Misleading stock information, terrible return handling, and unexpected import charges
I had an extremely poor experience with RobotShop EU and their Marketplace system. The product was shown as “In stock” and “ready to be shipped”, and my order confirmation even referred to EU warehouse shipping. After ordering, it became clear that the EU warehouse was actually out of stock and the item was shipped directly from China. The vendor later admitted this in writing. When I requested a return, I had to chase both RobotShop and the Marketplace vendor repeatedly before receiving usable return instructions. The vendor initially tried to impose a $35 restocking fee, even though I was exercising my statutory EU right of withdrawal. That fee was only waived after further escalation. I then had to pay to return the item to the vendor’s address in Luxembourg. While I was still waiting for my refund, I received a separate FedEx invoice for import VAT and customs-clearance charges—even though RobotShop had explicitly stated in writing that the shipment was DDP, Delivered Duty Paid. The customs paperwork also declared the scanner at USD 50, although the actual purchase price was approximately €240. I asked RobotShop to explain this discrepancy, but neither RobotShop nor the vendor gave me a substantive response. At this point, I had to involve my bank because RobotShop and the seller stopped responding and failed to confirm the refund. This was not a simple delay or minor customer-service issue. It was a sequence of misleading stock information, poor Marketplace oversight, repeated chasing, attempted extra fees, unexpected import charges, and prolonged silence. Based on my experience, I would not buy from RobotShop Marketplace again. Buyers should be very careful and verify where the item is actually stocked, who is importing it, and who will be responsible if anything goes wrong. The case remains unresolved, even though I first requested the return and refund process on 22 June 2026. More than a month later, I am still having to chase RobotShop, the vendor, FedEx, and my bank. I think that says everything about RobotShop you need to know... Update: After I posted this review, my case was finally escalated, and Louise from RobotShop stepped in. I want to give her credit because she actually took the time to look into the whole situation, issued the full refund, and even offered to personally make sure the FedEx customs invoice gets paid. She has been responsive, helpful, and clearly tried to clean up a mess that was not caused by her personally. My criticism of RobotShop and the Marketplace vendor still stands. It should never have taken this many emails, weeks of chasing, and a public review before someone properly took responsibility. Still, Louise handled the escalation well, and I appreciate that.