eBay

shareb26 · ‎03-01-2021

We are adding this message here as a last resort before we take legal action. We have tried and tried to contact Ebay through all the options available that we can find. Even tried phoning Ebay numbers that then lead you around in circles and direct you straight back to 'help' pages on the website which are completely useless. So much for the guarantee. Bought an item from a USA seller, shipped it to a secondary shipping company for international shipment. Item was on-sent to New Zealand and delivered to us. Upon opening it was discovered that while there was the correct part number on the outside of the box, it was an incorrect part inside the box and had been obviously previously opened with the plastic internal bag ripped open. We immediately contacted seller with photos. Seller implied that we had mis-ordered and said to return it. We purchased based on part number and images on their auction and if we had received that part it would have been correct. We returned the part to the seller at our cost and they acknowledged receipt of the return via messages. We opened the 'return' via Ebay and put in the correct tracking numbers which show on an Ebay site that it has been delivered back to the seller. However it looks like the actual case has now been closed despite no refund having been given or communication from Ebay. The sellers are now saying that we 'swapped' out the part and returned a different part to them. They are also saying that as we opened a case with Ebay, it is now 'out of their hands' to give us a refund, instead it is up to Ebay to make the refund. We now have undeniable evidence that proves that the part they sent was the part we returned. The evidence is based on the sellers own information. It's not about the money any more - it's about the principal. Sellers should not be able to rip people off like this. We are successful business owners ourselves and pride ourselves on honesty and integrity. Without customers you don't have a business. I'm certain that a telephone discussion with an Ebay customer service rep would sort this quickly rather than this long drawn out, painful exercise going round and round in circles due to Ebay's substandard customer support. Is there another way to contact them that we're missing? We did find a call-back option but that is only for people based in Canada or the USA. We tried the fraud line but without a case code you're bumped out. Are international customers not considered to be important enough to Ebay?

mama_583368 · ‎03-01-2021

@shareb26 wrote:
Even tried phoning Ebay numbers that then lead you around in circles and direct you straight back to 'help' pages on the website which are completely useless. So much for the guarantee.

Bought an item from a USA seller, shipped it to a secondary shipping company for international shipment. Item was on-sent to New Zealand and delivered to us.

eBay Money Back Guarantee is self-help; you drive it yourself. But even if you had contacted customer service, they cannot help you because you lost protection when your item passed through the hands of a reshipper. The policy is clear when you sidestep eBay's make-more-money programs:

Not covered

The item was sent to another address after the original delivery, or buyer uses a freight forwarder (exceptions which are still eligible for coverage include: eBay shipping programs such as the Global Shipping Program and eBay international standard delivery)

lamber9347 · ‎03-01-2021

@shareb26 I'm so sorry to read of your troubles. The majority of sales on eBay go issue free. Unfortunately yours did not and that's a shame to hear.

There is an option for contacting eBay using the chat option but the secret is to use it during regular business hours in USA. So you should try to time that and give it a shot. The MBG does not apply since you used a freight forwarder. Unfortunately when one purchases items from another individual seller there is always an inherent risk involved. This is only a platform for sellers to use and has no guarantees about the sellers. Because your item had another address involved both parties can point a finger at the other to say the item was incorrect, but eBay will say it may have been the freight forwarded. That is why the MBG is no longer in the picture.

I suggest you continue to pursue and try the chat option. Go to help & contact at the top of this page and look for the chat option. You may also want to pursue a refund case via the method of payment you used. Best of luck to you....

hindr6692 · ‎03-02-2021

1) paragraphs

2) legal action roflmao

3) you lost buyer protection when you had it forwarded

4) USE PARAGRAPHS.

shareb26 · ‎03-02-2021

Hi @lamber9347 Thanks for your help. We have gone around and around in the help and contact center looking for alternative methods of contacting customer service. Looked again just now following your advice and still cannot find a 'chat' option - could be that the option is not available to us as international users. We have emailed Ebay customer service using their online email form.

We don't often use Ebay's global shipping for our orders as it tends to take months to get here which of course is then outside the period of time in which we can claim.

Instead we choose to go through the New Zealand Post warehouse and usually get the item within 7 business days.

If the seller hasn't acted in good faith (which we can prove) and Ebay has taken fees from the transaction, it has a moral responsibility at least. And in fact Ebay still has a legal obligation because we can prove that the item received into the freight forwarder was the incorrect part before leaving the US.

Considering that the policy doesn't cover the time for an item to reach some international destinations, it means that the guarantee is void anyway. It's almost like Ebay is set up to cancel out any obligation to international buyers. We have been buying from Ebay for 20 years and our feedback is 100% - you would think that would be worth something.

Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to talk to our lawyers again today.

nocoolnamejane · ‎03-02-2021

we can prove that the item received into the freight forwarder was the incorrect part before leaving the US.

How?

She ❤︎ Her ❤︎ Hers

lamber9347 · ‎03-02-2021

@shareb26 I believe you are correct in that as an Int'l buyer the chat option isn't available to you. Most likely due to time discrepancies but I'm sorry about that. It is working for us in the US just fine.

I did want to point out a few things because you keep indicating you want to pursue this legally. I'm not trying to be argumentative with you at all, you will do as you please anyways. This is only a platform for sellers and buyers to use for online transactions. There are no guarantees from eBay, no vetting of sellers nor buyers. They are the middle man so to speak. There are stipulations that you agreed to when you signed up to use this platform which will negate any liabilities on their part.

That aside it's still one person's word against another in a court of law. You cannot prevail by suing someone over the moral thing to do. It's only about what is legal and compensation to put you whole again. That's all a courthouse will deal with. You cannot sue the seller as you would have to sue them in a court of law in their own country. We all know the freight forwarder didn't open the package but you would be expected to prove that in court and you cannot. It's really a shame because you seem very honest and only want what you paid for. I am on your side believe it or not. That seller needs to be reported on eBay so that a record of their actions can be recorded. I do hope you follow through on that but the rest I can only wish you luck and hope you don't end up throwing away more money on this. Stay safe & healthy....

shareb26 · ‎03-02-2021

Thanks @lamber9347 . We were hoping that some Ebay people might watch this forum and want to communicate with us. We do a lot of business in the US and we have a US office. We're well-versed in legal matters and realise we will be spending money in order to get money back.

It is a real shame, especially as my husband is driving this....but he will do what he will do. I just don't understand why it couldn't have been an easy transaction as they normally are. Why these people couldn't have refunded us immediately I don't know - it's not a huge amount of money. As it stands now they have the part and our money. 😕

loveman8 · ‎06-15-2021

DONT BUY ANYTHING EXPENSIVE ON EBAY

i got ripped off for 2 thousand dollars , seller sent defective tv , he sent truck to pick it up , that took 3 weeks ,, the replacement tv came , now we are at 6 weeks ,, that was broken also ,. seller sent truck again . he sends 3rd tv that's smashed and broken , seller sends truck again , so eBay says well its past 90 days ,, DONT BUY ON EBAY

loveman8 · ‎06-15-2021

DONT BUY ANYTHING EXPENSIVE ON EBAY

i got ripped off for 2 thousand dollars , seller sent defective tv , he sent truck to pick it up , that took 3 weeks ,, the replacement tv came , now we are at 6 weeks ,, that was broken also ,. seller sent truck again . he sends 3rd tv that's smashed and broken , seller sends truck again , so eBay says well its past 90 days ,, DONT BUY ON EBA

wesk_36 · ‎06-15-2021

Sorry the seller refuses to refund you after you returned the item based on the wrong item sent. Looks like they blamed you and apparently scammed you by telling you to return it and keeping your money as well. Maybe they still will give a refund?

"We have been buying from Ebay for 20 years and our feedback is 100% - you would think that would be worth something."

I am not doubting your integrity but 100% positive buyer feedback is all a buyer can have since ebay doesn't allow giving buyers negatives, so it means very little.

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kensgiftshop · ‎06-15-2021

@shareb26 wrote:
We returned the part to the seller at our cost and they acknowledged receipt of the return via messages. We opened the 'return' via Ebay and put in the correct tracking numbers which show on an Ebay site that it has been delivered back to the seller.

Why didn't you open a case before shipping it back, the seller would have been responsible for return shipping from the freight forwarder?

Since the Ebay case is closed, if you paid with Pay Pal, they give you 180 days to file a claim.

You can also open a case with your credit card if that's how you paid.

Have a great day.