Buyer claiming wrong item arrived

[joshszw123]

Hi Everyone 

I sold some gold on eBay and posted via the global shipping program. They buyer has claimed that somother items arrived and asked for a refund. The items were literally a load of junk that can't possibly have been sent at the stated weight on the tracking receipt! I asked ebay to step in, I asked the buyer to return the gold bars and said I would refund but got no reply. Ebay have now issued a refund and taken the money from me, I have no gold and no money. What can I do and why are ebay letting this happen? The buyer only set up the account in the last few months, I have been selling for 12 years! About to miss a mortgage payment because of this, the whole reason I sold the gold in the first place. 

please help if you can. 

Thanks in advance 

[red_magpie]

What can I do and why are ebay letting this happen?

EBay's stated policy is to give the buyer the benefit of any doubt, and require the seller to refund them. As eBay never even sees the item and doesn't require any proof it's almost inevitable that they will take the buyer's word against the seller's. In all but name buyers can claim any fault to get a full refund.

What should have been different in your case is that when you use the gsp the item is actually repacked at eBay's global shipping hub. I would have expected eBay to at least investigate what was received at their own hub, and whether the contents could have been switched there. Once the item is repacked and delivered internationally eBay and not the seller is responsible for loss or damage in transit.

However, faced with the choice of refunding the buyer themsleves or taking the money from you, the outcome is unsurprising. EBay has set itself up to be judge and jury of transactions between members, with the user agreement requiring us to accept their decisions. As eBay is unregulated there is no right to any independent appeal. This has become a very risky place to sell things.

[plpmr]

" I asked ebay to step in"

End of story - sellers should never ask eBay to step in for a not as described case.

You sent by Global and the hub often opens packages and it has happened before that the wrong item is repacked so the buyer gets something else.

In any even it would be down to you, the seller. to arrange the return of the 'not as described' item.

Global - many, buyers and sellers, won't touch it.

[joshszw123]

Thank you very much taking time to reply.

Is there any way to claim the loss from GSP or eBay? I don’t think my postage provider Royal Mail will accept this as a claim as it was GSP.

[plpmr]

Doubtful they would entertain a claim but this is the help page for Pitney Bowes [who run Global] half way down under 'contact us' are various links. https://www.pitneybowes.com/uk/support/contact-us.html In future it would be best to get the buyer to send you an image of the parcel as if it was repacked it would usually have Global tape on it.

[joshszw123]

Thanks for that

They sent me a picture of the packaging and it had been tampered with by the looks of it.

Had my doubts about GSP, won’t be using that again, don’t even trust eBay in general right now.