Seller agreed to refund, and now he is creating difficulties

[suedonym2]

Seller agreed to organise a courier to pick up a patio set weighing 25 kg and refund. 

The patio set was variously described as being Rattan, Wicker and  the instuctions described it as canvas.  It was none of these, it was plastic with a metal base.  I contacted the seller and said that it was not rattan, but was prepared to keep it for a refund of one third of the selling price.  No response. 

I attempted to assemble it and found that there were several important screws missing and it was out of alignment and could not be  assembled. 

I sent the seller a clear photo showing that the item was plastic and not rattan, wicker or canvas.  Seller ignored this and requested photographs of the defectve item.  He ignored my advice that there were pieces missing.

It is clear that he is taking advantage of me and making it difficult for me to return it,.

Ebay has issued a 48 hour Tracked label for a 25 kg item that Royal Mail will not accept.  I am 79 years and vulnerable to Covid-19.  The seller knows this.   

I have reported the seller to ebay as I feel that he has violated Ebay policies  by accepting the return and promising to organise the courier to pick it up and return it to him.  He has had a sudden change of mind, and has offered £25 refund and I keep a defective item, losing over £125.00.  He is creating unrealistic obstacles making it difficult for me to return the item. He is demanding photographs of a "defective item."  I cannot take photographs of items that are not there, or correctly show that the chairs are out of alignment and will not connect to the frame.  The photograph will just show where the connections are on the seat and on the frame, but not that they do not line up.  

Is there anything further that I should do?  I cannot accommodate such a large item in my home, it is creating a hazard and it makes me more vulnerable as it is a trip hazard, and I have had both of my hips totally replaced in the last few years.  A fall or trip could cause dislocation and hospitalization at a very difficult time due to the Covid-19 virus.

This seller is behaving in a very unethical manner. 

[red_magpie]

The details don't matter, and you don't need to take any photos to prove your case. EBay will accept your word that the item is not as described.

The important point is that the prepaid return label supplied is apparently not valid for the item it was intended for. Difficulty in providing return labels for large items is a common problem, and may require arrangement with a courier.  Unless you arrange this yourself, in which case you won't be able to reclaim the cost, this can only be resolved by eBay customer support.

As I mentioned earlier, the problem is that eBay cs is much reduced in the corona virus emergency. All you can do is continue to try to contact them. There are no easy answers. Sorry not to be of more help.

[suedonym2]

The seller would know all this and is trying to wriggle out accepting the return. No point in paying a courier to get the item up to him, because of this, and it would be too costly, anyway. Doesn't the claim escalate after a given period if the seller continues to be uncooperative?

Although I paid by credit card, my bank will not be involved because it was processed through Paypal!  I have run into this sort of thing a few months ago.

[tressygirl]

Unfortunately unless the seller does not want their item back, an item not as described has to be returned first before a refund is given, or that you can escalate the case.

Paying with a credit card through Paypal, the refund will go back to that card account, and can take up to 30 days to appear there, it is not instant for a credit card payment.

[rusticrye]

It's a pity you didn't mention that this was a patio set in your earlier post - it would haved saved a lot of wasted time and effort on the part of people who are trying to help you. It's also helpful to add further information to your original post rather than start another.

Royal Mail and Parcel Force cannot ship an item of this size. You will have to contact Ebay so that they can make alternative arrangements with the seller.

However if you don't want to contact Ebay, or can't get through by phone (which is difficult at the moment) or Live Chat, be aware that Ebay's Money Back Guarantee and PayPal's Buyer Protection are generous extras to your consumer rights - they don't replace them. So if the seller is a UK business seller, go to the CAB's website to learn what to do, just as you would when you have a problem with an item bought from an unhelpful High Street store.

@suedonym2 

[suedonym2]

There is no need to reprimand.

The situation continued to develop and evolve. Hence a new post, that I thought WOULD SAVE TIME.

I am not used to this forum and I am aware of the above. Ebay generated the postage label. I did not. The seller's listing states "30 day refund. Seller pays return postage." It could not be clearer. The seller's customer service team are doing a lot of ducking and diving. I am also aware that as the seller used the courier, Yodel, a similar service should be used.

Do not hold me responsible for Ebay issuing a Royal Mail postage label for a 25 kg item.

Age 79 years, two recent hip replacements and trying to make life more bearable during the pandemic lock down. This sort of challenging and aggressive response helps nobody!