How long do you have to open a case with ebay?

southerly

I have a problem with an item described as new but was not. I have been communicating with the seller who has offered a refund if I send it back, this will mean a postage cost of £4.50 to send it recorded, to get a £4.99 refund! I have asked for return postage to be paid, this has not been agreed to, they asked for a photo of the dirt which I sent but they did not receive, I did not check messages over Christmas but have now sent the photo again.

I just think time is running out now and I need to escalate to ebay, as the auction end date was 7th December. Is it 30 days time limit?

starrybee

The time limit is 45 days so you have another couple of weeks to decide what to do.

lindseykim13

Yes but needs pointing out if you escalate to a case ebay will tell you to send it back tracked at your own cost anyway they cannot force the seller to refund you return postage. You will get back your original purchase price and original postage cost back only.
In some rare cases ebay will refund you without returning but like i say it is rare.

southerly

I had to escalate the case to ebay as seller retracted on the offer of full refund and was only offering refund of the item cost of 99p. Ebay gave me a full refund including the postage cost, nothing specified about returning the item. Seller has then messaged me saying as I have a full refund he now expects the item to be sent back! Shall I just ignore him as he obviously won't refund the postage cost if I do that?
It is ridiculous really all the messages and grief over a small amount of money! The problem is that I think the seller has somehow made a genuine mistake, and is not lying, & accused me of lying about the item condition when it arrived, so refused to back down.
I will be wary of bidding for anything now, I usually stick to new items on BIN, this has reminded me why.

No_Eye_Deer

Sounds like it could be a no fault refund.

Just tell them you would be glad to return it, as soon as they provide the return postage costs.

southerly

Thanks, I thought of doing that, and saying that they were welcome to arrange a courier collection.
I have just remembered, the ebay email said it was 'a courtesy refund' so does this mean ebay have refunded me and the money won't have come from him? In which case he has no right to them back and I won't even reply. Really I don't want any more communication with him.
I will give the item to a charity shop, I don't even like looking at it now after all this trouble.

No_Eye_Deer

southerly wrote: »

ebay email said it was 'a courtesy refund' so does this mean ebay have refunded me and the money won't have come from him?

Yes its a no fault refund. The money will of come from ebay. He will still have his money.

Just ignore him and give the item to a charity shop as you say.