eBay resolution service suggests I can’t recover the return costs of a shoddy bike I was sent that was badged up as VGC (which means very good condition I presume). Is this right? You’d think return postage of £35 would be included. I think I’m going to have to put this down to experience.

EBay website says
You’ll be refunded the purchase price and original postage costs if you paid using PayPal.

but doesn’t say you can’t recover return costs

I paid with Paypal.

Any experiences people?

No. No return postage. Standard ebay and PayPal policy. It’s not right IMO but not much you can do.

Vgc does mean very good condition but I would never put it in an eBay ad as its means different things to different people.

yes you can ask for the return postage as well. I would give ebay a call but add it onto your correspondence with the seller. Make sure you get a tracking number on the return as ebay will use this to confirm the return

if it’s a ‘Significantly not as described’ SNAD return you have logged.

my recent experience is that ebay will typically comp the buyers return, at sellers expense.

First the seller has to negotiate or settle the return with you – or it goes to ebay for resolution.

If there is a dispute it could go either way, typically against seller according to folklore though!

I’ve had eBay stump up postage.

I’ve had ebay stump up the postage, especially for new faulty items that I have paid by using their buy it now service.

No harm in asking!

95% of the time if it goes to ebay resolution they will stump the postage. If the seller just says “return it” then you can’t make them pay.

The only solution could be to escalate it anyway saying “i shouldnt have to pay” and hope ebay are feeling generous.

Thanks everyone. Another great job done. Off to resolution centre after one last email to try to compromise

It shouldn’t really need Resolution Centre action, Ebay is quite explicit on this.

Here’s what we found for “Who pays for return postage costs?”

If there’s a problem with an item, the seller is responsible for paying return postage costs. If a buyer changes their mind about a purchase and wants to return it, they may be required to pay the postage costs, depending on the seller’s return policy. Sellers can provide a return postage address and additional return postage information for the buyer in My eBay.

the only way eBay stump up the postage (its usually a ParcelForce 48 label they send you to download) is if the seller ignores the resolution centre case