Requesting a refund and HELP on eBay has become an AI nightmare for the buyer

[belmc]

What is going on with eBay? I used to press a button or two to get help resolve an issue and now I am being taken all around the houses. Every link for requested help returns me to the link I just tried and failed with. Where are the people of eBay- is it all a con for the seller to do as they please? I am a seller here too and I am as honourable as I can be- but I have been prey to a unscrupulous seller and I cannot find that simple solution of the past- just this nightmare AI sending me around and around in circles. 

I received a package of TWO broken bottles of Methylene Blue-(which also acts as a dye)- it spilled all over my clothes; my top was new, my trousers, my sofa and carpet. I requested a refund but was insulted with an offer of HALF my money back. NO APOLOGY EITHER. 

When I tried to get the attention of eBay to challenge this- it used to be so easy- I have spent days going round the houses with AI looping me round and round with the same damn information instead of progressing me on with my query. 

To add insult to injury the seller has refused a full refund and  now wants me to return my  smashed bottles to CHINA AT MY EXPENSE- they are calling my bluff. THIS IS CLEARLY A CON TO STEAL MY MONEY FOR THEIR SHODDY WORK! 😵

I DEMAND JUSTICE NOT MORE AI. I WANT TO SPEAK TO A REAL PERSON I AM TOO OLD FOR THIS.

[tressygirl]

Firstly, look at the item location on the listing if it has a UK location do not be fobbed off the item has to be sent to China it doesn't and it's unfortunately a common ploy by some Chinese sellers.

You do have to speak to Customer Services about this half refund and the sending back of broken glass items to ' China',  but only contact CS very first thing,  that is,  8 .m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends,  there's more chance of Dublin answering.  If you call ' out of office hours' shown below,  you will get an automated assistant, just call early.

This is the easiest and quickest way to contact eBay Customer Services, for a Call Back option.

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

Lines open 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. on weekdays

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

Automated agents will be available on chat outside of the above hours.

As said,  I recommend contacting CS first thing in the morning as there's more chance of Dublin answering.

@belmc 

[belmc]

Thank you- I will do just that.
Belmc

[m25jet]

In addition to the advice that @tressygirl has already given you, if you intend to leave negative feedback for the seller then I would advise you to hold off of doing so until the case has been closed.  The reason I say this is because in some instances sellers have asked eBay to remove the buyer's negative feedback and have succeeded in getting it removed when the feedback was left before the case had been closed.

In light of this I would suggest that you wait until the case has been closed, whether as a result of the seller refunding your money in full or as a result of the case being escalated to eBay.  If eBay do end up having to step in and resolve the matter for you then should the seller ask eBay to remove your negative feedback it is very unlikely that they would agree to do so, as the seller should have resolved the matter without eBay having to get involved and resolve the problem themselves.

[zoomingmouse]

What a nightmare!

Just a quick add to the advice given by @tressygirl  & @m25jet ... if you do end up leaving a negative feedback, I would be tempted to leave photos with it too as clearly not packed well enough. 

Hope you can get the dye out of your sofa & carpet - apparently white vinegar mixed half & half with water works on clothes, although I've not tried it myself.

[belmc]

Very sweet of you to say so and thanks for advice (about vinegar)- my fingernails are still grubby looking blue- thank God I am still not working for the NHS!
I am locked n loaded- I have ALL the photo's and I know how to use them!!😉And oh boy  am I gonna use them.
I cannot afford to just hand over £11.50 to some Chinese random for broken bottles- what am I stoopid or what. The packaging was SO flimsy what on Earth were they thinking! 

I am trying to be fair minded and give them one last chance to 'play the game'. Can't do fairer than that. But that negative feedback is still coming. 

[zoomingmouse]

It never ceases to amaze me how lacking some sellers packaging is.

My OH once bought a large antique radio from Germany & they literally plonked it in a cardoard box - no bubblewrap or anything.

I hope you get the other half refunded, if not, as per @tressygirl  advice, early morning on the phone with Ireland usually works 🤞

[belmc]

Yes indeed- I am 'keeping my powder dry'- I wanted to wait and see how much more wriggling they intend to do before I leave negative feedback. I will also craft it as carefully as possible to make my point clear but not so that they can ask it be removed. I have ALL the photos too.

Thanks

[belmc]

I never accepted their offer- it was less than HALF! I was raging- why would I want to pay £6 for broken bottles- not a chance!

[m25jet]

That seller really ought to be refunding you in full without question, especially if you supply photographic proof that the bottles arrived damaged and leaking, as well as at least one shot of the staining caused to your clothing.  Unfortunately getting Methylene Blue stains out of anything can be something of a nightmare - I used to keep fancy goldfish donkey's years ago, and if one or more fish developed a parasitic infection then I would treat them with Methylene Blue.  However, due to its ability to turn the water a dark shade of blue I would first transfer the affected fish to a pre-prepared quarantine tank, then treat the quarantine tank with Methylene Blue, transferring the fish back into the main aquarium once they were well again.  The dye in Methylene Blue used to stain the water to such an extent that even when the water was partially drained and replaced with fresh water it would still look blue!  This was why it was essential not to use it in the main aquarium - there was no way of getting rid of the blue tinge to the water, and it also had an adverse effect on the ability of the filter media to do its job, so putting Methylene Blue into the main aquarium was out of the question.

With regards to the question of how to get rid of the Methylene Blue stains, well, that's going to be extremely difficult to say the least!  You could try soaking the affected garment in a solution of bleach and detergent, making sure that you rinse it throughly after a day or two.  Then again, due to the fact that the blue dye used in Methylene Blue stains so strongly, there is no guarantee that attempts to remove the stain will result in it vanishing without trace.  If that happens and the stain won't come out then you may well end up having to buy an identical garment in order to replace the one that got spoiled.

[belmc]

Thank you- that was a good tip for the aquarium people too.
Yes indeed there are a few drops on the kitchen counter and sink and it is pretty stubborn= I guess in time it will fade. I received a great tip from another eBayer to use vinegar which certainly helps.
I don't know if they are understanding the situation or being stubborn. Maybe they're depending on AI bot to translate (Chinese seller) and deal with the problem. Maybe they have had bad experiences with dishonest buyers- I cannot fathom their behaviour. 
They have great feedback- I am surprised at their behaviour, almost like a child has been left in charge. I have sent plenty of clear photo's- there is no question about them being damaged- and to send it all this way (Scotland) without padding round the bottles- WHAT? 
I have no desire to rip off a hard working Chinese seller but they are not gonna rip me off either. Only a fool pays for broken bottles and spoiled clothes.
Its all very odd.

[m25jet]

@belmc wrote:

I don't know if they are understanding the situation or being stubborn. Maybe they're depending on AI bot to translate (Chinese seller) and deal with the problem.

If you suspect that the seller may have a limited understanding of English then perhaps it's time to change tack.  Using an app such as Google Translate, search something like English to Chinese, or if you know which region the seller comes from, specify the exact variation of Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, etc) and then type your message to the seller into the translation app.  When it translates the text copy and paste the Chinese text into the eBay case details, making sure that you put the English version of the message beneath it so that in the event that you have to escalate the case to eBay then any eBay representatives who can't speak Chinese can read the English text and see what you were saying to the seller.  That way the seller cannot say that he or she didn't understand the message you were trying to get across due to his or her limited ability to speak English...

With regards to the Methylene Blue stains on the counter, try pouring some undiluted Dettol over it and leave it to sit for a decent amount of time to work into the stain (I'd suggest at least fifteen minutes).  Once you have done this, take a damp cloth and wipe the sink over to remove the stains.  If it's really stubborn then it may need more than one application in order to get rid of it; however, with a lot of determination and elbow grease it should eventually come out.