Return Denied
I bought a $15 food chopper. It was non-functioning on arrival. DOA? Anyway, I messaged the seller within the return period to say that the thing wasn't working. Seller did not reply, and I unfortunately forgot about it, so no "official" return process was started within the "official" time period required. Now the seller has denied the return, and I'm out $15. Is this all because I messaged him instead of starting the return process? I messaged him because it was such a cheap piece of crap, I sincerely doubted he would want to pay to have it returned.... At any rate, I don't get why, when I notified him within the 30 days, he gets to ignore me until time runs out.
I did appeal this and it was denied, by him, I assume. I don't think it went through any review or anything.... and I get it, it's only $15, but it's MY $15.....
thanks --
kalyoth
·5 months agoIf you had read the money back guarantee information, it clearly spells out the process for seeking a return for refund with ebay. It does not spell out conversation rules with a seller. Once you fail to meet those deadlines, your out of luck with ebay. All that you have now, is whatever your payment processor used spells out for you.
kibble-net
·5 months agoHow does an ebay user with (checks notes) FIVE THOUSAND feedback not know that you only have 30 days to open a return?
christworks
·5 months ago@s8u8z8y8 I am sorry this happened to you. I cannot speak for the seller in your case, but I will give you my perspective as a seller who would likely not have responded.
With every item I send out, I include my business card. On it I remind buyers they can return the item for free within 30-days and for any reason, unless the item was sold as parts/not working. I direct buyers who want to return an item to go to their order on eBay, and select the return option. I do not want to hear from buyers about a return because I have things set up to automatically handle the return. If you message me, I have to stop what I am doing and explain the very thing my business card does, which defeats why I use them. So if a buyer messages me, I will normally ignore it because they should already know what they need to do. There are exceptions. If i have sent the wrong item, or forgot to include something, then I'm 1000% on that and will tell the buyer to keep it, refund them, and send them the missing item for free.
I do not give partial refunds. I take everything back, even if it is broken or cheap. That's how I do my business, even if it does not make sense to anybody else. I don't have to justify my reasons to anybody. I do not expect eBay to hold my hand as a seller, nor am I going to hold the hand of a buyer. We are all adults. We should know our role in the transaction process and what to do.
I am not a large operation, but some sellers are and they do not have the time to message buyers who respond. I do not know if that applied to your seller.
Again, I am sorry it happened. I know you were trying to look out on the seller and I respect that. I think your mistake was simply letting it go too long. If you had not heard from the seller within a few days, you should have opened a return. I think that's the place were it comes back on you.
I do not know what part of the food chopper is broken, but the stem is the most valuable part on it. Depending on the brand and model, the stem alone can go for $30-$40. You may be able to claw back some of your money that way.
ryry-jj
·5 months agoThere is another thread here on Returns wondering why buyers aren't required to contact the seller to work things out...in your case this is exactly one reason why you don't communicate with the seller. eBay is automated, file for the return, INAD within 30 days to get your money back. Nothing to say or communicate with the seller...this is how eBay is set up, and we should all know this going in
simba6
·5 months agoThe chopper in a hopper was never as good as Sledge-O-Matic.
If you paid by credit card, contact your card company.
tortuga_trading
·5 months agoThe issue isn't (completely) the 30-day window. It's the fact that the seller didn't respond at all. A lot of sellers do this very thing, hoping time expires.
Whatever feedback you decided....that seller earned it.
s8u8z8y8
OP5 months agoI believe you're right. I have people contact me from time to time with problems. If I can't solve it directly, I tell them to file a case. But I ANSWER THEM.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoThere is no requirement that a seller respond to an item not as described case.
Buyer receives item. Buyer discovers it's nonfunctional or otherwise not as described.
Buyer finds item in his Purchase History and opens an item not as described case.
Seller has 3 days to respond. His choices are: Send a prepaid return label and refund the buyer upon receipt of the returned item. Decide it works out better to just refund and let the buyer keep the item. Does not respond. Buyer then returns to the case and asks eBay to step in. eBay refunds buyer from the seller's funds and the buyer is allowed to keep the item.
house*of*paws
·5 months agoHi @s8u8z8y8
eBay needs deadlines in order to be fair to both buyers and sellers during the return process. You say contacted the seller before the deadline … but didn’t file an official return request.
You had 30 days to file a return request, which you didn’t do. Your time is up with eBay … BUT you may still be able to get refunded through your payment source. They will tell you whether or not you have to return what you received.
glenvonnie
·5 months agoI don't understand why anyone would contact the seller 95% of the time, just open a case with eBay, they will send you a return label, you can them communicate with the seller through the eBay process.
If you used a reason for return as didn't fit, didn't like, etc., or past 30 days, then the seller can decline the return, for INAD he can't.
Now I do have buyers that contact me for problems and I either refund them on the spot with no return needed, send a replacement, or tell them how to open a case, then eBay automatically accepts for me, I accept returns for any reason and refund even if it's their fault, that makes them potential future customers.
stainlessenginecovers
·5 months agoEven Walmart has a time limit (90 days EVEN with Receipt).
You missed the bus.
Nothing can be done.
deezdd
·5 months agoI totally understand your frustration, I am in the same boat, except I filed a return within 24 hours. The buyer sent me a pair of men's shoes instead of a pair of women's shoes. The return should not be a problem! I received an item that was not as described in the listing. Plain and simple. Black and white.
How is this legal? The return was declined, and the case was closed within a matter of one hour. And now trying to get a hold of anyone or file a dispute, speak to any human being in customer service, is a monumental task, there is absolutely no way around the infinity loop of customer service pages. What are we supposed to do???
glenvonnie
·5 months agoWhat was the reason you used to ask for a return and refund?
I f you used something like Didn't fit, Didn't like, or ordered by mistake, then the seller can decline the return.
s8u8z8y8
OP5 months agoI don't remember the exact reason I chose, but it certainly wouldn't have been one of those.
Broken, doesn't work, non-functioning... it would have been one of these.
s8u8z8y8
OP5 months agoI would not have used one of those reasons.
jonathanbrightlight
·5 months agoThe person you're responding to was responding to @deezdd , who added their own question within your post. Their issue is different than yours.
As for your issue, though, I'll just echo others who have correctly explained that the 30 Day Money Back Guarantee is only for 30 days from delivery, no matter what other extenuating circumstances or justification you might have for why you want it to be longer. There are no exceptions, eBay does not consider anything once it exceeds that timeframe. You should reach out to your bank or credit card issuer.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoWhen you opened that case (within the right time frame), what was the reason you gave?
Hard to understand why the case would be closed if/when "item not as described" was used as the reason for wanting to return something. In that situation, am pretty sure the seller cannot refuse a refund.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoIf you waited too long (over 30 days) to open an item not as described case, try a chargeback on your credit card.
lakefor94
·5 months agoWe only get 30 days to file a return that eBay will back up with the MBG.
Next time just file a Item Not Described return case within 30 days of delivery rather than messaging the seller. The seller can at that point, just refund if they chose to do so, without a return.
bongos_gallery_boutique
·5 months agoIf you let the time to return the item expire the return request was denied by ebay automatically and not by the seller
zgnisaer
·5 months agoNo, eBay did not. It was the seller.
Even after the MBG coverage has expired @bongos_gallery_boutique eBay still allows a buyer to start a return request to give the seller an opportunity to provide customer service or deny the request.
The difference is that there won't be the usual timeout to ask eBay to step in it, to leave dirty footprints everywhere.
bongos_gallery_boutique
·5 months agook...potato patoto. It's basically the same thing. Seller used the loophole, and was allowed to take advantage of the loophole. Personally as a seller I would have made the buyer whole and/or figured something out without any avoidance. Even if eBay does have that loophole.
grand-and-glorious-purpose
·5 months agoThere's no loophole here.
No seller is going to beg you to open a return, when time is up, time is up.