Returns

[rojo0830]

Just took a royal screwing from ebay. Buyer states item arrived chipped. Asked on 2 occasions for photo of damage and condition of package item was sent in. No response either time. If damaged during shipment I could have processed claim and buyer would have refund. USPS needs  photo of packaging along with damaged item to process insurance claim. Today I received notification from ebay that the buyer sent the photos I requested and I did nothing so they sided with buyer. I contacted ebay and informed them buyer did not communicate or cooperate at any time.  According to ebay, the buyer sent 1 photo on today's date! and since the decided the case the photo is not available for me to view. Talk about a coincidence, buyer sends photo same time case is closing. WOW!!! 1technician and 2 supervisors later, i could not get them to grasp the fact that this buyer did nothing and ignored my communications until the 11th hour. Buyers word is all that is needed for ebays support. They do not recommend buyers photograph items. If the buyer doesn't have to send the photos USPS will not process the insurance claim. Believe it or not, all the employees I spoke with today acknowledge the fact that photos are required, I was told by all that they don't mandate buyers cooperate with the seller.  In addition, be advised that, according to Jared at ebay resolution department, Ebay hires the resolution staff to handle these types of problems and no one is "permitted" to speak with their supervisors. Nobody gets past the resolution team.  I'm guessing ebay must be in the land of OZ! 

[phcd1]

---

@rojo0830 wrote:

...Today I received notification from ebay that the buyer sent the photos I requested and I did nothing so they sided with buyer. ...

---

Return for refund, that is all you need to know. NEVER fight a refund and NEVER escalate a claim to eBay for their "help". NEVER let a case timeout either. Sounds like you had a SNAD claim and didn't respond in the timeframe alloted. You now have a defect. A few more of those and you'll be banned from selling on eBay for life, they'll let you buy though.

Sorry this happened to you, but rule #1, don't fight a return.

[rojo0830 · Accepted solution]

Maybe I wasn't clear in addressing my problem. I did respond 2x's to the buyer. The buyer did not respond to me until the day the case closed. Unfortunately for me, ebay closed the case within hours. I just wish ebay would have allowed me to view the photo the buyer sent today. (They could still see it and could find nothing wrong with it). But that really didn't matter to them. I have readjusted my line of thinking and have taken the attitude that its "the cost of doing business". I really appreciate your informatiion regarding contacting ebay with any return issues.  Thanks!!!

[needleinahaystack714714]

---

@phcd1 wrote:

---

@rojo0830 wrote:

...Today I received notification from ebay that the buyer sent the photos I requested and I did nothing so they sided with buyer. ...

---

Return for refund, that is all you need to know. NEVER fight a refund and NEVER escalate a claim to eBay for their "help". NEVER let a case timeout either. Sounds like you had a SNAD claim and didn't respond in the timeframe alloted. You now have a defect. A few more of those and you'll be banned from selling on eBay for life, they'll let you buy though.

Sorry this happened to you, but rule #1, don't fight a return.

---

@phcd1 and I disagree OFTEN on how to handle refunds, I have fought some SNADs them and won them a number of times.  This is one time I am in 100% agreement with him/her... This isn't a return you could have fought and what you did was try to hold the pictures as ransom over the return and the buyer got the better of you on this one.  Once it was clear the buyer wasn't going to send pictures, you should have cut your losses.  At least that way you would have gotten your widget back (broken or not) and not gotten a defect.

I do understand that you were trying to collect on the insurance that you rightfully should have been able to, but in the end, it hurt you badly

[missjen831]

(this should be in reply to OP not pcd1)

The buyer isn't required to send you pictures or cooperate with the insurance claim. You would think ebay would at least require a picture but they don't. You didn't get screwed by ebay. You failed to accept the return. You did not work things out with the buyer. Ebay had to step in and they refunded the buyer without requiring a return, which is exactly what they say they will do in the Money Back Guarantee in this situation. Chalk it up to a learning experience. Its not right but this can all be avoided if you simply accept the return when the buyer won't send pictures within 2 days.

[americanflag911]

Hi

Ebay has to do something to correct this issue, or hire more people to actually investigate a claim. That was so unfair, between the buyers claiming chipped, broken by shipping, or this feedback nightmare, were a buyer can say one thing, u correct the issue buy sending them another item at ur cost, and the negative feedback remains.

So many folks getting tired of these wrong decisions being made.

[apache.falls]

were you dealing with the Queen or the Prince?

[axellecarot]

Maybe the fact buyers are ignoring the seller's communication is because they're tired of being argued with. That is how buyers see these communications, senseless and at times irritating argument, some might see it as stalling tactics, doesn't matter.  The buyer wants to return something, it is the seller's job to approve the return (and not argue about it). Approve the return and when the package arrives, issue the refund.  That is the seller's job, the buyer doesn't want to hear or see anything else (no matter how right the seller is).

[evergreen257]

I hear ya. My auctions state NO RETURNS.. I have well written descriptions and include photos for the idiots who can't figure **bleep** out. If they can't decide that what I'm selling is what they want, they have photos to look at to help them make a decision to buy or not. I had a buyer change his mind after he got my item and wanted to return it. I said no returns. That's what a description is for and "I included photos for the dummies". ebay made a decision to return it even though my auction says NO RETURNS. Ebay **bleep**ed me by allowing the return and then also wanted me to pay the fees on the sale. I said no way are you going to charge me fees and return his item he bought.

ebay doenst give a **bleep** about what I wrote in my TOS for my auctions. I called ebay and yelled at them and said I follow your TOS every time and you end up **bleep**ing me and not follow your own TOS. Then I paid $14.11 in fee's from another sale and paypal decided to tack on an additional $85. Since I can't dispute a portion of the charge I disputed the whole charge. Paypal and ebay are **bleep**s for the way they treat sellers. I pay ebay $5 a month to pay off what they accused me of doing. ebay is lucky so far that I havent decided to rip them off. Its very simple, buy something for $500 and then wait for ebay to ok the return and return in a smaller bos an apple or an old tea cup or anything but what you bought. ebay will see a return number and item returned. You get your money back and keep what you bought, and the seller will have to fight and pay for it because ebay likes to **bleep** people.

[needleinahaystack714714]

Anyone who recieves a SNAD needs to read this thread.... YES, I've changed my attitude on SNADs.  Per eBay, they allow the buyer to return ANYTHING and for ANY REASON on your dime if the buyer opens a SNAD and you have a return policy.  If you refuse the return, they MAY make the buyer pay return shipping but you will get a defect.... This is even if you sold a red shirt, the buyer admits it is a red shirt, but the buyer wanted a blue shirt and opens the return as a SNAD... It doesn't matter what the facts are, it doesn't matter if the buyer admits it, nothing matters as long as you have a return policy... YOU the seller have to accept it back, and YOU the seller have to pay return shipping.

The only way around this is to have a no returns policy.

[jesse101556]

I agree! Seller's Beware! Don't argue or fight buyer's return requests. Agree to the request and once you receive the item, issue the buyer the refund. If you argue or try to fight the issue, eBay will step in and side with the buyer and then you are screwed. EBay will issue a refund to the buyer out of your PayPal account and you will not get the item back, so you would be out of the item and the money. Later, if you need to, you can always block troublesome buyers from bidding or buying your items.

[baggs-2024]

But Trinton also posted right on these boards, somewhere (can't search for anything anymore), that ebay DOES have a process in place for protection of the seller when the buyer won't cooperate in an insurance claim.  I'll search... But as usual, doesn't sound like CS has heard that part.

[baggs-2024]

Here you go. Ebay says they have "protection" in place.  I would call them and ask them, or better still, ask the author of this post.

[hrs-hd-neb]

I am one of those out the item and the money . I never got the book back .  But ebay held my money and stole it.  I fought ebay  I even put in the title it was a 1958 showed a picture of the old book all tatered and old looking . I said it was as good as having a new one and the buyer insisted I misled him by selling a book that was not new (even though it was way cheaper than a new one , did not look like it, and said 1958 in the title.  I did not want to use the ISBN # but Turbo lister kept warning me to use it. so I made sure any idiot would know it was not new. But the idiocy of ebay is beyond the capacity for understanding.  You do know this is just a site that ebay uses to gather malcontents so they can use shill bidders or other means to get rid of us.  They have done it before I can give you a list but it is out of date.  They have done much worse things to me in the last 5 weeks but it just is not worth it.  I am tired of fighting.  They aparently have different 'give us your feedback sites'.  When things were going good they kept encouraging me to give them feedback then when they screwed me , I mean when I felt like I was getting screwed, (their psycho babble) they took it away real fast after just asking me why I have not filled it out hmmmmmm.  Now they have sent me another one and I will bet it's orign is different.  Why can't we ask them to rate us with our own questions?  After all these questionairs are not about them but about us.

[traycelee522]

Did i miss something, i didn't see where the buyer ask to return the item.  Buyers have found the loophole where they can get a refund and keep the item.  Big business sellers can afford this but not little sellers.  Sometimes the shipping cost more than the item.  Not enough sellers protect, eBay rules often give buyers the option to cheat.  Brick and mortor stores don't allow this why should online stores.  You assume "they're tired of being argued with." whose arguing do i hear guilt in that statement?.   "The buyer wants to return something, it is the seller's job to approve the return" No it is not the sellers job to approve return if it was adversited as no return.  Buyer are alleging not as described to get out of paying return shipping. AKA the loophole.