Ripped off by Ebay policy - complain to Trading Standards?

Bootlegger

hi

I am an experienced Ebay user but I got ripped off by around £30 due to their system/policy and iI didn't see it coming.
I bought used Uggs from the US, turned out to be SNAD.
Seller agreed to accept return, but I lost all the postage money and import duty.
This was because at the checkout, the purchase price only went to the seller, the postage and import duty went to a third party, a US company. This is called the Global Selling Programme and I think it's fairly new.
So once the seller refunded my purchase price, the Ebay system locked me out from opening any cases for the refund of the original postage, which normally you would expect to get back.
I have complained formally by letter to Ebay, who basically told me to go away as their final decision, as they can't insist seller refund the postage as it wasn't paid to her.
I had no choice of how the checkout worked, and no comeback.
Their buyer protection policy suggests you will get original postage and packing charges back if its sig not as described. There is nothing in the info on the global selling programme which suggests you will lose all the postage, on the contrary, it says all will be fine if the transaction goes bad.
I think this amounts to misleading advertising, but if I ask Trading Standards to look at it, will Ebay kick me off the site?
I need the extra income and the cheap prices, but do feel losing £30 when it's down to the way they set the payments up is just wrong.
Item was so bad I couldn't use it or sell it on.

RFW

Bootlegger wrote: »

I think this amounts to misleading advertising, but if I ask Trading Standards to look at it, will Ebay kick me off the site?
I need the extra income and the cheap prices, but do feel losing £30 when it's down to the way they set the payments up is just wrong.
Item was so bad I couldn't use it or sell it on.

I doubt Trading Standards will do too much, they're more concerned with traders in this country. Ebay will only be bothered by non payment of fees or issues arising from selling, even if they were ever contacted by TS.

ballisticbrian

Here are the terms and conditions for the seller using this program, the relevent part is K. and L. I didn't read it all, but it may turn out paypal cover is the way forward, it's just a guess. Have a read.

http://pages.ebay.com/shipping/globalshipping/seller-tnc.html

Bootlegger

I am pleased you took the trouble to help.
I read it and decided the only hope is to go with a complaint about the transaction, as it is quite close to 45 days since I purchased the item and that is the deadline.
I did email them a while back ad they just said phone up, which wasn't helpful.
Not sure if it will go anywhere but no harm in trying.
Thank you.