Buyer returned item to sender after non-payment report

[purplesnblues]

Please help if you have advice. Here's the chain of events:

• Auction ended on 9-23; buyer did not pay.
• After a day I sent an invoice.
• After 3 days, I sent a payment reminder, asking when they would be able to pay. 
• After 4 or 5 days (I can't remember) with no payment and no response, I reported the buyer for non-payment.
• I also put the buyer on my blocked list at this point.
• The buyer paid, I shipped.
• Today, the package came back to me with a NON-USPS label reading return to sender.

I looked up the tracking history, and the package was delivered; two days after that, a return to sender was processed. Here's what the USPS tracking history says:

October 5, 2018, 9:58 am
Return to Sender Processed
THE COLONY, TX 75056 
The return on your item was processed on October 5, 2018 at 9:58 am in THE COLONY, TX 75056.

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October 3, 2018, 12:35 pm
Delivered, Front Desk/Reception
THE COLONY, TX 75056 

I am 99.9% sure that the buyer, upset that they had been reported for non-payment, made their own return to sender label and put it back in the mail in an attempt to get a refund--I don't offer returns. I googled USPS return to sender label, and the one on my package is not similar to the USPS generated return to sender label. I did take pictures of everything.

I don't want to contact the buyer, partly because I don't want to unblock them to communicate and partly because I think this is a spiteful person and have no desire communicate with them. My first impulse was to report them again, but I thought I'd check with the community first, since I haven't been selling for too long (about 6 months).

Thanks in advance for your help.

[bonjourami]

i would wait and see if she files a case..of course even if she doesnt, you know its not right for you to get the item back and keep her money too.Doesnt matter if you dont offer returns.

[thesingingmuggle]

I would agree that the buyer seems to have behaved rather vindictively in this case.  However, I would issue a refund (assuming the item came back to you in a condition that you can sell it again) of at least the purchase price, and just move on.  I also find that the best policy is to not send multiple payment reminders, just open the case after 4 days.

[sam9876]

I wouldn't do anything. 

[purplesnblues]

Thanks all for sharing your thoughts. I am now inclined to just offer a refund, minus shipping, and be done with it . . . I was reading another thread earlier, however, that said something about eBay assigning sellers an "automatic defect" if the seller processes a return without the buyer initiating it . . . Does anyone know about this? The post was from a few years back, so I'm not sure if this policy still exists.

Here's the relevant thread: https://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-Selling/Package-came-back-as-Return-to-Sender-what-do-I-do/td-...

[purplesnblues]

Just found this, too . . . https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/service-and-payments/defect-removal.html 

[sam9876]

That is why you shouldn't do anything. 

[mam98031]

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@bonjourami wrote:

i would wait and see if she files a case..of course even if she doesnt, you know its not right for you to get the item back and keep her money too.Doesnt matter if you dont offer returns.

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The buyer can't open a claim in Ebay that they can win.  They either refused shipment or had USPS return it, either way it was delivered, so the INR is not something they could win.  They can't file a SNAD because the refused the shipment.  So any case that this buyer could open the seller could get it closed quickly.

[mam98031]

Because you have your buyer on your BBL that does not prevent you from contacting them nor them from contacting you no matter if you have your site preferences to block buyers from communicating with you if they are on your BBL.  The reason is you have a transaction with them.  That will override that block and you can freely engage your buyer if you want to.  However as others have said, that might not be the wises thing in this case.

I've had similar situations and I actually do contact the buyer.  But that is me.  It has served me well.  I stay short sweet and always professional.  No emotions, feelings or opinions.  That is the quickest way to get this to turn into a wild fire.  I write something like this:  I have received the item you purchased from me back and it is in good shape.  After I send this I will go to PayPal and issue you a refund less the original shipping.  Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.  Thank you, ________

So if I charged them $3.50 for shipping then I keep that portion and refund the rest to them through PP.  

It is of course your decision.  For myself I don't want to keep money that doesn't belong to me, but that is my viewpoint and it certainly doesn't have to be yours.

[purplesnblues]

Thanks! So, do you know if I issue a refund through PayPal, instead of canceling the order on eBay, will I still get a "defect" on my eBay account?

[mam98031 · Accepted solution]

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@purplesnblues wrote:

Thanks! So, do you know if I issue a refund through PayPal, instead of canceling the order on eBay, will I still get a "defect" on my eBay account?

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Not if you send an email to your buyer using the Ebay email system outlining why you did the partial refund.  

[ripcityresell]

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@purplesnblues wrote:

Thanks! So, do you know if I issue a refund through PayPal, instead of canceling the order on eBay, will I still get a "defect" on my eBay account?

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Why would you cancel it on eBay? For all intents and purposes it's a completed transaction. If you are hell-bent on refunding, do it through paypal, minus the shipping and final value fee.

[7606dennis]

Why would you ship if the buyer had not paid?  You must have if the buyer could return the item.  I'm afraid I don't quite understand your post.

You stated that you reported the buyer for non-payment.  Did you follow procedure and file a UID and then close it 96 hours later?

[mam98031]

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@ripcityresell wrote:

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@purplesnblues wrote:

Thanks! So, do you know if I issue a refund through PayPal, instead of canceling the order on eBay, will I still get a "defect" on my eBay account?

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Why would you cancel it on eBay? For all intents and purposes it's a completed transaction. If you are hell-bent on refunding, do it through paypal, minus the shipping and final value fee.

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Yes, but Ebay does monitor communications from time to time.  And it has been recommended by the guys and gals on the Weekly Chat to always make sure  you communicate within Ebay why you are issueing the refund.  That step will help to cover the seller from getting their account dinged.

You are absolutely correct about the cancellation system.  Although for us long time sellers we remember a time not so long ago that one of the reasons to file a cancellation was because the seller was refunding the buyer.  As we all know, Ebay has significantly shortened the list of reasons for filing a cancellation.

[mam98031]

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@7606dennis wrote:

Why would you ship if the buyer had not paid?  You must have if the buyer could return the item.  I'm afraid I don't quite understand your post.

You stated that you reported the buyer for non-payment.  Did you follow procedure and file a UID and then close it 96 hours later?

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The buyer paid.  The OP said that in the first post.

The seller filed a UID, then the buyer paid, the seller shipped, then the buyer rcvd the item and either refused the shipment or returned the item without any communication to the seller.