I recently bought a T-shirt that's listed as brand new on eBay. Shirt arrived quickly in nice condition, but there is a small but noticeable stain on the bottom right corner of the front of the shirt. I went back and check the listing again and found out that in the photos he provided in the auction he covered up that corner of the shirt with a hand-written tag of his eBay ID.

So I emailed and asked the seller if that was the result of any mishandling during the process of shipping and what he wants to do about it. He replied and said that the stain was a factory misprint, that he knows about it before listing the shirt and since I bought the shirt for 10 bucks I shouldn't be complaining. He said if the stain bother me that much he would be willing to refund me if I send back the shirt.

Needless to say I felt cheated. In the description of the item, this "factory misprint" was not mentioned anywhere. And the way he covered up the stain makes me even more pissed off. So I replied and told him that what really pissed me off is not that I paid 10 bucks for a shirt with a slight defect but the fact that I was lied to. And I asked for reimbursement for shipping it back because I don't feel like paying for a mistake that I didn't make. Then he replied and said my offer was ridiculous and he is doing me a favor by offering me a refund.

I've been on eBay for around 5 years, mostly as a buyer and I have never experienced something like this. For me eBay is about the mutual agreement and trust between two individuals, and I feel that what he did was nothing different from a scam.

I know I can leave him a negative feedback or get a refund, but I really want him to get punished and learn his lessons. What can I do and what should I do? Should I just shut up and be satisfied with what he offered? I just want to hear what other eBayers (both buyers and sellers) think about my situation.

File a "item not as described" on paypal and he will be at your mercy. I think you are responsible for S&H cost back to him though. Then file another one thru eBay. I heard that if eBay sellers get too many complaints they will be suspended.

henny said:You might want to go the cc chargeback route instead of a SNAD. They might not have you return the item and don't sellers have to pay a fee to Paypal when a chargeback takes place?? (at least they used to).

The best way to punish the seller is negative feedback but be factual and professional when leaving the negative.

You don't want to immediately go do a chargeback cause Paypal might suspend your account. If time permits then do a SNAD then if Paypal doesn't help then go to your CC.

i3ighead said:henny said:You might want to go the cc chargeback route instead of a SNAD. They might not have you return the item and don't sellers have to pay a fee to Paypal when a chargeback takes place?? (at least they used to).

The best way to punish the seller is negative feedback but be factual and professional when leaving the negative.

You don't want to immediately go do a chargeback cause Paypal might suspend your account. If time permits then do a SNAD then if Paypal doesn't help then go to your CC.
I don't have a link to the source but I'm pretty sure I read that the terms have changed. There is no risk of having your account limited anymore by doing a credit card chargeback.