Seller promised full refund after return but only partially refunded
Seller promised a full refund if I returned the item.
Based on that promise, I returned the item at my own expense.
After the seller received it, they issued only a partial refund.
Later, the seller claimed that the item was deformed due to my fault.
This explanation was never mentioned before the return
and contradicts the promise of a full refund.
The item was returned in the same condition as received,
and I followed the seller’s instructions exactly.
The refund period has now passed because the seller delayed the process,
and I am unable to resolve this through the automated help system.
The amount itself is not significant.
However, I cannot accept being misled by a false promise of a full refund.
I am requesting a manual review of this case.
25 comments
stainlessenginecovers
·8 months agoWere these looms plastic (or close to) vs. Metal??
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThey were made using a 3D printer.
The seller states that they are Polyamide 12 nylon and are printed at 495°F.
house*of*paws
·8 months agoHi @cobra427sc.7000
If you believe that you fulfilled your part of the agreement you made with the seller regarding the return of the item for a full refund … then I agree with @jonathanbrightlight that you should contact your credit card company for a refund of the remaining amount.
You cannot get any help with eBay at this point because you’ve already dealt with PayPal … but you CAN be made whole by your credit card company if you backed your PayPal payment with a credit card.
In short, since you returned the item in the same condition as you received it … you’re entitled to a full refund. You also were entitled to free return shipping … but it’s not possible to pursue that at this time.
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThank you for your advice.
However, my concern is not simply getting the money back through my credit card company.
What matters to me is that the seller broke a clear promise and should be the one to issue the remaining refund as agreed.
house*of*paws
·8 months agoThen I believe you may be wanting too much. There’s no way I know of to ensure someone atones for their misdeeds. You can only retrieve the money you believe is owed you. You can’t make the seller voluntarily repay you.
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThe discussion may have gone in different directions, but the matter itself is quite simple.
If a seller promises a full refund upon return, then they should honor that promise.
I have been in contact with eBay Customer Service, and they have reviewed all related communications and acknowledged that there is an issue with the seller. They informed me that they will take appropriate action, including a possible account suspension.
At this point, whether the seller chooses to issue the remaining refund voluntarily is no longer my concern. I will leave the matter to eBay.
jonathanbrightlight
·8 months agoSince you did not open a return request through eBay, the coverage of the eBay Money Back Guarantee cannot help you here. In the future, don’t allow sellers to talk you into doing things outside of the correct process, which they likely did to both protect their metrics and allow them to reduce the refund without the normal requirements (in fact, they could have chosen not to refund you at all after you returned it, and since eBay has no record of a return, they would not be able to protect you).
This sounds like an appropriate time for you to contact your credit card issuer. You can tell them that the refund was not issued (if they have enough nuance in the chargeback process, report that it was not issued in full, of course).
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThank you for your advice. This has been a valuable learning experience for me, and I will make sure to follow the correct process next time.
ccomic
·8 months agoThis is a tougher one. There is really no concept of a warranty on eBay items that I know of. Is it even possible to buy an item on eBay and get a manufacturer's warranty?
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThank you for your comment.
I am not expecting or claiming any kind of manufacturer’s warranty.
My concern is simply that the seller promised a full refund if I returned the items, asked me to ship them back internationally, and then did not honor that promise after receiving them.
That is the part I believe is unfair, regardless of warranty considerations.
soh.maryl
·8 months agoIs it possible that you were not aware of eBay's Money Back Guarantee for buyers?
When a buyer receives an item that is not as described, he has 30 days after receipt to open an item not as described case with eBay. There is no requirement that he contact the seller or get into a dialogue with him. After opening the case, the seller has 3 days to respond. If he wants the item back, he sends a prepaid return label. If not, he can refund without requiring a return. If the seller fails to respond within 3 days, on day #4, the buyer returns to the case he opened and asks eBay to step in. He will be refunded from the seller's account and told to keep the item.
ALL buyers as well as ALL sellers owe it to themselves to get acquainted with the MBG, preferably before beginning to buy or sell here .
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThank you for the explanation.
Unfortunately, the seller told me that a refund through eBay was not possible due to the age of the order and asked me to proceed via PayPal instead, which I did in good faith.
I have now contacted eBay support directly and will wait for their response.
jonathanbrightlight
·8 months agoThat adds an entirely new twist. Sorry if I missed it being stated, but when did you order this, or more importantly, when was it delivered to you?
soh.maryl
·8 months agoThis is a case where being familiar with the MBG could have meant a more positive outcome for you.
You don't let the seller tell you what you can and cannot do.
As mentioned, you had 30 days after delivery to open an NAD case.
If it had indeed been more than 30 days you could have done a charge back on your credit card.
None of this requires contact with the seller or seller involvement.
Please read the Money Back Guarantee. Please.
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoYou are absolutely right.
In my case, the issue appeared more than 30 days after delivery because the part only deformed after the engine was installed and heat-cycled. The GT40 engine swap and related work took more time than expected.
My first instinct was to contact the seller directly. When they apologized and clearly stated that they would issue a full refund if I returned the item, I trusted that agreement.
This has been a learning experience for me, and I appreciate you taking the time to explain how the Money Back Guarantee works.
mkaczorsee
·8 months agoJust playing devil’s advocate here…
how do you know the item was not damaged during shipped back to the seller (maybe due to faulty packaging?)
not saying this is the case…
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agohttps://imgur.com/a/oEUOFce
Thank you for raising that point.
To clarify, the parts were already twisted before they were returned.
These are two spark plug wire separators, and both left and right units twisted in the same way after just one drive due to engine heat.
Because the deformation occurred simultaneously on both parts during use, and was documented before shipment, it could not have been caused by return shipping or packaging.
The spark plug wires were installed with sufficient slack and were not under tension. Despite this, the seller later claimed the wires were “too short†and attributed the deformation to my installation, which I strongly dispute.
The items were carefully packaged for return, but again, the deformation existed prior to return, not during transit.
I’m attaching photos showing the condition before the return.
Both separators twisted in the same way after a single drive due to engine heat.
mtgraves7984
·8 months agoSorry you picked a scrub seller. The seller really should have advised you to open a Return request. Here's a good read. >> eBay Money Back Guarantee policy
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThank you, I appreciate your comment.
Unfortunately, the seller did not advise me to open a return request at the time.
Instead, they explicitly told me to return the item promising a full refund including return shipping, which I did.
After they received the item, they issued only a partial refund and then claimed the damage was my fault, which contradicts their earlier message.
That is why I am here — not because I refused to follow the return process, but because the seller changed their position after the return was completed.
christworks
·8 months agoNobody here can manually review your case. At least nobody who works for eBay. eBay employees are not here.
Certain sellers are able to reduce the amount of refund if the item is returned in any condition other than how you received it. I don't know what the item is, but if you did not pack it well and it got damaged during shipment, that's on you.
You can appeal the partial refund, but I do not know the timeline you have to do that. eBay will likely refund you the difference and the seller will keep their money.
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThank you for your advice.
To clarify, the item was two spark plug wire separators for an automotive engine.
After just one short drive, both left and right separators twisted due to engine heat, at the same time.
The spark plug wires were installed with sufficient slack and were not under tension.
However, the seller later claimed that the wires were “too short†and that the deformation was my fault.
Because both pieces deformed in the same way under the same conditions, this was clearly not damage during return shipping.
I returned them in the exact condition in which they failed during normal use.
The main issue for me is that the seller explicitly promised a full refund after return, but after receiving the item, issued only a partial refund and changed the explanation afterward.
shire123
·8 months agoPer your clarification it appears you actually installed the item and then it "deformed" during use. Hence, the item was NOT returned in its original condition. Per ebay rules the seller in this case can deduct up to 50% of the price as it was NOT returned in its original condition.
Can't speak to why the seller stated a full refund and did not follow through.
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThank you for your comment.
The parts twisted after just one normal drive, which is why I returned them.
More importantly, the seller explicitly promised a full refund upon return, and I agreed to the return based on that promise.
I am not disputing eBay’s rules regarding condition-based deductions, but I do believe it is unfair to promise a full refund and then not honor it after the item is returned.
kraftique
·8 months agoMy husband works on cars: This was on your end not the Sellers.
often indicating that the separators are in direct contact with hot headers or manifolds. While many separators are designed to resist high underhood temperatures, they are not intended to touch exhaust components, which can exceed the melting point of standard plastic (e.g., 223°C/433°F for some ABS plastics)
cobra427sc.7000
OP8 months agoThank you for your input. I’d like to clarify a few points so this doesn’t turn into a misunderstanding.
While I would prefer not to turn this into a purely technical debate—since my main concern is the seller breaking a clear promise—I want to provide some necessary context.
As shown in the photos I uploaded, these separators are mounted on the valve covers and are not close to, nor in contact with, the exhaust headers or manifolds.
After driving only about 90 km (approximately 55 miles), both the left and right separators deformed in the same way at the same time.
Here are the photos for reference:
https://imgur.com/a/oEUOFce
If you show these photos to your husband, I believe it will be clear that exhaust contact was not the cause.
For additional background, I have been working on cars for decades and take care with installations like this. On my 1965 Mustang, I have used a very similar valve-cover-mounted separator made by Scott Drake without any issues under comparable conditions. This was not an installation error or a beginner’s mistake.
I initially sent these same photos to the seller to explain what happened. Based on those photos, the seller asked me to return the item and explicitly promised a full refund.
However, after receiving the returned item and reviewing the very same photos again, the seller changed their explanation and claimed that the spark plug wires were “too short†and that the deformation was my fault.
If that conclusion could have been reached from the original photos, it’s difficult not to feel disappointed that I was asked to return the item internationally—at my own time and effort—only to later be denied the agreed refund.
If the seller’s position is that wire length alone caused the deformation, one could reasonably wonder whether heat-related softening of the material played a role as well.
The seller’s tone also changed noticeably after receiving the physical parts, which unfortunately makes the situation feel even more troubling. It even leads me to question whether recovering the parts was prioritized so that the material itself would not be subject to further analysis.
Again, my primary concern here is not to argue design theory, but that I was asked to return the item with a promise of a full refund—and that promise was not honored afterward.