Please help! Merchant secretly changed return conditions after refund request
Hi,
I’m dealing with a complicated return dispute with a Chinese company and wanted some advice before proceeding with a chargeback under Mastercard.
I bought a 3D scanner and accessory (for $400+) from the company’s official store. They advertised a 7-day return & refund policy. I requested within that window, and they agreed in writing to accept full return of both items.
However, after agreeing to the return, the process became extremely difficult.
They demanded $200 for the return shipping + import duties on the returned goods. The actual shipping cost is nowhere near $200.
They suggested I resell the products in their Facebook group, since “the return is expensive.”
I asked them 3 separate times whether the accessor will be accepted as long as there was no other damage. They only kept replying “the item can be returned” and “refund will be issued after inspection.”
During the negotiation, they secretly modified the product page to add a new clause saying the accessory is non-returnable once assembled. Luckily, I was able to retrieve the original product page.
I still have the items with me because a) the return conditions were intentionally left vague and 2) they are not sending me any return documentation that would make the shipping of the returned goods tax-exempt.
So… I’m stuck in this very nuanced position where the merchant says they accepted the return, but the actual refund conditions remain ambiguous, and I’m worried they’ll reject the refund after I ship the products. What’s stopping them from claiming that the item was not in good condition? (I’ve tried it once to test before deciding to return due to poor quality.)
What would you do? Continue to negotiate or file for a chargeback, accepting the risk in the ambiguity here? Post reviews all over the internet?
TLDR
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