Ebay debt

Ljj_2

Hi, I wonder if anyone has had the same experience as me and can maybe give me some advice.

Around four months ago I advertised four 18 inch alloys on ebay for collection only. Someone bought them from the Isle of Mann, paid for them and said he would send a courier on the Monday. He then asked me to package them up - a cost I was not expecting to make.

I did this, emailed him to tell him it was fine for Monday. Sat in all day and waited, nothing. Numerous emails later he still wasn't responding. He then emailed to say he'd been away with work and that he would contact the courier. Again I heard nothing more.

After around two weeks of waiting I told him that if he didn't collect the wheels I would be relisting them. I gave him almost one week's notice then relisted them. The next buyer collected the next day, which was my request all along.

About six weeks later I got an email from ebay saying the first buyer had reported me for not sending his item. Despite my numerous emails to ebay telling them the situation they did not listen to me and gave this timewaster the whole amount of his money back and expected me to reimburse them. I said I'd be happy to do this once they have taken my fees and packaging costs back from this man.

They ignored all my emails and did not give me a fair case, all they kept saying was that I didn't send the item. I ended up paying fees twice on these alloys and all I want is what is owed back to me and have continuously asked them to send me a new figure and get the time waster to reimburse them for it.

They have now suspended my account which I'm not bothered about because I'll never sell through ebay again, and today I received a debt collector's letter giving me two weeks to pay to avoid further action being taken.

My argument is not paying this idiot back, it's the fact that ebay won't refund my fees. It appears the buyers have all rights, the right to not collect, the right to not pay, the seller has none.

I have the highest credit rating and I'm worried this is going to be ruined by ebay not listening to me. They did not give me a fair case, they did not listen to what I've asked for, they just reimbursed him the whole amount and sent debt collectors out to me. Surely there must be something I can do.

Sedge123

How much were the fees? Is it worth trashing your credit file for the sake of it?

Skinnylatte

Did you file a dispute with ebay before you relisted? If you had done this then you would have been credited with the fees and been free to relist the item.

Shelley2005_2

The money for the alloys should be refunded if you ended up selling them to someone else.

Did the original buyer contact you at all before ebay refunded the money to him?

MisterBaxter

If the original purchaser had paid for the item in full then the only way you can relist them due to failure to collect would be to lodge a dispute up front, eBay would try to resolve but if they couldn't then I would have thought that they would require you to refund the sums paid, they would then refund any seller fees, at that point you can relist. You shouldn't sell the same item twice and expect to keep the proceeds from both.

As much as you may not like it, it does sound like a breach of eBay rules and they will want what's owed to them, as someone has already sent it probably isn't worth risking your credit history over. Take the pragmatic approach on this one. A better option would have been to just store the wheels somewhere, it was the buyers responsibility to collect so you had fulfilled your obligations up to the point where you relisted.

cms-help

The buyer paid for an item they didn't receive - so it's fair they get their money back.

The buyer booked a courier so zero cost to you.

Your only expense was parcelling the item up for the courier to collect. If you wanted payment for these postage costs then you should have asked the buyer for the associated costs at that point in time. It is unethical to do so several weeks later when you have appeared to have been willing to parcel them up for zero cost when asked to do so.

I am guessing the buyer paid you with Paypal. NEVER accept PP for payment unless you are providing the postage service and are sending by a trackable postage method, sometimes a signature is necessary to protect yourself.

As for the selling costs you have incurred then you should have raised a dispute at the time. At the point of non-collection you should have refunded the buyer and asked ebay for your selling fees back.

How long ago did all this happen? You may still be able to raise the appropriate dispute to have your fees reimbursed. If not, ring ebay as they will be able to trace the reimbursement that your buyer received and refund your fees. I'm afraid the pacakaging costs you are stuck with and that's only fair given the actions you have described.

matttye

The fees and packaging costs must only be a few pounds surely? Just pay it and then argue - it's not worth a CCJ.

I don't think you're entitled to any money back though. You should have listed packaging costs on the page or included your packaging costs in the price for the item. Or refused to package it at all, given that wasn't part of the agreement.

With regards to the listing fees, you should've raised a dispute rather than listing the same item twice.

FBaby

Surely that very small loss made is part of the risk you take selling via ebay? It happens sometimes and you have to take it. Alternatively, you should have repaid ebay and then put a case for the guy to be charged for the packaging and fees. As it is, you have the money twice, how is that actually legally fair?

matttye

MisterBaxter wrote: »

If the original purchaser had paid for the item in full then the only way you can relist them due to failure to collect would be to lodge a dispute up front, eBay would try to resolve but if they couldn't then I would have thought that they would require you to refund the sums paid, they would then refund any seller fees, at that point you can relist. You shouldn't sell the same item twice and expect to keep the proceeds from both.

As much as you may not like it, it does sound like a breach of eBay rules and they will want what's owed to them, as someone has already sent it probably isn't worth risking your credit history over. Take the pragmatic approach on this one. A better option would have been to just store the wheels somewhere, it was the buyers responsibility to collect so you had fulfilled your obligations up to the point where you relisted.

cms-help wrote: »

The buyer paid for an item they didn't receive - so it's fair they get their money back.

The buyer booked a courier so zero cost to you.

Your only expense was parcelling the item up for the courier to collect. If you wanted payment for these postage costs then you should have asked the buyer for the associated costs at that point in time. It is unethical to do so several weeks later when you have appeared to have been willing to parcel them up for zero cost when asked to do so.

I am guessing the buyer paid you with Paypal. NEVER accept PP for payment unless you are providing the postage service and are sending by a trackable postage method, sometimes a signature is necessary to protect yourself.

As for the selling costs you have incurred then you should have raised a dispute at the time. At the point of non-collection you should have refunded the buyer and asked ebay for your selling fees back.

How long ago did all this happen? You may still be able to raise the appropriate dispute to have your fees reimbursed. If not, ring ebay as they will be able to trace the reimbursement that your buyer received and refund your fees. I'm afraid the pacakaging costs you are stuck with and that's only fair given the actions you have described.

FBaby wrote: »

Surely that very small loss made is part of the risk you take selling via ebay? It happens sometimes and you have to take it. Alternatively, you should have repaid ebay and then put a case for the guy to be charged for the packaging and fees. As it is, you have the money twice, how is that actually legally fair?

To the four posters above, the OP isn't saying the buyer shouldn't get his money back for the alloys themselves, just that the buyer should be liable for the packaging costs and listing fees.

Skinnylatte

But she should have gone through the proper channel before relisting something some-one else had already paid for.

If you agreed to package them for free then you can't then expect to get the cost back later.

I would pay up as quickly as possible then be nice to Ebay and see if they will refund the listing fees you've paid twice. Although it may be too late now

cms-help

matttye wrote: »

To the four posters above, the OP isn't saying the buyer shouldn't get his money back for the alloys themselves, just that the buyer should be liable for the packaging costs and listing fees.

The time to discuss postage fees was at the point the buyer requested that they be collected by courier. The seller (OP) had them listed as collection only. In fact, the OP agreed to parcel the alloys up for postage and makes no mention of discussing packaging costs with the buyer at this point. As such, it would be fair for the buyer to assume the OP was willing to parcel them up free of charges. As the buyer arranged and (presumably) paid for their own courier then the only cost was packaging (not postage).

And yes, the seller should be refunded fees. However, this refund is due from ebay and not the buyer. Ebay has been paid the fees from the non-sale, not the buyer.

The OP hasn't followed ebay processes for having such matters resolved. Had they done so and indicated that the buyer had been refunded then ebay would have credited them with their fees back. It's not a difficult process - just a couple of clicks.