eBay: item not as described but can't send back in original condition. What to do?

JustAnotherSaver

I ordered a car part (air filter to be specific) and went to fit it this morning.

First off i lined it up with the old filter & it appeared to be the same size, so i went ahead & tried to fit it.

Story short it wont fit because the rubber edging to the filter is so bloody beefy that the airbox wont close up. I've put some serious force on it to try and force it to close but it literally wont. I can get 2 of the 4 clips on at best but the other 2 just wont even come close to clipping on - so the airbox remains open.

I've tried putting it in the bottom of the airbox first, the top of the airbox first, bending it so it fits in the top of the airbox & then try and force it close but like i said - it wont.

Thing is, 1) it's now dirty after trying to get it fitted and 2) after i lined it up with the old one and saw it looked about right i wrote on the filter for the date & miles as i do with all filters.

So i can't return it in the condition it was when it came.

What can i do from here? Anything?

Pun

Was it specifically described as being for the car to which you have tried to fit it? If not, probably nothing you can do. Otherwise I'd try a polite message to the seller and say exactly what you've said in your post here and see what, if anything, they are willing to do to remedy.

JustAnotherSaver

Pun wrote: »

Was it specifically described as being for the car to which you have tried to fit it? If not, probably nothing you can do. Otherwise I'd try a polite message to the seller and say exactly what you've said in your post here and see what, if anything, they are willing to do to remedy.

Yeah i tried the compatibility thing to see if it would fit my car & it said that it would.

Just emailed the seller so time to sit tight & wait.

sillygoose

I can understand you wanting to get satisfaction as you feel you were sold a wrong item on principle.

But realistically what did it cost £5? you have to weight up your time of possibly having to pack it up and take it to the post office, printing label, emails etc.

I would be tempted to either trim the rubber down with a sharp knife or perhaps put it in a low oven until quite hot to soften the rubber then try and fit it while the rubber may squish a lot more but I am an engineer so would see it as a bit of challenge, my bad!

Then again many good sellers wouldn't want to pay return postage on a low value item and send you a replacement without requiring you to return the first one.

Tealblue

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Yeah i tried the compatibility thing to see if it would fit my car & it said that it would.

Just emailed the seller so time to sit tight & wait.

'It' said - that doesn't sound as if the seller confirmed it would fit...?

Gary123456790

Tealblue wrote: »

'It' said - that doesn't sound as if the seller confirmed it would fit...?

The seller selects what vehicles the part will fit, and then you enter your vehicle on ebay and it shows if it will fit, i.e. is your vehicle one which the seller selected as compatible with this part.

i.e. yes this was the seller who said it would fit, via ebay's compatibility checker.

Thanks,

Gary.

JustAnotherSaver

Tealblue wrote: »

'It' said - that doesn't sound as if the seller confirmed it would fit...?

Isn't that sort of like saying....

I said through my listing it would fit a 2.0 2005 plated Ford Mondeo Zetec, but i didn't say it would fit YOUR 2.0 2005 plated Ford Mondeo Zetec now did i :j


Anyway, i know the cost of sending it back would make it pointless but i've dealt with sellers in the past who due to the low value have just said keep the item and here's a replacement so i'm seeing whether that happens here or not, it either will or it wont.


Anyway the seller asked my reg to check compatibility and since they didn't respond saying incompatible i assume from that that it should've been.

All they've basically done is link me to another one of their listings for the same brand filter and asked for part numbers off of the old filter. Whether they mean the one they sent out (doubt it) or the one fitted to the car i'm not 100%. I assumed the one fitted to the car in which case i just said a K&N air filter and i'm looking to return things back to standard, (hence purchasing a standard air filter).

I've had no reply from them since though.

ballisticbrian

You could have put the air filter in the housing, seen that it doesn't fit or close, and immediately requested a return.

The point where you started cutting away at things with a knife, it should have been obvious to you that the item would be useless to anyone else or the seller after that.

If they are a seller with good markups who can afford to give refunds generously, then all well and good, but seeing as many categories are making pennies an item, make your own assumptions.

sillygoose

ballisticbrian wrote: »

You could have put the air filter in the housing, seen that it doesn't fit or close, and immediately requested a return.

The point where you started cutting away at things with a knife, it should have been obvious to you that the item would be useless to anyone else or the seller after that.

If they are a seller with good markups who can afford to give refunds generously, then all well and good, but seeing as many categories are making pennies an item, make your own assumptions.

I don't think the op has cut it up, that was my suggestion to try, its just dirty and the rubber is deformed from trying to get the lid rim to close on it from my reading of it.

Hopefully the seller will sort out the op.

Its probably something a lot easier to buy at any local motor factors though, cheaper and with a place to return and show the problem to if needed, a quick look at a random factor showed me one for 2.0 2005 plated Ford Mondeo Zetec for £4.86 inc vat. although I know hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Pun

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Anyway the seller asked my reg to check compatibility and since they didn't respond saying incompatible i assume from that that it should've been.

.... I assumed the one fitted to the car in which case i just said a K&N air filter and i'm looking to return things back to standard, (hence purchasing a standard air filter).

'Assuming' isn't the same thing as the seller confirming - silence doesn't mean they agree, as I fear you are about to find out.

JustAnotherSaver

Well i got a response today to basically return the air filter.

Only thing is once i do that i may get about £1 in return by the end of it.

I bought an item last year that was defective and i'm sure i was advised then that i could insist on the seller paying for the return postage since it was not my fault - i'd not been supplied the goods that was advertised.

Does the same apply in this case? While it's technically not 'defective' it doesn't fit for the purpose it said it would which isn't my fault - i checked the compatibility list.

Or does the seller not have to pay for the return postage?

ballisticbrian wrote: »

You could have put the air filter in the housing, seen that it doesn't fit or close, and immediately requested a return.

The point where you started cutting away at things with a knife, it should have been obvious to you that the item would be useless to anyone else or the seller after that.

If they are a seller with good markups who can afford to give refunds generously, then all well and good, but seeing as many categories are making pennies an item, make your own assumptions.

I'm not sure if you'll respond back or not but if you do .... can you please tell me where i said i cut anything?

I mean i did slice some cheese off at the weekend to go on my sausage bun but that was about the last time i cut something & i don't remember talking about it here.

So i'm curious as to where you got this idea from that i cut something?

sillygoose wrote: »

its just dirty and the rubber is deformed from trying to get the lid rim to close on it from my reading of it.

It is dirty but the rubber isn't deformed. It's pretty sturdy stuff. Quite thick .... and that's the problem.

Its probably something a lot easier to buy at any local motor factors though, cheaper and with a place to return and show the problem to if needed, a quick look at a random factor showed me one for 2.0 2005 plated Ford Mondeo Zetec for £4.86 inc vat. although I know hindsight is a wonderful thing.

The reason i bought from eBay was because i should've had something to my door that i could fit & forget.
Since the local motor factors got closed down years ago for a pram shop the next nearest one is a good drive out of town - hence me buying from eBay.

And i don't own a Mondeo, it was just an example, but i accept your point

Pun wrote: »

'Assuming' isn't the same thing as the seller confirming - silence doesn't mean they agree, as I fear you are about to find out.

I'm wondering if you've also got the wrong end of the stick?

I never did find out to which filter they were referring, but anyway i sent a photo of the existing K&N filter regardless, complete with number stamped on it. They seemed to accept this.