Remedy decisions · reviewed 22 October 2026
Partial refunds: keeping a flawed find and getting some money back
A partial refund means keeping an item while receiving an agreed part of its price back. The current 100buy help articles reviewed for this page do not describe a general partial-refund service. This page explains how to assess a specific offer or request; it does not claim that sellers normally offer one.
Establish the problem before discussing money
Keep the seller link, selected option, quantity and item amount. Describe the visible difference in neutral terms: a printed word differs from the listing, a mark appears on the front panel, or one component is missing. Include a full view so the location is clear and a close view so the detail is readable.
Separate a cosmetic concern from a function or safety issue. A small scuff on a decorative buckle and a strap attachment coming away from a bag need different decisions. A photograph can show a loose seam, but it cannot establish how much weight the attachment can safely carry.
If the pictures do not establish the concern, ask for the missing view before bargaining. A sentence such as “the stain is beside the left pocket in image 2” is more actionable than a general quality score. Do not claim the item is unusable if your actual concern is a visible cosmetic difference.
Decide whether keeping it would make sense
| Situation | Question to answer | Possible next action |
|---|---|---|
| Small visible difference | Would you still use the item with this exact difference? | If yes, ask whether the seller is willing to discuss an adjustment. No amount is assumed. |
| Wrong size, model or option | Can the item fulfil the purpose you bought it for? | Ask about an exchange or return before accepting a discount that leaves the mismatch unresolved. |
| Missing removable component | Can the seller identify and supply the correct missing piece? | Ask about a reship and its delivery costs; a discount may not replace a needed part. |
| Functional or safety concern | Would keeping it expose you to an unresolved problem? | Do not use a payment adjustment as evidence that the item is suitable or safe. |
The seller may decline a proposed arrangement. A request is not a published entitlement, and there is no supported percentage table for stains, crooked prints or scratches. The guide’s remedy ladder is a way to compare options, not an outcome ranking.
Record an offer precisely
- Ask for the amount and currency, and whether it is a refund, balance credit, voucher or another adjustment.
- Ask where it will appear and what event triggers it. The published handling of a cancelled order does not establish the destination of every negotiated adjustment.
- Confirm whether accepting settles only the described issue and what happens to any other pending request.
- If you prefer another remedy, state the reason and ask whether it is available for this order. Do not assume a return remains open indefinitely while negotiating.
For example: “The selected option was navy; the received label and photo show grey. If the seller proposes an adjustment for keeping it, please confirm the amount in CNY, where it will be credited and whether accepting closes the wrong-colour request.” This is an example message, not a transcript from a buyer case.
Keep the return deadline separate
100buy’s return article describes a five-day eligible-return period counted from the hour after stock-in, subject to seller acceptance and resale conditions. A discussion about money is not evidence that the clock has stopped. If you may prefer a return, ask the agent how to preserve that request while awaiting a seller reply.
After international dispatch, an agreed return may involve another cross-border shipment. Establish acceptance and complete costs before sending anything. This guide does not claim that post-delivery offers are normally smaller, that sellers intentionally delay them or that most buyers keep flawed items; no reliable case series was established for those claims.
Check completion, not only agreement
Save the seller agreement and the agent’s confirmation. When a credit appears, match it to the order, amount and currency. If the amount differs, ask for the deduction or adjustment record. If nothing appears, ask whether the seller has paid, the agent has received it or the credit is still being processed.
A balance credit is separate from a withdrawal to a card or payment account. Before requesting withdrawal, read its current conditions and any fees. Do not share full payment credentials, identity documents or unredacted order information in a public community thread.
Continue with missing parts and exchanges, return conditions or a stalled order or refund.
What this page is based on
100buy’s return and exchange article and after-sales instructions were refreshed on 22 October 2026. They describe return and cancellation handling, but do not establish a usual partial-refund amount, success rate or typical seller behaviour. The questions on this page are an editorial decision method.