Advice please about returning an item

[ronile7483]

Hello, I bought a pair of boots on ebay, the listing said 'no returns' but I messaged the seller saying that I was buying them for someone else and would she make an exception and allow me to return if they didn't fit.  She agreed and I paid full listed price for the boots.  They arrived and sadly they did not fit.  I messaged the seller saying that regretfully the boots did not fit and that I would therefore send them back on an insured, tracked service.  She messaged me back to say: Your message has been notified I am sorry the shoes are not good for . I am so sorry but I cannot accept your return today because I am out of the country . I am in los angeles helping my son who has been affected by this terrible disaster that is these fires . I do not know when I will be back I am so sorry but unfortunately I cannot accept the return at this time.  

I messaged back to offer my sympathy and good wishes and said that I would return the boots when she was back.  But now I am thinking I should go through ebay channels and ask for a return even if she messages that it will have to be delayed?  She has lots of other things live for sale on ebay and no message on her site to say she is away.  I am obviously very appreciative of her situation but also it is slightly odd that two days before the arrival of the boots (when I paid and when she agreed that I could return) she did not mention that she probably would not be in the country???  I would be very grateful for any advice from experienced ebayers.  Thank you in advance.  Ronile

[tressygirl]

Although you ' privately' agreed to a return for the reason ' does not fit',  if this seller has a No Returns policy on her listing,  if you open a case for the return for this reason,  it will close, and no refund for the return will be made.

You are in the hands of the seller now on their return upholding that promise,  but it is a promise, and cannot be enforced.

You may end up with the only option, that is,  to sell on the boots yourself.

@ronile7483 

[jma2815]

Yeah. That seller’s not away. 

Given that she’s gone back on a promise and lied to you (using a natural disaster in California as her excuse!) I would have no problem opening a ‘Not as Described’ return in this instance. I wouldn’t want to be stuck with having to sell the boots on myself after this, sorry @tressygirl 😉

I’m a seller, not so much a buyer and accept returns because I think its the right thing to do.. On ebay you should always just open a case if you want to return something and then communicate if necessary through that, though its usually pointless and irritating for everyone messaging back and forth so don’t waste your time continuing to discuss anything it once its open. 

Go to the order, click ‘return this item’ then ‘not as described’ as your return reason. (It will ask for a photo, don’t let that put you off, the photo can be the one off the listing or just any quick snap of the item) then the seller will have to send you a label and deal with it. If she doesn’t then follow the case instructions and escalate the case after eBay send you an email saying you can now do so and you’ll get an automatic refund.

Most importantly Do Not close the case if the seller asks you to, she’ll then just disappear and eBay won’t help you or reopen it. 

[tressygirl]

Aaah I do see and understand your thoughts on the reselling @jma2815 ,   but if the seller has a No Returns then  the buyer opening a case for item not  as described when the reason is does not fit , would be an abuse of eBay's 30 day MBG  Money Back Guarantee policy.  It was a promise done on messages not written on the listing,  so nothing there can be claimed as not as described.

Yep,  totally frustrating as the seller promised to refund for the return for a does not fit reason, but promises cannot be enforced.

Do I think like you,  the seller is not away?  Yep quite possibly !  

[ronile7483]

Thank you so much for your reply. I think as the seller does not normally
accept returns ebay will not let me do this sadly. Perhaps my first thing
to do is try another message to the seller asking if there is an
alternative address I can return the boots to while she is away. And
mention that I have taken advice from ebay community. I am a fool to have
believed her!

[moldosgifts]

Just because the seller states they do not accept return is not the whole story.

So if not as described so say they are a size different then actually are or item damaged are both reasons they must accept return.

It is just change of mind that they do not need to accept return. If they are a private seller if a business they have to accept all returns it just change of mind that the buyer pays to return.

So i would just open a case use the excuse that fits your circumstance and take it from there.

The seller MAY not be genuine and just delaying you beyond the 30 days so you do not have any buyer protection.

[tressygirl · Accepted solution]

---

@ronile7483 wrote:
Thank you so much for your reply. I think as the seller does not normally
accept returns ebay will not let me do this sadly. Perhaps my first thing
to do is try another message to the seller asking if there is an
alternative address I can return the boots to while she is away. And
mention that I have taken advice from ebay community. I am a fool to have
believed her!

---

Noo, do not post to another address.  If you do,  you are totally reliant on the seller being honest and refunding you on receipt of their item,  nothing here eBay would help you with.

Please do not open a case for item not as described as you rightly say,  your seller does not accept straight returns for change of mind reasons, this would be abusing eBay's  MBG policy.

Perhaps send the seller a message asking when they think they'll be back , so you can return to the item to their address on the order details.

@ronile7483 

[moldosgifts]

That would depend why they did not fit. If the seller says eg size 5 and the user has size five feet but the boots are more like a size 3 is that not as described?

I'm not suggesting they make a false claim but to open a case for the appropriate reason.

Sellers as we all know are sometimes are not to be trusted amongst the thousand no millions of honest sellers there are a few bad eggs.

Who will just string you along until your items times out to be eligible for a case.

So take out the grey area its just black and white, yes or no, can i return or can i not.

[jma2815]

Do not ask if there’s an alternative address to send them to. Its important that you STOP messaging this seller. Now.

eBay WILL let you do a return. 

As @moldosgifts  said, the ‘no returns’ on private listings is not as simple as it appears and sellers do abuse this unclear bit of policy. You can absolutely return them, get the money back and be done with it, by opening a not as described case (as advised say they are a different size) and the seller will get the boots back to resell and maybe learn an important lesson about taking advantage of buyers who are too trusting. 

You bought the boots on the spurious promise that you could return them. Now you are being spun some tall tale about not being able to accept a return because she’s away indefinitely helping her family. I can’t stress enough how important it is that you stop messaging and just follow the returns procedure. 

The returns process is automated. Follow the instructions for a ‘Not as described’ return and it will work out. 

[jma2815]

@tressygirl 

Please don’t think I’m having a go at you @tressygirl  - but I don’t understand why you’re defending the ‘rights’ of this obviously very underhanded seller here. As @moldosgifts said, she’s a bad egg.

She’s taking advantage of a too trusting buyer by promising the boots could be returned and then using the messaging system to delay until its too late to use the official channels by appealing to their sympathetic nature (lying about helping family caught in a Californian wildfire 🙄). That’s despicable seller bahaviour imo. 

I’d say using the MBG system provided by eBay to get the promised refund is the right thing to do here. This buyer will not be doing anything wrong by stating that the boots are not sized as expected on the return and will then be free of useless boots/get back the money they could probably make good use of. I’m a private seller rather than a buyer and If I could do this return on behalf of OP I would. My late mother was a trusting soul who was taken advantage of by people like this seller time and time again, it makes me angry. 

[jckl1957]

You are encouraging the buyer to lie and to abuse the Ebay Money Back Guarantee.

Please don't try to take the moral high ground.

@jma2815 

[jma2815]

I’m encouraging OP to do no such thing and I absolutely do take the moral high ground in this particular case. 

Sadly I think this buyer will unecessarily lose out here due to their trusting nature and not for the first or last time. 

[tressygirl]

Aaah  nooo I'm not thinking you're having a go at me, but I'm not defending the rights of the seller,  as both seller and buyer have rights of course.

I just would not like for the buyer to get into trouble opening a SNAD when messages were clear to say the item did not fit,  eBay read all messages and all the seller would need to do would be to direct eBay to those messages to say one minute the buyer is saying does not fit, now it's a SNAD,   2 very different outcomes.

The seller was wrong,  absolutely to renege on a promise, totally with you on that,  they say they're in LA , who knows they may even be telling the truth, and then really all eBay sales / issues are on the back burner.

I have presently stopped all my items for sale attending to a family medical issue 100 miles from where I live.  We cannot discount that this seller is truly in LA helping ,they may be, and so cannot attend to an eBay issue

The seller offered a refund on the return if they didn't fit,  they didn't have to as they have a No Returns.  They are going back on this promise,  but no one can be sure if the reason they are giving is the real one or not.

Sorry to hear your mum was taken in some way,  I could spend all day exchanging tales with you of how my family were conned,  they too were trusting beyond reason, a  story which would make your hair curl!!  Yep liars and scammers all around thankfully in the minority .

I'm certainly  only too well aware of those peeps !

@jma2815 

[jma2815]

@ronile7483 

I think all that can be said has been, but I will add that you won’t ever get into trouble for opening a return, and the eBay return system is guaranteed and fully automated, so nobody is there making judgement calls when you do. 

Please don’t be put off returning unsuitable goods bought online in future because you think it might get you into trouble. 

[ronile7483]

Thank you for your help.

[vintique*violet]

@ronile7483 Actually being as the seller said you could return the boots - I would contact  and speak directly with a Customer Service agent, let them see the message communication between you both and ask for their advice. 

I would refrain from any more communications with the seller before you have clarification from CS. 

EBAY LINK FOR TELEPHONE CONTACT CALL BACK 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid

Lines open between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays.

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

Good luck. 

Edit to add CS link.