eBay Transaction – Present Situation and Complaint Order: #10-13096-08695/2025
Summary: vlad_chirita faced issues after selling a watch on eBay, where the buyer received a full refund without returning the item. Despite contacting eBay, the case was closed in favor of the buyer, leading to frustration from vlad_chirita. Other participants explained that eBay's return process was not followed correctly by vlad_chirita, who refunded before receiving the item back. Suggestions included accepting responsibility for the oversight and pursuing legal actions independently, as eBay adheres strictly to its standardized procedures.
eBay Transaction – Present Situation and Complaint
Item: Gio Monaco One O One 101 Ths Automatic Pink Dial Watch
Order: #10-13096-08695/2025
I am currently left without both my watch and the money from the transaction. The buyer received a full refund, but has not returned the watch.
The buyer initially contacted me regarding the watch and subsequently purchased it through eBay. After receiving the item, he raised an issue regarding the crystal, despite the condition being shown in the listing photographs and described in the listing. He also raised a small underpaid-postage issue and subsequently discussed the possibility of keeping the watch and having the crystal repaired himself.
Concerned about the watch potentially being altered, I contacted eBay on 21 May 2025 after issuing the full refund. During that telephone conversation, I specifically explained my concern that I had refunded the buyer but needed the watch returned. I was told by the eBay agent that the return process would be dealt with and that the buyer had/should have the return arrangements in place.
Instead, the case was subsequently closed in the buyer's favour.
The buyer then stated that he had not received a return label and refused to return the watch without one. I subsequently sent another return label on 30 May, but I have received no meaningful response and the watch remains with the buyer.
Additional concern regarding the buyer's details
During the transaction, the buyer used a Sainsbury's collection/pick-up address rather than what I understood to be his home address. Given everything that subsequently happened — including the full refund being issued while the watch remained in his possession and the subsequent refusal/non-response regarding its return — this raises serious concerns about the circumstances of the transaction.
I cannot establish the buyer's intention with certainty, but in the circumstances I am seriously concerned that the use of a collection address may have been deliberate and that the transaction may have been conducted with the intention of obtaining the watch without ultimately returning it.
The buyer has since changed usernames/ I believe eBay should examine the account history, previous usernames, transaction history, delivery information and all communications associated with this buyer.
The fundamental problem
The present position is extraordinary:
Buyer: has the watch + received a full refund.
Seller: has neither the watch + nor the money.
eBay has all the transaction records and communication history, yet considers the matter "closed". From my perspective, closing a case does not resolve the underlying problem when the goods have not been returned.
I believe eBay should urgently review the entire case, including the 21 May telephone conversation, the subsequent return-label history, the buyer's messages and the buyer's account history.
I am seeking the return of my watch or compensation for its full value. If eBay is unwilling to address the matter, I will consider pursuing the matter directly against the buyer through the appropriate civil process. GOV.UK confirms that a person can bring a county-court money claim against someone who owes them money.
This is no longer simply a disagreement over a return. I have refunded the buyer in full, and the buyer has retained my property. I believe eBay needs to properly investigate what happened rather than treating the matter as resolved merely because its internal case has been closed.
jckl1957
·3 weeks agoWhen you raised this issue a year ago, you were given extensive advice. At that time, you were advised to take legal advice and contact a solicitor.
A year on, you are still expecting Ebay to accept responsibility, and still not acknowledging that you are in any way responsible for this loss.
Ebay don't read the posts in here.
Get a solicitor.
Go to court.
https://community.ebay.co.uk/forum/member-to-member-support-26/topic/report-fraudulent-buyer-17415/thread/150526/?focus_post=150526
c_of_e84
·3 weeks agoHow can you take them to court without there address?
sml192
·3 weeks agoIf you print an invoice/packing slip then the buyer's registered address is shown there along with the 'Post to' address.
vlad_chirita
OP3 weeks agowith the help of ebay, they can provide the address of the user, at the request of the authorities
*vyolla*
·3 weeks ago · EditedYou're outside of eBay now with this, you should not have refunded until you received your watch back. This is now nothing to do with eBay.
When a buyer receives an item they consider not as described they open an eBay return, the seller accepts the return and issues a pre-paid postage label and they then refund once they've received their item back and examined it.
The problem you now have if the buyer doesn't agree to return the watch there's nothing you can do here. Having an order send to collection point isn't significant, thousands of buyers have their orders sent to collection points daily. It does mean that you don't have a name and address to serve any legal letters to though.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoproviding the refund was entirely on you. Why would you refund before you had the item returned?
Unfortunately - there is nothing for ebay to investigate here. You provided a refund of your own volition.
For future reference - here is how to deal with returns and refunds
vlad_chirita
OP3 weeks agowhy ebay didnt considered a mistake, and correct it ?!!? since they know the case, conversations bla bla ...
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoThe case is they mentioned something was wrong with the watch, said they might keep it, never opened a return request - and you refunded them.
Seriously - just own the mistake.
vlad_chirita
OP3 weeks agoebay is accepting this kind actions. is not a mistake, the ebayer still using account, with no corrective action towards him
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoI'd be angry too if I made a mistake that caused me to lose money. Hopefully, it wasn't an amount you will miss.
But again, I await the evidence that this customer did something categorically wrong.
Have you actually messsaged the csutomer , explained you made a mistake and you'd be happy to provide a return label at your expense for them to return the watch?
vlad_chirita
OP3 weeks agoofcourse, been ignored by the ebay's user, the "buyer"
rigbyl01
·3 weeks agoYou never refund for an item until you have received it back , as you refunded before you did get it back eBay presume you did not require it to be returned , procedure .. buyer opens not as described case , you provide a returns label , you get your item back , you refund .
vlad_chirita
OP3 weeks agowhat about eBay corrective action? as a platform
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoThere isn't any, as again, YOU chose to refund. If you had followed ebays procedure to accept a return and then refund, you'd have been OK.
As it is, you simply chose to refund the customer. ebay rightly assumes in this case that you didn't want the item back and were happy for the customer to keep the item and do with it as they wish.
vlad_chirita
OP3 weeks agonot, if they haved followed my conversation with the buyer
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoWhat is that?
You are querying the fact that they had it delivered to a collection point. Nothing suspicious in that - thousands of orders are delivered to collection points ever day
"The buyer initially contacted me regarding the watch and subsequently purchased it through eBay. After receiving the item, he raised an issue regarding the crystal, despite the condition being shown in the listing photographs and described in the listing. He also raised a small underpaid-postage issue and subsequently discussed the possibility of keeping the watch and having the crystal repaired himself. Concerned about the watch potentially being altered, I contacted eBay on 21 May 2025 after issuing the full refund."
What is suspicious here? They raised an issue, said they might actually keep it and get it repaired. But then out of the blue - you simple refunded them. You now appear to have an issue with it all 16 MONTHS later.
You could have done any number of things. Agreed a partial refund. Told them to open an item not as described return and supplied a return label to the customer for them to return it for a full refund.
Only you alone can explain why you just decided to refund the customer without getting the watch back.
Clearly - this isn't the news you wanted, but, you've made a mistake. But this buyer appears to have done absolutely nothing wrong - unless you have some evidence you aren't sharing.
vlad_chirita
OP3 weeks agoabsolutely nothing wrong ?? all evidence is there, ebay been informed, choosed to stand by buyers side
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoWhat SPECIFIC evidence do you have that the buyer has done something wrong?
*vyolla*
·3 weeks agoThere's no such thing. There's a returns process, it needs to be used correctly.
vlad_chirita
OP3 weeks agowhat about exceptions, mistakes, exceptional cases .... ?
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks ago · EditedThey can't - they have systems, they are a huge multinational company. If they make exceptions, this adds time on to processes - requires human involvement - which costs money.
They treat everyone the same. If you refund without a return - that is it.
The solution here is to learn from your mistake.
vlad_chirita
OP3 weeks agothen theres a flaw in the system
*vyolla*
·3 weeks agoThere really isn't. The point is that there is a system and, same with any process, you have to follow it correctly.