I was in a similar situation once and I had to suck up the return shipping fee. I was mad, but I don't think there is anything you can do. Good luck. Sorry I don't have a better story.

Ebay and Paypal are worthless if you have a problem with a seller. I paid on Paypal for some Avon items that never arrived. The seller considered it my "own fault" because I didn't pay for insurance. I went to Paypal and they said it was "too small" an amount to dispute. I consider everything I buy on Ebay to be a gamble. If it comes, fine. If not, there's not much recourse. Sorry you lost the shipping fee, but at least you got something back.

1) Make her send you photos as proof that the item is broken.

2) By any chance did you charge the return shipping cost to a credit card? If so, dispute the charge.

3) Notify the seller that you will be filing a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General in the state in which she lives.

What Lindsey said.

Have you left her a feedback yet rosemary? Does she have a reputable feedback record? Not that leaving a scathing feedback is going to get you your money back, but if all else fails after your efforts, I'd certainly let folks know you were out a ton of money from dealing with this seller. They NEED to know.

Even if you already left positive feedback (I'd be surprised if you did, considering she initially sent the wrong item), you can leave follow-up feedback in which you could blast her.

And continue to watch her auctions for several months, to see if she lists the item that she had sent you in error. If she does, get plenty of screen shots of the auction page, and then report her to eBay for fraud, and report her to the Office of the Attorney General for the State of California. eBay is headquartered in California, so anyone selling on eBay, no matter where they are, is governed by the laws of the State of California.

You guys are SOOOOOO smart!! These are great ideas!!! I lost sleep last night over the upset of being screwed out of $43.20. Silly perhaps, but that's a lot of money to me -especially to throw right into the toilet!

And the idea of watching to see if she relists the item is genius! I have serious doubts that this item arrived "broken" because part of the reason it costs $43.20 to ship (3,100 miles) is because we packed it so carefully and then packed it into an oversized box to insure its safety. You could have dropped that thing from a two-story building and it wouldn't have broken (IMHO). We had it in the original box (which was well-padded) and then had it surrounded in layers and layers of bubble-wrap and then placed in another very sturdy box.

And if you'd lost a $215 item, wouldn't you ask for insurance receipts so that you could get UPS to make it right? She's never asked for any receipts.

I did pay for the shipping with VISA so I'll see whey my options are there, too.

Thanks again.

I've been on eBay since 1999 and I've been screwed on small items but nothing this big. This really leaves a rotten taste in my mouth and I think I'm done with 'em. It really is a gamble. And the amount of time I've invested in this transaction is nuts. Took me - on average - about three or four emails to get this woman to respond ONCE - for every single thing.

Thanks again for the wonderful ideas. I feel much better. I have five days left to leave feedback. Any suggestions on what to say that'll be the MOST effective?

Rose

However, do not tell her you are going to leave feedback if she doesn't refund it as that is feedback extortion. Just do it if she isn't working with you. Don't give her warning about it or she can make you be in trouble. I doubt very much it was broken. I am sure she is lying. I agree, ask for the photos. You sent the photos of the wrong item to her, so she should do the same.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our family journey with autism

Sorry you had such a bad experience Rosemary.

I had this happen once to me, but I refused to return the wrong item until I had gotten the correct one. I told the seller it wasn't my problem he sent the wrong item and I'm not going to be held hostage for his error. He had an obligation to complete the transaction and send the item I paid for or refund me my money. We'd deal with the mistake later. And I made him send me a prepaid UPS shipping label for the return.

I wouldn't allow him to deflect the issue. And I threw in the postal code law about receiving unsolicited merchandise. LOL!

I don't know what asking for proof of damage is going to do. She's not asking you to pay for the damage. Your beef is over the $43 return shipping charge and frankly you should have gotten the money up front. Did she agree in writing to reimburse you the fee before you sent if back? If so, by all means file a dispute with your credit card company.

Unfortunately Paypal can't help you once a refund has been given. In their eyes the dispute over the auction itself has been resolved. The return fee was negotiated and agreed upon by you, so what can they do about it now?

I think this is a live and learn situation.

It is not right and your seller is not a good one or she would refund your $43 since it was her mistake. Very likely though, you will not be able to get it back. Ebay will consider it done. You can leave her bad feedback though if you want to and should since the whole thing is her fault.

I've had great luck with Ebay but I agree....FEEDBACK is SO important. Let others know your experience with this seller.

Samkaren
your resident DJ

How did it turn out.... or has it gone anywhere else thus far? Hoping it is working out!

Here is a link that might be useful: Our family journey with autism

the following sample feedback fits within the 80-character limit:

Sent wrong item_claims it broke when sent back_wonÂt give proof_wonÂt refund $$

I called the 1-800 ebay number and got a lot of help for filing a claim against seller. Very, very helpful woman at Ebay (and she spoke the Queen's English!!). She guided me through the process and told me that 90% of the time, sellers will immediately "make it right" when they see an issue has been escalated to an official "ebay dispute."

Well, this morning I found that my seller is NOT one of the 90%. So, we're off to the races.

Thanks for the 80-character response. That is PERFECT.

I hate, hate, hate being soured on eBay. I've had so many good experiences but this one is ruining the experience for me. Never again...

Hope it turns out well! Man oh man!

Here is a link that might be useful: Our journey though autism blog