Threatened at my home by a seller.

[emmit8]

Hi everyone. I bought an item a while ago which cost me ALOT of money, hundreds. It turned up and was brought through to the garden where after a week it turned horribly mouldy (it's supposed to be treated for outside use for animals) it then started rotting. So I got in contact with eBay who told me I would receive a refund and I wouldn't have to send it back because the item is hazzardous and cannot bring it through the house when that is the only way to get to the garden, I'm severely disabled and have asthma so I can't be near the mould. So it was all sorted in my eyes and need to arrange for someone who deals with this stuff to come and remove the rubbish. Anyway all of a sudden a few days later (today) I had a voicemail from a very rude man who told me he would be at my house in an hour to collect the item. First of all this was all sorted as far as I was concerned and secondly I didn't agree to anyone coming to my home, to give my number to anyone or details etc. So I started panicking and went to a family members because I was scared of someone turning up at my home while I'm vunerable! My partner reassured me saying that they aren't allowed to just turn up and they probably just said it to scare me into dropping my case against them, but he said he would stay at the house. And low and behold an hour after the 'man' rang he turned up on the doorstep and told my partner he was there to collect the item. My partner told him it was nothing to do with him and eBay were handling the case, only to be told in no unncertant terms that he had just driven 4 hours on request from his boss. So this man that arrived wasn't even a courier he was just an employee and had no ID etc and my details have been given to this stranger. So my partner told him I don't know who you are and you aren't coming into my house. The man said his boss had told him to 'retrieve' the item, baring in mind I still haven't had a refund and its still mine, the man said he needed to go and ring his boss. So then I started getting bombarded with calls from this number which was the seller, I didnt answer because I was terrified. So meanwhile the bloke was apparently in a massive van Infront of my driveway blocking my partner from being able to leave. He came back and said my boss said not to leave without the item, and my partner again said I don't know you, this between eBay and my partner and you shouldn't have been sent, it is your bosses fault. To which the man got out his phone rang his boss and forced my partner to talk to him on his phone (despite covid) and the boss said if you don't give me my item then I will come down in my car and get it myself. The whole time a woman was shouting at obscenities in the background at my partner to let them have it, the boss them said to him 'look I come from a big family' implying that he will send his family down here aswell or turn up with them. And my partner said if you turn up here I will call the police and your employee right now is trespassing as no one has agreed for him to come here. He then LIED and said I had agreed to the man coming, which I have evidence I did not say and I haven't even spoken to him for days!!  He said that my partner needs to sort it out because he's not going to be out of pocket and my partner said well neither are we from an item you said was treated which isn't and is now rotting in the back garden! Then he said that if he doesn't sort it then his 'bloke' will be back here. So then the bloke takes the phone back and goes back to the van. Then comes back with a piece of paper and tells my partner to sign it saying he's refused collection even though he wasn't even a legit courier and we never agreed to collection in the first place. So then he went back to his van and now he had been sat Infront of the gate for a total of 30 minutes blocking our path. He then lights a cigarette and sits there while my partner is trying to get out to come and get me because I had a doctor's appointment and eventually he leaves very slowly watching the house apparently. My partner recorded it on his phone and I was appalled when I heard it. I have had numerous panic attacks today one actually in the doctors (which we ended up being late to because of this man) and now we have had to ask all our neighbours to keep an eye out for this person. Anyone coming into our property, we have had to PADLOCK our own gate when we live in such a lovely quite village and I'm terrified to even be here. Where do I go from here because I still want my refund because it's over half a grand, but I'm scared that if eBay give it to me they will come back to my house, after him saying he would send his bloke back, and break in or steal etc and I shouldn't be scared to complain about an item and get our hard earned money back but I am. Honestly it was like some sort of mafa thing!! Please I need help I'm scared beyond belief and the police won't do anything unless someone actually does break in.

[redwick1]

If you opened a case then you usually have to return the item one way or another to get your refund.

I am not sure that the advice given by Customer Services was correct that you did not have to return it.

If it was a big item then it is up to the seller to arrange to collect or have the item collected or posted

It is obviously impossible for you to post the item

If the person was sent by the seller to collect then that is what should have happened

You dont usually get the refund until the item is back with the seller

If you signed to say you refused the collection then you may not get your money back

You can not expect to keep the item and to have a refund that is ebay policy

You will have to contact ebay and see what they say

Hopefully they will take your side but if it was a very expensive item then you can understand the seller wanting it back.

Top of the page under Seller help then scroll down for contact details

It will be Call me back or chat with us

Keep to the bare facts as your post is very long and it is not all necessary

CS open at 8am on a weekday

If it unlikely that anything will happen to you and as you say that is when the police would step in.

[tobiasd4]

Suggest looking here for help. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

[plpmr]

a solid block of text of over 1,000 words is extremely unhelpful and if you get incorrect advice that's the cause.

[red_magpie]

I'm not going to bother discussing the eBay case, just leave this to eBay.

Much more importantly, this bullying and intimidating behaviour has left you scared of what they will do next.

It may be true that the police can't actually bring charges at this stage, but that doesn't mean that they can or should ignore it. At the very least this is harassment, or even menacing behaviour. What's important is that it has left you intimidated and scared.

The police get lots of calls about mostly minor doorstep arguments and disputes. Whoever you spoke to in the police may not have understood that the seriousness of what you experienced. Make it clear that this has left you, in your own words "scared beyond belief". Don't take no for an answer. If necessary, ask to speak to a senior officer.

Make a full written record of what happened while it's fresh in your mind. You've done pretty well in your posting here, but flesh it out with dates, times and names where you can. Also, do please put in some paragraph breaks to make it easier to read.

If you're worried about speaking to the police again, phone citizens advice. They may be able to advise you, or possibly even contact the police themselves. They will also know the procedure to complain if they don't feel that the police are taking this seriously enough, although I'm sure it won't come to this.

[redwick1]

From what they are saying I took it they did not actually have any contact with the person that called at their house it was their partner that dealt with it. It is hearsay information and not sure the police would take any action unless the partner made the complaint. I do sympathise with anyone in a theatening situations disabled or otherwise but if the item was expensive then you can understand the seller wanting the item back.

[emmit8]

Thankyou I really appreciate you helping and offering that advice it's really made me calm down alot and know what to do next xx