Ask for a refund turns into ask for a return!?

[banknotes_1]

Plants arrived dead. Actual shipping charge is much smaller than I was charged ($15 vs. $4). The tracking shows the goods were delivered to me. Yes, they were (but dead). Contacted the seller with photos of dead plants asking to resend plants properly packaged. Seller responded and wrote that they will refund because they can not resend plants again because of Covid-19. After that I waited for over a week and no refund received. Went to open a case on ebay, selecting "Contact the seller with "Not as described" option", but there is no such selection for my case, so ebay text link advised to ask for a refund, yet when I started filling out the form on ebay it says ask for a return. How can I return dead rotten plants to the seller? It is not possible and does not make any sense. Also it says that seller does not accept returns but ebay text suggest I still take a chance. Take a chance for buyer protection? Where is buyer protection here? How do I get a refund?

I can not submit "I did not receive it" claim, because I did receive the plants, but they arrived dead. And I can not return the dead rotten plants either. Am I missing something?

Ebay texts encountered during the ordeal:

• What can you do if the item arrived damaged, is not as described, or is missing parts?
  If there's something wrong with the item, don't worry. Just request a refund. We'll keep track of your request so you can get the item you ordered or your money back.
  
  After I clicked on the above "request a refund" link I got this:
  
  

  Although the seller doesn't accept returns, you can still send a request for a return. Remember, the eBay Money Back Guarantee covers you if there's something wrong with your purchase.

  Why do you want to return this item?

  Select a reason (no such option: "Arrived perished" so must choose "Arrived damaged")

  Yet I can not submit this form since this is asking for a return which does not make any sense. How can I ask for a return? Perhaps the seller can ask me to return the rotted plants, but not me? Is the wording correct here? I can ask for a refund and I expected to ask for a refund as the link implied. Is this the only way to receive a refund to send the perished rotted plants with soil back to the seller paying out of my pocket being not my fault? In fact I already threw the dead plants away, but the photo I took of the perished plants documents the case. Please advise what would you do, thank you.

[soh.maryl]

When a buyer receives an item that's not as described (as in "dead") he can open an item not as described in the Resolution Center.  What kind of a case did you open?

  If the seller wants the item returned, even though that's a bizarre idea in this case, he is allowed to do so.  Suggest you contact him.  Failing that, the only other recourse is contacting eBay.

And, when you open an item not as described case, if the seller wants it returned, he is supposed to either send you a prepaid return label or reimburse you in advance for the return postage.  

This wasn't uncle-chan-garden, was it? You stated in FB that that seller has refunded you. 

[parkersparrow]

You need to file an item not as described case. Then the seller will have to option to either just refund you or require you to return for a refund.

[banknotes_1]

That's what I did. If you read my entire post closely you will see that in my case it was not possible to submit "not as described" completely as I was forced to select "ask for a return" after I clicked on "ask for a refund" link. So REFUND turned into RETURN. Don't ask me how. This is what ebay does. Confusing interface that is often useless. Can you see in the heading and my post? I explained there in very detail. Please read again. Thank you.

[banknotes_1]

No, it was not Uncle Chan, (he offered a refund even if I asked is it possible to replace, and he refunded within minutes, this is why I left him a positive feedback) but I prefer to keep my privacy and not identify the actual seller (yet). This post is NOT about any sellers in Thailand.

[banknotes_1]

Actually this is the reason why I don't like to leave feedback to sellers, because of my privacy concerns. The people can see what I am buying and where and from whom.

[myangelandmyprincess]

---

@banknotes_1 wrote:
That's what I did. If you read my entire post closely you will see that in my case it was not possible to submit "not as described" completely as I was forced to select "ask for a return" after I clicked on "ask for a refund" link. So REFUND turned into RETURN. Don't ask me how. This is what ebay does. Confusing interface that is often useless. Can you see in the heading and my post? I explained there in very detail. Please read again. Thank you.

---

Because you can't ask just for a refund without returning the seller can refund without requiring a return but you're requesting a return for the not as described item 

[banknotes_1]

Heheh. This is exactly what ebay does. It confuses the buyer and probably the seller as well.

[terrycece62]

Hi banknotes

nothing confusing  here you need 2 return the dead plant and then u will get a refund

For some reason seller wants the plant back you won't need 2 pay postage  just box it up and return it 

[banknotes_1]

Apparently you did not read my post, just wanted to say something without understanding what my post is all about. The seller does not accept returns and the dead rotten plants not only do not make any sense to return them, but also I threw them away (made photos first). And even if it was not a rotten plant but a book, why would I want to pay out of my pocket to return it if it was damaged or not as described? Also I read somewhere that returning merchandise prevents the seller from claiming insurance thus doing damage to the seller. And I also read that ebay discourages returns, although they also allow returns or even encourage, but that is ebay, the corporation which does not give a freshwater fish's eyeball about consumers.

[terrycece62]

You are confused about how returns work
Of course you must return item if u want a refund you can't keep both item and get a refund
Your buyers money back guarantee trumps sellers no returns accepted policy
Sorry If u threw away the plant I guess you wont be able get your money back

[fab_finds4u]

eBay says sellers do not have to refund unless and until the item is returned.  Therefore, the way to get a refund is to request to return the item.  True, it makes no sense to return a useless item like a dead fish or plant or a broken item that can't be repaired, and in that case the seller usually  refunds without requiring you to return it.  When you request to return the item you have to choose a reason.  If the reason is because it's not as described the seller will be given the choice to refund and not require you to return it or they can provide a return label and refund when it's  returned.  That's the procedure for getting a refund.  You can request to return the item from My eBay purchase history or you can go to the Resolution Center and file a not as described case.  Either one will work.  

[myangelandmyprincess]

---

@banknotes_1 wrote:

Apparently you did not read my post, just wanted to say something without understanding what my post is all about. The seller does not accept returns and the dead rotten plants not only do not make any sense to return them, but also I threw them away (made photos first). And even if it was not a rotten plant but a book, why would I want to pay out of my pocket to return it if it was damaged or not as described? Also I read somewhere that returning merchandise prevents the seller from claiming insurance thus doing damage to the seller. And I also read that ebay discourages returns, although they also allow returns or even encourage, but that is ebay, the corporation which does not give a freshwater fish's eyeball about consumers.

---

The seller having a no return policy just means they don't take returns for buyer remodel/changed mind.   Not as described items have nothing to do with the no return policy.  If the seller wants a not as described item returned the buyer has to return it for a refund.  If the seller chooses to refund without a return the seller can choose that once the case is open but they can also choose to require you to return it.  

The seller has to provide a return label you won't be out shipping 

[themayqueen]

in your case the seller has to provide a return shipping label. if they don't then you can contact ebay and ask for them to "step in" to help. they give a  link for it. Normally that will result in either a label being given , or a refund.

yes i agree, it is not very helpful or honest of them to put a "refund" offer on there when it is no such thing.

you will need to contact ebay about the item, and maybe copy-paste your whole story from here, to them. And upload the photos.

[glyph01]

---

@banknotes_1 wrote:

• What can you do if the item arrived damaged, is not as described, or is missing parts?
  If there's something wrong with the item, don't worry. Just request a refund. We'll keep track of your request so you can get the item you ordered or your money back.

---

I was trying to figure out how you encounter the text above and discovered it shows up when you click "Contact Seller" which is really not the way.

What you do instead, is follow the procedure here:

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/returns-refunds/return-item-refund?id=4041

If you want the step by step, hit the + icon next to "How to return an item from your Purchase history".

But since you said you threw out the dead plants already...its Russian roulette time. Let's see if the seller will issue a refund instead of requiring you to return items on their dime before issuing a refund.