Yes, and Ebay's policy, following the FTC, is that buyers pay shipping for returning defective items.
However, everything is negotiable. How important is the seller's feedback rating to him? For that matter, how important is it not to be a part of a thread like this? I've asked sellers before to cover the shipping, and many will. And I promise to give positive feedback if they do. You'd be surprised what a polite but firm email can accomplish.