Bought boots on ebay, 1 month later they have fallen apart

intheclouds

So as the title says, I bought a pair of branded boots in ebay from a UK seller. They were advertised as "new but not in box". They arrived promptly and I was satisfied that they were not fakes and they seemed fine.

However, I have been wearing them to work since and within a week the interior of the boots began to disintegrate. First of all the part that cups your heel came away and the hard white material behind it began to break away each time I put them on or off. Then the material covering the sole came away and the stuff underneath started crumbling, and destroyed several pairs of socks before eroding away completely. Then the lining of them came away and is now flapping around raggedly. I have had them for 1 month and they have had mostly indoor use (at work).

I genuinely am not hard on boots or shoes and usually they last me years, Ive never had something like this happen before.

So - I contacted the seller last night and explained that the insides of the boots have disintegrated and that they will be useless for anything but the bin shortly and that I would expect a pair of boots to last longer than one month but the seller has responded that they are sorry to hear it but they have had no other complaints.

So - where do I stand?

Jarren

EBay shop or private seller?

nava

intheclouds wrote: »

So as the title says, I bought a pair of branded boots in ebay from a UK seller. They were advertised as "new but not in box". They arrived promptly and I was satisfied that they were not fakes and they seemed fine.

However, I have been wearing them to work since and within a week the interior of the boots began to disintegrate. First of all the part that cups your heel came away and the hard white material behind it began to break away each time I put them on or off. Then the material covering the sole came away and the stuff underneath started crumbling, and destroyed several pairs of socks before eroding away completely. Then the lining of them came away and is now flapping around raggedly. I have had them for 1 month and they have had mostly indoor use (at work).

I genuinely am not hard on boots or shoes and usually they last me years, Ive never had something like this happen before.

So - I contacted the seller last night and explained that the insides of the boots have disintegrated and that they will be useless for anything but the bin shortly and that I would expect a pair of boots to last longer than one month but the seller has responded that they are sorry to hear it but they have had no other complaints.

So - where do I stand?

Was it a shop or private seller? You should reply with the above comments. if a shop they probably try to work out a solution with you. If a private not much you could do if they don't want to offer a refund.

You should start a Paypal dispute process, most sellers will offer a solution, if within a week or 2 you haven't come to a satisfactory solution escalate to a Claim. DO NOT close the dispute or claim until you have a satisfactory resolution, if a refund was agreed make sure you have the money, even if seller promises to give the refund once claim is close do not close it, if you close it you cannot open another dispute/claim.

If you haven't left feedback leave negative feedback or threaten them with it, if you already left it you should look at changing the feedback, info here

intheclouds

How do you know if its a private seller or not?

Under their name it says "Registered as a business seller".

The above comments are what constituted the content of the email I sent them about it.

I already left feedback, the boots were alright when they first arrived, I wasnt to know that complete disintegration would occur in less than a month.

intheclouds

So I found the relevant legislation (on one of ebays help pages) and I emailed the seller back and said that under the legislation that the boots werent fit for purpose and I would like him to offer me a resolution to my issue, either refund or replacement (I cant really see how you would repair them) and that if he didnt offer same I would be forced to open a paypal dispute.

I will give him til this evening to respond then I will open a paypal dispute.

firestarter51

make a claim on ebay for item not as described ie not fit for purpose, if this fails which i doubt you have a 26 week window to do the same with paypal

intheclouds

firestarter51 wrote: »

make a claim on ebay for item not as described ie not fit for purpose, if this fails which i doubt you have a 26 week window to do the same with paypal

Im going to do that right now, Ill update with the outcome.

intheclouds

I was unable to figure out Ebays claim system so I have opened a paypal dispute instead.

firestarter51

intheclouds wrote: »

I was unable to figure out Ebays claim system so I have opened a paypal dispute instead.

much the same outcome but paypal takes ages
i just waited 2 months to get a refund on a watch

just be patient and the money will be refunded


with ebay you need to open a dispute then escalate to a claim and the seller will have to pay return postage, or what happened to me recently with a pair of boots ebay refunded me and i didnt have to send the boots back due to the seller not replying

intheclouds

How do you open a dispute on ebay? The options that their help was telling me to choose didnt appear for me.

firestarter51

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/ebay-money-back-guarantee/how-to-help.html

firestarter51

in basic terms go to the item in purchase history, look to the right and where is says view order details there is a drop down menu and you can select return this item this opens a return request with the seller and you go from there

intheclouds

Its alright, Im in it with PayPal now - will see what happens......

intheclouds

So - without notifying me - Paypal closed my dispute, said they could not find in my favour and they dont cover "buyers remorse"? WTF?

They never asked for photographs of the damage or any other proof that the boots were substandard.

I have tried to go through ebay and the resolution process is telling me the item is not eligible for ebays money back guarantee.

So now where do I stand? I thought that under consumer law this guy had to offer me repair/refund/replacement?

intheclouds

I contacted my credit card company and requested a chargeback but they tell me they do not initiate chargebacks for faulty goods.

So it looks like, consumer law may be on my side, but there is no one who will invoke it for me!

Del2005

intheclouds wrote: »

I contacted my credit card company and requested a chargeback but they tell me they do not initiate chargebacks for faulty goods.

So it looks like, consumer law may be on my side, but there is no one who will invoke it for me!

Try the ECC, they deal in cross border consumer issues.

firestarter51

intheclouds wrote: »

So - without notifying me - Paypal closed my dispute, said they could not find in my favour and they dont cover "buyers remorse"? WTF?

They never asked for photographs of the damage or any other proof that the boots were substandard.

I have tried to go through ebay and the resolution process is telling me the item is not eligible for ebays money back guarantee.

So now where do I stand? I thought that under consumer law this guy had to offer me repair/refund/replacement?

buyers remorse ? did you explain they fell apart and were clearly fake etc ?

intheclouds

firestarter51 wrote: »

buyers remorse ? did you explain they fell apart and were clearly fake etc ?

Yes. I dont think they were fake, I just think they were crappy quality.

I am furious with PayPal. I lodged a complaint - but Im not expecting much from it.

I am also furious with AIB who refused to initiate a chargeback on my behalf.

But most of all Im furious with the business seller on Ebay who refused to even listen to my complaint.

I have held onto the boots so that I can show the damage with photographs but no one has asked me to show anything!

I dont see any other recourse for me now, the seller, ebay, paypal and aib all refuse to entertain me.

mickoneill31

intheclouds wrote: »

I contacted my credit card company and requested a chargeback but they tell me they do not initiate chargebacks for faulty goods.

So it looks like, consumer law may be on my side, but there is no one who will invoke it for me!

You might refer AIB to their own site.

http://www.aibms.com/help/management-tasks/dealing-chargebacks/

On that they have various reasons for a chargeback. One of them is

"Quality, where the cardholder disputes the sale for reasons of quality"

Del2005

intheclouds wrote: »

Yes. I dont think they were fake, I just think they were crappy quality.

I am furious with PayPal. I lodged a complaint - but Im not expecting much from it.

I am also furious with AIB who refused to initiate a chargeback on my behalf.

But most of all Im furious with the business seller on Ebay who refused to even listen to my complaint.

I have held onto the boots so that I can show the damage with photographs but no one has asked me to show anything!

I dont see any other recourse for me now, the seller, ebay, paypal and aib all refuse to entertain me.

Proper branded items don't fall apart in a week with normal use, they are most definitely fake.

Contact the brand owner, if they are legit they might offer you something and if fake them eBay/PayPal will have to refund.

intheclouds

mickoneill31 wrote: »

You might refer AIB to their own site.

http://www.aibms.com/help/management-tasks/dealing-chargebacks/

On that they have various reasons for a chargeback. One of them is

"Quality, where the cardholder disputes the sale for reasons of quality"

Del2005 wrote: »

Proper branded items don't fall apart in a week with normal use, they are most definitely fake.

Contact the brand owner, if they are legit they might offer you something and if fake them eBay/PayPal will have to refund.

Ok - having taken the advice of the above posts I have re-contacted AIB, pointed out their own documentation and told them that a real branded item does not fall apart within a week so I am disputing the transaction on grounds of quality.

This time they agreed to place the transaction into dispute and I am to provide some further detail including emails with the seller, photos of the items and try to get the brand owner involved also.

nava

MOD: intheclouds, AIB are on Boards.ie Talk to, do you want me to move the thread to them so they can advice you, if we move the thread they will have the history.

intheclouds

Hi, no its ok, id rather leave it here for any further input on perhaps how to ascertain a branded item is a fake?