Retailer not issuing replacement/refund

XpensiveTrash

Hi all

I'm hoping someone can advise, as this issue has been dragging on for two months with no sign of any resolution.

I purchased a £250 pair of boots from a business on eBay on 17.04.25, which were delivered on 23.04.25. On 15.06.25, after having only been worn 5-6 times, for short walks on pavements, the upper came away from the sole of one of the boots, leaving them unusable.

I contacted the seller via eBay on 16.06.25 to report the fault and provided photos. They said they would contact the manufacturer, as, as an authorised reseller, they were unable to process any replacement/refund without the go-ahead of the manufacturer.

On 30.06.25, I messaged them again, as I had received no contact from them. I stated that, as my contract was with them, not the manufacturer, they were responsible for any replacements/refunds, that I had given them ample time to resolve the issue, and that if a resolution had not been met within two days, I would open a dispute with PayPal (as I had paid using PayPal credit). They responded, again saying they couldn't do anything without the go-ahead from the manufacturer.

On 17.07.25, I opened a dispute claim via PayPal, providing details of the issue and documentation of the faulty item and correspondence between myself and the seller. On 21.07.25, PayPal informed me that they were refusing my claim as I had made it more than 30 days after the item was delivered.

On 12.08.25, I contacted the manufacturer, explaining the situation, and relayed that the seller was insisting that, as an authorised reseller, they could not proceed with any replacement/refund without the go-ahead of the manufacturer. The manufacturer responded, saying that it is the responsibility of the seller to activate the warranty, which covers a two-year period.

I contacted the seller again today, stating that the manufacturer had told me that it was the seller's responsibility to activate the warranty. They replied, once again saying that they couldn't do anything without the go-ahead from the manufacturer.

I don't know what to do going forward from here. I feel that my statutory rights as defined by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are being breached by both the seller and PayPal, and I have informed both of them of this. I know that Trading Standards will likely not be able to help with getting my money back, and as far as I can see, there is no Ombudsman that deals with this type of dispute.

Any help or advice that anyone could provide would be very much appreciated.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

If your Paypal payment was funded by a card you could try a chargeback with the card provider but chargebacks won't covers "faults" that appear later, speak to the bank and see if they will process or not.

Beyond that letter before action and small claims sadly. 

HampshireH

Have you spoken to eBay or raised a case with them? There is an eBay board on here with lots of knowledgeable people who may be able to advise if eBay would assit

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

HampshireH said:

Have you spoken to eBay or raised a case with them? There is an eBay board on here with lots of knowledgeable people who may be able to advise if eBay would assit

Sadly eBay's cover is only 30 days from ETA (or actual delivery date) and OP is outside of that.