How to handle international returns when a seller claims item was fine
Sellers often deny responsibility for damaged goods using pre-dispatch photos while buyers are left to figure out international shipping costs. This leaves the buyer stuck paying out of pocket for a return or being unable to resolve the dispute with the seller.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Leaving a one-star review with a photo and opening an Etsy case
- 2Taking the item to a local jeweler to fix it instead of shipping it back
- 3Negotiating a partial refund to cover local repairs
- 4Taking the car to another shop for a second opinion
- 5Asking for the replaced parts back to inspect them
- 6Doing the repair work oneself
- 7Calling the shop to ask for a discount or to see if they will take responsibility
- 8Taking the car to a different shop to get it fixed if the original shop refuses to help
- 9requesting a replacement unit
- 10combing out the bent fins manually or with a special tool
- 11keeping the unit and using the damage as a bargaining chip for a discount
- 12Calling the installation company back out to check refrigerant levels, perform leak checks, and adjust system components.
- 13Using a chip repair kit to fill the defect
- 14Marking the item as defective and requesting a replacement
- 15Taking the item to local jewelers for repeated repairs
- 16Considering melting the gold down for scrap value
- 17Trying to contact the marketplace platform support
- 18Plucking out long strands of glue
- 19Throwing the toy away immediately
- 20Checking for parts that fall off
- 21Buying from farmers markets or Facebook Marketplace instead
- 22Test the appliance first
- 23Inspect the internals to see if all parts are present
- 24Avoiding the brand entirely
- 25Buying cheaper alternatives on platforms like Alibaba
- 26Covering outdoor items or bringing them inside
- 27Contacting customer support for restitution
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“weve bought outdoor furniture indoor rugs and end tables from restoration hardware. we’ve had for 5 years …the outdoor cushins are completely torn up the rug jas weird imprints from a folding chair that was in it for a couple days and won’t come out?!?”source ↗
“Could being low have killed this thing or was it a manufacturing defect or something else? Trying to decide what I need to push for - fix vs replacement since it never worked right and is dead less than 24 hours after install.”source ↗
“My wife bought a chip repair kit to fix it before cold weather makes it crack but I don’t even know whether that’s likely for the tiny size of it.”source ↗
“Just got this mini split from Costway. The indoor unit has some bent coils on the left-hand corner. Should I be concerned? This has not been installed yet, so I’m wondering if I should make a return or if the damage is minor.”source ↗
“Unfortunately, the bracelet has completely stretched to the point where it’s completely unwearable. Its thinness has caused it to keep breaking.”source ↗
“Despite taking it to my local jeweler for repairs multiple times, I’m now being denied service because of its thinness. I’ve also tried taking it to other jewelry shops, but none of them are willing to touch it.”source ↗
“I was denied support and informed by the company that my bracelet did indeed stretch due to normal wear and cannot be repaired or replaced by them.”source ↗
“Now, at some point, some how, the caliper seized, and they’re trying to charge an extra fee of about $300 (they’ve already been paid for the work for the brakes and rotors) to replace the calipers.”source ↗
“sounds like they messed up pushing the piston back in and now they want you to foot the bill for it.”source ↗
“That’s my thought process, every time I’ve done my own brakes on my previous vehicles, I’ve never had a caliper seize”source ↗
“They surely messed it up themselves. I have never heard of a car that new with a seized caliper.”source ↗
“It doesn’t work. It’s just a shell used for display purposes. Manufacturers will provide these to retailers so people can see the product but they don’t function.”source ↗
“Is this okay for a cat to play with? (The photo on the listing didn't show any glue.)”source ↗
“I wouldn't be worried about the bent fins too much. I am wondering why the coil divider is so displaced and because of that I'd get a replacement.”source ↗
“I had all 4 sway bar links replaced 5 weeks ago, but after 660 miles, i noticed the tab on the sway bar (where the links bolt into) snapped.”source ↗
“I don’t want any headaches and am hoping they would just give me some discount for changing the broken sway bar (probably $800~1000 labor+parts).”source ↗
“I bought a ring from a seller on Etsy and received it yesterday. There is some tarnishing on the gold finish (925 silver)”source ↗
“I'm not sure how this should be handled. They didn't offer a solution, they just sent the photos and it shows the ring was in perfect condition.”source ↗
“I asked for a prepaid shipping label to return it. I'm not sure if they will provide it. I'm in Canada and the seller in India.”source ↗
“I recently bought an item and ran into a problem with it being defective. I found the seller to be cold and not caring about how it arrived or if it’s in good condition even though I spent a significant amount on the product. Now this whole process to dispute takes DAYS.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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