How do I complain to eBay about their Returns Procedure

[rincewindwiz]

The Returns process has some ‘less than transparent’ murky corners one of which tripped me up the other day.

I purchased an item (car seat overs) which did not fit so started the Returns process to send them back. As the reason for the return I ticked ‘Did not fit’ and arrived at the point where I was told how much I would have to pay to send the items back. The item did not fit because it was ‘Not as Described’ (Specifically the listing said the seat covers fitted a Skoda Octavia and covered the headrests. They did not covered the headrests). OK my bad for picking the wrong reason but the significance of the choice of reason is not at all clear at the point where you make the decision.

I was unable to go back through the Returns process to change the reason and therefore abandoned the Return (closed the web page) – after all I had not finished the process nor, as far as I was aware, had I submitted the Return.

I then started another Return so I could correct the Reason for Return but was told I already had a Return. I was unclear why as I had neither completed nor submitted the return and totally unaware of the implications. (Why are you not warned of you cancel youcannto start another one!)  So I cancelled it.

But it seems cancelling the return does not make it go away – it simply stays there and thus prevents me from starting a new return. This is illogical and inconsistent.

Best practice (used most everywhere on eBay), is to collect information from the user, and then summarise it and ask for confirmation he wants to proceed. Not so, it seems, with ebay Returns. Indeed, it is very unclear when the Return comes into life.

Anyway the upshot of all this is that, I am unable to return at the buyer's expense an item that is ‘not as described’ - something that is a cornerstone of ebay’s buyer protection policy and I consider that to be unfair at best.

[rusticrye · Accepted solution]

As you've discovered, 'Does not fit' applies only to items which are as described but simply don't fit as expected, meaning the return will be at the buyer's expense. Sellers are only responsible for return costs when an item arrives 'Not as described' in some way. I personally find this perfectly clear, but I accept that others may not. To lodge your complaint, you'll need to write direct to Ebay's UK headquarters in Richmond - do a web search for the full address.

You can't edit an opened return request, or reopen a closed one, or open another.  You say you've closed it, so you'll be able to open a NAD case in PayPal now.  Ignore any prompts to return to Ebay, and keep scrolling till you reach the relevant link. The return will be at your expense, so check before opening a case to see if you're eligible for PayPal's 'returns on us' scheme, if it's still running. If so, you'll be able to lodge a claim for a postage refund, once tracking proves delivery back to the seller's registered address.

@rincewindwiz  

[rincewindwiz · Accepted solution]

Good summary - I personally can see no good reason for not being able to edit a return until you actually 'submit' the return (as one does with bids and offers etc)

Sound advice. Done all that.  Not expecting the world to change - and certainly not ebay 😞

[baggieaggie · Accepted solution]

There's a very good reason indeed for not being able to do that. If buyers had that option, think what would happen when they discover that does-not-fit returns, eg, are to be returned at their expense, but they could go back in and make changes, ie. simply change the reason to one that forced the seller to pay. That abuse of the Money Back Guarantee (buyers making false claims of NAD to force the seller to pay) is already rife. And there is nothing at all the seller can do to contest the fraud as it can't be proved to Ebay - all they can do, after they've refunded through gritted teeth, is to report the buyer to Ebay for abusing the MBG, and hope that enough identical reports from other sellers have been received, enough to get the buyer booted off the site. It won't get the seller their money back - the only way a seller can do that is to take legal action against the buyer. Which is a simple enough process, but a lengthy pain in the butt for busy sellers.

@rincewindwiz

[rincewindwiz · Accepted solution]

the point I was making is that you should be able to review ALL the information you have entered about a return BEFORE you initiate the return. This is not currently the case.
Once the return is initiated, I can see no good reason why anyone should change it

And I agree entirely eBay should do more to ensure returns that the buyer pays for are genuine - perhaps by providing a simple appeal process? But there has to be a cost to the seller of appealing otherwise they appeal everything
.

[hathus_0]

I've been speaking to eBay and they've basically told me you can say anything in a returns like it's faulty or soon to be in the future (as most things will) etc and they'll accept it without any questions asked of either party which I think is appalling but they don't care.

[papso22]

Ebay processes provide protection/assistance in addition to your statutory rights. If you bought from a business seller consumer law requires them to accept a return but ebay can't help now.

Alternatively, try a not as described case in PayPal and sign up for their returns on us scheme where they will cover the postage.

[rincewindwiz]

Indeed and I will go down the paypal route.
I am aware that the issue is solvable - at the expense of additional effort - that is why the title is 'How do I complain' and not 'How do I fix . . '

The ebay returns process (IMHO of course 🙂 ) is sloppy, counter-intuitive and violates 'best practice' (in that the return is started BEFORE the user has confirmed that the information he has provied is correct and that he wants to return the item)

[pixiesen2012]

do not fit is the option to choose when the item is as described but doesn't fit, i.e. the seller provided the item in the description but the buyer bought the wrong thing

if the seller describes something as fitting a particular item and it doesn't, the item isn't as described and you have to chose item not as described when opening a case

as you say, ebays system is old and clunky and you can't change the reason once you have started the process

you can try contacting ebay CS and see if they will change the reason for you

[rincewindwiz]

Pixiesen - Yes all that is now obvious but it is far from obvious during the process. Complaint 1
Complaint 2 - why was I unable to back track and change the reason during the creation of the return
And CS say they cant change the return because I closed it - whereas I believed I had not submitted the return and was simply cancelling where I had got to in order to get it right - Complaint 3

[papso22]

Because that's how the process is designed. You get one chance to get it right. It's the same with most things on eBay a one way automatic street.

[rincewindwiz]

You are, I think missing the point. I have no problem with it being a "one shot only process" but the User should get to review the information he has entered and then confirm he wants to proceed BEFORE the return is initiated. This is best IT practice and you see it everywhere (even to the point that 'Please Confirm becomes irritating!)

eBay returns has
- no 'Start a Return' command. When you click 'Start a Return' you have not actually started the return. At some later step in the process (but before you confirm) the return is started. This is hardly transparent
- no chance to review what you entered to ensure it is correct and
- no confirm the return button.
All of which make mistakes unnecessarily likely

This does not conpare favouraly (IIRC) with Make an offer or make a bid for example where you enter info and are then asked to confirm