Wrong Camera Lens on eBay – Can I Get a Refund?
When Zachary Bucholtz orders a Canon lens from eBay, he receives a Sony lens. Can he get a refund?

Q: I purchased a Sigma camera lens for my Canon cameras off of eBay. When I received the lens, it did not fit any of my cameras. I reached out to the manufacturer, which ran the serial number in its database and confirmed that the lens I received from eBay was, in fact, the Sony version of the lens, not the Canon version. 

I have had numerous calls, emails and Twitter DMs with eBay customer support. Their money back guarantee states that an item that is not as described is eligible for a full refund, regardless of the seller’s return policy. This should be an open-and-shut case as it clearly is covered by eBay’s policy.

But eBay is refusing to accept my return. The company said because I initially selected “does not fit” in the return process that this indicates “buyer remorse” and is not covered. I have provided the letter from Sigma that proves my case and eBay still refuses to help. 

I have asked to escalate my case. I have filed appeals. I have written so many emails. I’ve never felt so helpless and insignificant as a consumer. Any advice you can offer would be a huge relief. I’ve been at this for days and am not sleeping.

Can you help me get the $565 back for my lens? ~ Zachary Bucholtz, Detroit

 A: You should be able to return the lens and receive a full refund. And you shouldn’t lose sleep over this purchase.

You’re right, eBay’s money back guarantee is pretty straightforward and unambiguous. It says if the item you ordered didn’t arrive, is faulty or damaged, or doesn’t match the listing you’ll get your money back. You claim the item didn’t match the listing. You ordered a Canon-compatible lens but received a Sony lens.

Case closed, right?

I reviewed the correspondence between you and eBay. It looks like you filed two claims over several weeks. You listed several reasons for the return, which may have confused eBay and led to this problem.

I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the eBay executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. You could have also reached out to one of them to appeal your case.

Your case is a reminder to check – and double-check – the item description before you buy. If you have questions about the item’s compatibility, ask the seller and keep a record of the answer. In this case, it appears the seller advertised the lens as Canon-compatible.

I can’t pass up this opportunity to throw some shade on the camera manufacturers: Their lenses should be interchangeable. There’s only one reason they’re not and you can probably guess it.

I like the way your case ended. You appealed eBay’s denial. It asked the merchant to respond – and it didn’t. eBay sided with you, refunding all of your money. 

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer for Elliott Advocacy. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help with any consumer problem by contacting him at http://www.elliott.org/help

© 2021 Christopher Elliott