eBay problems, resolutions, shenanigans, questions and info (not bike finds)

I won two tyres on eBay for a kids bike, advertised as cash on collection and collection only. I didn't notice that at the time

I won and realised my mistake, they are 200 miles away, but paid by PayPal anywayand asked if I could arrange a courier.

The seller has just given me a partial refund of £8 something, saying PayPal charges fees for handling money. They didn't want to be out of pocket by paying for packaging so I couldn't arrange a courier.

I'll open a case with eBay when I can, I'm assuming I will get my precious £1.60 back from the seller. Amiright?

They should get all their funds back if a transaction is cancelled. Go get your £1.60 back lad!

Any tips for what to do if I was refunded and seller doesn’t reply when asked for return postage info?

Update on this is I contacted eBay over chat, explained the situation to ‘Ritika’ (who I’m 90% was a robot), and was told they aren’t going to ask me to give item back so I could choose to keep messaging the seller or keep the item...

Told ‘em I’ll keep trying the seller but it’s been a week since the refund and no response to my 3 messages. They sent me a transcript via email for my records, in case the police come knocking.

Sold a mobile eBay posted promptly with Royal Mail signed for. Anyway was delayed and there was no tracking updates at all or location update possible when I spoke to a 'human' from Royal Mail 10 days after posting. Buyer was regularly in contact but polite and understanding and I refunded them in full 48 hours after the date at which RM said it would be classed as missing. Lo and behold it turned up and was signed for the next day (a Sunday) so they now have a full refund and the phone (I just checked on the off-chance and tracking shows it's been delivered with the same buyer name - they haven't got in contact). Is there anything more I can do than ask them to pay (will knock 20% for their inconvenienced the delay) for it? failing that I guess Royal Mail Claim?

I'd personally go to ebay/paypal. Explain buyer was given a refund due to item not showing up but now you have proof of delivery

Good shout - will do that now

nothing they can do once I've refunded - basically it's ask them nicely to pay me or frozen sausages to their business address

Well that's some bullshit

How about message buyer politely asking for payment. If they ignore, message again with threat of the police? Stolen goods. They have something of yours that they haven't paid for etc
(doesn't have to be actually illegal)

I've done the first bit so fingers crossed - I've asked them for a personal payment and offered them 15% off to make up for the delay (in their messages they said they were hoping to have it by xmas which they now have); they can rightly assume I'm desperate and counting on them not being complete bell-ends. Trolling and cutting of my nose to spite my face isn't really my style (at least I try) but there account is business so if no luck maybe a christmas card to their business address and a couple of gentle 'could you contact me please' on any more public platforms might make encourage them to pay for it. No response as yet, whereas thet messaged back within minutes for all correspondence prior to refund/receipt.
cheers

Could you find their business phone number and give them a call? A quick hello, this is P_S, sorry to chase but... It’s more difficult to turn down someone in person or over the phone than it is someone online. Plus you’d have better evidence that you’ve contacted them and they’ve no intention of paying you.

(Not legal advice) I agree with Phil. You refunded their money to cancel the sale, not to gift them the phone, so technically they have your phone. If you don’t get a response I’d go to the police and insist that they focus on the fact that you didn’t receive payment in exchange for the goods, and your efforts to recover them have gone unanswered by the ‘buyer’. Failing that, I’d take them to small claims court, they’d be stuffed. Edit- court would take time which I understand is short atm.

wtf is with buyers, winning at a crazy price, then ignoring/not paying, weird postal address (Heathrow airport, Jersey postal centre), joined in 2020, negative text feedback but somehow presented as a green positive rating..... happened to me twice now on same product.

Is there a way to prevent this? I've put setting to not allow 2 strike buys in past 6 months.

Bought a (relatively low value) item on the 28th of Nov, it never showed up so I initiated a not received case. The seller asked that I give it a few days which I did, still no sign, they said they sent another, s precisely delivery, and asked me to cancel the case. The tracking no they provided was incorrect though so I said I was going to wait till it arrived. Week later, still no sign, tracking still doesn’t work, asked eBay to step in and received an immediate refund. Left neg feedback and bought from another seller. On Saturday the first item arrived over 4 weeks late and today the second one. Seller hasn’t been in contact since I got my refund and left feedback. They have quite a lot of negative feedback and seem like a #cuntseller so I’m thinking I’ll just wait and see if they get in touch. Am I being a #cuntbuyer?

Yes. People are cunts but whatever the item is, presumably the seller has paid something for it and even cunts have to put food on the table

Offer to return them at their cost. Wait for response.

Offer to return them at their cost. Wait for response.

I did exactly this after a return came back to me because the seller was (admittedly, in their own words) too lazy to go to the post office to collect it after they missed the delivery. I still have the coat in the cupboard after zero response.

@PhilDAS @Coops
so, an update on my case where a buyer repeatedly albeit politely messaged the second the expected delivery date of the mobile phone I sold had passed. Anyway, I refunded their payment in full and within 48 hours delivery of the item, signed for and same addressee name, was confirmed (on a Sunday with RM?) so they have the phone and their money back. I've sent messages to their eBay (a business seller with a current listing) and a text/whatsapp to the phone number on one of their eBay listings (the message has been received and they have seen WhatsApp after I sent the message. I've since sent another message saying "sure you're busy but what you're have done constitutes theft however i'm sure this is an oversight on your part but now you've been made aware of it please pay for the item - sent personal payment details - or return the item....nothing

It's 'only' £90 but I can't really afford to lose it - although it wouldn't be crippling - but it's more the principle of the matter and that they were so prompt and conscientious in their correspondence up until the second I refunded the item....is this an actual scam do you reckon, seems weird, whereby they refuse delivery wait for refund then collect for example?

could/should I threaten to and then actually call 101 (non-emergency police)? Should I do this or do I just have to suck it up and accept that I made myself vulnerable by 'doing the right thing'?

Try and keep it civil without threats. Most people will return the refund eventually. I don’t understand why you refunded just because delivery was late though. You can report to ActionFraud but they wont do anything

If it is a matter of principle (hate the phrase but I get it) then as was said earlier in the thread go through money claims online (small claims court). Its relatively straightforward and you could get judgment in default, if they do not defend, or the court finds in your favour.

I would start with a suite of letters. First one should be a demand for £90 with increasing threat to take legal action culminating in a letter before action. If they continue to not pay/ignore then entertain the money claim though there is a cost to this.

Fair point and I haven't made any threat or mention of police etc but have said that it "constitutes theft but appreciate it's a busy time of year so likely an oversight but now you're aware please pay."

I asked them to wait a number of days after the expected delivery date and actually a couple past RM timescale for being 'lost' and they were reasonable and a very frequent communicator throughout which probably made me more inclined to refund but of course get you're saying.

cheers for your input and all the best

Guy from work had the same problem as I had but with a Spez Pizza Rack: seller went totally silent after paying £45 counteroffer, eBay gave a refund after 3 weeks of no show, item arrived a month late, and nearly two months after sale the seller still won’t answer messages to return the pizza rack.

If this is you (reader), I can put y’all in touch.

From here
https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/forums/t/customer-gets-refunded-and-goods-arrive-says-she-is-keeping-items/314861/49

Send them a headed letter requesting the goods to be returned, with a return shipping label (tracked) and that failure to do so will result in legal action.

Give them 30 days.

If they don’t return them send them a letter of intended legal action, 7 days to respond.

If they still dont return small claims.

Although I’m seeing lots of places say congrats to the buyer, you just got free stuff

Got an email from eBay "Getting paid on eBay has changed":

eBay will now manage how you get paid, this means that fees and expenses will be deducted before you get paid. The remainder of your eBay earnings will go directly into your bank account, not your PayPal account.

So this is them finally dropping Paypal as their payments provider, which is what they said they'd do. But where does this leave you as a buyer if the money goes straight into the seller's bank account?

Has buyer protection gone out of the window?

Got a random question I wonder if someone lovely in Hackney could help me?

I've bought a light on eBay that was collection only so figured I have a colleague who could collect for me then I could send a courier to get it from them and have it up to me in Yorkshire - However turns out he's moved back to Wales during lockdown so can't do it! selfish.

Could somebody possibly collect a wall light from Hackney and then be at home on day for me to send a courier to collect? I'll of course send beer tokens as thanks + the added good karma you get of helping a Forumger. It's collection from a pub that is open from 3 most days.

thanks

:D

You sorted?