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How to get my money back?eBay promised to refund my £5.50 return postage but has now gone silent – any advice?
Summary: 900124-uk bought a defective floating shelf on eBay and faced issues getting a refund for the £5.50 return postage, despite eBay customer service initially promising it. Other participants shared that eBay never refunds postage if buyers return items on their own and noted that customer service can sometimes provide incorrect information. Despite following eBay's instructions and reporting the issue, 900124-uk experienced silence from customer service. The consensus from other participants was to strictly follow eBay’s Money Back Guarantee procedures and escalate cases earlier rather than paying for returns out of pocket.
Hi everyone,
I’m hoping someone here might have some advice or has been in a similar situation.
I bought a floating shelf on eBay that arrived defective. I returned it to the seller using tracked postage that cost me £5.50( only paid myself as seller only accepted paypal for postage refund, which I dont have and refusing to create one). Under eBay’s Money Back Guarantee the seller should have been responsible for the return, but they refused to cooperate or refund the postage via bank details I provided.
I contacted eBay customer service via chat about two weeks ago. The agent confirmed the seller was at fault and explicitly promised to arrange the £5.50 refund for me. They told me to get back in touch if I hadn’t received it within a few days.
I followed up several times (including a formal reminder) but received no reply and no refund. The main item price was eventually refunded, but the £5.50 return postage is still outstanding.
I also tried reporting the seller and sent a formal complaint to ecukcomplaints@ebay.com, but that was rejected on the grounds that it’s a “payment system” issue rather than a buyer issue.
Has anyone else had eBay promise a small refund like this and then go completely silent? What are my best next steps? I’ve already tried normal customer service and the official complaints address with no luck.
Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated – even just knowing I’m not the only one this has happened to would help!
Thanks in advance.
red_magpie
Mentor1 month agoUnfortunately, it's not uncommon for eBay's customer support staff to give incorrect advice. Have some sympathy for call centre staff in the Philippines trying to understand eBay's labyrinthine and ever-changing rules and policies.
Instead of fuming against eBay's customer support staff, remember that it was up to you to have read and followed eBay's money back policy correctly. There is a link to this in every listing.
There was no need to negotiate with seller about the return postage. All you had to do was to open a money back guarantee case and escalate it after three working days for eBay to step in if the seller hadn't agreed to a refund, and sent you a prepaid return label. eBay never refunds buyers' postage if they pay for the return themselves. Just write it down to experience, and move on.
900124-uk
OP1 month agoOh look at the smarty pants here. This might have been true but:im always polite when talking with cs, i have spoken with numerous people from ebay cs, a lot of them native speakers and a few non natives, thirdly, do you think this is my first time rodeo with ebay returns? Of course appropriate procedures were followed and returns requested as per their policy.
Dont you think the staff should be trained to resolve these issues? Thats what they are for. Give you benefit of the doubt and lets say one or two didn't know,.but close to ten employees clueless? C'mon
papso22
Mentor1 month agoIf you paid for the return postage you did not follow the appropriate procedures.
900124-uk
OP1 month agoThats what ebay cs told me to do, it took a month before they convinced me to do it. Stop making bs up
john1297576
Mentor1 month agoThe time to have taken action was when seller did not provide a return label. Once you pay for return postage you will not get it back.
You should really find out how the money back guarantee works, and follow it to the letter.
900124-uk
OP1 month agoYeah thats great advice. The ebay team should learn from that because they were supporting this and convincing me to pay for the postage. Well at least I got .my answer, i got scammed by ebay😅
900124-uk
OP1 month agoThe issue was reported btw and ebays cs told me to do so
tressygirl
Mentor1 month agoYou didn't follow the rules of eBay's 30 day MBG Money Back Guarantee, and once wavering from those T & C's you invalidate a guaranteed refund through the MBG.
The seller has to pay for the return postage for an item not as described if you open a case for this. If the seller fobs you off with excuses, then again you invalidate that refund.
you may need to turn to your payment provider now for a chargeback for that refund.
Familiarise yourself with eBay's MBG link below, it can save you a lot of time and money in the future when buying on eBay. Never listen to a seller's advice / promises just follow the T & C's of the MBG here:
https://pages.ebay.co.uk/ebay-money-back-guarantee/
@900124-uk
900124-uk
OP1 month agoI got the money back. And ebay customer service themselves were supporting the seller and convincing me I will get my money back one way or another but I need to post item back 1st. Cmon man, tell me im wrong here again
*vyolla*
Mentor1 month agoA pre-paid returns label is provided buy the seller when you open an eBay return. If the seller doesn't supply one you can ask eBay to step in and they'll provide you with one, and will re-charge the seller for it.
If you choose to fund the return cost yourself outside of eBay there isn't a way to get that payment back.
900124-uk
OP1 month agoNone of this above happened! Ebay CS have told me to pay for postage and that they can't provide label as the seller is locate in asia. I have refunded items before, never encountered this issue before
*vyolla*
Mentor1 month agoAh, fair enough, in that case the seller can't provide a label, but should have sent you the money to cover the cost of the return. If they didn't do this, that's the point at which you should've contacted eBay and they probably will just have refunded you.
900124-uk
OP1 month agoAlso have done so, and as described above, the seller only wants to initiate the refund through PayPal account which I dont have and dont want to create. He refuses to use my bank details. I have also contacted ebay regarding this,(numerous times) and they always convinced me the issue will be resolved and I refunded, but they always go silent afterwards 🤷
papso22
Mentor1 month agoWe often hear of buyers who pay the return postage when that was the seller's responsibility, I have never heard of ebay refunding this.
We also often hear of ebay customer service making promises they don't keep.
900124-uk
OP1 month agoThanks for confirming that. I will be taking my money elsewhere from now on
tobiasd4
Mentor1 month agoI have never known ebay to refund buyers for return postage.
You should have opened not as described case, seller supplies postage label.
If they don't, you escalate case to ebay on day 4 to sort.
900124-uk
OP1 month agoDid that, ebay CS told me to do the steps above and they f**k me up after anyway
red_magpie
Mentor1 month agoUnfortunately, it's not uncommon for eBay's customer support staff to give incorrect advice. Have some sympathy for call centre staff in the Philippines trying to understand eBay's labyrinthine and ever-changing rules and policies.
Instead of fuming against eBay's customer support staff, remember that it was up to you to have read and followed eBay's money back policy correctly. There is a link to this in every listing. There was no need to negotiate with seller about the return postage. All you had to do was to open a money back guarantee case and escalate it after three working days for eBay to step in if the seller hadn't agreed to a refund, and sent you a prepaid return label. eBay never refunds buyers' postage if they pay for the return themselves.
Just write it down to experience, and move on.
900124-uk
OP1 month agoBs
900124-uk
OP1 month agoWhat are you their advocate? Im gonna get it back one way or another, trust me😉