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Ebay expecting an 85 year old woman with mobility problems to find a DHL depot and walk. Cannot do
I made an arrangement to return a wig that I had purchased from the USA for a now deceased person. Seller had already dispatched the wig when I attempted to cancel the transaction, but stated that they would take the wig back back and refund. I started the return process and that is when I discovered that I would need to find a local DHL depot. This is impossible as I am 85 years of age, with two hip replacement, extensive degenerative osteoarthritis and mobility problems. Ebay has closed down on this case and will not liaise with me. As is usually the case, they are unreachable at this stage. Unfair - what is my next best option? I have written to the seller, explaining the situation, but suspect that ebay will make the situation equally impossible for them.
tommystrezures
Mentor5 months agoBack to the original issue with the OP, why don't you phone DHL and book a collection, if you already have a label with a tracking number etc, the customer service line for DHL is: 0844 248 0828. There may be a couple of pounds charge to have the item collected.
tobiasd4
Mentor5 months agoHave you actually received Wig yet?
There will be VAT and import fees to pay as well.
If you fail to pay these costs, you invalidate MBG.
Sorry it's not good news, but as I said, buying from non UK seller causes problems.
suedonym2
OP5 months agoI prepaid everything. I have been caught this way before by another American seller and they were both expensive items. Caveat emptor. DO NOT BUY FROM AMERICA!
*vyolla*
Mentor5 months agoAs the eBay return has now closed you're outside of eBay now, this is between you and your seller.
Moving forward, if they're still willing to accept the wig back and issue a refund, you could simply ask for their address details and return it Royal Mail International tracked. It's vital to mark the CN22 as a returned item else you'll need to pay the US tariff, which is 10% of the price plus a £1.50 (50p if postage is bought online from the RM website) admin fee.
If you buy the label from Royal Mail online you can get them to come and collect the package from you, they'll also bring a postage label if you select that option.
Just to add, you say that "Ebay should have mad provisions for other means of returning items, not just DHL. " when your seller didn't have to accept the return and can't buy a Royal Mail label for you if they're in the US.
tobiasd4
Mentor5 months agoTBH. Are you sure it is worth returning item.
As it seems a change of mind return, you have to pay for tracked postage yourself.
suedonym2
OP5 months agoYou have not read the post! The wig was purchased for a cancer patient who died, just before the wig was sent, and I do not wish to sell the wig on ebay.
How did you reach the conclusion that a deceased person had changed their mind about a wig that they were not expecting - a gift - just before they died? By the way, I wear wigs, too, for other reasons! the wig was incompatile with my coloring, so could not keep it.
tobiasd4
Mentor5 months agoI agree you have a good reason to return Wig and seller is happy for you to send it back.
But I assume it was on your account, so it is up you to sort.
It does complicate matters that it was a non UK seller.
This is how ebay MBG works.
If you want to arrange differently with seller, ebay won't help.
suedonym2
OP5 months agoSeller is now saying that they are "monitoring" the situation. I have offered to send it back without ebay back up, signature required and insured. No response. Seller has gone quiet. Similar experience with another US seller who took an item back and did not refund. It had been stuck in customs in the Netherlands for over a month.
I vowed that I would never buy from an American seller again. I bought this wig after a two year +/- hiatus an have run into exactly the same behaviour. So, do not buy from American sellers.
red_magpie
Mentor5 months agoHow did you reach the conclusion that a deceased person had changed their mind about a wig that they were not expecting
A "change of mind" return is just a generic term for wanting to return an item that is no longer needed. The older term "buyer remorse" was probably more accurate.
Why you wish to return it and the fact that it was intended as gift doesn't come into it.What counts is whether you have a right to return it. eBay will go by the seller's policy stated in the listing. If they accept returns, eBay will require them to do so. But it will be up to you to arrange delivery to the DHL drop-off point. It's only a small item, surely you could get someone to take it there for you?
I'm sorry, but this isn't your seller's responsibility. It's something you will need to work out for youself.
suedonym2
OP5 months agoMore to the point, I cannot afford to lose £300. You have contacted me before and always give a response that is completely irrelevant to the situation/case!
jckl1957
·5 months agoTreat this return the same way you would if it was Royal Mail. How would you send something back via the Post Office?
You could locate the nearest DHL drop off point and ask somebody to take the parcel for you, or pay for a taxi to drop it off.
It does not have to be a DHL 'depot' - local shops are often drop off points. Where I live, a small town in Norfolk, the nearest DHL drop off point is actually closer than the Post Office.
The seller is obviously trying to be helpful in this matter and there is not anything Ebay can do to assist with this. I think you have got to find a way to drop off your parcel or keep the item and sell it yourself.
suedonym2
OP5 months agoCannot do anything until the seller responds. Ebay should have mad provisions for other means of returning items, not just DHL. If there was anyone that I could trust to take the parcel, and who would have been willing to do this, I would not have posted. I am a car owner, but have no means of knowing what to expect at the other end i.e. DHL The website does not make access clear.
suedonym2
OP5 months agoSorry, impractical for many reasons. It should have been a simple return process, but ebay complicated matters, as usual, and as usual, they are not contactale and send you around in circles. Appalling.