eBay Chargeback

WeAreValiant

Hi all, I am just posting this as an update as well as if anybody else comes across this thread. I have once again opened a chat with eBay again today to get 100% clarity on this. This is what they said (UK staff confirmed this in two separate chats):

https://pastebin.com/Cse9w2Jc

soolin

WeAreValiant said:

Hi all, I am just posting this as an update as well as if anybody else comes across this thread. I have once again opened a chat with eBay again today to get 100% clarity on this. This is what they said (UK staff confirmed this in two separate chats):

https://pastebin.com/Cse9w2Jc

Still doesn’t reassure me. I have a live chat transcript telling me categorically that as the refund option is glitching for me the buyer will be refunded if they call eBay . Guess what, they called eBay who said that it wasn’t possible and only the seller could refund. 

WeAreValiant

soolin said:

WeAreValiant said:

Hi all, I am just posting this as an update as well as if anybody else comes across this thread. I have once again opened a chat with eBay again today to get 100% clarity on this. This is what they said (UK staff confirmed this in two separate chats):

https://pastebin.com/Cse9w2Jc

Still doesn’t reassure me. I have a live chat transcript telling me categorically that as the refund option is glitching for me the buyer will be refunded if they call eBay . Guess what, they called eBay who said that it wasn’t possible and only the seller could refund. 

What would you do in this case then? Just wait if the seller does reach out?

RefluentBeans

This seems to be overly complicated. EBay have told you that the funds for the chargeback come out of their account. How they pursue the charges is up to them (likelihood is going to be just to absorb the loss, and potentially ding the buyer with a warning/ban your account). They said they won’t recharge to the sellers account - so unsure on what basis the seller could come after you. 

EBay told you specifically to do this, which means they won’t be as willing to take it to court (as businesses would need to have lawyers to do this - the cost will be more to get a few hours of lawyers time than the phone is worth). 

I would speak to eBay again - say the chargeback is successful - and what should you do with the phone. Say you’re willing to keep hold of the phone for X days before taking to be sold/recycled (if selling you should be prepared to give the money to eBay). 

WeAreValiant

RefluentBeans said:

This seems to be overly complicated. EBay have told you that the funds for the chargeback come out of their account. How they pursue the charges is up to them (likelihood is going to be just to absorb the loss, and potentially ding the buyer with a warning/ban your account). They said they won’t recharge to the sellers account - so unsure on what basis the seller could come after you. 

EBay told you specifically to do this, which means they won’t be as willing to take it to court (as businesses would need to have lawyers to do this - the cost will be more to get a few hours of lawyers time than the phone is worth). 

I would speak to eBay again - say the chargeback is successful - and what should you do with the phone. Say you’re willing to keep hold of the phone for X days before taking to be sold/recycled (if selling you should be prepared to give the money to eBay). 

Thank you.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

WeAreValiant said:

2. Now this charge back is done, the seller has 'bricked' the phone. 

OP if eBay did cover the refund the seller hasn't lost anything and eBay are very unlikely to come after you for the money.

Regarding the phone, I would keep hold of it for now, just in case the refund came from the seller and they come looking for the funds/phone

Interesting the seller has bricked the phone, I get why but if eBay covered the refund I don't think they had a right to so, makes you wonder how that would impact any case the seller may have against the OP as why would the seller be due a refund for a phone they've made no longer work? 

WeAreValiant

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

WeAreValiant said:

2. Now this charge back is done, the seller has 'bricked' the phone. 

OP if eBay did cover the refund the seller hasn't lost anything and eBay are very unlikely to come after you for the money.

Regarding the phone, I would keep hold of it for now, just in case the refund came from the seller and they come looking for the funds/phone

Interesting the seller has bricked the phone, I get why but if eBay covered the refund I don't think they had a right to so, makes you wonder how that would impact any case the seller may have against the OP as why would the seller be due a refund for a phone they've made no longer work? 

Sorry for the delay, thank you for your response.

I can clarify the phone is bricked. The phone asks for an unlock code when booting up so it is physically in no usable condition. It is sort-of like this but is on a black background before the phone even boots up anything: https://blog.g3rt.nl/images/20150818_android_earlyboot_pin_entry.jpg.

Even if the phone did switch on, Vodafone have confirmed a network bar is in place:

Hello, Thanks for getting in touch about IMEI 35.... I can confirm that there's a security bar in place. A security bar is added to a device when it has been reported lost or stolen. I agree it is hard to argue that i've effectively "had it both ways" as the phone is in no usable state regardless now. eBay said that they were covering this but are now point-blank refusing to give me any information due to the seller's privacy; they have pretty much advised that any money owed is between eBay and the seller. I've given the staff consent to release my email address and mobile number to the seller should they need to get in touch with me. Regardless I am keeping the item for up to the six years should the seller get in contact with me when I can then make arrangements to pop this in the post. I'm not doing a thing until the bank put in writing that there is no recourse on the charge-back. If anybody has any further advice or anything else I should look at in regards this issue please feel free to chip-in. Thanks again all!

soolin

There is nothing else that can be said. I don’t believe a word that eBay say and wouldn’t trust them a single inch and therefore keeping the phone in case seller ever gets in touch is probably a wise move.