EBay will not send proper replies to emails

[stuffbyiris]

I am based in the UK but sell on eBay.com. I have called UK many times and they are great but my issue has to be resolved by eBay.com who I cannot call. I have sent four emails and received standard generic replies from three different people. All the contents are the same just trotting out eBay’s rules and policy. None address the problem I have and I have a deadline shortly. I am totally stuck and panicking.

i sell cast iron scales and weights. The scales were damaged in transit and the seller requested a replacement scale which I sent. She chose a scale from an active listing. When she received the scales she went ballistic saying she had disposed of the undamaged weights and I had cheated her by not sending the weights from the replacement scales listing. She has now opened a return on the basis the item is not as described and provided a photo of the replacement scales which of course in misrepresenting the issue. EBay says a replacement item can be sent as an alternative to a return  which I did. I thought the matter was resolved as she had the new scales and original weights, she had not at that stage said she disposed of the weights. I fulfilled my obligation so cannot agree  a return or refund.  The time is up tomorrow for me to take action and I have sent her two emails without replies. I am very concerned eBay will just refund her the money. Has anybody any idea what I can do please, I am frantic with worry

[*vyolla*]

I'm puzzled as to why your buyer disposed of the weights after asking for replacement scales, but if you want your scales back you'll need to find a way of getting a payment to your buyer to cover the cost of the return before the deadline, or just make a full refund and then block them from buying from you again.

[papso22]

Is she in time to open the return case if you have already had time to send a replacement?  If so, you need to do as *Vyolla* says.

[4_bathrooms]

eBay.com buyers have their own version of the Money Back Guarantee although it is very similar to the eBay UK one. If your buyer has opened an MBG case for the item not being as described the policy states:

"If we determine that the seller did not meet their return requirements:

• The buyer will receive a refund for the full cost of the item and original shipping, and
• The seller will be required to reimburse eBay for the amount of the refund, and
• The buyer may not be required to return the item"

I would imagine the eBay.com MBG works pretty much the same as the UK one; i.e. it is an automated process. If a return label hasn't been sent to the buyer by the deadline stated and the buyer escalates the case the buyer will automatically win by default meaning they will receive a full refund and be told they don't need to return the item. Your only option if you don't want to risk losing the item and the money is almost certainly to send a suitable return label before the deadline. Do you know if eBay have already sent a return label to the buyer (at your expense) via the case?

Also, before sending the replacement did you make it clear to the buyer they needed to retain the weights received with their original delivery? It might have seemed obvious the buyer needed to keep them but when sending a replacement part I always ask the buyer to check the other parts and confirm they are intact as only the damaged part will have a replacement sent. As a lot of what I sell is made of glass or porcelain the odd instance of transit damage is inevitable but I always make it clear to the buyer it is only the damaged component a replacement will be sent for and not the entire item. This is because where an item is composed of separate items or has accessories eBay's MBG policy will still treat an INAD case as relating to the item as a single unit.