2 Purchases of mattresses from eBay I was supposed to collect but didn't

HangTough

Hi
OK, last June - the 17th and 18th, while I was having a manic depressive (Bipolar) manic episode I purchased 2 mattresses from 2 different vendors on eBay. They were both paid for - one was for £200,  - from a private vendor, and the other for £225 -from a business. They were both "eBay Secure Collection In Person". Due to my mental state I basically hadn't even remembered doing this - and obviously if I had been in the state I was at the time, I wouldn't have bought 2 of the same thing.

I have messaged both vendors - and tried to explain that at the time of purchase, I was severely unwell. Both items have now been sold, and therefore I can't actually collect either of them. I have received no reply whatsoever from either of them. There is a very complicated "protection" from eBay Edit - I had inserted the link direct to eBay's help - policies - eBay money back guarantee policy here, but unfortunately got this message when attempting to post this - "You have to be around for a little while longer "before you can post links. So hopefully anyone who is interested can find it - by searching "Help" -  eBay money back guarantee policy.

.  - I have tried to follow this, but at the moment am suffering from severe treatment-resistant depression - which is my "main" diagnosis, with the Bipolar being something which I have only experienced twice - both as a result of attempted (alternatives to medications) treatments - by the NHS to "treat" my depression.

Unfortunately one of the many problems I have when I am depressed is I find it extremely difficult to follow any kind of long, complicated (to me) documents - I am unable to read books even. So, I am just hoping that someone who maybe has knowledge of this, or can just concentrate! - will very kindly have a look at it for me, and give me any advice they can.

Brief Additional background - Just to explain why I'm not getting help from my Local Trust's Community Mental Health Team with this!
I should have a Social Worker, and a Support Worker to provide Help and Support in the community - but at the moment I am having to have a Complaint Meeting - which is with my Consultant Psychiatrists "Line Manager". It's not really relevant to this post, but just to briefly explain - the NHS have (very quietly!) changed the rules about who is "eligible" for this Help and Support in the community, and it now means that the only patients who are eligible for it are a relatively few, who suffer with specific illnesses. Although Bipolar is one of them, I am having to make this complaint - supported by an advocate from Pohwer - as the "Line Manager" appears to be ignoring my Bipolar diagnosis, and has been trying to make the reason for me not getting this support about something else altogether (which she is also incorrect about!)

Any advice or suggestions as to how I might be able to recover the monies I have paid, and look like I'm going to lose completely, will be very gratefully received!

Many thanks for reading all this (I also have great difficulty being concise when I am ill - apologies)

Jon

soolin

Sticking to what I believe are the facts as I understand them. In June 22 you purchased 2 items and never collected and now neither seller will engage with you.

As far as your eBay rights are concerned you have no way of either getting sellers to respond, nor anyway of getting your money back. 

I acknowledge your mental health issues, but unfortunately sellers do not have to give you any more flexibility , even if you told them at the time you had issues which I don’t believe you did. 

I’m also struggling to think of any legal route here that offers any guarantee of success, and I suspect any such options may cause you more stress. 

Moving forward, is there any mechanism to have a third party assist with your finances who would know when you are entering a manic state and can step forward to help you to ensure that your money is managed on your behalf? 

GadgetGuru

Sticking strictly to the mattress situation here - how did you pay for them??
If it was via PayPal you may still be able to report them as 'item not received' (even though it was collection) and try to get your money back this way. Alternatively, a credit card chargeback could still be possible, considering neither seller will respond to you....

soolin

IftiBashir said:

Sticking strictly to the mattress situation here - how did you pay for them??
If it was via PayPal you may still be able to report them as 'item not received' (even though it was collection) and try to get your money back this way. Alternatively, a credit card chargeback could still be possible, considering neither seller will respond to you....

The 180 days paypal period has expired. 

GadgetGuru

soolin said:

IftiBashir said:

Sticking strictly to the mattress situation here - how did you pay for them??
If it was via PayPal you may still be able to report them as 'item not received' (even though it was collection) and try to get your money back this way. Alternatively, a credit card chargeback could still be possible, considering neither seller will respond to you....

The 180 days paypal period has expired. 

Of course!
Why am I thinking we are currently in October??? lol I'm losing it!

In that case options are severely limited at this point. Only option is to continue trying to get through to the sellers - are they still active on eBay? Is it a business with any business details available?

soolin

IftiBashir said:

soolin said:

IftiBashir said:

Sticking strictly to the mattress situation here - how did you pay for them??
If it was via PayPal you may still be able to report them as 'item not received' (even though it was collection) and try to get your money back this way. Alternatively, a credit card chargeback could still be possible, considering neither seller will respond to you....

The 180 days paypal period has expired. 

Of course!
Why am I thinking we are currently in October??? lol I'm losing it!

In that case options are severely limited at this point. Only option is to continue trying to get through to the sellers - are they still active on eBay? Is it a business with any business details available?

I barely know what day of the week it is sometimes!

I suspect that as the sellers have not responded to OP at all that he’s going to have an uphill struggle to get anything out of them without a lot of hassle and legwork. I also suspect that OP is in no state to actually be able to manage that sort of effort. 

pinkshoes

If the two vendors are not responding, then the only way forward is a LETTER BEFORE ACTION to their business address (should be on their eBay page).

Don't waffle about your MH issues. Just stick to the point:

On <date> I ordered  and paid for <brand name> bed for £XXX. I was unable to collect this due to severe illness. I am now able to collect the item, but upon contacting you, you informed me that the item has been re-sold. In which case, can you please issue me with a full refund of £XXX within 14 days.
If I do not receive a refund, I will start a small claims case against you to obtain my refund. 

Undervalued

pinkshoes said:

If the two vendors are not responding, then the only way forward is a LETTER BEFORE ACTION to their business address (should be on their eBay page).

Don't waffle about your MH issues. Just stick to the point:

On <date> I ordered  and paid for <brand name> bed for £XXX. I was unable to collect this due to severe illness. I am now able to collect the item, but upon contacting you, you informed me that the item has been re-sold. In which case, can you please issue me with a full refund of £XXX within 14 days.
If I do not receive a refund, I will start a small claims case against you to obtain my refund. 

But that is not what the OP said.

They said.....

I have messaged both vendors - and tried to explain that at the time of purchase, I was severely unwell. Both items have now been sold, and therefore I can't actually collect either of them. I have received no reply whatsoever from either of them.

If they received "no reply whatsoever" how do they know the items have been sold?

soolin

pinkshoes said:

If the two vendors are not responding, then the only way forward is a LETTER BEFORE ACTION to their business address (should be on their eBay page).

Don't waffle about your MH issues. Just stick to the point:

On <date> I ordered  and paid for <brand name> bed for £XXX. I was unable to collect this due to severe illness. I am now able to collect the item, but upon contacting you, you informed me that the item has been re-sold. In which case, can you please issue me with a full refund of £XXX within 14 days.
If I do not receive a refund, I will start a small claims case against you to obtain my refund. 

I’m not sure it is that simple though, Will a court consider it reasonable to buy something and not make any effort to collect it for 9 months. There’s no indication that OP tried to contact them at the time or whether sellers tried to get OP to collect , and I suspect OP won’t be back to confirm either way.

As OP says themselves they are not in a position to go through complex instructions due to their health so may find any legal action beyond them at the moment. 

GrubbyGirl_2

Undervalued said:

pinkshoes said:

If the two vendors are not responding, then the only way forward is a LETTER BEFORE ACTION to their business address (should be on their eBay page).

Don't waffle about your MH issues. Just stick to the point:

On <date> I ordered  and paid for <brand name> bed for £XXX. I was unable to collect this due to severe illness. I am now able to collect the item, but upon contacting you, you informed me that the item has been re-sold. In which case, can you please issue me with a full refund of £XXX within 14 days.
If I do not receive a refund, I will start a small claims case against you to obtain my refund. 

But that is not what the OP said.

They said.....

I have messaged both vendors - and tried to explain that at the time of purchase, I was severely unwell. Both items have now been sold, and therefore I can't actually collect either of them. I have received no reply whatsoever from either of them.

If they received "no reply whatsoever" how do they know the items have been sold?

If they sold them through eBay again it would appear in the sellers sold history

soolin

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

Undervalued said:

pinkshoes said:

If the two vendors are not responding, then the only way forward is a LETTER BEFORE ACTION to their business address (should be on their eBay page).

Don't waffle about your MH issues. Just stick to the point:

On <date> I ordered  and paid for <brand name> bed for £XXX. I was unable to collect this due to severe illness. I am now able to collect the item, but upon contacting you, you informed me that the item has been re-sold. In which case, can you please issue me with a full refund of £XXX within 14 days.
If I do not receive a refund, I will start a small claims case against you to obtain my refund. 

But that is not what the OP said.

They said.....

I have messaged both vendors - and tried to explain that at the time of purchase, I was severely unwell. Both items have now been sold, and therefore I can't actually collect either of them. I have received no reply whatsoever from either of them.

If they received "no reply whatsoever" how do they know the items have been sold?

If they sold them through eBay again it would appear in the sellers sold history

If these were brand new mattresses from businesses then they probably had multiples so no way of tracking which one belonged to the OP.