Ebay seller dispute?

Question

I bought some pricey straighteners from the US on eBay; I will admit in my own absentmindedness I forgot that they would probably be different voltage.

I decide despite extra cost (£30) I could begrudgingly pick up a transformer.

I get my straighteners today, the owner's manual specifically states;
"Converters CANNOT be used"
Thus making the straighteners completely useless!!

Given as they were selling to the UK I thought it would be absolutely fine, the seller had said nothing at all about this in their description nor did they think to mention this to me seeing that I was in the UK.

I e-mailed them with a simple informative e-mail pointing this out to them expecting they would be fine with a return – they have simply e-mailed me back saying converters can be used, but I'm not willing to go against manufacturers warnings & warrantee on their say-so.

Am I being unreasonable in thinking I should be able to return the straighteners for a full refund?

I don't think so!

Answer 1

From a legal point, the seller has doen nothign wrong in not stating that they will not work with a transformer, they are perfectly within their rights. It may not even have occured to them that you would need one, as indeed it didn't occur to you either!

If they are refusing a refund, there is nothign you can do but perhaps resell it on Ebay yourself.

If the product had been sold as "saying will work with UK transformer" , and it turned out this was false, then you could demande a refund on the grounds of a breach of the trade description act.

Answer 2

You are best to try & resolve with the seller if possible.Try asking if they wil accept responsibility for your safety & GUARANTEE that the straighteners will not be adversly affected by using a transformer. You could also point out that using a transformer will invalidate your product guarantee from the manufacturer as this is expressly against manufacturers instructions. If you paid with paypal & they have to sort this out the fee is £15 OF YOUR CASH which is deducted from the price paid. Personally I think the party at fault should be liable for the fee but then I also think you should be entitled to a refund. Hope this helps

Answer 3

Visit the eBay dispute console (http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/using-dispute-console.html)
and there should be a place where you can label the item description as "not appropriately explained" or something like that as a claim.

Send eBay the email you received from the seller stating that converters can be used, then the warranty information that it cannot. If you're not going to receive a refund from the seller(you'll probably have to deal with the shipping costs) you can at least dispute the claim.

Answer 4

I believe it is the buyers responsiblity to know if a product he/she is buying will work for the intended purpose. If you are unsure, ask before bidding or buying. I would not use it against the manufacturers instructions. Common courtesy from the seller would be to refund the purchase price if you paid all the shipping costs and the product was not used. Offer to pay all shipping.If they still balk, file a dispute resolution request with ebay and hope for the best.

Answer 5

I buy and sell on ebay and I can tell you that unless the seller mentioned something on the listing to falsely describe the item, you're going to have a hard time getting your money back. As a buyer, you're not supposed to assume anything and ask all questions before bidding.

Ask the seller for a refund and if they don't give it to you and you want to proceed with a dispute, you can file one at

http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/inr-snad-process.html

Good luck

Answer 6

Personally I would contact the Ebay community and ask them what they think. They're a great bunch and always give an answer very quickly. Good luck.

Answer 7

Setup a dispute with pay-pal explaining what has happened etc..... they will help you I know cause I also had to use them late last year, hope this helps and good luck

Answer 8

I would contact the EBay and ask them to intervene .... explain as much as possible and try again the sellar

Answer 9

YOU ARE RIGHT JUST FILE A DISPTE WITH ITEM NOT AS DESCRIBED - YOU HAVE MORE CHANCES OF GETTING YOUR MONEY BACK IF PAID BY PAYPAL - EBAY WILL DEDUCT £15 THAT IS IF THEY DECIDE IN YOUR FAVOUR

Answer 10

Kasha, you have answered your own question there,"in my own absent mindness" pretty much sums it up as far as a claim goes unfortunately, wasnt there any in this country that would suffice? you gals tickle me, America,Hair straghteners,lol, regards;