How long after receiving am item can you return it, on ebay, if a fault is found?

[rab_art]

I received an amplifier which on the face of it worked fine as a buy it now item.

Quite by accident this was left on overnight and a fault became apparent(very noisy right channel (static hiss mid tone)).

When the item was left for a day  then switched on again there was no sign of the fault, until it had been left on for a while (8hrs +) when it reoccurred.

I had bought this as a working item with no fault.

It had  taken me a long time time to put the hi fi equipment in place to run the amplifier at all due to, 1. just having moved and 2.a reliance on Oxygen therapy oxygen tanks used to aid breathing. This really slowed me down as I had to unpack boxes to get at the equipment.

I noticed the fault , which I know it to be, first on the 9th /10thof July in the middle of the night after going to sleep on the couch.

It took me until the 23rd of this month to ascertain that it was a permanent recurrent fault not due to amplifier position, but likely due to the effect of heat once the amplifier had reached a stable  working temperature  that is necessary for optimal sound, on a damaged component in the right hand channel.

I have been in contact with the seller and he says  that he had never noticed the fault but had I noticed the fault earlier he would have accepted a return, but is now unwilling to do so. He knows about the problems I faced and that on the 9th  of July that was only the 3rd time I had turned the amplifier on, the prior instances was to test speaker position and to listen to a few CD's with a long time friend who is interested in music.

I have experience of dealing with complex devices (a physics teacher) and I count myself very lucky to have picked this fault up at all within this timeframe. Long term use of the amplifier would certainly reveal the fault eventually.

There may be a fixed period in which a return is permitted, but sometimes difficult to locate faults should also be allowed, or where a buyer has physical reasons for not acting as a normal buyer ,taking them longer to get a piece of equipment working.

The seller says he regards this as his pride and joy, and of great sentimental value and is very sad to be having to sell it. Yet he will not take it back when presented with that option. I find this difficult to believe, without there being an intent to deceive.

[red_magpie]

When asking questions it's important to say exactly when and how you paid, and when you received the item. Your rights are based almost entirely on this.

EBay's money back guarantee covers most items sold here, but only for 30 days after delivery. After that, they will not get involved, whatever the problem. PayPal buyer protection lasts longer, for 180 days, but only covers faults present on delivery. Neither will get involved in warranties or faults that occur in use. If you paid through another payment provider you can check their terms and conditions.

Otherwise, any responsibility now rests with the seller. If they're a UK business seller, you have your statutory consumer rights. Unfortunately, having rights means nothing unless you can enforce them, which can be difficult or impossible for items bought on eBay. Even manufacturers' warranties are liable to be invalid for items bought here.

You can consult trading standards or citizens advice, or consider using the small claims court or the Courts and Tribunals internet-based money claim service: https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome.

When buying from private sellers or sellers in other countries, there's unlikely to be anything you can do.

These are the risks of buying from unknown sellers online. EBay is not like the shops.

[double_o_heaven]

Unless I missed it, you don't say when you actually purchased the item?

On eBay it is 30 days - it is impossible to make exceptins for some items (or extenuating circumstances) over others, or else where would it stop?

You have longer with paypal and / or other payment providers, but it really does depend on their understanding and the time-frame involved.  They wouldn't get involved with warranty issues, and by the sound so fthings it is difficult to prove it was faulty when you bought it.  

Was the seller private (as I think from what you wrote) or a business?