Not sure what happens when I file for a refund from the GSP for a damaged item.

[yikti_yikti]

So I bought a used item from a seller in US, shipped to me via the GSP. However, when it arrived, it appears that the box was opened then resealed with tape, the inner packaging was cut open by a knife or something and worst of all, the knife cut left a huge scratch on the product. It's a notebook computer, and the scratch is right on the center of the lid, making it impossible to not notice.

Contacted the seller and he said that it's not his fault so I should escalate the case to customer service. But I can't yet since apparently I need to wait 3 busines days for no reason after sending a return request to the seller in order to escalate the case.

But I just want to know in advance what I should expect when dealing with customer service. If I do end up getting a refund, I would have to send the item back to the GSP center for liquidation, right? What happens to the return shipping fees? And asking just in case, what would happen if the item gets lost or further damaged on its way back to the GSP center? And if they determine that it's not their fault, what should I do then? After reading the FAQ and some relatively-recent forum posts, I still can't seem to find a clear answer.

And if I decide to not get a refund and keep the product as is (aside from the scratch, it's working perfectly fine and as described, and I bought it because I needed it in the first place), how should I handle the feedback? If it's not the seller's fault, I don't want to give negative feedback. On the other hand, I ended up getting not exactly what I paid for, so I wouldn't really want to leave positive feedback either. Would it be acceptable to not leave any feedback at all? I don't really mind not getting feedback on my end, since after what happened I probably won't be buying stuff from ebay again anyway.

I have very little experience with ebay, so a little help pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[femmefan1946]

The usual reaction by GSP to a damage or Not As Described claim is to refund in full and tell you to dispose of the unwanted item.

For most sellers, a refund is sucking their lifeblood.

With GSP,the seller was free of responsibility once the item was delivered to the doorstep in Erlanger KY.

For GSP, who take responsibility from there, it's a minor business expense.

when it arrived, it appears that the box was opened then resealed with tape, the inner packaging was cut open by a knife or something and worst of all, the knife cut left a huge scratch on the product.

Was there any paperwork showing this happened while it was in GSP hands?

Not really important.

Contact eBay Customer Service and ask for a GSP specialist.

You may now have a free laptop.

Does that make up for the scratch?

[thallidguy]

I think that leaving no feedback at all is the most fair; I agree with you on that. It's not really the seller's fault, but there's no reason why you should consider it a positive experience.

I'm guessing that the laptop was opened for inspection at the GSP facility and one of the minimum wage warehouse monkeys had an "Oops!" moment.

[yikti_yikti]

But of course, if I can get a full refund and the item is up to me to "dispose", then I would have nothing to complain about. Is that the general policy, though? I was just under the impression that I am to return it to the GSP center if I get a refund, which seems reasonable to me, but I may just be thinking too much.

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@yikti_yiktiwrote:

But of course, if I can get a full refund and the item is up to me to "dispose", then I would have nothing to complain about. Is that the general policy, though? I was just under the impression that I am to return it to the GSP center if I get a refund, which seems reasonable to me, but I may just be thinking too much.

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refunding without requireing it to be sent back is what they seem to generally do.  If they by some chance required it to be returned you wouldn't have to the the shipping to do so though.

[missjen831]

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@yikti_yiktiwrote:

But of course, if I can get a full refund and the item is up to me to "dispose", then I would have nothing to complain about. Is that the general policy, though? I was just under the impression that I am to return it to the GSP center if I get a refund, which seems reasonable to me, but I may just be thinking too much.

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The GSP doesn’t handle returns. They issue refunds without the item being sent back. It’s cost prohibitive for them to pay for international return shipping and refund the buyer in full. Plus if they have insurance they can’t file a claim if the item is returned.

[femmefan1946]

After all, when you think about it.

Most of those Not As Described problems are for things that really are Not As Described.

Some may be useable like an item that is sold as New With Tags, but doesn't have tags, some may be damaged, like the OPs scratched laptop, some may be trash, like a smashed crystal punchbowl.

And Pitney Bowes is a shipper not a retailer.

If they were doing this they would need a warehouse to stock the returns, a method of sorting out the saleable from the unsaleable, and a sub-contractor to take on the final disposal.

It's a money losing proposition.

It is actually cheaper to allow the buyer (who again probably does have a valid claim) to deal with the unwanted merchandise that to investigate.

This by the way is also why I encourage enraged sellers not to fight a $5 refund to the bitter death. It's too expensive.

[yikti_yikti]

That makes sense. At least I know what to expect when dealing with them. But it has been 2 whole days since I contacted customer service, no response. Guess they really want me to wait 3 business days for no reason at all.