Received faulty goods- seller agrees to replace but wants me to return faulty ones at my cost

[CuriousB2]

I bought two laptop batteries from a website, using Paypal, and one is faulty.  I contacted the seller to let them know, they offered to replace it on the proviso that I return the faulty one.  Which I am happy to do, and requested that they enclose a paid returns label with the replacement.

This ^, they have refused to do;  suggesting that I get the return postage paid for by Paypal.

What gives?  This is a warranty issue and I am not clear on how I am expected to get Paypal to pay for the postage.  Any help in what I am to look for at the Paypal end would be SO gratefully appreciated.

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

@CuriousB2

If you win a paypal dispute then paypal requests you to return the item at your own cost to the seller before you get a refund.

Whether you get reimbursed those return costs is between you and the seller but if they are a reputable registered business then they normally do refund them.

However if you had activated the below link BEFORE you made the transaction then paypal would pay those return fees if you won a dispute.

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/returns

[CuriousB2]

Thank you SO much for that.

It is certainly what I thought-  that it is the seller responsible for return postage where an accepted warranty claim is made, NOT Paypal.

Seems silly of them to have suggested that Paypal is responsible for meeting the seller's obligations, given that they must know that I didn't activate return postage refund guarantee at Paypal before buying, given that I didn't about it nor was expecting to have to use it. 

One more question-  is there a UK/EU version of the community?  I note that this mentions "US payments".  Only-  this might affect things too...

[kernowlass]

@CuriousB2

Well i hunted for the U.S version as you were posting in the U.S forum.

But I can get you the UK one easily enough as I am in the UK.

To be fair the seller would not know whether you had activated it or not as the refund is issued by Paypal and not the seller if you met their conditions of reimbursement.

And I have had the banner on my paypal account for ages saying to activate it so its a shame you did not see it as its been ongoing for nearly 2 years now. I would activate it now so you may be covered in the future.

If you are in the UK and the seller does not reimburse those return costs then you may still be able to take the small claims court route OR do a chargeback via your card issuer?

https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/refunded-returns

[CuriousB2]

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Thank you again!  Yes, that is why I asked if there was a UK/EU forum-  because this is where I ended up after looking for a contact for Paypal, having read all the topics, none being relevant to my question.  🙂

In fairness to the seller-  the seller accepted that this is a warranty issue, and are willingly (without coersion) replacing the faulty battery.  So that is not at issue.

It is just that they want me to pay for the return of the faulty one and trying to smooth over the lack of a returns label with the promise that, if I paid with Paypal, (and I quote) "PayPal now cover up to £15 of return shipping costs" so they don't have to supply a returns label.

And I'd need to also open a claim with Paypal in the resolution centre from what I can make out.  A bit heavy-handed.  If the seller want me to go down that route I'd oblige them, of course.  Either way-  they are liable for the postage, whether Paypal charge it back to them or they give it to me directly.

I am also hardly going to take the seller to the small claims court for £3.95 or start involving my bank...  But that is also why I asked where the Paypal promise to reimburse warranty returns is.  Before I got into it that deep.  🙂

As for not accepting the Paypal-  I almost never use Paypal (and now will use it even less) so have no reason to have seen any banner, much less act upon it.  

[kernowlass]

@CuriousB2

Well what you do and what you use is up to you, I just gave up my time to try and help you and give you options. No way can i know how much the postage would be too return it OR whether that would be worth going to the small claims court of not.

[CuriousB2]

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@kernowlass wrote:

@CuriousB2

Well what you do and what you use is up to you, I just gave up my time to try and help you and give you options. No way can i know how much the postage would be too return it OR whether that would be worth going to the small claims court of not.

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Sorry-  I missed this.  I did thank you for your input and accepted your answer as the solution, so am not sure why it was necessary to have a go at me after the fact?

[CuriousB2]

Update-  the seller refuses to honour the postage costs relating to the faulty battery returns (yes-  both the original and the replacement I have since received are faulty) I will incur if I am to return them.

They insist that Paypal will pay for me to return them though I still don't follow how sending faulty goods is in anyway anyone's responsibility but their own.  Perhaps I have missed something, and Paypal will pay the return costs...

[CuriousB2 · Accepted solution]

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@CuriousB2 wrote:

Update-  the seller refuses to honour the postage costs relating to the faulty battery returns (yes-  both the original and the replacement I have since received are faulty) I will incur if I am to return them.

They insist that Paypal will pay for me to return them though I still don't follow how sending faulty goods is in anyway anyone's responsibility but their own.  Perhaps I have missed something, and Paypal will pay the return costs...

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Oh-  and they claim that Paypal will do this regardless of whether or not something has been activated at the Paypal end by the buyer and link:  

https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/refunded-returns/general-conditions

I guess I will have to risk it, because it is now a matter of principle and I want my money back.