Another eBay saga

DrPhil

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I bought 2 sets of solar cables a few weeks ago. £65 each.

The seller promised 2 day delivery, 4 days later no sign and I was in a hurry so I had to purchase locally.

Seller apologised for the delay and promised a refund. I returned it using the label provided.

Return was received on the 14th, no refund issued. 3 days later I contacted eBay and they immediately closed in my favour, but only refunded 1 item, £65 instead of £130.

Now I can't open a claim because it says refund has already been issued. PayPal are the same.

And there seems to be bugger all way to contact these idiots!
 
Not just eBay - Amazon has some flawed processes.

Last year bought two HDMI cables. As soon as I tried them found one was faulty. So setup a return of one item only to find that the seller had no more stock. So I tried to change my return but found that the whole order is treated as returned so no more changes possible. Spoke to Amazon and Seller and both were happy for me to return both - I pointed out that the system was only expecting to refund one but Amazon assured me not to worry - just make sure I put a note in the return.

You can guess what happened - just got a refund for one. Took an age to get it sorted out.

More worrying is that the process is fundamentally broken. These were just HDMI leads but imagine it were something more expensive and fragile, say it was two hard disks. One is dead on arrival so you return one. The system then marks the whole order as returned meaning no more warranty actions can be performed on it. So if the second hard disk fails a few weeks later there is no way of processing a return.

So lesson to learn - if postage is free and there is no other benefit to buying multiple things in the same order buy them all as separate orders.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
The system then marks the whole order as returned meaning no more warranty actions can be performed on it.

When I've done it in the past the individual items are returned and marked as so - the returning items are picked as part of the return workflow.

Like this:

1595079340153.png


The second item in the order was faulty and returned three months ago - the first one is still eligible for returns.
 
With Amazon at least, two different items, even if ordered at the same time under one transaction, are two orders, so you can return one without affecting the other. Two of the same are one order, so you should return them both.
 
With Amazon at least, two different items, even if ordered at the same time under one transaction, are two orders, so you can return one without affecting the other. Two of the same are one order, so you should return them both.

I thought you picked a quantity to return in this case? This is what happened when I ordered two of the movie Epic by mistake:

1595083279430.png


And then went through the process and returned just one:

1595083314888.png


(In fact I didn't need to physically return it - they just gave me a refund)
 
two different items, even if ordered at the same time under one transaction, are two orders

They are on the same order aren't they? One order ID can have many unrelated items, like the above order.
 
That just takes me into the endless loop of reporting a problem, then it says there is no problem to report because they already ruled in my favour.

Arrange a call back and speak to an operator. Its just closed now, but reopens tomorrow:


Its at the bottom of the page:

2020-07-18 17_12_43-eBay Customer Service - Brave.png
 
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With Amazon at least, two different items, even if ordered at the same time under one transaction, are two orders, so you can return one without affecting the other. Two of the same are one order, so you should return them both.
Not based on my
With Amazon at least, two different items, even if ordered at the same time under one transaction, are two orders, so you can return one without affecting the other. Two of the same are one order, so you should return them both.


Maybe true if you are talking about sold by Amazon, but certainly not true if bought from Amazon Marketplace.

Here is an order, two items, single order, none returned, note the option to return is still present

Wall Panels.JPG


Here is a similar order for two HDMI cables, one order. One of the cables was processed as a return. Note that the option to return or replace items has been removed even though (as far as Amazon's system is concerned) one of the items was kept and is still under warranty.

HDMI.JPG


And here is the details of the order showing that it is one order, with two items. One items has been returned and refunded.

HDMI2.JPG


If I still had the second HDMI and it developed a fault, there is no way on Amazon's system that I could initiate a replacement or refund.

It is a bug in Amazon's system that they refuse to acknowledge. They wouldn't/couldn't even help me with the return of the other lead - the seller had to do it directly, sending me the refund by PayPal. I don't think it was so much Amazon being unhelpful, more that they didn't know what to do because on this system as soon as one item was returned the whole order was closed to further actions.

I concede that if you had bought two different things then it might be different. The glitch is mostly likely that it is one item, quantity = 2.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Not based on my



Maybe true if you are talking about sold by Amazon, but certainly not true if bought from Amazon Marketplace.

Here is an order, two items, single order, none returned, note the option to return is still present

View attachment 1336457

Here is a similar order for two HDMI cables, one order. One of the cables was processed as a return. Note that the option to return or replace items has been removed even though (as far as Amazon's system is concerned) one of the items was kept and is still under warranty.

View attachment 1336458

And here is the details of the order showing that it is one order, with two items. One items has been returned and refunded.

View attachment 1336460

If I still had the second HDMI and it developed a fault, there is no way on Amazon's system that I could initiate a replacement or refund.

It is a bug in Amazon's system that they refuse to acknowledge. They wouldn't/couldn't even help me with the return of the other lead - the seller had to do it directly, sending me the refund by PayPal. I don't think it was so much Amazon being unhelpful, more that they didn't know what to do because on this system as soon as one item was returned the whole order was closed to further actions.

I concede that if you had bought two different things then it might be different. The glitch is mostly likely that it is one item, quantity = 2.

Cheers,

Nigel
OK, I stand corrected on this.

I was just quoting my own experience, which with hindsight may not have been the same as the above. I've never had any problems with Amazon refunds, which is one of the reasons I tend to prefer them by default. However, in the few occasions when I've had to return an item from a 2-of-the-same order, I've always returned them both, just in case I couldn't get a replacement. Also, especially with Prime items, I've always found it easier to go for a refund and re-order than wait for a replacement.
 
OK, I stand corrected on this.

However, in the few occasions when I've had to return an item from a 2-of-the-same order, I've always returned them both, just in case I couldn't get a replacement.

Yes that it was I should have done. Initially, one was faulty, I needed two for the install so returned one for refund expecting to order another myself. Then I discovered that it was going to take too long, I needed it quickly because I was in the middle of a TV install so I ordered some more expensive ones with next day delivery. I then tried to return the second and found that I couldn’t, because the flawed Amazon system only allows one return action per order.

I contacted Amazon and they said that it was possible (basically the programmer hadn’t considered this possibility) but just return both and put a note inside. At the time, I said “surely the system will only refund one” but he assured me it would be okay. I checked with the seller first and he agreed that would be okay. Sure enough, only one refunded. So back to Amazon and whilst they understood the problem they couldn’t see how to resolve it the system wouldn’t let me. Amazon were absolutely useless, but the seller was brilliant - he took my PayPal details and refunded me that way.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Amazon system only allows one return action per order.

Something else must be at part because we have shown above that multiple returns per order is possible. Maybe it is due to not being Sold by Amazon.
 
Something else must be at part because we have shown above that multiple returns per order is possible. Maybe it is due to not being Sold by Amazon.

Well I did suggest that, I said maybe it was because it wasn’t real Amazon or maybe it was because it was two of the same thing or maybe because they were the only items on the order.

Looked at your post and didn’t find it conclusive. You show an order with two copies of of Epic and that you can initiate a return of one of them. Yes I did that, but then if I wanted to return the second one, I found I couldn't because the whole order is considered as returned.

So now that you have returned one copy of Epic what does the order look like, do you still have the option to return the second copy. And even then, to test properly you need an order with duplicates of one item - such as an order that contains just two copies of Epic and no other order lines.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Looked at your post and didn’t find it conclusive. You show an order with two copies of of Epic and that you can initiate a return of one of them. Yes I did that, but then if I wanted to return the second one, I found I couldn't because the whole order is considered as returned.

See post #4 for an example of returning a second item from the same order
 
See post #4 for an example of returning a second item from the same order

Different scenario - come on you work in software engineering, you know you must reproduce the problem as precisely as possible to investigate defects properly.

First test then, is the option to return the second Epic available? Although that’s not truly representative it is a good start.


Cheers,

Nigel
 
Not just eBay - Amazon has some flawed processes.

Last year bought two HDMI cables. As soon as I tried them found one was faulty. So setup a return of one item only to find that the seller had no more stock. So I tried to change my return but found that the whole order is treated as returned so no more changes possible. Spoke to Amazon and Seller and both were happy for me to return both - I pointed out that the system was only expecting to refund one but Amazon assured me not to worry - just make sure I put a note in the return.

You can guess what happened - just got a refund for one. Took an age to get it sorted out.

More worrying is that the process is fundamentally broken. These were just HDMI leads but imagine it were something more expensive and fragile, say it was two hard disks. One is dead on arrival so you return one. The system then marks the whole order as returned meaning no more warranty actions can be performed on it. So if the second hard disk fails a few weeks later there is no way of processing a return.

So lesson to learn - if postage is free and there is no other benefit to buying multiple things in the same order buy them all as separate orders.

Cheers,

Nigel


yep, i had an issue with amazon not that long ago, i bought some cheap external HDDs (10 quid cheaper than from amazon) from a 3rd party seller, and they never arrived...

so, managed to get a refund, plus amazon gave me 10 quid credit for the hassle...
so, i ordered some gym gloves (using the credit) and when they arrived they were ripped so i sent them straight back, but they only refunded the value of the cash I paid and not the credit note...

and the person on the chat wouldn't refund me despite me saying it was a credit note etc and they said they couldn't just credit me £10 (tho, someone did the first time..!), so i asked them if i could escalate it to their manager - she did and i got another £10 credited to me...
 
Different scenario - come on you work in software engineering, you know you must reproduce the problem as precisely as possible to investigate defects properly.

First test then, is the option to return the second Epic available? Although that’s not truly representative it is a good start.


Cheers,

Nigel

See post #4 - it's a different order.
 
Different scenario - come on you work in software engineering, you know you must reproduce the problem as precisely as possible to investigate defects properly.

First test then, is the option to return the second Epic available? Although that’s not truly representative it is a good start.


Cheers,

Nigel

Ok so it's partly a terminology problem - we have now show that multiple returns from the same order is possible - so that is put to bed.

So now the question is, can multiple items which are duplicates of the same line item be returned?
 
come on you work in software engineering

Yep that's true - and mostly in my experience the user is wrong, so always best to rule that out first :)
 
First test then, is the option to return the second Epic available?

The Epic order is too old but here's a conclusive example from another

Return one mould spray:

1595157763712.png


Now return the other:

1595157784510.png


Ticket -> Closed: No Reproducer
 
So looking like either an issue down to

Amazon marketplace items or where the order only has one order line and that order line has multiple quantities.

I also encountered something else unusual with Marketplace items. I recently received a board for my 3D Printer that was dead on arrival, I wanted a replacement but that option wasn’t available, just refund and buy another.

I think that was the same with the HDMI otherwise I would have done a replacement in the first place.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
So looking like either an issue down to

Amazon marketplace items or where the order only has one order line and that order line has multiple quantities.

I also encountered something else unusual with Marketplace items. I recently received a board for my 3D Printer that was dead on arrival, I wanted a replacement but that option wasn’t available, just refund and buy another.

I think that was the same with the HDMI otherwise I would have done a replacement in the first place.

Cheers,

Nigel

I suspect it is down to it not being compatible with some marketplace sellers workflows. That's much more likely than a single line item special case.
 

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