eBay decides in favor of the seller despite clear legal position – ABE missing, return refused | Rating

$onja_l-h · 2025-12-05T11:58:32.897000Z

One problem I want to share here is that with payment via Klarna, eBay seems to favor the seller more. I bought a vehicle part (location DE), advertised with eBay's parts promise and free returns. The seller is shown as a Top Service merchant with buyer protection. The problem: The seller did not state that there is no ABE/no parts certificate. That means the part may not be installed without further ado, otherwise insurance cover, TÜV, and warranty are at risk. When asked, the seller said it would work “even without it.” After that, I requested the free return label that was promised in the listing. On eBay he said he had provided it– but he wrote to me that there were “IT problems” and I should pay for the return shipping myself. For the return shipping, he transferred me just under €15, even though at 205 cm in length it counts as bulky goods and, as a private individual, I can't arrange it (max 200m with DHL, others even less).. After a long back and forth, he offered me €25 so that I would just leave the part lying around. I contacted eBay several times and was assured that they would take care of it. During the last phone call, they simply hung up. Today, the case was still closed in favor of the seller, even though I did nothing wrong. Legal:– Sellers must state if there is no ABE/no parts certificate → defect in goods (§ 434 BGB).– Without ABE, the operating permit can lapse (§ 19 Abs. 2 StVZO).– If a free return label is promised, the seller must provide it. That a seller who sells safety-relevant vehicle parts without approval isn't even blocked is incomprehensible to me.Here, turnover seems to matter more than law and buyer protection!

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