Feedback & Stars Dilemma

wibblewibble · 24 April 2014 at 2:26PM

I won a ladies top on ebay last weekend - I intentionally bid and won a size larger top than I usually wear as I wanted it to be roomy. Prior to bidding I did email the seller to ask about the length of the item but they were unable to tell me as they were away from home and didn't have the item to hand, I bid on it anyway as I figured if it was a shorter top I would wear it with a skirt rather than the trousers I had in mind.

The top has arrived today and it is a bit short, had that been the only issue I'd have been fine with it, after all that was the risk I took bidding without measurements. However, whilst the label in the top states the size the seller listed it at the top is far from being that size, I've measured the top and it is actually 2 dress sizes SMALLER across the bust - even allowing for some shrinkage which is why I went for a size bigger in the first place, this top is far too small for me.

Part of me feels I can't really mark the seller down as she listed it at the size on the label and I didn't ask (though wouldn't have gotten if I had) what the chest size was, but part of me feels I cannot really give 5* and positive feedback as the top is not as described with it being 2 full sizes smaller.

Its not worth me sending it back, I only paid 99p for it with £3.20 postage on top, I can see the seller paid £2.80 to post it to me 2nd class - for me to return it recorded delivery according to the Royal Mail site would cost me £3.90. I'll give it to a charity shop as its a nice top just wrongly labelled.

What stars and feedback would you give? - I dont want to be mean to the seller but a 2 size difference is a big one.

Money_maker · 24 April 2014 at 2:31PM

If she didn't mention fit in the description then I would assume she was correct to list at the size on the label. If she'd not worn it then she wouldn't have known it was smaller. I wouldn't bother with feedback, give it to the CS and move on.

Mandy44 · 24 April 2014 at 2:58PM

Be generous and give her 3's all round, description was rubbish, her contact was no help and her postage high

charlies_mum · 24 April 2014 at 3:21PM

Mandy44 wrote: »

Be generous and give her 3's all round, description was rubbish, her contact was no help and her postage high

That is far from generous as the 3* for item as describe will count as a defect

I have learned the hard way that you should never accept the labelled size on clothes and have stopped selling them for that reason. It may be a genuine mistake. Have you actually contacted the seller?

paulc333 · 24 April 2014 at 3:27PM

Mandy44 wrote: »

Be generous and give her 3's all round, description was rubbish, her contact was no help and her postage high

can I have your ebay id for my blocked bidders list please, you are incredibly hard.

Postage: charged £3.20 postage, actual postage was £2.80 then there will probably be some costs of packing. and you think thats a 3!!!!

Poor comms??, sounds like a private seller, they where not at home between when the question was asked and the ending of the item but we dont know how far in advance the question was asked. They at least replied

3 for description is harsh as well, clothing is a bit of a minefield but if someone lists what it is according to the manufacturers label then thats hardly the sellers fault if its not that! Sizes differ from manufacturer to manufacturer and country to country!

You sound like a buyer who would be nothing but trouble!

Mandy44 · 24 April 2014 at 3:41PM

And you sound like a seller whose sales technique is very shoddy and half hearted, hopefully we won't ever trade on ebay

RainbowDrops · 24 April 2014 at 3:53PM

Different Brands have different definitions of S, M, L etc, so it's a risk buying somthing like that. (I've seen some fashion labels describe a 12 as Large!)
And you said yourself that you went ahead and bought it without waiting for the measurements, so you knew you were taking a bit of a stab in the dark.

The seller has described it correctly - the label says L, and they listed it as a size L. As I said before, this method of sizing is open to some interpretation. So I think marking them down would be unfair.

Strapped · 24 April 2014 at 4:12PM

When you sell clothes you need to provide actual measurements - not that buyers ever actually read them of course lol. I always say something like "is labelled as a size xyz, measurements below..."

However, I don't think that the OP should've bid if she couldn't get the info she needed. Or if she can't afford to relist a 99p top.

wibblewibble · 24 April 2014 at 5:11PM

It wasn't listed as S M or L which I agree differs from manufacture to manufacturer; it was actually listed as the actual dress size e.g. 16 when in fact it measures for a 12. I knew it wasn't the right size before I even tried it on my husband even remarked it looked a bit too small for me - it was that obvious that it couldn't possibly be the size on the label. It's also listed as "used" which is fine I knew I was bidding on a used top and it is in good condition, and yes it is a private seller, who had several other items for sale all listed as the same labelled size which suggested that these were in fact her own clothes she was selling having worn them - hence again me choosing to go for a size larger than I normally wear to allow for any shrinkage after washing which can happen with cotton tops.

I contacted the seller 2 full days before the listing ended her reply was pretty much immediate (within an hour or so of me emailing) but said she wouldn't be back until 24 hours after the listing was due to end.

I'm not bothered about the postage costs - 50p mark up for packaging (albeit she recycled a used bag) is fine had the top been correctly sized then I wouldn't have thought anything of it.

I think I will just not bother leaving any feedback and send her a message suggesting she check the sizes of future listings.

Thanks everyone.

barbiedoll · 24 April 2014 at 5:17PM

Depending on the brand, sizing in women's clothing is notoriously unreliable. As I sit here, I am wearing a size 6 pair of jeans (Miss Selfridge), with a size 12 top (Top Shop, nicked from my sister) and I am a straight up-and-down size 8 in reality.

I don't think that the seller has done anything wrong, she has listed a size 16 top and that is what you have received. It's just that a size 16 in that particular brand, doesn't fit you (nor any other normal, size 14 woman by the sound of things!)

theoretica · 24 April 2014 at 5:46PM

Is it a vintage top? As well as different brands fitting differently, sizes have grown with time so an item a couple of decades old will often be much smaller than you expect.