how do i return an item on ebay?

If item is not as described that is the reason you give when you open a case on Ebay. The seller should refund your original shipping and shipping back. You have to send item back before you get a refund. The post office must be paid by you. If seller sent you a pre-paid label, you use it. Otherwise you have to pay to ship it back and get refund later.

If the product was not as advertised, you calmly ask for a refund. Opening a case is heavy-handed (and extremely rude) if the vendor has already credited your account and wants to make you happy.

Some vendors will give you a pre-paid return label. Every single transaction is different, so there is no way to guess what they might offer you. No, do not ship it until instructed to do so.

I would give the seller 48 hours to respond before opening a case. If after 48 hours he/she doesn't respond open the case. Ebay will tell you what you need to do. Do not ship the item back before you are instructed to. The return shipping isn't free, either you or the seller is paying for it.

Open the dispute. Ebay will look at it decide on your side. If you've already entered the dispute, the seller has only a few days to respond. It really does not matter if it was guaranteed or not, they will take your side. I finally quit selling on the joke when a gold coin that was appraised by a coin dealer who offered to buy it for slightly less than I sold it for. Then I'm told it's phony? Never returned to me and they took shipping and the price paid for the coin. I never received the coin back I would love for Ebay to come in and dispute this.