Who pays return postage?

[Zippy]

I bought a pair of SPD shoes from a private seller on eBay which were listed as size 6. When they arrived they were size 7.5.

After some wrangling, the seller refunded for the goods and postage.

Now it comes for me to return the goods which I am happy to do. However, the goods were clearly not as listed and I would not have bought them if I had known their real size.

If the Seller were an eBay company they would have been liable to cover the cost of return post according to OFT guidelines as the goods did not match the contracted description.

I am starting to realise that the buyer is not protected in this way when the seller is a private lister on eBay and it is purely down to what they put on their listing.

This seems unfair. Recorded Delivery is only £5.90 in this case, but I am interested in follwoing my rights as a matter of interest and of course, principle.

Has anyone else had similar experiences; good or bad?

 

[snapper_37]

IMO, they were listed incorrectly so you shouldn't have to pay the return postage. Have you tried talking to the seller about this?

If no joy, keep the refund AND the shoes and flog them on here.

I could do with a new pair myself

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Yup - I'd tell him how much the postage would be and wait for the money - no postage no shoes!

 

[domtyler]

Why did the seller list them as size 6?

 

[Llama]

i thought that you just had to make them available for collection - so no cash no return

 

[rh100]

If you take goods back to a shop - you don't get a refund for bus fare or petrol do you? You take the choice to buy second hand from a distance - which is why you usually stump up the postage - same applies for returns really. If I sold on ebay - and then agreed to a refund - I would refund after I got the goods back, not before. I would probably refund the extra postage as a goodwill gesture - especially if it was my fault they were wrong. Buyer beware - and that is what the feedback is for. Remember it's an online car boot sale - not an online department store.

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

If you take goods back to a shop - you don't get a refund for bus fare or petrol do you? You take the choice to buy second hand from a distance - which is why you usually stump up the postage - same applies for returns really. If I sold on ebay - and then agreed to a refund - I would refund after I got the goods back, not before. I would probably refund the extra postage as a goodwill gesture - especially if it was my fault they were wrong. Buyer beware - and that is what the feedback is for. Remember it's an online car boot sale - not an online department store.

No you don't... unless they sold them to you after some misleading/totally inaccurate description, in which case you'd be well within your rights to demand it.

It could be a simple mix-up/error on their part, but they should still pay for postage as it was their fault. I would imagine that if you paid via Paypal that they'll refund you directly if you get in contact with eBay themselves - clearly misleading/incorrect info shouldn't cost you money!!

Edit - just noticed you've been refunded... can't see how there should be any wrangling though! Bit bizarre.

 

[Campfire]

I sell on Ebay and I would always pay return postage if it were my fault. However, did you misunderstand the sizing as I am normally a 3 in English money but American sizing am a size 5.

I must say I have only ever refunded once when the guy was clearly a pillock and being difficult. In order to avoid any difficulty with such a customer I would always just refund everything to get rid of him/her.

I recently sold something, by mistake didn't send it 2nd class recorded & it was delayed due to postal strike. I refunded her, as that could have contributed to delay, but a week later the goods arrived and customer repaid my repayment, if you see what I mean. How nice of her, and so unusual, she could just have said item hadn't arrived.

I would always take a nice approach to either sellers or buyers, it does seem to work. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

cloggs.com send a replacement pair out with a returns envelope, so all you have to do is take it to a parcel force depot (maybe even a post office) and that's that.

i think they're a model for good customer services online. they didn't quibble at all that i got the size wrong

 

[thomas]

If you take goods back to a shop - you don't get a refund for bus fare or petrol do you?

We refunded the cost of a bus once.

If you get home and you don't like something then, no you shouldn't get it refunded. If however, you get home and find that the product wasn't the advertised size or has a fault that you would not have noticed within the shop (if you should have noticed it in the shop then you are not entitled to a refund) then I see no harm in asking for it. Where I was working, the manager agreed just because it was easier than arguing.

In the OP's case, the seller mislead you and therefore should expect to cover any additional costs you have incurred. If they fuss I would put a claim in via paypay/ebay. You will no doubt get your money back and still have the shoes. The seller obviously wouldn't want this so would stump up the postage.

When I've recieved things, off ebay, that weren't as advertised I have expected to be reinbursed for the postage.

 

[Crankarm]

If you take goods back to a shop - you don't get a refund for bus fare or petrol do you? You take the choice to buy second hand from a distance - which is why you usually stump up the postage - same applies for returns really. If I sold on ebay - and then agreed to a refund - I would refund after I got the goods back, not before. I would probably refund the extra postage as a goodwill gesture - especially if it was my fault they were wrong. Buyer beware - and that is what the feedback is for. Remember it's an online car boot sale - not an online department store.

+1.

I have bought items on Ebay that have tuned out to be total crap when they have arrived. In all instances I have managed to resolve directly and amicably with the seller as above, proposing they refund item cost and ALL postage costs, in return for positive feedback that buyers can still buy with confidence even if things go wrong. I bought 3 point and shoot digital cameras to replace my broken one and each one was faulty in some way and on each I managed to get a full refund including all postage from the sellers. It's still a PITA. But I have always returned the items first before being refunded. Obviously you get the seller's agreement to refund you before you return the item(s).

However one transaction for just over £20 did go bad as the items - car front lights turned up damaged with a massive stone chip/hole in each. I couldn't get any resonse from the seller or eBay despite setting up a dispute claim and reporting the seller to them. The seller did not give a return address which is often the case I find. I also set up a claim with Paypal who were bl00dy useless. They never responded to me depsite numerous attempts. So in the end I lost £21.00.

So now my tactic is I only bid on items being sold by established sellers with 100% feedback and fewer transactions or businesses that I know such as cycling on line outfits who use Ebay from time to time. I avoid sellers who are clearly running a business but who have not declared themselves as businesses which is against the Trades Descriptions Act. And I tell sellers on the occasions when I get stung that basically if I don't get a FULL refund I will leave negative feedback and report them to Ebay so that the seller will NEVER EVER be able to trade on eBay ever again which tends to work, but obviously I don't say it quite like this.

Where possible if bidding on items of higher value I always try to bid on stuff that I can collect in person which means local-ish within a reasonable travelling distance where I can inspect prior to auction end or handing over any money.