Buying from abroad and refunded item but currency exchange through Paypal has left me £50 short

[baileynorris]

Hi, I recently bought an item from Australia for £800 and I'm in the UK. The seller then decided 10 days after shipping that he wanted the item back, even though it was still in transit and refunded me the cost in Australian Dollars, which equated to £750. I would like to know whether he should have paid me back in english pounds, so that I wasnt out of pocket. He has asked me to send him back the item when it arrives and then a day later told me (and showed a picture) that he has already had the item returned, if he actuallty sent it in the first place and I was being scammed. I have looked at the tracking reference he gave me and it still says that it is in transit, so not really sure what is happening. If he had recalled the parcel, I'm sure that his carrier would have updated the tracking notes. Anyone else had this happen to them?

[red_magpie · Accepted solution]

As this ws a private payment made by the seller there is no such thing as "what he should have done".

However, even if the sale had been refunded through eBay there's always a possibiliy that fluctuation exchange rates may affect the amount you receive. I suspect that what you may have overlooked is that the amount you paid the selelr will have included a currency conversion fee, which PayPal or any card issuer will charge. It isn't the seller's responsibility to refund this.

Much more importantly, it's almost unbelievable that this seller a) supposed that he could change his mind about the sale after posting the item, and b) would actually refund £750 you before agreed to this, and had returned the item. Either he is a complete idiot, or this is some sort of scam. If you return the item, in your case I'd be extremely worried that he may reverse his payment in some way; this is a known scam. Are you sure that the £750 has even reached your account? Faking a payment and conning the recipient into returning a genuine one is also a known scam.

I trust you realise you don't have to agree to any of this, or to teturn his item. If you do return it, insist that he first pays all your costs, including losses from exchange rate fluctuations and conversion fees, and postage both ways. If he wants to buy it back, you're also fully entitled to increase the price to compensate yourself for the loss of the item, and hassle. Make sure that he understands that any loss or damage in transit will be at his own risk, if nt covered by postal insurance, as will any import duty or prohibition in Australia. Oz has a staggering list of items that are liable to be siezed and destroyed on importation, including items that it was perfectly legal to export from Oz in the first place.

If you decide to keep the item and return his refund, be extremely careful how you do so. The rsk that he may be able to make some sort of chargeback on his original is a real one. Take professional advice, if necessary.

[gindygoo]

It’s highly unusual to be able to recall an already shipped parcel. Even when ppl have concrete proof they’d been scammed, they’re not able to recall a package from the standard U.K. couriers (speciality/pallet, business only, and smaller couriers might be able to - but again I find it rare to see this said!) and I’d posit that it’s the same in Aus too.

It’sa strange pickle, as to the loss in money.

Can you confirm that the refund was from your initial payment? Part of that would’ve been the new U.K. import tax, which I’d think you’d have to claim from HMRC.

What does the refund say when you view it as an itemised list? I think you’ll have to use a desktop or certainly the PayPal website rather than the app to see if that’s available or not.

[baileynorris]

Hi, I have checked the tracking reference and it still says its in transit, it must have reached the UK by now, so will wait and see when/if I get a post office leaflet advising that import duty needs to be paid before they will schedule delivery.

With regards to the money, the item was 1345 Aus $ and it cost me, through Paypal £800. The seller instigated the refund but my argument is that he should have paid me in £'s rather than AUS $, which he didnt, he just refunded 1345 Aus $ which with exchange rates, paid me £750.

He has asked for the parcel to be returned immediately without opening it, I said I don't have it but had got some advise from Ebay, then the abusive emails started and a further email with a photograph claiming that he had managed to get the parcel back, so not really sure what's going on, all I know is that I'm £50 down and probably need to go through ebay to try and get that difference back, difficult at the moment, without being to say whether there is or isnt an actual item being delivered or not. I'm also thinking that he's hoping for me not to pick it up and then it gets shipped back to him, where he may well try and sell the item again, he's losing money one way or the other but may feel he can get it back on the item when he relists it. If the leaflet comes through from the post office, I will get the item, keep it if its as described on the listing and then pay him back £750 which will be around 1260 Aus $ with paypal exchange rates.

[ruby*tuesday]

You can't do anything through Ebay as you didn't raise an Item Not Received Case as you should have done. 

[baileynorris]

Hi, If the supposed item is still in transit and its trackable and looks like it might be a couple of weeks, how can I raise a not received case? I asked ebay what I should do as I'm happy to accept the item, if it is as described in the listing. I will open a case with ebay but I was hoping somebody would comment on any experiences where sellers had cancelled orders, refunded and recalled parcel's.