Returning a very large item that is SNAD

Carer

Hi all, need some advice please.
Ordered an item from ebay which was sold as new but is very obviously used. I've sent pics to the seller that prove this but he is saying the item is new and that it's "factory or manufacturing damage".
Anyway he is happy for me to return for full refund. He has very good feedback so I was taken aback at the state of the item.

So..dilemma, this thing is very large 172cm long and I can't find a courier that will send it without me having to open a business account. My Hermes and Parcelforce say it's too big. It came via Fedex but they require an account. I've asked the seller to arrange collection but he is not obliged to under ebay rules so I'm stumped as to what to do if he refuses to collect.

I'm not optimistic he will collect it (going by the tone of his emails so far), so any advice would be hugely welcome.

pinkshoes

Have you tried doing a search on https://www.parcelmonkey.co.uk?

Ebay rules state YOU need to return it TRACKED unfortunately. Be careful if he collects it, as you may not have tracking should you need to open a dispute...

Carer

Well seller refuses to collect as expected. So I now face the choice of either paying approx £12 for courier to deliver it back to him or accepting a second hand item that was sold as new that cost £90 new (second hand ones are about £40)
I rang Ebay who said to escalate a case and they will look at it, but of course their terms say I am responsible for return delivery even if the seller has lied in the auction and item is SNAD.
I am really not happy. It seems so unfair that I am out of pocket and there's nothing I can do. I feel well and truly shafted by both Ebay and the seller.
I will never buy anything large from Ebay again. Lesson learned.

Taadaa

Ditto.

Hiwever £12 loss is better than a £90 one.

shaun_from_Africa

Even though ebay's T&C's do state that the buyer must pay for the return of the goods, they do occasionally provide prepaid returns vouchers for this.

Enter a comment into the dispute, something along the lines of "I feel it is extremely unfair to expect me to have to pay for the return postal costs for something that was not as described".

You may be lucky and get the postage covered.