Seller sent me the wrong item

TravelBug

TravelBug

O.G.
Feb 17, 2006
2,301
237
#1
from Japan. It's a used item and he has 2 similar ones for sale. I think he just mixed the packages up. The one he sent me is less expensive because it doesn't have the box and certificate.

What is the standard procedure usually for something like this? He pays me shipping to send the wrong item back and he sends me the correct one? I could keep this one (have it authenticated first),and ask for the difference in price as an alternative I guess - any potential risks in doing either? I've never had this happen to me so I want to find out if there could be complications.

Thanks.
 
#2
Depends on how much u want to keep what he sent u. If it's OK then ask for a partial refund after auth check and that will be that.

If this is not acceptable request a full refund and return shipping to send what he sent u back.

Start over. If seller is not amenable then contact ebay as this is clear SNAD. Sorry this is such a hassel but u really should conduct the transaction under ebay's eye and not outside through paypal or any other means.

He screwed up and should just re-list the item u want for the price u won it previously.
 
#3
^ Thanks for the reply ... so if I want the one that I paid for ... the reason to go through the refund and relisting (and buy again) is to protect me in case I sent the 'wrong' item back to him and he doesn't send me the right one, correct? Sorry, I am just not on ebay a lot and am clueless about potential sticky situations.

A couple more questions .... do I need to contact eBay and file a SNAD if he agrees to re-do the transaction? Do I wait for the full refund before sending the item back?
 
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#4
Whenever something goes awry on ebay I always try to work it out w/ the seller first and give them the benefit of the doubt. If things don't progress well then I contact ebay and file a case and they will walk u through it.

At this early pt. in the mix-up I would contact the seller and ask for a complete refund plus shipping and the shipping costs to send the item back to them. Most honest sellers will be happy to rectify their error at no expense to u.

You go through ebay b/c u need the added protection that the system affords. Paypal really does nothing for someone sending money as a gift to someone else (would be an off-ebay transaction). Ebay can mediate the return or ensure that you will be financially protected for your purchase.

Anything outside this scenario puts u at risk. Also msg. seller through ebay so there is a record. Always get tracking info and if worse comes to worse contact your cc/bank. Although ebay is mainly buyer friendly you can still get screwed over too!
 
#5
The problem being that if he accidentally switched the items that were sent out then someone else potentially has YOUR item. The question is- if they ended up getting a better deal because there were added items then will they be honest and admit that? They may never admit to it and/or send the item back to the seller, KWIM?


So you are left in the position of contacting the seller, but before you agree to sending the item back for an exchange then ensure that he actually still has your intended item in his posession. If not then you will need to ask for either a partial refund to keep the one you recieved or to send back for a full refund.

Good luck hun :biggrin:
 
#6
platinum_girly said:
The problem being that if he accidentally switched the items that were sent out then someone else potentially has YOUR item. The question is- if they ended up getting a better deal because there were added items then will they be honest and admit that? They may never admit to it and/or send the item back to the seller, KWIM?


So you are left in the position of contacting the seller, but before you agree to sending the item back for an exchange then ensure that he actually still has your intended item in his posession. If not then you will need to ask for either a partial refund to keep the one you recieved or to send back for a full refund.

Good luck hun :biggrin:
Click to expand...

I agree!
The other buyer might not be honest about the switch as she got the better end of the switch up.
 
#7
TravelBug said:
from Japan. It's a used item and he has 2 similar ones for sale. I think he just mixed the packages up. The one he sent me is less expensive because it doesn't have the box and certificate.

What is the standard procedure usually for something like this? He pays me shipping to send the wrong item back and he sends me the correct one? I could keep this one (have it authenticated first),and ask for the difference in price as an alternative I guess - any potential risks in doing either? I've never had this happen to me so I want to find out if there could be complications.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hi. I've been living in Japan for a few years. Based on my experience, I am sure that your seller had made a mistake and when they realize, they will be as anxious as you are. I suggest that you write back and explain that you bought item x but you received item y.

Make your sentences very short and easy to read because English will very likely not be their first language. Use the numbers and the item titles to make it easy to read. In my experience, Japanese customer service is usually nothing short of amazing and people are very happy to help. It's always harder to explain things in a second language and if they use a grammar translator (eg google translate), the English will come out looking odd (so does a English to Japanese translation).

I wouldn't be automatically assuming SNAD at this point. It just looks like an error. They will not want you to end up out of pocket for a mistake - I find people here want to make sure everything works out even right down to the last yen. I have often had sellers here give me a refund when I buy something because the postage was 1yen to 200 yen (JPY100 = US$1.19) less than they expected.

I have been in the same situation, receiving the wrong package once here. In my case I was sent something far more valuable than I actually bought. The seller was very relieved and sorted it out within 24 hours.

Good luck and I hope it works out well.
 
#8
Thank you guys for your replies!

I sent the seller a short message through eBay yesterday morning explaining the mistake. I haven't heard back from them so I will give it another day before sending another message.

I think they probably still have the item I paid for - I received the item that they are listing to sell currently. Or at least I hope they know where their items are!

Will keep you posted. Wish me luck. ;)
 
#9
So how long should I wait until I contact eBay to open a dispute case? I haven't heard from the seller at all and it's been 2 business days. They have had new items listed on eBay since I first contacted them, I don't know if those were auto-renewed or brand new listings. I'd be pissed if the seller had been active and was just ignoring my messages (I sent one through eBay, and another directly to their email addy). :confused1:
 
#12
So the seller finally wrote back to me last night. He suggested I could either send the item back to him and he'd issue a full refund, or, if I want to keep it he'd give me a $100 credit when I buy another item from him - hmmm ... I think NOT! Why can't he just issue me a partial refund straight up?

Oh he said someone else (lucky dog) has my item. GREAT.

Now, if I send the item back to him, should I trust that he'd give me the full refund (including postage to send the item back to Japan), or should I still get eBay involved? I don't want to be out of my money and the item!
 
#14
Hi.

I'd say return it in full. When negotiating, don't forget that the seller's first language is not English - so any weird sounding sentences are computer translations. The seller possibly spent the last 2 days trying to get the other buyer to return it. It's extremely unlucky for all of you (except the other buyer who scored from both of you..).

If you just do a SNAD and use the automatic system steps, it's translated with standard sentences so that both of you can understand the process perfectly. Do contact eBay about getting your postage fees fully returned because this is an unusual situation.

Asking for a partial return is way more complicated than this needs to be unless the item is totally unique. I wouldn't bother with the credit offer. Keep all the emails via eBay so they can be translated automatically.

Good luck.
 
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