SNAD and return problem

Bubach

Bubach

Think geek,wear pink
O.G.
Feb 18, 2006
691
456
#1
Hi all,

I'm having a problem with a relatively recent SNAD case on ebay, please help out.
I have recently purchased a bag on ebay that was improperly packaged and arrived damaged. The box was completely damaged in the transport (squashed and ripped open). The bag was made with wire body that was bent out of shape and few details that were soldered on the metal frame were torn in the transport.

I took photos and filed SNAD case. The seller did not respond to my messages in writing, but just refunded a whole purchase price.
When I tried to print the shipping label, I would be redirected to the page where it stated that return is complete and would not generate any label.
I assumed that because the bag was damaged, the seller did not want it back (in retrospect, I should have contacted her, but as she did not reply to case messages either, I did not bother). I threw away damaged item.

Ten days have passed and I have received a message in which she is asking where is her item. What should I do? On one hand she should get either the bag or the money back, on the other hand I could not generate the return label and follow the standard ebay return procedure. In this scenario, someone will be out of money and (damaged) item and I'm not sure who should that person be - me or her? I'm both buying and selling on ebay for quite a long time and this is the first time I'm in this situation.

Any advice is appreciated.
 
#2
This is certainly a difficult situation. Good thing you took photos, though.

How much time passed between you first trying to contact the seller after receiving the damaged bag and you throwing it away? While I don't think it's expected of the buyer to hold onto the item for a long period of time in case the seller actually does want it back, I would say, keeping it for up to 1 month is pretty reasonable.

I think your best course of action would be to politely tell the seller that you have tried contacting her through messages but never got a reply, and the return shipping label couldn't be printed, so you concluded (don't say 'assumed') that she didn't need the damaged item and you then disposed of it.
 
#3
Thanks for your input.

10 days have passed since she refunded me for the item and got in touch with me. We are moving houses soon, so I threw the item away without thinking (as we are disposing a lot of junk at the moment). In retrospect, I should have waited, but i honestly thought she did not want it back. She was not a new member so I figured she was familiar with ebay return process.

I did contact her after her last message and told her that I could not print the label. I asked her to get in touch with ebay, but I'm not sure if they can help in this situation.
 
#4
When a buyer opens a SNAD case, the seller can respond in one of 4 ways:
1. Issue a refund, buyer keeps item
2. Offer a partial refund, buyer keeps item
3. Return for refund, seller purchases and forwards shipping label
4. Communicate with buyer (seller can discuss before offering a resolution)

Apparently, the seller chose the option to issue the refund without having the item returned. Although this is IMO the smartest option for a broken, damaged and now useless item, the seller seems to have made a mistake.

But as unfair as it may seem, it's her mistake and you don't owe her anything. If you still had the item, you could request a shipping label (at her expense), but having discarded it, you can't do that.

I'd respond, explaining her error (if that's what it was) and that you no longer have it to return.
 
#6
You really should have sent it back anyway, as it’s the right thing to do. But what’s done is done. In future, I would wait at least 2-3 weeks and give it several attempts to contact the seller. Glad you got your refund.
 
#7
Laila619 said:
You really should have sent it back anyway, as it’s the right thing to do. But what’s done is done. In future, I would wait at least 2-3 weeks and give it several attempts to contact the seller. Glad you got your refund.
Click to expand...
The problem is that the buyer doesn't have the seller's return address information until the seller sends the shipping label.

Knowing the item was damaged and now unsaleable, the buyer isn't incorrect in assuming that since the seller issued the refund without requesting the item back, that the seller just wants the broken/damaged item disposed of.

Remember, it's the seller who decides whether to issue the refund (without a return) or to provide a shipping label for refund upon return (if she wants the item back).

The seller may have made a mistake in choosing the wrong option in response to the SNAD dispute, but that's not the buyer's fault.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IntheOcean
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back