eBay returns - who pays when they're damaged?

[EmEd1984]

Hi everyone

I'm a bit of a newbie to the joys of ebay :( but recently bought 3 pairs of shoes from one seller (a shop) who agreed via ebay to only charge me one lot of postage for buying all 3 pairs at the same time. everything was fine, and the shoes arrived yesterday. love them all, but one pair has 2 very noticeable 'grazes' around 3 inches long each, to the leather covered platform and outside side of the heel on both shoes, which definitely could only have happened before postage (they were very well packed). i'm actually a bit angry they thought sending them like that would be fine, but anyway!!

i've re-read his t's and c's and it very vaguely says 'returns to be paid for by the buyer' which surely is ok if i've simply changed my mind, but they're clearly damaged and shouldn't have been sent in the first place, or just described appropriately in the listing with a lower price.

i've contacted the seller (only yesterday evening, mind) and i'm still waiting on a reply, but just wondered if someone knows of a definitive link or source that states the seller should incur any costs in replacing them. his communication when trying to make the sale was great, stangely enough.

i can't find anything on ebay either about me paying for postage initially with the seller refunding it later...but i do feel cheeky because of the original postage agreement.

what does everyone suggest? :Z

tia x

[pingping]

I've returned things to a seller before on eBay. I've always paid the return postage, but had it refunded bacl to me if my claim was accurate. I would wait to see what the seller has to say.

[pingping]

*back* not bacl!

[Ethel]

Give the seller a chance to reply. He should pay for the return postage when he refunds you after he has received the goods.

eBay has its own forums where you will get lots of good advice from experienced eBay users:
http://forums.ebay.co.uk/forum.jspa?forumID=7

[edukes]

had a very similar problem a year ago with a kenwood mixer and this is what trading standards told me,
If the seller is clearly a shop and not private trading then he is legally responsible for the cost of returns for damaged goods. He also must make his full address available to you and not just a P O box.
tell him this..... if he does not pay for the return you will not only leave him neg feedback.( remember he can't neg you) you will report him to ebay, and to trading standards in his area,

[EmEd1984]

haha get THIS!

well, the ebay shop agreed to refund me the postage i paid to return them which came to �3.80 (yay). The next day i checked my account and the shop said that sorry they didn't actually have any more stock, so were just refunding me instead...but only the cost of the shoes in the first place, not the postage i'd paid to return them! his argument was that he gave me a discount for buying 3 pairs (which was charged postgage once instead of 3 times) but his listing clearly stated further items from him are charged at �1 each, so i admit initially he should've charged me �5.50 not just �3.50 - being new to ebay, i asked him for a discount on the items which he said he couldn't do, but he'd adjust the postage for me instead.

...are you still with me?? :D

anyway, as i've returned the very damaged pair, essentially the slate should be wiped clean with these so therefore

1st pair �3.50 + 2nd pair �1 = �4.50.
I've paid out �3.50 + �3.80 = �7.30

i feel like i'm over reacting a bit (its less than �3, i know), but i also feel like i'm being taken for a mug so I'm standing my ground, especially as i'm less than 10 days into my ebay account.

whats everyone else thoughts on this new chapter?

sorry for whinging :P

EmEd x

[imoveit]

use www.imoveit.co.uk for postage, very cheap (in fact you can set your own price) - More aimed at the heavier postal end. You not only get a tracking number, but have access to the courier drivers personal details as well!!

[imoveit]

use imoveit.co.uk for postage, very cheap (in fact you can set your own price) - More aimed at the heavier postal end. You not only get a tracking number, but have access to the courier drivers personal details as well!!