Should buyer refund original postage?

Emma64

I wonder if anybody would be willing to help me with this?
I bought a pair of shoes on ebay, from a seller registered as a business seller. They were quite expensive, but I figured that I could return them and get my money back (except for the cost of sending them back, which I was fine with). They didn't fit, so I sent them back. The business address in eBay turned out to be incorrect (and still has not been changed, it's been about 2 weeks days since this came to light, but ok, that's another issue). So the shoes came back to me, and I had to send them back a second time.
Now the seller refunded the shoes, minus the original postage, plus the cost of sending them back (which was roughly equivalent to the original postage, which basically means I'm out of pocket for the cost of sending them back a second time, or for the original postage (whichever way you want to look at it).
Now would anybody be able to confirm this (or not, as the case maybe!): I believe that the original postage (the one incurred in sending the shoes to me) should have been refunded. Am I mistaken? Can anybody point me to a link to support their answer? I'm thinking of contacting ebay about this, more for the principle of the thing than the amount of money involved, but I want to make sure that I know where I stand. (If I'm wrong then so be it - I'll have learnt something!)
Thanks in advance.

PS I see that the buyer has added a line to their policy which I could swear wasn't there when I bought the shoes
"Returns are accepted if the item is not as described minus the postage costs."
Does that make a difference? I don't suppose there is a way of checking what their policy was two weeks ago?

custardy

Emma can your try and get buyer and seller in the correct context?
You are the buyer,they are the seller.
Did you organise a return with the seller before posting,and they gave the wrong address?

Emma64

I posted the parcel before contacting them to notify that I was sending the shoes back (rightly or wrongly...). I used the address on file with eBay.

mrcol1000

If you sent them back tracked, you should formally request a return through Ebay and upload the tracking. They will be required to refund whatever money they still have of yours (but you won't get your two lots of return postage back).

Next time you should always use the formal return process, even for change of mind. The seller can't get away with holding back postage they charged or the mythical restocking fee.

Emma64

Thanks. I sent it signed for.

Does it make a difference that the second return postage was only incurred because their address on file with eBay is incorrect?

Dox

The address on file with ebay isn't necessarily the address for returns - it was a risk you chose to take by not checking first, I'm afraid.

Emma64

OK, thanks.
Seriously, that's legal? Wow. Ah well, that's good to know.

soolin

Emma64 wrote: »

Thanks. I sent it signed for.

Does it make a difference that the second return postage was only incurred because their address on file with eBay is incorrect?

As you did not use the eBay system for the return you are going to struggle to get any of the return postage repaid by seller. Obviously you can ask and if it was a lot use small claims if necessary, but by returning without opening a case you seriously limited your options on eBay.

Dox wrote: »

The address on file with ebay isn't necessarily the address for returns - it was a risk you chose to take by not checking first, I'm afraid.

The displayed business address should be a proper geographic address. If it is incorrect or not capable of receiving post then buyer can report seller to eBay for incorrect business details. eBay take addresses and contact details very seriously and businesses need to be very careful when they choose to use incorrect addresses.

Emma64

Thanks.

But I'm not talking about the return postage, I'm talking about the original postage, the one incurred in getting the shoes to me in the first place. What I would have expected the seller to do (maybe mistakenly, I don't know) was refund me for cost of item + ORIGINAL postage. Isn't that what the law says they should have done?

I believe the displayed address IS a proper geographic address. It looks like short lease offices - "Prestigious offices from £10 per day!" says Google View.

Emma64

Also, when I returned the item, at that point, there was no reason to open a case... I bought something, it didn't fit, I sent it back, and I'm out of pocket for the return postage, which is what I expected. What I didn't expect was to be out of pocket for the original postage. I thought that legally, this should have been refunded, even without taking into account the having to send it back twice, and I just wanted to double check whether I am mistaken in that respect, if only for future reference. Hope that makes sense... :-)

soolin

Emma64 wrote: »

Thanks.

But I'm not talking about the return postage, I'm talking about the original postage, the one incurred in getting the shoes to me in the first place. What I would have expected the seller to do (maybe mistakenly, I don't know) was refund me for cost of item + ORIGINAL postage. Isn't that what the law says they should have done?

I believe the displayed address IS a proper geographic address. It looks like short lease offices - "Prestigious offices from £10 per day!" says Google View.

Emma64 wrote: »

Also, when I returned the item, at that point, there was no reason to open a case... I bought something, it didn't fit, I sent it back, and I'm out of pocket for the return postage, which is what I expected. What I didn't expect was to be out of pocket for the original postage. I thought that legally, this should have been refunded, even without taking into account the having to send it back twice, and I just wanted to double check whether I am mistaken in that respect, if only for future reference. Hope that makes sense... :-)

On eBay it is always worth opening a case for any return even , as appears in your case, for a change of mind. It covers you against sellers trying to pull the restocking fee or no postage return stunt.

Legally you are entitled to the full amount back of the original payment but without a case this is going to be difficult to enforce, what exactly has seller said about not refunding this?

If possible try opening a return case now and upload tracking and if that doesn't automatically get your money back try it via PayPal as well.