Ebay item refund query

bluelitch

I bought an item from an Ebay business seller in June. It initially worked OK but has since become faulty and now won’t even switch on.

The seller has agreed to replace the item and has asked that I return the item to him, using “a recorded and insured method of delivery”. In addition, he has asked that I send £3.50 to him via PayPal to cover the return postage for the replacement.

Whilst I appreciate (but don’t necessarily agree with) that I need to pay the costs of returning the item, I don’t understand why I have to pay the postage costs for the replacement to be sent to me, especially as this exceeds the postage cost he’s currently showing on the same item.

The item originally cost around £60 with postage so if I have to pay the extra then I will, but it doesn’t seem at all right. I realise that I can longer commence any chargeback proceedings on PayPal but as I paid using my Visa Debit card I may be able to do a chargeback this way if I am unable to reach agreement with the seller but I would need to this soon to be within the 120 days.

Is anyone able to advise of my rights, if any?

Dolly-Rocket

Have you asked them to pay your postage as a goodwill gesture? This happened to me once and I paid all the postage too, it's a bit of a bummer but if it were a shop you'd probably have to pay petrol and parking etc? That's the way I viewed it. Much easier to swallow that way.

bluelitch

Dolly-Rocket wrote: »

Have you asked them to pay your postage as a goodwill gesture? This happened to me once and I paid all the postage too, it's a bit of a bummer but if it were a shop you'd probably have to pay petrol and parking etc? That's the way I viewed it. Much easier to swallow that way.

Thanks for your quick response! I'm prepared to pay the postage to return it, because as you say it's only like having the expense of returning a faulty item to a shop. But, he's also asking me to send money to him to cover the postage of him sending the replacement item to me. That just seems out of order to me.

cyberbob

The problem you have is your outside the time limit for a Paypal claim (45 days) so you don't have any leverage. So you have 2 choices except his proposition or try and talk him into paying the postage for the replacement. The problem you have if he gets funny and just changes his mind you have no course to regain your money or get a replacement.

Yes as he's a business seller under SOGA he should be sending you a replacement and paying for the postage but if he refuses how do you enforce this?

Personally for a £60 item I would pay him the £3.50 (wouldn't be happy about it though).