Does choosing ‘doesn’t fit’ mean I can’t get postage refund?

QFollowing Issue 652’s advice on getting refunds from ebay (page 62), I’d like to point out an issue I had recently when returning a car part because the wrong size was sent.

Because I put down ‘Doesn’t fit’ (see screenshot) as the reason to reject, neither ebay nor the seller will refund the return postage costs. Ebay said my choice of reason implied ‘buyer regret’ and that I should have selected ‘Item is defective’ instead. Do you have to be this careful when selecting reasons to reject? Chris Kent

AEbay is correct to say that buyer regret – meaning you’ve changed your mind about a purchase – allows the retailer to charge for postage. However, we think it has made an error by assuming that ‘doesn’t fit’ implies buyer regret. Indeed, if an item doesn’t fit then the fault may lie with the seller for not advertising the right size, or sending the wrong size – as has happened in this case.

We can’t actually find any reference to buyer regret in ebay’s Buyer Protection guide, which states: “If the buyer receives the wrong item, or the item arrives broken, damaged, or faulty (and was not clearly described as such), they are entitled to return it for a refund, even if the seller doesn’t offer returns.”

If the wrong item is sent, customers should state ‘not as described’ as the reason for returning, not ‘Doesn’t fit’ – which ebay probably includes to cover clothes and footwear. We’ll explain to ebay what has happened, and ask it to reconsider. We’re confident it will see sense.

Also, under the Consumer Rights Act the seller has to make sure that Chris isn’t out of pocket for its mistake. With these factors in Chris’s favour, we’re hopeful of a positive outcome.