Is it possible to get a partial refund on an Ebay item?

[Macaela25]

I bought a textbook on Ebay that I need for a class I'm currently in. It was obvious from the packaging/packing slip that the seller never saw the book - it was purchased directly from Amazon for $22 and shipped to me after I paid $54.95 for it. The book is in bad condition - I have no hope of reselling it when I am done. It burns me because DH and I keep textbooks that we use in perfect condition so that we can recoup a little of our costs by reselling.

I was nice enough to not leave feedback yet and sent this message -

XXXX,

I'm very disappointed in the condition of the book that I received. It was listed in good condition, but the cover and binding are very worn, the pages are dog-eared and heavily marked. I cannot return the book as I need it for a class I am currently in and don't have time to get another copy. The item is definitely not worth the $54.95 I paid. I would appreciate a partial refund since the book is in such poor condition.

Has anyone ever given/received a partial refund in a case like this? I'll definitely be leaving poor rating if it isn't resolved. I never realized that people sold items directly off other sites, sight unseen.

[thecooperhouse]

It is possible - it will just depend on your seller. If they choose to give you a partial refund or not. If they refuse - just make sure and leave negative feedback.

[3timesoccermom]

I received a partial refund on a phone I bought.

[Macaela25]

I was happily surprised that the seller immediately refunded $15. I buy and sell on Ebay only sporadically, so I wasn't sure how prevalent a partial refund was.

I gladly gave them a positive rating and didn't comment on the condition of the item.

[3timesoccermom]

All's well that ends well! Glad for you.

[434Teresa]

yes it is...

[ffagirl15]

I know this is a few days late, but I buy and sell on eBay quite a bit. When I was in undergrad and grad school I bought quite a few books on there as well as sold them myself. The thing about it is, eBay has a fairly strict condition policy for their sellers to list their items under. Here is the link to their policy:
Half.com Policies - Quality Rating
Oh and you will like to hear this:
"If Half.com determines that the seller misrepresented the item's quality (according to the quality rating guidelines we provide), Half.com will refund the purchase to the buyer, deduct the sale from the sellers account, and return the item to the seller at the seller's expense."
So that may be why they responded back to you so quickly and was willing to give a partial refund. If Half.com/eBay thinks they are doing it frequently they will eventually kick them off of the website and will no longer be allowed to buy or sell on Half.com or eBay.

Since they did contact you fairly quickly and gave you a partial refund this doesn't apply for this instance but just for future reference this is what eBay/Half.com's website said about having issues with an item and not hearing back from the seller or not reaching a positive resolution:
"If you do not hear back from the seller within 2 working days, or you are unable to resolve the issue, you can return to this page and click the "File Claim" button. Buyers will have 60 days from the order date to contact their seller and file a claim."