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Consumer Rights ACT 2015 DOES NOT SEEM TO APPLY at Ebay?
Summary: ceetee919 shared their experience of purchasing a faulty guitar repair kit from a large eBay seller, only to find it was outside the eBay 30-day return window when trying to resolve the issue. Despite contacting the seller and providing evidence, no solution was offered. tobiasd4 and *vyolla* advised checking items immediately upon receipt and suggested contacting Citizens Advice or considering legal options if the seller is a UK business. red_magpie questioned the seller's legitimacy and reminded ceetee919 of the risks inherent in eBay purchases, highlighting the importance of prompt action to assert consumer rights. ceetee919 acknowledged the lesson learned from this experience.
I bought a guitar repair kit from a large Ebay seller in December but did not try and use it until July. It included cutters to cut guitar steel strings but they don't work- steel too soft and jaws don't met!.
I advised the seller in early july and sent all the info and photos over a period of a week per their requests. End result was they did not offer any solution as I was outside the Ebay 30 day period. Consumer Rights Act say items which are not fit for purpose advised post 6 months should received a partial refund.
Spoke to Ebay today and their only solution is that I contact Citizens Advise. This is a low value item so not worth an more time but writing to advise folk that a UK seller to a UK buyer in the UK do not consider themselves subject to this UK law.
red_magpie
Mentor1 month agoa UK seller to a UK buyer in the UK do not consider themselves subject to this UK law.
Numerous sellers on eBay don't know or don't care about their statutory consumer rights. For the consumer rights regs you may as well skip citizens advice, and go straight to Trading Standards.
Are you even sure that this was a UK business seller? Many sellers in China have a UK distribution address, but if the registered seller is in China any rights you may have expected are liable to be theoretical.
Whether Trading Standards is able to follow up complaints about small, distant sellers of cheap imported tat I don't know. eBay alone would keep an army of inspectors busy!
By the way, you have to take some responsibility yourself. eBay warned you in the the user agreement (para 2) that they don’t guarantee the quality of items sold here, or that they will be truthfully described, safe - or even legal!
Would you have bought from a shop that stated this? You knew the risks you were accepting but still left the item untested until months after eBay's own money back guarantee had expired.
eBay is a jungle. If you do so little to protect yourself you can't assume that someone else will always come to your rescue.
ceetee919
OP1 month agoThank you. Yes a learning curve for me but low value so a cheap lesson. I only wrote to the seller really to advise their tool did not work. They asked for info, photos etc- then did nothing. They knew at the outset the date I purchased so all a waste of time really. I just thought I’d tell the story and it might warn others.
*vyolla*
Mentor1 month agoYou're buying from an eBay seller using their platform, not eBay. eBay have a 30 day returns window for their Money Back Guarantee. Its important to check the item you've ordered within 30 days of receiving it.
Even if you paid with a debit or credit card your card provider won't be able to issue a chargeback past 120 days.
Of course you can exercise any consumer rights if your seller is a UK registered business seller, but this is something that you'll need to do directly via a legal claim.
ceetee919
OP1 month agoThank you. This was a cheap lesson for me. Whilst the seller said uk registered- I suspect not from the time of their replies and words used. I’ll be checking and testing on receipt in future.
tobiasd4
Mentor1 month agoEbay 30 day MBG is in addition to consumer rights, but ebay won't get involved with them.
Ebay are correct, contact citizens advice as I assume it was UK business seller.
This is why you should always check items on delivery.
ceetee919
OP1 month agoThank you a cheap lesson for me this time.