Amy, sorry to hear of this. I admit, it becomes more than just about the money...it's a morality play to me. ;-)
Absolutely 100% agree!!

Your seller has a lot of nerve.
And when it comes to a fit for bed skirts, a 4" difference in drop is major.

I'm not on ebay enough anymore to know the intricacies of overcoming these things. But just wanted to say you are not the least out of line wanting every last cent out of your pocket back.

I do get it what you are saying, Amy. That was exactly the reason why I escalated my issue. It is not about money but the experience. If my seller would have even bothered communicating with me, things might have turned out different but he even did not bother to do that.
Seems that eBay is getting lax when it comes to low price items and sellers (some of them) are taking advantage of that.

"The merchandise was not as advertised. As an eBay seller, you have an obligation to be correct in your description."

That's what I would say.
Now, what are you willing to walk away with? A full refund including shipping? Would you agree to pay to return it on your dime if she refunded the total price?

Do you think this item was used by her? Or maybe she purchased it at an outlet store? I wonder if she calls this "not a big value transaction" because she got it cheap.
Have you looked at her feedback? Any issues there that could help you judge whether she'll continue to fight you on this, say, if you challenge it with eBay? (If there is still a way to do this, now that eBay has changed so much over the past few years.)

Any item you pay for with Paypal comes with a full refund option. Did U pay with Paypal? Just take it up with them.

I don't even see why I should have to eat the return shipping frankly. That's why I told her I wanted my money back plus whatever it costs me to ship.

The seller has 100% feedback on 427 transactions, no neutrals. (I look before I buy.) Based on that, I expected her to do better. Of course the Dish Witch had a good feedback score, too.

The bedskirt is probably from an outlet....looks like a lot of what she sells is outlet stuff. The tag said $89 but she had it listed as a buy-it-now for $50 so I doubt she paid that much. I suspect she didn't use it.

Thanks for the support Punamy and Moon. I hate paying full price to Pottery Barn for the right bedskirt, but it looks like I will be paying full price plus whatever I lose in this deal. I want eBay to work, but I am getting the idea that it just doesn't.

Nicole, you get your money back, but you have to pay the return shipping. And last year, when I attempted to do that with some dishes, the seller accused me of trying to return seconds-quality dishes for a refund. She claimed she had sent me "first quality" and that I was trying to rip her off by switching out the dishes. She threatened to go to the police and sent all kinds of hateful e-mail, outside the eBay mail system, of course, so they couldn't track it. In the end, I walked away.

Oh Amy - what a PITA for you. I'm with ya on the morals 100% but - and this is a big but - your stress level and mental health are worth way more than the $50. I'm not saying $50 isn't worth getting upset about - I'd be really pi$$ed about eating any of it, too. If this was my issue I'd tell the seller -again- what the only acceptable solution is for me. If I didn't get it, I'd leave negative feedback and walk away, not just from this transaction but from ebay in total.

My DH had many very successful sales and purchases several years back with ebay, then had a flurry of scams both from buyers and sellers. He's walked away from it, closed PayPal and won't go back. Every time someone here posts about the wonderful thing they bought I'm tempted but not enough to jump in. I'm sure some large percentage of transactions are positive for both seller and buyer - but I know my personality - I'm not a good gambler and I'm a very sore loser when I feel cheated!

Just thought of one more thing I'd do....if the seller wouldn't do a full refund, after leaving negative feedback I'd send and email that begins, "Cathy, you ignorant sl^t...." (my apologies to anyone offended but using Dan Aykroyd's line would make me feel much better - obviously I'm not fully evolved yet)

UGH! This drives me crazy for you. Like, seriously..my heart is racing, and I'm getting a rash, LOL. I hope this works out. Some may say "it's just $25". Well, we're in a recession, people! :) :) Ok, it's so NOT about the money at this point. It's people like that who ruin it for all the ones doing what's right.
Keep us posted!

You need to open a SNAD (Significantly Not As Described) and Ebay will get involved in the transaction. Before Christmas, I bought a box set of movies that appear to be unauthorized copies now that I have them. I filed a SNAD, wrote up my side of the complaint, and Ebay contacted the seller. The seller responded and I was asked what fix I wanted, so I asked for a $30 refund ($54 purchase price, free shipping) and got it and kept the movies. I then marked the case as closed and everyone was satisfied. The seller was actually helpful once the SNAD was opened and wanted to know more about the fake movies since he didn't see them, he only was the middle man and ordered them to be sent to me directly from China.

Go into your My Ebay and click on your Items Won. On the far right side of the page, where each item you've won has a line, look for the drop-down box that says Leave Feedback. Click on the arrow and it should open a box of other options, including one that says Resolve A Problem. Click on that and then click on the second option in blue, What Can I do if I received An Item That's Not As Described?, and it'll walk you through the steps. The entire process only took a couple of days for me to resolve.

It doesn't matter if this was a small dollar transaction for the seller, that's got nothing to do with the fact that the item is not what she advertised and not what you want. In fact, it's useless to you. You should get your money back and both to-and-from shipping. Good luck to you!

I wouldn't settle for the seller's offer either. I would do exactly as FolkVictorian describes above. I had a problem with a Coach bag I ordered, and the seller just said, "No Refunds". If the item is not "As Described" you are 100% within your rights to have a full refund. I got a full refund within a couple days. Open a case, and let us know what happens! Good luck!

Well...I, also, have a hard time believing people can keep on buying scads of Ebay with no problems occuring.

First, I'd try what folkvictorian suggested as she seems to know what she's talking about. Then I'd go for the dlm2000 tactic *inserting evil grin*.

And last year, when I attempted to do that with some dishes, the seller accused me of trying to return seconds-quality dishes for a refund. She claimed she had sent me "first quality" and that I was trying to rip her off by switching out the dishes. She threatened to go to the police and sent all kinds of hateful e-mail, outside the eBay mail system, of course, so they couldn't track it. In the end, I walked away.

Good grief!!
I remember reading the saga when it started, but somehow I missed the end. There are some real lulus out there. :/ My one & only eBay transaction that went south, years ago, involved someone that was a little off their rocker, like your dish lady. Kind of makes you lose faith in humanity a little bit when it takes that kind of turn. Some people imo, have no conscience.

I hope you can get this one worked out without so much as a penny lost out of your pocket!

Make sure you cover your butt with printing the auction page as well as saving a copy to your hard drive so there is no if ands or buts..

If you're opening a claim because the item you received does not match the description, you may be asked to pay for return shipping.

This is from eBay Buyer Protection policy. And I think it stinks. Even though we all believe I should get my shipping costs refunded if I send the thing back, that's not the way it works if you open a dispute with eBay. Caveat Emptor.

DLM, thanks for reducing my stress levels! I was ready to write that Aykroydian letter to the Dish Witch last year, believe me. And as for palpitations and a rash, Momto4, I was a mess during that ordeal last year. I do not want to go back there again. It really was stupid to get so het up, but once you start, it's hard to back away and just cut your losses.

FolkV, thanks for the tips on the SNAD. I still feel annoyed that I have to box the damn thing up, pay to ship it, track it and confirm the delivery, hope she doesn't try to claim something weird like the Dish Witch did, etc. This is why eBay Buyer Protection does not work.

JLC, did you have to return the bag? Did you pay for the return shipping?

Parma, I think that the vast majority of transactions on eBay go well. I've had maybe 80 or 90 and only a few that went bad. I did take a hit on shipping when I sold something a few years back, but that was my fault and I took responsibility for it. I also had to pay return shipping for a handbag that arrived with a big tear in the lining. I guess if I look at how much I have saved vs. how much I've lost, I still come out ahead.

DH says "no more eBay." Then I show him the cost of the correct PB bedskirt brand new (119 + tax and shipping) and the room gets quiet.

Moon, it did end badly. And I was really upset. I am embarrassed at how much it upset me, in fact. There are a lot more things in life to worry about. I did keep the dishes (thought about giving them away) and when I notice one of the flaws on a seconds plate, I cringe a little still.

Roselvr, that's a good idea. Thanks.

I've only had good luck on ebay. I'm not saying that to make you feel badly about your experiences, I'm saying it because I think you've had an extraordinarily bad time and that's not the norm. I've had a few "this person is a pain in the a$$" type experiences but nothing like you've described. I've purchased a ton of antiques from furniture to a mirror to sterling flatware and serving pieces and glassware, dishes, light fixtures etc. I've purchased pottery barn outlet stuff from rugs to linens to curtains. I just bought a car off of ebay (though not through ebay it was listed on ebay by a localish dealer and my BIL made the deal over the phone then went out to inspect before closing the deal - although he does buy cars from ebay pretty often to resell).

I wouldn't totally give up but there are ways you can be safer. A lot of sellers use the manufacturer picture to describe what the item is - if you are concerned, ask to see actual pictures. In this case I'm wondering if the pottery barn description said it was 18"? Or 14" or is there a choice of length? I'm not saying it's your fault for the misrepresentation of the seller at all but you can help avoid problems in the future if you double check anything that is important to you in a listing. I am a pain in the butt as a buyer but if I were looking for a 18" king sized bed skirt I would send a question to the seller confirming that it was king and not california king, and confirming that the length is 18" and not shorter. The outlet buyers/resellers especially don't know what they have all the time it seems. Live and learn ;).

As for what I'd do, it sounds like the seller is basically willing to give you back the "profit" they made and let you keep the skirt for what they paid plus what you paid for shipper, which is not kosher IMO. Why should the hassle be yours to relist it? I would file the dispute through ebay and return ship it the cheapest way possible that you can track, probably first class mail or parcel post or something. It doesn't say you can't get a refund for the original shipping cost, just return shipping and to me it would be worth a couple of bucks to not let this person get away with it.

Lisa as a buyer, how would I know something comes in different lengths? I trust the seller to list correctly. Most items, if they are on ebay, they are not on the PB site any more - from the little bit of buying I've done.

Amy, Sorry you have to go through this again.. it majorly sucks. I didn't know about the dish ending.. that is really crappy!

What I would do in this case is to find the cheapest post office flat rate box and eat the return shipping; I wouldn't settle for anything less then her giving you back the original price plus shipping. Chances are it didn't cost what she charged for shipping anyway.

You ironed the skirt, did you wash it as well? I wouldn't doubt she's going to accuse you of washing it and shrinking it.

As far as the bed skirt; would it be cheaper to buy a Pottery Barn sheet set & make it yourself?

I've been burned once on a $500 Barbie that I got for $250 from a seller in Hawaii. He said it was perfect condition; but the doll box had a huge cut in it, like someone stabbed it with a knife; shipping box was fine.

Email the seller, says the doll & box were perfect when it left him, blamed it on post office even though I told him the box was fine. I took the box & everything in it to my post office; postmaster said there was no way the box was damaged like that with no external damage.

He wanted me to send the doll back to him while a claim was filed; I decided to keep the doll since the stab was on the box bottom. I could imagine this guy not giving us the doll or our money back.

Hopefully this will get settled easily.

amysrq..... I did this once, opened a dispute, contacted Paypal and even had the seller pay the fee for a go between. I ended up keeping the item "and" getting a FULL refund, INCLUDING shipping. The seller does not dictate anything in a Paypal dispute, the charges just get reversed by Paypal regardless what the seller "wants".

I don't know what to say here. On the one hand, if you buy something off Ebay and it's just not what you expected-- (case: Bought a vintage print/framed a few years ago. Print was as described, as was the frame. It just wasn't something I would have paid $35 for if I saw it at an estate sale or antique store. But when you're looking at the price, not really considering the shipping, and others are bidding, it all seems much better and more valuable.)--then, you must chalk it up to 'you get what you get' and try to pay better attention next time. If you buy something not as described, which happened here, it's a bit different since the seller wants to have it done and you still don't have what you ordered. So, something needs to be done with money...But.......here's the other thing....even when you order from an established store, if you don't love what you got, or it doesn't fit, or whatever, much of the time, you have to eat the shipping back. Not fair, but it happens. If Paypal will fix this, then, let them do it. If you didn't opt for the protection of Paypal, you will need to work it out. I would email the seller and tell her you will ship it back if she will refund cost of shipping as well as price of item. More than likely, she won't want it back. When I ordered a Pottery Barn wall sconce from ebay 2 years ago, it looked perfect, but was warped just a bit when held to the wall. I sent email to the seller with photos. I asked if he had another and I could trade? He wrote back and told me to keep it, offering me back most of the price of the item. I accepted, since it had been an 'as is' auction. I wouldn't say I was happy/I'm sure he wasn't happy, but we both left positive feedback and I remembered that Ebay is not JCPenney, where you get the item home, realize it's mismarked, and take it back for a full return of your money. Ebay is a shot at greatness. Ebay is a possible score. Ebay is fabulous. Ebay is disappointing. Ebay is a gamble. Try your seller again, laying out what you feel is fair. Suggest that neither of you will benefit by negative feedback. See what can be done.

Red

If you open a Paypal buyer credit account and use it for purchases on Ebay you get the full amount plus shipping. If that is not the case I would send a lovely sweet letter saying it's only fair that you receive exactly what you paid and you'll return the skirt or you will have to sadly report them to Ebay which you'd hate to do (hahaha) The only other recourse is to add four inches to the skirt which may look really really nice. Sorry you had to go through this. I'm a big time Ebayer, over 400 purchases and only got burned once. I filed with paypal as I had used their credit and was very satisfied.

As a buyer, I don't trust anyone. That doesn't absolve the seller of guilt if they misrepresent something but as a buyer I try to make sure I know everything possible about an item before purchasing it. I said that I was not trying to "blame the victim" but I also believe in being an informed buyer - I cannot control what others do, only what I do and I try to be as informed as possible about what I am buying. I find it easier to avoid problems in the first place than try to resolve them after the fact. Not that you can ALWAYS avoid problems but asking lots of questions helps. That's my only point, not that the seller was right in what she did or that Amy is wrong to be upset.

Update! I got home tonight and found email from the seller saying she would refund me all of the money. She has asked that I ship the bedskirt to the next buyer (she is re-listing) and she will reimburse me for the cost to ship. I told her I would be happy to ship to another buyer and thanked her for finding a fair way to resolve the issue. The money was back in my account within minutes. I expect she will reimburse my shipping costs. All correspondence was within the eBay system so it is trackable.

Lisa, as for the suggestion to ask for details, I hear ya, but that is a rabbit hole. I mean, where does it end? The dishes I got ripped off on were listed as "New." It never occurred to me that they were new but seconds. Yes, I should have asked, but it just didn't even cross my mind. I'd like to think that if someone says 18" in a listing, I don't have to ask if it is indeed 18".

Roselvr, I did not wash the bedskirt, just ironed it. The Dish Witch would have accused me of having washed and shrunk it!

Nicole, I am glad your PayPal experience was positive. In my case with the dishes, PayPal was not willing to refund me the return shipping costs. I would have been out $25 and even then the seller was threatening to notify the police that I was scamming her. I don't think she actually would have had a leg to stand on, but I just wanted it over with.

Red, if I order something that shows up defective, I will often call the company and have them pick up the tab for return shipping. It's only fair. I am glad your sconce situation worked out. I do use my dishes from the Witch! And they were a lot cheaper than they would have been from Replacements.

Yaya, I have a PayPal account. I have always used a credit card that I have registered with Paypal. Is a "buyer credit account" something different, something with more protection?

Thanks everyone for the advice and commiseration. I'll let you know in a week if I get the shipping money refunded. I am optimistic that I will. The bedskirt is already re-listed. Stay tuned! :-)

I didn't read the dishes story so I don't know what happened but yeah, I would not normally think to ask about whether something is really "new" if they say it is (though new without tags on kids clothing always makes me ask more questions unless it's so cheap it doesn't matter and/or there are good pictures). I would, as I said, confirm that a king size something is eastern king and not california king and knowing that most pottery barn bed skirts are 14" I would confirm that it was really 18" if that's what I wanted, whether by checking for the item on pottery barn's website or if it's no longer offered on the website. If there is a choice I would definitely confirm that it's the one I wanted.

But maybe I am abnormal. I just do what I can to avoid headaches later regardless of who SHOULD be the one responsible. Once it's done the seller IS responsible but it can be a hassle to make them take responsibility.

I'll mind my own business on this one but I'd be lost without ebay.

I agree with all that you've said, Lisa. I also agree that sometimes there is just no way to get what you need other than eBay. My positive outcomes far outnumber the negatives, but I have been shy after the ordeal last year.

I just wanted to say I'm glad she's taking care of it. That stinks you had to go through that. Hopefully in her new listing she put the correct measurement!

I have only had two bad ebay experiences, one the only time I sold something, and the other with a seller out of Italy (what was I thinking??)
Everything else though has been straight forward and pleasant but I have learned to ask lots of questions and also realize that there is nothing quite like seeing an item in person.

I'm sorry you had this issue but at least you got your money back.

Congrats on getting everything worked out. When you mail the item to the next buyer don't forget to insure the package and get delivery confirmation as well.

I'm so glad to hear the seller is working with you. In my situation, yes, I did have to send back the purse, and yes, I did pay the return shipping. It was only a few dollars, so I didn't think much of it-- but you are right that it should be the seller's responsibility. In hindsight, I am aggravated that I didn't question it.
Jen

Congrats on everything working out!!!! YEAAAAAAAH!!!! :0)

Sorry you had a bad past experience. Luckily I'm on transaction 256. I'm making risky purchases, 18K solid gold jewelry as an example. I'm pretty happy with the appraisals!

Amy, can you update us on how it went? Did she relist and sell the bed skirt? If not, what did you end up doing?

Someone I know just bought something on ebay that was not as described; trying to figure the best way for her to get all of her money back.

roselvr, I purchased a bedskirt on Ebay that was not as described in the listing. I paid through Pay Pal. The bedskirt was listed as New, not in original package, but unused and from non-smoking home. When it arrived, it was wrapped in plastic and in a box. When I opened the box, there was an overwhelming oder of Fe-breeze or some other spray on scent on the fabric. There was also a dirty spot on one side where there was a 2" tear in the fabric. This definitely was not as described! I filed a complaint through Ebay, through Resolve a Problem, and was refunded my full purchase price, as well as what I paid for shipping. The seller didn't even ask for the item to be returned, and my Pay Pal account was reimbursed fully.

Hopefully your friend paid for her item through Pay Pal, if so, she should get her full refund.