Seller won't pay full postage.

[squidlet66]

I have a Chinese seller who is playing me. The sale was deficient an item that would cost £19 to buy. He offered to send it and a £5 refund if I withdrew my open issue.  Clearly, I asked for resolution first.  After much prevarication hetold me to return the item for a refund - and sent £3.82 to PayPal for postage costing £10.45.  I'm at Day 18 - so only 3 days left - but with the item marked for return, I cannot open a case with ebay to step in. If I sent the item, I'm £7 further out of pocket with almost no chance that the seller will confirm receipt of the item and refund me. How do I resolve? 

[gindygoo · Accepted solution]

You’ll need to call eBay, tell them the whole story and ask to escalate

[john1297576]

What exactly have you done?You say "Marked for return" what does tat mean. A return is a case, and it should be Not As Described,that way the seller if in the UK has to supply a return label.

The fact that the seller may have sent some money does not mean you cannot open a Proper Case, but if you have just opened a return then I am afraid that you pay the return postage. You return to the UK address if tat is where it came from.

If seller is not in the UK and item came from overseas, thenyou arestuck with paying the return postage.Have you not heard of TRACKED postage. All returns should be sent tracked, that proves delivery, seller does not have to confirm receipt. If tey do not refund then you escaate to eaby.

All this could have been avoided if only you read the Money Back Guarantee, which is on EVERY listing and opened the correct case and followed Ebay's instructions. DIY returns are a recipe for disaster.

[squidlet66]

Not quite as it happened. I did raise through eBay - who said I could ask them to step in from 7 Jan - but now the seller has accepted a return there is no option showing for escalating to ebay. Ebay message stated that he couldn’t provide a postage label and that I was to arrange outside ebay (PayPal) for him to pay postage. Which he hasn’t fully done. If I now put it tracked, it’s £32. Which seems like good money after bad - and then hope that ebay steps in when he doesn’t pay. I’m not convinced it will. He seems to know how to play the system.