Buyers' returns becoming "case closed without seller resolution"!!!!?????!

[yeshy_us]

Buyer bought something then had buyers remorse and asked me if it's ok to return the item (they pay shipping because it's not SNAD, and also, they don't get refunded original shipping on a Free Shipping item - so there's no reason for me to scam on this - Just get the item and click Relist it) , I have no intentions to scam anyone but just saying.

THE BUYER FIRST SAID on MARCH 31st through regular message:
Hello good afternoon, the part that I get is not the one I need, so I would like to return it.

ME (the same or next day reply):
"Hi, if you do the return process through ebay (under your My Purchase History) find the Return item link for the item, and if you have a printer, it should give you the discounted return rate and only be about $3 for return shipping. and I'll refund you the full amount when I get it.

If you don't have a printer, you can bring it to a USPS post office and it'll be about $4.50 shipping. and then write the tracking number from the receipt into the ebay return form.

You can also tape the package closed that it came in, and write RETURN TO SENDER on the package (without writing over any addresses or barcodes) and I should get it back and when I do I'll refund in full."
 
BUYER on April 6th (I haven't heard from them for a week): "Ok!! I go and return it tomorrow thank you."

This was a 5oz first class package USPS by the way.

I log into ebay today (april 11th) and see the seller opened a SNAD (I guess as if I was false advertising returns were allowed). The SNAD was automatically closed by ebay the same day and ebay's solution says they need to mail me the item to get a refund, but it said it was closed in the buyer's favor.

We're only allowed 0.30% 'Cases closed without seller resolution' or we loose TRS. Luckily I have none of those strikes but I don't sell thousands of items a month, so this could stick around for a while.  I currently don't have a strike for this but next cycle it might because the current cycle it's showing ended about 2 weeks ago.

I have zero returns for past 18 months in my Return page which is boggling that this is not showing up as a return.
But under my "Sold page", for just about every other transaction (except for canceled items etc), the default blue text next to it on the far right of the item says 'leave feedback" , and if I leave feeback, that blue text becomes 'sell similar'. With this item, the blue text says "see return details'. So there was a return process apparently. I click that see return details and see:
"Here's what happened

Apr 11

The buyer opened a case
Reason for escalation

The seller didn't respond

Mar 31

The buyer (screen name) created a return (return #)

Reason for return

Doesn't fit

Comments

Is not the part I need

There's a few things I'm not understanding.

The buyer never uploaded tracking that I'm aware of. All of the return details I posted above. And I checked my trash and inbox and find no email from ebay about a return. I don't recall ever ok'ing their return AKA getting an ebay automated message about a return process. If I did get that message from ebay, %1000 I would OK it and wait for them to return the item.

Now, ok, I know that telling them to write RETURN TO SENDER is a big no no and I'll never 'be nice' and do that again. Honestly I would never scam and receive a returned item that way (not verified though ebay with a return tracking # so the buyer doesn't have to pay return shipping) and claim to the seller that I didn't get the item even if I did. I wouldn't do that. All that telling them to write RETURN TO SENDER does besides saving them return shipping is put me at risk of a lost package and then the seller thinking I lied and then getting a negative about it. For now on, no RETURN TO SENDER free return suggested. 

But REGARDLESS of the Return To Sender thing, I'm not sure how I got that "here's what happened" message from ebay (the message was in the case that I found today that was opened and closed today which I did get a message about). I don't undestand how it has record of their return on March 31st if I have no other record of an actual return.
This same exact thing happened about a year ago (but I didn't tell them to write return to sender by the way). Basically, buyer opens return and I have to Ok it but I DON'T get an email that I'm aware of from ebay telling me they even opened a legitimate return and then what happens is the buyer escelates it instead of messaging me.

So basically, is this the case - is it that EBAY DOESN'T EVEN message the seller that a buyer opened a return?!?!?! I have a million popups 'ENDING SOON BID NOW!" on auctions I'm already winning and all these other annoying popups but they don't give so much as an automated message that a buyer opened a return? In other words, I have to get into the habbit of checking my Returns section every time I log in to see someone has a return, and if I miss it, it becomes Case close wthout seller resolution? This has to be fixed if so.

[hafoster]

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@yeshy_us wrote:

I log into ebay today (april 11th) and see the [buyer] opened a SNAD (I guess as if I was false advertising returns were allowed). The SNAD was automatically closed by ebay the same day and ebay's solution says they need to mail me the item to get a refund, but it said it was closed in the buyer's favor.

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So the buyer still pays for return shipping?

Then it's not a SNAD case.

[yeshy_us]

I think the SNAD and all that is kind of besides my main concern which is - why are returns getting past me undetected and becoming "case closed without seller resolution"? Because there's no notification and I have to babysit my RETURNS section of my SELLING page?

Now I realize why I even brought up SNAD. Because this, which I beleive is the last and fogotten bitof info about this case (but still sort of besides my main question about returns not being brought to my attention).

when I go to resoluction center, It says- Opened April 11th case (and was closed same day)
Problem: "This item doesn't match the description in your listing." Ebay wrote that in as if the buyer selected SNAD, so that's why I brought up SNAD in the first place.

Then it says Awaiting buyers action (to return item).

BUT If I click SEE DETAILS:
Details:
Decision:
This case has been decided in the buyer's favor.

Request reason :Request for return
Case reason :Our records show you didn't respond to the case

Comments:
The buyer has been asked to return the item to you. Once tracking shows the item has been delivered to you, the buyer will be issued a refund. Return shipping costs will be paid by the buyer.

[yeshy_us]

I think I know what you meant though, you're saying if they opened it as SNAD, then it wouldn't be decided by ebay to have them pay return shipping like it clearly says ebay is asking them to do. To clarify, what I think may have happened is ebay took it as a sort of mistake that the buyer opened a case as SNAD when they really meant that I neglectted to respond to their Return request.

aparently I get popups and automated messages about selling my old i phone and all this other stuff and ENDING SOON BID NOW! (when I'm already the leading bid), but no, they don't give me a notification at all when a buyer wants to return something and then it will become a strike towards 0.30% allowed for TRS of "case closed without seller resolution"??!?!

[yeshy_us]

^ a striek towards 'case closed without seller resolution" AND a potential negative. Great.  I'm prety 'good at ebay', so I don't think I missed some obvious message about the return. But maybe I missed something, or I have to actuallybabysit the RETURNS section? (I get one return out of maybe 500 sales).

[phcd1]

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@yeshy_us wrote:

I think the SNAD and all that is kind of besides my main concern which is - why are returns getting past me undetected and becoming "case closed without seller resolution"? Because there's no notification and I have to babysit my RETURNS section of my SELLING page?...

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How can a return be "undetected"? You have a BIG RED BELL on the main screen and you receive an eMail (multiple times), I even get them on my phone!

[yeshy_us]

I searched all my emails (regular email, not ebay messages) for titles with 'return'. All I see from ebay is something from 2015 that says
"It looks like you recently received a return request from one of your buyers. The good news is our streamlined returns process makes handling return requests easier and more efficient than ever."

I never changed anything in the streamline. I checked it out yesterday. Seems it would automatically refund a certain amount that I put in once return tracking shows a return which is pointless because no one sells only one item for the same price. 

I also did "find on page' with all my messages for the past 4 months in ebay to find 'return', all of my inbox, sent, trash, and none were found. And I didn't trash any messages and then completely delete them from the trash folder.

I have 0 zero returns in my ebay Returns section of "my Selling" page. It says it's showing the past 18 months returns and I have zero. I had I think only one other return from a buyer about 9 months ago (and the case was closed without my resolution because I had no idea).

Is this just another bug? I'm using IE11 but so what if it's not chrome - I like IE11. Ebay is like a junior high computer class tried to build a website the amount of asenine bugs i've had to deal with (it used to actually change my listing shipping weight AFTER I completed the listing and so many more bugs I have never ever sean in my life let alone for a website the size and seriousness of ebay).

I'm calling ebay right now but this is some bug I think only a seller would know about. I'm assuming this is a bug.

[yeshy_us]

I called. and they were of no help. They said 'wait for the return and then callus". I said that's besides the point that I'M NOT GETTING NOTIFICATIONS OF RETURNS. Need to transfer note to programmers (like when they fixed myshipping weight automatically changing, or when I would sell and item and it would still stay as an active item and could be bought again (but it was already sold and therfore coudl give me a negative for 'sold item didn't have in stock). I still have that problem when I sell an item, it stays in my My Selling current listings but I don't think it can actualyl be purchased like it used to.

GREAT COMPUTER PROGRAMMING TEAM, EBAY!

[yeshy_us · Accepted solution]

SOLVED!

eBay's outsourced junion high computer 101 class they use to program the US' largest ecommerce site (or maybe Amazon is), strikes again!

Third time calling them and got someone to actually help. Apparently there's some Communications Preference setting that was set to NONE for when buyer opens a RETURN! "the system was updated" and apparenty this was turned to NONE by default (that's really smart, thanks, programming team, for two upset buyers who opened returns and though I was ignoring them and then got a Case Closed Without Seller Resolution Strike and a Negative feedback the first time this happened that I had to beg to get removed!) Thanks for having that set to NONE! I never changed it. I never knew it existed. eBay customer service rep said others had called about this.

What will they program next!?

[zapmags]

They got me too. Case opened and closed with a strike in a 3 minute period. Thanks for posting this. I fixed the notification setting. eBay has some visionary thinkers on its team.