eBay

ant250206 · ‎18-09-2025

Hi

I'll try keep it short. I paid for a laptop a couple of days ago. The day after paying, the seller writes to me to say there is no charger included, but they have bought a new one which will come separately with a different delivery. I replied saying that the item description said the original charger was included, and asked for details about this supposed new charger because this laptop requires a very specific charger and third party/non-OEM chargers are notoriously unreliable. I also asked for the tracking details for this additional delivery. They went silent. I contacted ebay and they reviewed our exchange and said not to worry - you're covered. They also asked me to continue trying to contact the seller. I did - no reply. In the final message I made it clear that if the delivered items do not match the item described, then I will be claiming a refund per ebays policies. No reply, but shortly afterwards I was notified of a new listing - it's exactly, precisely the same laptop, down to very specific details about software installed and the origins of the laptop - but it's a completely different seller.

I suspect this is a scam and they're flipping the same "items" over and over. My gut says to apply for the refund before it even arrives and to simply not accept the delivery. I'm not sure if thats possible. What do I do, and how do I get my money back? I have a sinking feeling...

Thanks for any advice.

*vyolla* · ‎27-09-2025

@ant250206 wrote:

By the way, the seller HAS accepted the return on the refund request. They simply haven't/aren't processing the refund and haven’t responded to messages since Monday.

If they accepted the return and you've uploaded a tracking number that shows delivery, I can't see an issue with you getting your money back. I was initially under the impression that eBay didn't require you to return it, and were just going to refund you, which would have been a bit odd.

ant250206 · ‎28-09-2025

I didn't upload the tracking number directly on the request because I noticed the seller had used a different recipient name and delivery address from what was actually on the postage label he'd sent 3 days before, and which we'd already used. The initial address on that label was for an actual home in a different part of London and the recipient was just "Mr C". This new address he put into the return request was essentially a "ghost" office in a building where I found dozens and dozens (hundreds?) of other businesses listed. Believe me - I've googled the hell out of this guy.

What I did instead was provide the tracking number to a support agent in a chat. I had been sharing photos of the item being packed, the label, the delivery confirmation, etc in messages to the seller. I was creating a record of everything as it happened and giving the seller an opportunity to respond because I knew ebay would be able to look at those messages if necessary, which they did. Based on this, they accepted the details and tracking of the label he'd initially sent as valid confirmation of the item having being returned and delivered.

I had a confirmation email from ebay late last night and the return case has been updated: closed in my favour, refund is being processed. It's over! 🥲

ant250206 · ‎30-09-2025

The refund arrived in my account last night. Lost a bit on the exchange rate difference from 2 weeks ago but it's small change for the benefit of having this closed.

It looks like the seller has pulled his other listed items down without selling.

Thanks for your help everyone!