Did I return the item on time?

[spacii]

I’m really just venting here because I’ve decided not to pursue the matter any further, but for the first time in my 20 years on eBay the process has failed and perhaps someone can give some insight as to how I might have handled this differently.  I purchased an item.  The item I received was radically different from the item as pictured and described by the Seller.  I requested a refund via eBay, the Seller agreed.  I received the email from eBay titled “The seller accepted your return” and the follow-up email from eBay titled “Your return shipping label is ready” and saying “See your return details to download and print the label” and “Be sure to send the item back to the seller by Dec 28, 2017.”  I printed the attached label and dropped the package off at UPS on December 27.  Today (December 29) I received an email from eBay titled “The seller has asked us to step in and help” followed by a second email from eBay saying that the case has been closed and “However, to receive a refund, buyers need to return the item within the requested timeframe after the seller has accepted a return requesrt.  This item wasn’t returned to the seller on time.  After reviewing all the details of this case, we determined that you won’t receive a refund.”  I have the receipt from UPS which confirms that the package was dropped off on December 27, and checking the tracking number online it shows that the package was delivered today (December 29).  So I called eBay.  Their position is that the Las Vegas address on the return label THEY provided was not the same as the Kentucky address of the Seller.  My position is that isn’t my problem.  I used the return label sent to me by eBay and had no reason to question the accuracy of the address on that label.  They said the only way they can act further on my appeal is for me to contact the Seller directly to confirm whether or not the Seller has received the returned package (not likely, if it went to Las Vegas when it should have gone to Kentucky) and whether or not the Seller is willing to grant a refund.  I asked the eBay rep “So you’re telling me to go out of channels and do this on my own?” and they said yes.  Now that the case is closed, I cannot access most of the relevant data online – i.e, the purchase does not appear in my Purchase History and the email that contained the return label no longer links to the return label, so I can’t even prove what return label it was that eBay sent me.  I personally think the Seller was guilty of blatant false advertising, which is why I went through eBay instead of contacting the Seller directly, and now eBay tells me that my only recourse is to contact the Seller directly.  I did “send the item back to the seller BY Dec 28, 2017” and I did “return the item WITHIN the requested timeframe” and the eBay rep on the phone never questioned that timeline (e.g., by saying I should have made sure the Seller received the item BEFORE December 28).  So I’m out the purchase price as well as the item.  Thanks for listening!  🙂

[chrysylys]

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@spacii wrote:

  Thanks for listening!  🙂

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That's pretty hard to do without paragraphs.  I got as far as the ship date.  If you had tracking showing the item in the carrier's hands by that date, you should have prevailed.  It did not have to be received by the seller by that date.  You may want to try an appeal.

[lex-talon]

You said a mouthful, paragraphs would have been helpful.

But anyway, you should be ok as your return was in the mail on the 27th and received by the seller on the 29th.

[missjen831]

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@lex-talon wrote:

You said a mouthful, paragraphs would have been helpful.

But anyway, you should be ok as your return was in the mail on the 27th and received by the seller on the 29th.

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How is the OP OK when eBay closed the case in the sellers favor?

@spacii You need to contact customer service by phone and appeal. Remind them that the label was issued by eBay or the seller and you shipped the item by the 29th using the label you were given. Come back here if they won’t grant the appeal. Good luck! 

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@missjen831 wrote:

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@lex-talon wrote:

You said a mouthful, paragraphs would have been helpful.

But anyway, you should be ok as your return was in the mail on the 27th and received by the seller on the 29th.

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How is the OP OK when eBay closed the case in the sellers favor?

@spacii You need to contact customer service by phone and appeal. Remind them that the label was issued by eBay or the seller and you shipped the item by the 29th using the label you were given. Come back here if they won’t grant the appeal. Good luck! 

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This.  The rep who told you it had to be delivered by the 28th was wrong.  It has to be shipped by that date.  And if you use the label eBay provider they should NOT be holding you accountable for it going to the wrong address.  It sounds like a clueless csr agreed to close it for the seller and then you got a clueless csr.  This is a big eBay fail here.  Call back and keep calling back until you get a rep with a clue.  You mailed it back on time and to the address provided they owe you a refund.