Interesting Ebay Dispute
Author
Discussion

vaud

57,994 posts

178 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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You are relying on goodwill given you took the decision to have it repaired rather than enforcing a return.

Narcisus

8,840 posts

303 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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You should have just sent it back

Stoofa

959 posts

191 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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As a buyer at Ebay, the correct process every time is:

1. Make Purchase
2. Purchase arrives
3. Purchase is either OK and you keep it or it is not and you return it.

EBay will side with the buyer in 99% of cases. So in the one you described, the moment you found the item was "not as described" you should have started a return. Seller may or may not have contacted you, but either way, you'd have ended up with a full refund.

What you've done now is effectively accept the item (by not starting a return) and then fixing the item.
Sure, the seller could offer you a partial refund - but he won't be doing that. Either you're going to accept it, and he has all the money or he'll give you a refund and have a now working console to sell again.

As a seller, I'd have never sold faulty or damaged goods in the first place - however, had something I sold turned out to be faulty, then I'd be offering a full refund, wouldn't even entertain picking up the bill on the buyer fixing it.
Ebay will side with you as a buyer - on the option of a full refund.

JagYouAre

610 posts

193 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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Not sure about the eBay side of things, but don't worry about the games: they are connected to your account so you can download them on any console you are signed into now (you have effectively bought the licence). So you won't lose them if you have to get a different machine thumbup

Evil.soup

4,047 posts

228 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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Ebay tend to be very good in situations like this, however, having repaired it/spent money on it, you have kind of taken responsibility for it and this was done without the seller or ebay granting you the go ahead for repairs before the fact.

You just need to work out what you would want from ebay in relation to the situation, as the seller has to do nothing more than refund you the cost of the console and you return. It may be possible that ebay will refund the repair, but I have my doubts they can help with this. That said, I have always found them to be very customer focused, so worth a shot.

If they won't give a refund for a repair, what else could they do for you?

heisthegaffer

4,094 posts

221 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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I had something similar with a Ps4 I bought from ebay. It turned up poorly packaged but seemed to Work when setting up in a temporary position.

When I connected it it to my AV system there was no picture. Turns out the HDMI port was mangled.

Fortunately when it arrived and I saw the poor packaging I took pictures immediately of everything.

I immediately processed a return and was subjected to a torrent of abuse and accusations from the seller. He'd approached the "metropolitan police fraud action hotline" over my behaviour. He was an absolute lunatic. My pal suggested I never buy anything from Northampton ever again.

Evil.soup

4,047 posts

228 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
quotequote all
heisthegaffer said:
I had something similar with a Ps4 I bought from ebay. It turned up poorly packaged but seemed to Work when setting up in a temporary position.

When I connected it it to my AV system there was no picture. Turns out the HDMI port was mangled.

Fortunately when it arrived and I saw the poor packaging I took pictures immediately of everything.

I immediately processed a return and was subjected to a torrent of abuse and accusations from the seller. He'd approached the "metropolitan police fraud action hotline" over my behaviour. He was an absolute lunatic. My pal suggested I never buy anything from Northampton ever again.
hehe

vaud

57,994 posts

178 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
You could send a "letter before action" for the costs of a stamp, offering a compromise (after all the seller didn't choose the repairer) and ask for £20 contribution.

Or just move on and next time return the item if faulty.

The Wookie

14,187 posts

251 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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heisthegaffer said:
My pal suggested I never buy anything from Northampton ever again.
I’d suggest never actually going there too if you have half a choice hehe

InitialDave

14,327 posts

142 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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You should have opened a return case in the first place, the decision to repair it is on you.

You can't just repair it and send them the bill.

Either return it and take the £40 loss for that decision, or keep it in its now-functional state.

Sebring440

3,074 posts

119 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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InitialDave said:
You can't just repair it and send them the bill.
But he's "quietly confident"....


heisthegaffer

4,094 posts

221 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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The Wookie said:
heisthegaffer said:
My pal suggested I never buy anything from Northampton ever again.
I’d suggest never actually going there too if you have half a choice hehe
No, I have no intention of that if I can help it! I looked the moron up, he'd had other complaints and poor reviews for dodgy good and bad repairs.

SistersofPercy

3,568 posts

189 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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Unfortunately I think you're wrong to be quietly confident.

As others have said, the eBay guarantee works on the item returned in the same condition it was sent. The moment you opened it up you'd lost the high ground here, repairing it means you've accepted it. Seller will probably accept it back, after all he'd receive a now working X Box, but the only refund you'll get is what you initially paid.

Personally, I'd chalk this one up, you've now got a working console and wont need to run the gauntlet with another seller. Leave accurate negative feedback without mentioning disputes etc or that will be removed.


sixor8

7,818 posts

291 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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Partial refunds are possible. I have received things, especially those that are supposedly 'UK' but actually China that were not completely as described and a return would not be economical. You'd probably need the cooperation of the seller however...

SistersofPercy

3,568 posts

189 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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Actually, pondering more on this, depending how good an eBay customer you are, they might issue a none fault refund to keep you happy, but this is an unusual outcome.

NikBartlett

692 posts

104 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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The seller can kiss goodbye to the 100% feedback smile

0ddball

906 posts

162 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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NikBartlett said:
The seller can kiss goodbye to the 100% feedback smile
Which eBay will just remove a couple of weeks down the line when nobody thinks you are looking and the seller threatens to stop selling on there.

I've looked back at negative feedback I've left and found it gone 3 times in the past year. eBay are as corrupt as they come.

Jamescrs

5,882 posts

88 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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I ru a small ebay business and am part of a community of ebay sellers and I can assure you that most other ebay sellers would have responded in the same way, asked for the item to be returned for a refund.

Sounds like the initial description was quite poor in this case but asking for over 50% of the purchase price back as a partial refund wouldn't be happening.

EBay will likely advise you also to send the item back for a refund.

A negative feedback to someone with a high overall score won't make much difference and worse case scenario they are removed after 12 months anyway.

paintman

7,848 posts

213 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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The seller will doubtless tell Ebay that when they despatched the item it was in full working order.

And that as you have chosen to have it repaired that proves that it must have been you or your kids that damaged it.

Don't forget that if you do decide to go the small claims route they will ask for it to be heard at THEIR local court. You might not win & you might also be out the cost of the time & travel to get there.

Including the repair - & assuming all is now working properly - what's the difference between what you've paid out in total & the price of a brand new item from a retail outlet?

Sadly that's online auctions for you. If everyone played by the rules it would be brilliant.

BrokenSkunk

5,031 posts

273 months

Tuesday 7th March 2023
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Wrong.
Your options were:
  • Accept the item.
  • return the item for a refund.
There is no option in english contract law for 'pay to get the item repaired and force the vendor to pay for the repair.'

Now you've had the item repaired the seller is quite within his rights to refuse to accept it back. He could force you to accept the item, but I see he has cannily offered to take it back and give you a refund. Good for him, he gets a free repair!


May 'umbly I suggest that in future you restrict yourself to dealing in armchairs?