E-bayers: what is typical for refunds when returning an item? Is shipping included?

[CynthiaOK]

I purchased an item that was grossly misrepresented. After much back-and-forth, the lady has agreed to a refund. However, I didn't specify about shipping charges. The shipping & handling charged was $8.70, the actual shipping was $6.20 (the additional $2.50 was the packaging/handling I guess). But I did purchase the additional insurance of $2.05, but she did not purchase it (no indication on package of insurance).

Because it was so grossly damaged (and she admits she knew it, but didn't think it affected the item significantly) I feel that the shipping I paid originally as well as the shipping costs to return the item should be refunded. But I don't know what is usual and customary. I will be returning this with insurance and signature required (I'm not too confident in this gal).

What is fair? She had no return policy on the item's description.

TIA

[Mrs. Readsalot]

Because the item was misrepresented, and she admits that, I think you should get every dime you paid her back. As to what is customary, that I do not know. I am just expressing my opinion. I have sold a lot of things on ebay, and I make sure I describe faults in the items I sell. It really makes me mad to hear of sellers like you encountered, because it makes people distrust ebay as a place to buy. Only once have I had to return someones money due to a flaw in a book that I honestly missed. I refunded the total puchase price, plus shipping she paid me, plus the shipping to return the item to me. To me it was just the right thing to do.

[Whisperlily]

I gave a refund on a book one time. It was when my Mom was helping me package, and put the wrong buyer's address on a book.

The buyer who recieved the book was so very sweet. She mailed the book back to me, and I refunded her the price of her book + shipping, in addition to the return shipping cost on the wrong book. So, she got her book entirely free, for the inconvenience of having to ship the wrong one back to me.

I refunded only the shipping price on the book I sent to the buyer who the book was intended for... It was supposed to have gone media mail, and due to quick postal service, it went out priority mail and arrived around the time she would have expected it anyway. Just in case, the shipping was free for her.

As a seller, anything that is my fault is treated accordingly. I would've refunded your shipping cost.

[kokotg]

I don't sell much anymore, but when I did I always refunded shipping. My experience as a buyer is that most sellers will say in their terms that refunds don't include shipping, but in actual practice a good seller will always refund shipping if the error is theirs.