Returning large item

[jamesqb]

Hello,

I bought a refurbished - certified carpet washer that arrived in poor condition with broken parts, as well as a missing part and overall dirty and certainly not refurbished especially to “like new, pristine” condition that eBay claims for certified refurbished goods.

I started the returns process and was immediately presented with a return label for ParcelForce.

Two concerns:

The seller’s feedback shows someone took a heavy item to the post office to return and was told the return label wasn’t postage paid and they must pay.

Next problem is that I have a physical disability so I don’t know how I’m going to get this large heavy box to a post office.

I emailed the seller about the state of the machine and my physical disability, asking for collection from the house. The reply didn’t even apologise for what I’d received and just stated that I must use the supplied label if I want a refund.

What can I do?

[jckl1957]

Parcelforce is a suitable carrier for large and heavy items.

Can you check the weight of the item against the weight on the label?  If it is clearly inadequate you can contact Ebay and they will arrange for the seller to replace the label.

Parcelforce do offer a collection service but I don't know if that is available for a prepaid label.  You would have to contact Parcelforce to check.

If you do have to get the item to the Post Office, you will have to ask somebody to help you.

The seller has responded to the case and provided a label.

Now it is up to you to get the parcel sent off within the timescale shown on the case.

[jamesqb]

Parcelforce is a suitable carrier for large and heavy items.

- Correct. I didn’t state otherwise. I have a physical disability, not a mental one, and in over 40 years on this Earth, I’ve used parcelforce and other delivery firms lots of times. I didn’t need to check your username to know you’re a seller on the platform…

Can you check the weight of the item against the weight on the label?  If it is clearly inadequate you can contact Ebay and they will arrange for the seller to replace the label.

- The box is very large, I don’t have scales for boxes big enough to contain carpet washers. You see, it’s not the suitability of parcelforce, it’s the fact it’s a large and heavy carpet washing machine in a large cumbersome box delivered by a courier to my door and presumably collected from the company’s depot, not dragged into a little post office. It’s the suitability and practicality of taking such a large and heavy box to a post office. Even without a disability it would be a challenge. Courier collection is far more logical and reasonable. Do you disagree?

If you do have to get the item to the Post Office, you will have to ask somebody to help you.

- I hadn’t considered that! Wait, I did because as I stated above, I’m not mentally disabled. Not everyone has people to do things for them.

The seller has responded to the case and provided a label.

- No. the label was automatically supplied by eBay instantly. The seller responded to my email in which I requested collection. The reply told me to use the label if I want a refund, no help offered. Trying to tell me the sequence of events is odd behaviour.

Now it is up to you to get the parcel sent off within the timescale shown on the case.

- Is it really? Thanks for making sure I was aware of that order! Maybe the company should treat customers better after selling something that is not as advertised? I shouldn’t have any of this hassle. I shouldn’t have been sent a dirty, sticky, broken carpet washer missing parts that was sold as pristine, like new. There was a time companies would go out of their way to ensure customer satisfaction and correct wrongs.

The tone of your reply indicates what side you’re on.

[danieledwardsmall]

You're not going to get much help on here if the best you can do is belittle someone's advice from the get go.

The fact that buying such a heavy and large item with the possibility it might have to be returned if faulty didn't occur to you?

You got the return label; you're simply going to have to get family or friends to assist.  This is the process laid bare.

Good grief.

[jamesqb]

Ah, another seller closing ranks.

You're not going to get much help on here if the best you can do is belittle someone's advice from the get go.

- it wasn’t advice. It was patronising and unhelpful. Where was the advice? I responded in kind.

The fact that buying such a heavy and large item with the possibility it might have to be returned if faulty didn't occur to you?

- Putting the blame on me for a disreputable seller? Really?

You got the return label; you're simply going to have to get family or friends to assist.  This is the process laid bare.

- I have none, but thanks for that.

Good grief.

-Indeed. How dare a buyer be unhappy at a deceitful seller and a snotty response by someone on here. 

[jamesqb]

Hey Daniel,

Putting the chip on your shoulder as a seller on eBay to one side, if you are capable of doing that, do you believe that companies should be able to sell bulky and heavy goods that do not match the descriptions or claims, and the maligned buyer should have the hassle and responsibility of getting those bulky and heavy goods to busy little post offices? When generally it’s little more for couriers to come to a person’s house and collect those goods?

Your previous remark implies that as a disabled person I should consider whether I can lug heavy huge boxes to post offices on the assumption that when I buy things I’m going to be deceived and receive rubbish, and so should not buy things I want or need? Should elderly people also be forbidden from buying things because of detestable lying companies?

do you realise the path you’re going down with this?

[jamesqb]

First one of your topics on here I check and good grief, as you’d say. The irony and hypocrisy. Reeks.

Daniel getting annoyed and reprimanding someone for replying to him unhelpfully and in a patronising... 

Victim blaming doesn’t work Daniel. I’m not at fault for not thinking about whether a large and heavy item might need to be returned. The company is at fault for lying and not making provisions.

Why didn’t you consider that the company should consider how people are going to get large and heavy items to post offices? Why shouldn’t they have considered couriers to the door for returns? What happened to thinking of the customer?

You jumped on me instead of the culprit. I’m wondering if you’re a bigot. I do hope not. Good grief.

[papso22]

I think what might be muddying things a bit here is what the company should do, and what they are legally obliged to do/what the ebay money back guarantee obliges them to do. 

The previous posters have set out the position that the law requires, which is simply that a seller refunds on return of a faulty item, and pays for that return.  The ebay MBG echoes that.

I am not aware of anything that says that, legally, the seller has to arrange collection from you in your particular circumstances, even though that might seem the right thing to do.

Your best bet is to see if Parcelforce will collect from you, using the prepaid label you have been given.

[danieledwardsmall]

[Finding something, anything, that will reinforce one's tenuous position in an argument for the sole purpose to make one feel better when told that there isn't a way to force a seller to provide a collect option]

You said you have no friends to assist your return.  Small wonder.

But you might want to try growing out of your righteous indignation and entitlement.

Disability does not afford special e-commerce returns treatment.  Sorry pal

[missdollydaydream]

Just looked at your "feedback left". Not very lucky are you?

[danieledwardsmall]

The OP knows this, but just doesn't accept it.  Large and heavy items are particularly cumbersome to deal with.  The is e-commerce 101

[danieledwardsmall]

Sorry, I don't follow...

[missdollydaydream]

The response was for op

[danieledwardsmall]

Oh ok. I assumed it was meant for me, as eBay sent me your email.

Danny

[papso22]

If you have elected to receive updates on a thread then ebay will email you whenever someone posts on it, whoever they are responding to.

[jckl1957]

I am sorry you don't like the tone of my reply and you consider it is snotty.  I consider the tone of your response to me was vitriolic, so I actually prefer 'snotty'.

Like all mentors, my only intention was to offer useful advice.

[danieledwardsmall]

Right.  That clarifies my confusion. Thanks.

[davidb628]

I have a similar problem being disabled EBAY Does not care nor sellers although some do but they have no clue to getting a large item that is bulky and heavy it faulty collected from our property like when it was delivered. Being housebound I had no one to help and in the end had to pay DPD to collect item so I am out of pocket very bad and illegal under consumer uk law as Ebay should have helped but refused to so a very real message is do not ever buy large items from ebay even new as if faulty you will get no help if disabled.