Seeking Opinions On An eBay Problem

[Tiger Topher]

I want to get the board's thoughts on something...

 

I purchased a statue from a seller on eBay (for about $120, shipping included) and it arrived damaged (broken in multiple places) seemingly due to the way in which it was packed. This particular statue is one that I've been wanting to acquire for quite a while and it isn't easy to come by.

 

The seller offers full refunds, but on the condition that you return the items you're being refunded for back to him on your dime. That will cost me an arm and a leg, so it's out of the question. The seller understands that I'm quite upset about the situation and has asked me how much of a refund would be enough to satisfy me.

 

Now, I think I might be able to salvage this thing with some glue and a little creativity, so how much of a refund do you think would be appropriate to ask for? I really don't know, so I'll be eager to read what your thoughts are on this.

[Ares]

Ask ebay for refund and mark not as described.

[darkstar]

Since the item arrived not as described the burden to pay return shipping fees falls on the seller. That is eBay policy. Since I have never had to return something I'm not sure of the exact protocol but I believe eBay will cover the shipping up front for you and charge the seller's account on his monthly statement. Ideally the seller insured the package to begin with and gets reimbursed by the carrier for his loss.

[Comicopolis]

Ask ebay for refund and mark not as described.

 

This. Start a claim through Paypal.

[GIJOEISAWESOME-migration]

Ask ebay for refund and mark not as described.

 

This. Start a claim through Paypal.

 

I disagree. If the seller weren't cooperating, I would find that (thumbs u and a good suggestion. But since the seller IS cooperating, I would ask for a $100 or so $$$ refund. Only because the seller is cooperating would I not file a complaint.

[budsbundy]

Could we see a pic of it?

 

I could make a better guess at a fair amount if I could see how bad it's broken

[shadroch]

Why would returning it cost you an arm and a leg? How much did it cost to ship it to you?

[Tiger Topher]

Yeah, so far I can't say anything bad about the seller and that's why I haven't outed him here. He's working with me to solve the problem and it seems he genuinely believed that the statue would survive the trip the way it was packed.

 

Given that I had a hard time finding this statue in the first place and that I think that I might be able to fix it to some extent, let's take returning it off the table completely for now. If I'm keeping it as is, how much should I ask to get back?

[Buzzetta]

If you want to keep it do not expect a full refund.

[Tiger Topher]

Could we see a pic of it?

 

I could make a better guess at a fair amount if I could see how bad it's broken

 

Just so everything's clear, let me explain that this is a model/statue, so it's supposed to come in a few pieces. The arm that's detached and broken is supposed to be connected to the torso but obviously isn't. There are little bits of hair broken off too, though it can't be seen too well in the pics.

 

The arm can be put back together and reattached to the body. The real problem is that there are supposed to be liitle pegs that connect the arms to the hands that hold the girder. One is broken off and the other is missing, so fixing that issue is what's going to require some creativity.

 

[GIJOEISAWESOME-migration]

Yeah, so far I can't say anything bad about the seller and that's why I haven't outed him here. He's working with me to solve the problem and it seems he genuinely believed that the statue would survive the trip the way it was packed.

 

Given that I had a hard time finding this statue in the first place and that I think that I might be able to fix it to some extent, let's take returning it off the table completely for now. If I'm keeping it as is, how much should I ask to get back?

 

I said $100 or so IF it is very badly damaged. If the breaks are not severe or highly destructive, minimum of $65.

[Comicopolis]

Ask ebay for refund and mark not as described.

 

This. Start a claim through Paypal.

 

I disagree. If the seller weren't cooperating, I would find that (thumbs u and a good suggestion. But since the seller IS cooperating, I would ask for a $100 or so $$$ refund. Only because the seller is cooperating would I not file a complaint.

 

If the seller won't refund return shipping on an item that was damaged when originally shipped you'd just accept that then?

[GIJOEISAWESOME-migration]

I wouldn't accept it. In this case, Tiger Topher doesn't want to return, so he shouldn't expect a full dollar refund. Maybe half, 3/4 max, especially if you want to keep the item. If i wanted to reship the item, I would expect a FULL refund, but by keeping the item, I would merely refund the amount of damage done.