Problems with ebay seller, any advice
 

Well apart from the advice not to use ebay that is..
So story goes i wanted a set of amber sidelights for my Type R, like what was on one of Scoobyclinics car, cant find them anywhere so found them on ebay U.S trade seller ADVANCE AEROPORTS, cost was $25 + $45 SHIPPING= $70..
Received them super fast but they are disgracefull quality, complete sh~te TBH, wont fit the car at all, when forced some way into place the fixing screw hole is around 10mm away from hole in headlight, rubber gasket falling off... horrible things..

So i have been in contact and sent pics, just got the usuall crap that they never had any issues before with them bla bla bla... and if i want to return them thats no problem, and they will refund the item price and they do not refunf p&p as there policy states.... so that would mean i pay $45 shipping to originally get them over, pay another 45 to get them back and they then refund me item cost of 25:cuckoo:
What can i do her guys, ive sent a fairly hoyt email back..
Heres some pics
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...elights018.jpg
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...elights024.jpg
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...elights020.jpg
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...elights008.jpg

Most aftermarket Sidelight's fit the same, with some fiddling they will go back enough for the screw to go in. it may not seem like it, but i have done it many a time.

the rubber seal can go back with a spot of Glue or silicone.

Contact ebay and paypal, it may take a while but you will get your money back. The photo's will really help your case and ebay and paypal will look at them.

I can't say 100% you will get the original postage back due to it being in america, but you will get the item cost and not have to pay postage to return the item.

Let ebay and paypal take over now, they're on your side not the seller

Even better, if you follow what Broxi say's and it works, just leave them negative feedback

Another option you might want to think about, so long as the actual light part fits flush against the panel and it's just the bracket that needs fettling, would be to ask them for a partial refund but keeping the lights, to compensate you for the extra hassle of making them fit. The reasoning being that a large proportion of your outlay was postage, and they're much more likely to dispute that than the actual item cost.

i know after market lights arent allways a bang on fit, but trust me these will not fit no matter what you do, if you look at first pic that light is in as far as it can go and look where the hole is, no way can that be made fit..


here is some pics of the quality and the quality of my current Depo side lights
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...elights006.jpg
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...ights004-1.jpg


And here is my aftermarket Depos, see the difference in quality and fitment, the 2nd picture, that light just clips in liuke the oem one

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...elights016.jpg

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/u...elights013.jpg

take the amber lenses off and fit them to the ones you took off?

They are just different mate, the depos are the black background etc etc, and lense is different

If you're not happy with the quality and you can't get them to fit even with the advice from the guys, don't use them. It will always bug you the quality.

As long as you paid via paypal, open a case with ebay and you will get your money back. The seller may even do a full refund soon as a case is opened.

If you're convinced these will not fit and the seller isn't gonna give a full refund, I can't see any other options.

If you can get other photos of a light to show the poor quality that will help your case and will really help getting a full postage refund. Trust me - paypal is there to protect you

start a paypal dispute, item not as described. Theyre described as fitting a Subaru but clearly dont.

Youll get your full payment back after 1 week or so.

you wil get your full payment back but you will have to return them at your cost trackable first. The return postage will be your own cost Im afraid.

I was so freakn annoyed this evening when i got their reply i emailed this response

Their email............................................. .............................................


Sorry for hearing that, actually, we sold this item for a long time but never had complaint or fitting problem.
Does the car has some difference between US model or your model? Anyway, if you would like to return, please send back to us, we will refund the item price to you, the s/h fee are non-refundable.
Sorry for the inconvenience!

My reply............................................. ................................................

No there is no difference in my car and any other JDM because my car is a JDM, which is what this product is supposed to fit.

The problem is in the poor quality of the product alone,
Surely you can see this from the pictures??????.

You charged me 45 dollars to ship them over, and now you want me to pay 45dollars to ship them back to you and you then will refund me 25dollars.....
so its going to cost me 90 dollars because you sent me a product thats not as its stated, is of poor to no quality and will not physically fit my car.. you must be joking.

2 options, i can return the items as they arrived to me no problem, you refund me the 70dollars that i originally paid for item and shipping plus you pay me for the additional cost 45 dollars of sending them back to you, i can provide you with receipt of shipping cost.

Or
You can refund me the 70 dollars, and forget about sending them back and i can send you pics of them being smashed or burnt or whatever takes your fancy as thats all they are good for.

No way should i have to suffer financially over the junk you have sent me,

I will wait for your response Tomorrow, after that i will be taking the matter up with Paypal, Ebay, Visa and will seek legal advice on the matter.

Please note i have not yet left Feedback on Ebay as i am awaiting the outcome

Leave it up to ebay and paypal now, do what they say

you will probably be able to send it back cheaper then that, try http://www.interparcel.com/

There is no point in me paying for shipping it back over for them to refund me only cost of item ...25 dollars!!!! I have paid 45 dollars alrady to have it sent over that they say they wont refund and want me to pay for shipping it back aswell.. so i end up paying say 90 to get 25 back:wonder:

Yea probably get cheaper, i was just quoting them back at what they charged me

I used to trade mazda mx6 parts with lads from the US for many years.

Their light units are a different fitment on a lot of cars, not just Impreza's and Mazdas.

The UK lights I sold were the same dimensions but none of the fittings lined up on a US car and the slam panel had to be cut. It may be a similar type of scenario with the US Impreza lights.

Those lights will cost around £12 to send back at the post office, BUT if you want a refund via paypal you'll have to get a tracking number which costs extra. In the end, you'll proberbly get around £35 back out of the $70 you've paid.

Once you open an "item not desctibed" despute they have 3 options. Full refund, no further action, Partial refund or refund upon return.

As mentioned above, you could use interparcel but unfortunately they're only any good for larger items. If they weigh under 2kg the post office is cheaper for europe/US etc. Over 2kg and the price goes nuts at the post office so Interparcel are better value.

Hope this helps, pm me if you want any other advice, i've been trading with yanks for years and have seen/heard it all before.

Well got this reply....Cant beleive this guy feels like he is loosing out refunding me the 25 Dollars and im loosing 45 dollars wtf??

Heres what i got

Sorry for the item again, actually, we sold this item for a long time, more than 100 sets but never had complaint or fitting problem.


We are willing to refund the item price $25 to you, then you don't need to return the item to us.


Please understand that we lost in this transaction also. Thank you for the understanding.

And my reply

Trust me, i would rather these would fit.. last thing i want is to buy something and it wont fit, and i am very capable mechanically and these are impossible to fit.. I have nothing to gain from buying something from the states and then wanting to return it because there is a little discrepency, this is not the case, again i have to say this, they will not actually fit.. and are very poor quality..

You just said that you are loosing out on this deal aswell.... look at the situation, with what you have offerd you are set to loose 25 and i the customer will loose 45!!!!! and its not my fault the item is the way it is,
Im not being rude, but these amber lights are junk, plain and simple. whether its an isolated case or a common one.
Its not like i can get the 25 back from you, then go out and adapt the lights to get them to fit... its not possible they are just too far away from fitting.. They are not useable..

I would suggest you put yourself in my shoes, You have seen the pics, no way should i the customer have to suffer over this..
As far as im concerned i am finished trying to sort this now, i listed the 2 options that i will go with, i am not willing to be out of pocket over this, and you shouldnt be trying to achieve this. I took 25 pics in total, of various angles and comparing the current lights, and i know both Ebay and Paypal will back me as the buyer when pics are provided.
I had hoped you would refund me without having to go that route.

Ken,

can you not grind the original mounting point on the lights off and weld another piece that will line up and fit?

I know you shouldnt have to but if you can and it works then your $25 to the good.

Just a thought.

for the sake of £12 i personally wouldnt bother even trying to weld new stuff, they should be sold to fit, best off going down the paypal dispute route, they favour buyers

If you honestly have faith in paypal and cant be bothered to try and make them fit fair enough.

I think once money has changed hands, ebay, paypal etc etc offer about as much protection as a condom full of holes.

If you have paid with paypal, you'll get your money back...

Paypal is good like that, just not so good when you are a seller, as its easy to scam people

might sound stupid but it there anyway u can take the bracket of yopur old lights and put it on your new ones ?
if not then i reckon u should just sell them on ebay if you dont get a full refund

They look like real poor quality, I fitted some aftermarket crystal headlights and side lights to mine the other month and had to feck around with them to get them to fit as best as possible, I'm still not 100% happy with them.

You can go down the paypal route to get a full refund but in either case you'll need to return them to the seller and provide a tracking number, in the long run, probably not worth the hassle and additional cost.

If the could be made fit i would do it, they just are 2 far off. The 2nd picture above, that lamp is fully pushed in, tight to headlight, and alignment spike is in wing and its way out past the wing.. How do i start the ebay paypal claim?