Questions about buyer wants to cancel item, but it already shipped out....

[wileycat66]

I told him he can write " refused" on it and it will get sent back to me.  He ordered this nearly 24 hours ago. 

However,  I have not had anything like this in years, so does this method still even work? Or is it better to have

him  pay to return it?  Or would I generate a label for him? 

 It was not an expensive book and I let him know shipping would be deducted from refund. 

If he writes "Refused" on the package and hands it back to post office, will they charge me again to get it back?  

I haven't seen this on the boards. Most people have advised to have the buyer start a return and send it back. 

Thank you. 

[soh.maryl]

Are either you or the buyer aware that, if he writes "refused", he voids any MBG protection he has?

[wastingtime101]

---

@wileycat66 wrote:

If he writes "Refused" on the package and hands it back to post office, will they charge me again to get it back?  

---

If it's media mail you will have to pay shipping again (postage due) to get the package back. And it will be slow.

If it's ground advantage or priority mail then you do not have to pay shipping again on a refused package @wileycat66 .

[kensgiftshop]

You offer free shipping so you can't deduct anything from the refund.

[albertabrightalberta · Accepted solution]

---

@wileycat66 wrote:

I told him he can write " refused" on it and it will get sent back to me.  He ordered this nearly 24 hours ago. 

However,  I have not had anything like this in years, so does this method still even work? Or is it better to have

him  pay to return it?  Or would I generate a label for him? 

 It was not an expensive book and I let him know shipping would be deducted from refund. 

If he writes "Refused" on the package and hands it back to post office, will they charge me again to get it back?  

I haven't seen this on the boards. Most people have advised to have the buyer start a return and send it back. 

Thank you. 

---

@wileycat66 

Although I don't think this is your intention, it's often the case that when a seller tells a buyer to refuse delivery, it's because the seller is aware that the buyer will lose his MBG protection and the seller will keep the item and the money. NEVER tell a buyer to refuse delivery unless you plan to issue a full refund before they send it back. 

Since it was shipped, tell the buyer to open a return request for "not wanted" or similar reason. Buyer pays return shipping and once received, you will refund the full purchase payment. (With your free shipping, you aren't able to deduct original shipping from the refund.)

[wileycat66]

Yeah, I'm going to quit with the free shipping thing as I've had two issues now with people giving wrong address or not wanting the item I already shipped. 

[wileycat66]

Thanks. This makes sense. I just thought it would be easier for him to just write refused on it. 

I'm also done with free shipping due to two incidents in the last week.  

[pjcdn2005]

---

@kensgiftshop wrote:

You offer free shipping so you can't deduct anything from the refund.

---

They are allowed to deduct the original shipping from the refund since the package was refused as long as a return isn't opened and if the seller uses 'send refund' option.   It is the same as if the buyer opened an inr after refusing the package. The seller would win and then the seller could refund just for the item.

[pjcdn2005]

As I mentioned in another post, the seller is entitled to give a partial refund because when an item is refused, the mbg doesn't come into play and the seller is allowed to deduct shipping.

As far as telling the buyer to open a return rather than send the item back as refused..if the seller is planning on refund for the item once they receive it back, the buyer doesn't need the mbg.  I'm sure that there are sellers who ask the buyer to refuse the package so that they don't have to refund but I also don't think that there is anything wrong with a seller suggesting that the buyer do that when they have full intention of refunding. 

If the seller suggests that a return be opened, there is always the chance that the buyer gives a false reason for the return so that they don't have to pay for return shipping.  I haven't had a return or a refused packaged in a long time so I'm not sure what I would do in that situation but I don't necessarily think that it is always wrong to suggest a package refusal.  Perhaps I am just looking at it differently.

[albertabrightalberta]

---

@wileycat66 wrote:

Thanks. This makes sense. I just thought it would be easier for him to just write refused on it. 

---

There certainly are instances in which "refused - RTS" is the best option. 

I had a case in which I did do that. I sold an item, found an undisclosed (unnoticed) flaw and let the buyer know that I was issuing a refund immediately but I'd ship it and she could examine it. I told her that if she wasn't happy with it, she could do with it as she pleased because the refund was already issued.

Once delivered, she decided she didn't feel right keeping an item she wasn't charged for and didn't want to open it to see if it was repairable. So she said she'd just mark it RTS. Since there was no MBG involved and I wasn't going to relist the item, I didn't care that it may not come back to me. (Ultimately, I did get it back and I also got positive feedback from the buyer for being honest.)

[albertabrightalberta]

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

I don't necessarily think that it is always wrong to suggest a package refusal.  

---

I don't disagree and in fact, just posted an example from my own experience in which I did just that.