INAD allegations after declined return.

[arranpoole12345]

Hi everyone,

First time posting here. I'm wondering if anyone with more experience of selling on eBay than I have can give me some advice. 

I only sell on eBay occasionally, never had any problems before, but I now have a buyer who is really behaving quite erratically. To cut a very long story short, I sold an item as a buy it now, item was delivered with a few hiccups which were resolved after some slightly strange, rambling messages from the buyer. 

Buyer then puts through a returns case on the grounds that he 'just didn't like it'. He sent a short message asking me to accept the return - no complaints about the item itself. I decided to decline. Returns case closed. 

Fast forward a few days and out of the blue I receive several messages alleging that some damage to the item declared in the listing is worse than I had stated, that there is additional damage not declared at all and, more worryingly, suggesting that he thought the item was stolen! 

My response to this was to immediately report him to eBay for accusing me of selling stolen goods. I sent him an FYI of this, to which I received an inevitable torrent of abusive messages alleging that I'm a scammer, I had tried to scam him before, telling me to 'press the accept' button, that sort of thing.

Now, as he's already put through a returns case and it's been declined/closed, I no longer actually have a way of accepting and actioning a return on eBay, even if I wanted to. On that basis, I've chosen not to even engage in a discussion with him about the alleged damage, told him that I can't accept a request on a closed case and any further issues should be raised directly with eBay (cue: further abusive messages).

But what further actions can he now take in this scenario? My understanding is that he can't open an INAD in eBay. He can only go to payment providers - PayPal/credit card. 

If he had originally put through an INAD on eBay, then I know I wouldn't have had any scope to argue, would have accepted the return and refunded. But now? The logical conclusion, given the sequence of events is that he's trying it on because I declined the return, but I don't know whether that's how payment providers would interpret the situation? Has anyone been in this situation before?

Cheers! 

[tdumonde2014]

Many have and some regret not accepting the return. Should your buyer open a credit card chargeback,  you will lose and the buyer will receive a refund and they will keep your item. Good luck. 

[arranpoole12345]

This is as I feared.

I presume I can challenge chargeback, regardless, citing the buyer's lack of any communication regarding the matter when requesting a return.

[kensgiftshop]

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@arranpoole12345 wrote:

This is as I feared.

I presume I can challenge chargeback, regardless, citing the buyer's lack of any communication regarding the matter when requesting a return.

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The buyer can probably open an INAD still, then you'll have to pay return shiping.

When a seller doesn't accept returns, they'll do what they have to do to get their money back.

If they go to their payment source, you'll loose the item and payment, plus you'll be charged an extra $20 if you try to fight it.

[arranpoole12345]

Thanks so much for the reply.

Any further INAD case would only be able to happen, presumably, at the discretion of eBay CS, right? Ie. If he rang them up and gave them a sob story.

Are cases brought against sellers by payment institutions ever winnable? I know he will obviously go to them claiming INAD, but this surely isn't just a straightforward case: the sequencing of events must indicate an attempt at fraud, surely. 

I know this is going to sound like a hopelessly naïve thing to say, but all this does make me wonder what the point of eBay even allowing return refusals is, if they can effectively never safely be declined.