possible scam

[pwink44]

I don't shop with eBay very often. I happen to run across a offer on a smart TV upgrader and pursued it. It was relatively cheap and it came from a eBay supplier. I unboxed the upgrader and found that the batteries for the remote were corroding inside the plastic. (that concerned me some as I wonder how long this particular box had sat on the shelf somewhere.)  After I got the item setup I found that the supply cable for the power supply was a 220 plug in European style or something like Korea 220 volts. I went ahead and purchased a 220 to 110 adapter through Amazon and finally got it plugged in and powered up. It immediately went into an update of some sort and I'm not sure if it was for this particular upgrade item or the TV.  After some time it allowed me to enter into the selection process for setting up the TV to upgrade it but it only had options for Central and South American countries plus one other country called “other”.  After going through the hoops and some software choices it came back with the message that updates were not available for this country.

                   I guess what I'm asking the community is this a normal for items that are not top shelf and readily usable. I hesitate to call the seller a scam artist but he had to know that this would not work in the United States and that others like me have probably written in the same thing on seeking a return.

He replied to an email I sent to him :

Very sorry about this issue. Please set up an eBay return and I will make sure a full refund is sent once received back.

The return will cost more than the items worth right now and especially if I have to spend an hour boxing it back up. I've already invested too much time in this to make it work anyway.

[lakefor94]

Go to your eBay Purchase History and open a return case.
Find the item in your Purchase History and press the big, blue 'Return this item' button. Select "Item is Not as Described" as the reason for the return.

If it requires you to upload a photo to the return case you will need to do that.

 
Seller will be required to provide a prepaid shipping label IF they want the item back before refunding.

When the return tracking shows delivered back to the seller, the seller will have 2 days to inspect and refund your purchase. If that does not happen there will be an "Ask eBay to Step In", option for you to click on. EBay will refund your money.

If seller does not send a return label within 3 days and the "Ask eBay To Step In" option is not available, you may have to contact eBay. If you need help, come back here with details and dates of what has transpired.

Under NO circumstances do you close the return before getting your refund, REGARDLESS of what the seller might tell you.

 
Come back here with any or all questions you might have throughout this process.

[bonjourami]

Go to your purchase and use the drop down menu to file a not as described case. The seller is then responsible to provide you with a return label. If it was an international transaction he is to provide you with the funds for a label. If he does not do that, on the fourth day ask Ebay to step in. They will refund you without having to return the product. Hopefully you are within the thirty day limit for the MBG.

[terrycece62]

If you aren't willing to re-box item so you don't care about a refund  ?

Must be nice.

regards

[pwink44]

Thanks for the reply. The item is not listed in my search box and says I have no recent purchases.

[pwink44]

No, I don't want to give this seller an opportunity to resell to another..

[pwink44]

Thanks, eBay Purchase History has no record listed, but I do have the E-bay listing and an email reply from the seller.

[evry1nositswindy]

If it is not in your purchase history, you didn't buy it on eBay.  Did you find this on another site but it said the sale was handled through eBay?

Not returning the item and wanting a refund...how wildly unfair.  

[pwink44]

The money is less than the return postage will be. It appears to me this seller is offering this item knowing it won't work and figuring most people won't bother reporting.

[bonjourami]

Did you purchase it as a guest?

[bonjourami]

To start a return request or report a problem with an item you bought as a guest, you'll need your order confirmation email. This is the email we sent at the time of your purchase with all your order details. The subject line starts with "Order Confirmed".

[soh.maryl]

Are you saying it's not in your My eBay> Purchase History?  

[soh.maryl]

Again, as mentioned earlier, the SELLER will be required to cover the cost of return postage, either by sending a prepaid return label, or by reimbursing you in advance for the cost of return shipping; 

however, if you're unwilling to repackage the item and return it, the seller is not required to refund you for the purchase.  

Have you not read the eBay Money Back Guarantee for buyers?  

[buyselljack2016]

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@pwink44 wrote:

The money is less than the return postage will be. It appears to me this seller is offering this item knowing it won't work and figuring most people won't bother reporting.

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There is no "reporting" on this that eBay will care about/do anything about.

Return request via the eBay MBG for item "not as described" earns the seller a "ding" on their "service metrics". 

[pwink44]

possible I purchased as a guest logging in on Google account as I had to update Ebay info on 5/2.