia but the response was they found nothing unusual about the interaction. A year ago, there was a different workflow and I exchanged messages with a real person, when an item I bought had been sold prior but the eBay store owner still had the product for sale on their eBay store, they triaged quickly but since then a new Al system is in place.
klhmdg
·4 months agoYou are posting this on the US .com boards so I will answer per US policy.
If the seller refunds you are under no obligation to return the item.
If eBay refunds for the seller you are under no obligation to return the item.
The only way you have to return the item is if the seller sends you a return shipping label.
Then you return and the seller refunds once they receive the item back.
Just ignore the seller and any messages.
As for the negative review - I would go Neutral FB, it is more likely not to be removed by eBay.
tamarawaho
OP4 months agoThank you klhmdg. I might just do that and thanks for the advice on posting a neutral review. I really don't like to leave anyone a bad review. Life is difficult for everyone at the moment so people aren't living there best lives, don't want to ruin the qi more by adding a bad review lol