Return for defective item outside 30 day window

[aunt-jemima]

I bought a wok on the 18th of June and it arrived on the 27th of June from China for around £53.  It was a gift for family and they started using it a few days ago to steam food.  It has rust on the inside coating and also some of the coating wasn't smooth before use, those areas and others have developed rust.  I've never encountered a wok like this.  I've only rinsed it and haven't used any spatulas etc to cook with since I have just steamed food with it.  The family is not comfortable cleaning the rust of it after each use.

The wok is otherwise the perfect size and we were hoping to use it for a long time.  That said I'd consider a wok like this to be defective and not fit for purpose.

I notice Ebay allows you to still request a return outside the normal window.  My question is do I have to pay for international shipping out of my own pocket despite it being defective?  They initially offered 20% refund to settle the matter which would be around £20 without return.  Then they offered £10...

A quick estimate shows it would cost £34 to post, possibly a bit more.

What are my options here?  

[thepillenwerfer]

You can open a return request after thirty days but the Seller can decline it and e-Bay won't over-rule them as they would within thirty days.

It sounds like the wok needs seasoning.  You can look it up but basically smear it with lard or oil and bung it in the oven to bake this into the metal.  Do it a few times.  If you were using it for frying rather than steaming this would quickly happen in normal use.  Oiling/greasing it after use would also protect it from rust.

[jckl1957]

You can open a return outside of the 30 day window but, as you have realised, you would have to pay for a tracked return to China.

Also, you would not be able to ask Ebay to step in as you would be outside the 30 days of the Money Back Guarantee.

So, worst case scenario, you pay to return the item. Tracking shows it has been delivered. the seller says they haven't got it and refuses to refund.  And, you can't ask Ebay to intervene.

I would push for a partial refund.

[zobth92]

As the above poster says, if it's a genuine cast iron wok (which for that price I would expect it to be), it should be "seasoned" before use. The coating is there to prevent rust, not to prevent food sticking, and it should be burnt off and the wok coated with oil and heated in the oven or over a flame. I would not recommend a wok for steaming, I use mine for frying and the more you use it, the better the seasoning, and its non-stick capability will become.