eBay won't help me with the refund.

[tech-x-world]

I bought a phone for cheap in late August from a German seller. Since the seller was only shipping to Germany, I used a forwarding address. The seller has a 100% feedback and the item description said that the item was fully functional, implying that it had no problem. I wanted to give the phone to someone. When the box was opened and the phone was turned on, the display was changing colors to violet. Apparently, the display has a hardware fault.

I wrote to the seller in German, who insisted that this behavior was normal and the phone was fully functional. I opened a SNAD case and indicated that the return from my current location to Germany would cost me about 31 Euros, but the seller did not accept return. I escalated the claim to eBay. American eBay representative told me that if the seller did not accept a return in five days, eBay would refund me. Apparently, the seller did not want to accept return and I think she complained to German eBay, because I received a letter from German eBay rep to provide a written proof of the defective phone in German. It is impossible to get such expert document written in German in my country, so I again contacted American eBay rep and provided video footage clearly showing the defective screen in action. American eBay again put the case on hold for additional five days. On the last day of this period, the seller told me that she would accept return only from Germany.

Yesterday, eBay told me that my return was accepted and that the seller had sent me a return label. I did not receive any shipping label because the seller probably sent it to a German address. When I contacted the seller and  wrote to her how much to send to my Paypal address to cover my shipping fees, she responded that she was told by German eBay that she only had to pay for the shipping in Germany and it was my risk that I sent the phone abroad. I again complained to American eBay that the seller did not want to pay for the shipping. American eBay today told me that the seller had sent me a shipping label and I had to return the phone. I am frustrated because I did not receive any shipping label and this shipping label is good only in Germany. The seller is cheating because she knew from the beginning that the phone was no longer in Germany.

[missjen831]

@tech-x-world did you know that you aren’t even covered by the money back guarantee since you had the item forwarded? Pay for return shipping yourself. The seller didn’t ship to Germany and any label issued will be a domestic label. You won’t be able to use it. 

[eunster1313]

(Since the seller was only shipping to Germany, I used a forwarding address.)

eBay Money Back Guarantee policy

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

[tech-x-world]

But this does not make the seller right in selling a defective item as fully functional. The fraud is despicable.

[tech-x-world]

The seller shipped to German address. It was the seller who scammed me, so she is responsible for the return shipping. Besides, a lot of people move around, so they may take the bought items around and open the parcels in a new location only to find out that they didn't get whay they paid for. Some people may even resend the bought items to someone else as gift without opening them.

[demin-23]

you have no way of knowing that the seller shipped a defective item. Maybe your reshipper did something to the phone to cause it to become defective.

[terrycanarsky]

The seller is cheating because she knew from the beginning that the phone was no longer in Germany.

No, YOU are "cheating" because you state early on "Since the seller was only shipping to Germany, I used a forwarding address.", but now  you expect the seller to provide return shipping from somewhere besides the country in which he/she had restricted in the beginning.  YOU chose to bypass the system, unfortunately got a faulty item, and now expect everyone else to abide by the very system you side-stepped.

~M

[iaintdoingit]

Maybe check the German discussion boards -- this the USA boards.

Per the MBG here in the United States, you are 'not' covered because of forwarding through a service.

Good Luck

[2015mhfashions]

You need to read up on MBG, If you have an item shipped via a forwarding company why do you think any seller should pay International shipping to have it returned ? When the item was purchased domestic shipping was paid and if a return is requested they are obliged to issue a domestic return label which it seems they have, so no fault on this seller thus far, it is your responsibility to return from where it came, MBG means you have 5 business day to do this, extremely doubtful it would be possible. Forwarding anything is a risk you take, The seller sold domestically and only accept domestic returns.

[tech-x-world]

No, the seller does not accept returns and still insisted today that the item was faulty. 

[tech-x-world]

If you had read the OP, you would have understood that the seller admitted that she knew that the phone screen was turning violet, but claimed that the network found this normal. The reshipper does not do anything with the items.

[tech-x-world]

I am neither American nor German. But I chose American eBay since most international buyers and sellers are active here. This MBG policy is really stupid because it does not take into consideration that some people travel a lot and some people may resend the purchased items as a gift without opening and checking. This policy is really allowing dishonest sellers to get away with cheating the buyers.

[tech-x-world]

A lot of people use forwarding addresses to buy things that are not available in their countries. They expect eBay sellers to be honest and if anything goes wrong, they expect eBay to help them. My friend recently bought something on Amazon via a forwarder and when the item turned out to be defective, Amazon pledged to cover the shipping cost from our country to the US.

[2015mhfashions]

Your not understanding the MBG, Whether a seller states no returns or not when an item is faulty they have to accept a return, Period, However in your case and as i already pointed out when you have an item shipped to you by a forwarder the MBG flies out the window, so basically the forwarder can open a MBG Case but you would need to pay for the item to be returned to the forwarder and they in turn then return the item to the seller, all this by the way as it was a domestic purchase within 5 business days, A label has been issued as you have stated so basically the ball is now in your court, whether the seller agrees with your complaint or not they have accepted a return and issued a label, as for buyers travelling to wherever what has that got to do with any seller, return labels are issued from the original destination back to a seller, no idea why you think a seller should pay any excess depending on where you want to travel to.

[tech-x-world]

Because the seller said nothing about the defect in the item description and tried to get rid of the defective phone. I trusted her 100% feedback and got the item that is not worth the price that I paid for. The seller was in the wrong from the beginning and don't try to put the blame on me. 

In the past, I got several defective items and the good sellers agreed to pay for the shipping costs. This German seller is a real nuisance. She was trying to dodge the return till the last moment.