Ebay Car Part Half Broken Dilemma

subywagon on 29/11/2016 - 22:31

So I bought a car part from a wrecker on Ebay. It consists of two components, I'll call the A and B. I needed both of them. When the components arrived part B was bent and cannot be used at all (could only be bent during incorrect removal from vehicle so wasn't even during transit). It was listed as in good usable condition. The other component, A is fine.

I told the seller. He acted as though the pics I sent him weren't of his part and said to send it back for a refund. I told him I'd like to keep part A as it's still usable and he can give me a percentage refund for the broken part - which I can send back if he likes. Still he wants me to send the whole thing back… the shipping costs I paid for as a bank deposit, the item I paid for through paypal. I have a feeling he will just keep the shipping costs.

I'm assuming he is abiding by eBay rules through offering a refund? So my only real course of action is to keep the part, give a bad review and move on? Ebay won't be able to do anything to help me out? Am I being unreasonable?

What do you guys think I should do?

Thanks

Automotive

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Comments

  • shanakatak on 29/11/2016 - 22:39
    +3

    Or he thinks you might be trying to scam him.

  • [Deactivated] on 29/11/2016 - 22:49
    +3

    Selling on ebay really isn't fun, and there are more scams leaving the seller at a loss than for buyers. Going through the sellng and sending and returning an item for zero/negative money and lost time and effort is a genuine pain. Don't be too harsh on a seller if they are offering a refund :) One reason for only refunding fully is ebay charges commission on full price including shipping. In some cases it's just easier for a seller to write the whole item off than paying commission on shipping.

  • subywagon on 29/11/2016 - 23:09

    I can understand him thinking I'm trying to scam him, but I also felt as though he may have been trying to scam me. I'm sure if I send the item back he will keep the shipping, as I paid for it via bank deposit.

    I also have a perfect Ebay rating as a buyer for more than 5 maybe even 7 years now.

    I will keep the part, as I need part A. I'll have to buy part B from the dealer new.

    • shapers on 29/11/2016 - 23:46
      +1

      Does it say on his return policy buyer pays return postage?

  • Kangal on 29/11/2016 - 23:47
    +2

    I sort of don't trust you.
    How do you pay the item via PayPal, but the shipping only via Bank Deposit??
    Why would you even bother?

    Sounds like a scam… from your side.

    • 2pro4sho on 30/11/2016 - 00:03
      +1

      Very odd behaviour indeed.

    • subywagon on 30/11/2016 - 10:19

      How would that make me a scammer? If anything it's less protection for me… The item was pick up, I asked how much for postage, he told me the amount and asked for it via bank deposit. I wanted the part so I complied… bought the item via paypal to protect myself as much as I could, but paid for shipping via bank deposit as the item was listed as pick up initially…

      • Kangal on 30/11/2016 - 10:51

        It would make you scammer, if you know the game.

        Anyways, you can and should have paid for the postage via PayPal.
        You can log into Paypal.com, then look at your transaction.
        There it will give you an invoice from your eBay transactions with the seller.
        You can then pay an additional amount to the same email address, and pay at what you want.
        After payment, you can send an eBay message (and emails) to let him know the Postage has been paid.
        That would've been the best way for you.

        But anyways, moving forward its a bit tricky.
        To get a partial refund, it is completely up to the seller.
        Calling up eBay won't do anything for you here.
        The best sellers use this tool to their advantage to fix the issue and please the customers.
        The more rookie ones don't, because they believe half the buyers are trying to scam them.
        So they say just send it all back, then they try and sell the goods to another unsuspecting person.

        If you ask for a partial refund, it might seem more suspicious to him as well.
        Just like it seems suspicious to me and others here, as if you're the scammer.
        So, it looks like the seller won't be offering you a partial refund.

        You can either suck it up, and say "this is the cost of business" and use this as a learning experience.
        Or you can say "screw it" and return the whole thing (and jeopardising your Bank Deposit in the process).
        Fortunately, the buyers aren't in charge of everything on eBay, and it might seem unfair to you, but this system works (sort of).

        • subywagon on 30/11/2016 - 11:12

          I'm just going to suck it up and move on. It wasn't that much money, but I'm saving a heap of money on part A still. It's more annoying than anything as it's put my car repair behind a week or two. I've looked through his eBay reviews and they are all good, so I'll assume he didn't realise the part was bent.

        • Kangal on 30/11/2016 - 14:51

          @subywagon:
          No worries, we all make online mistakes like this…but it makes us better, as Ozbargainers 🙂🙂

          Glad you still got a good deal though.

  • MeesusEff on 30/11/2016 - 12:22

    Does the paypal Return shipping 'cashback' not apply if you pay for the shipping separately? I would have thought it covered the item itself?

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