refunding shipping on FREE SHIPPING auction

[pmkat252]

Some of my auctions include free shipping. In the returns section of my auctions, I have the statement "shipping is non-refundable unless I have made an error in the listing".

The buyer is to pay return shipping, unless of course I messed up the auction. Had a buyer return 3 dozen gloves, that I spent $6.10 (of her $20 purchase price) to mail to her. My auction was correct but the gloves "DIDN'T FIT HER". So she returned. I contacted her and offered to refund $15 for the return. She agreed. EBAY tells me that I must refund the entire $20 ????? Because I offered free shipping on that auction. Why should I lose money when I did nothing wrong? We can't know if the buyer is going to be able to wear what I have sold.

If this is the policy then I will remove all free shipping on my auctions. I can't afford to pay postage on items and not be protected.

[twnpopcards]

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@pmkat252 wrote:

Some of my auctions include free shipping. In the returns section of my auctions, I have the statement "shipping is non-refundable unless I have made an error in the listing".

The buyer is to pay return shipping, unless of course I messed up the auction. Had a buyer return 3 dozen gloves, that I spent $6.10 (of her $20 purchase price) to mail to her. My auction was correct but the gloves "DIDN'T FIT HER". So she returned. I contacted her and offered to refund $15 for the return. She agreed. EBAY tells me that I must refund the entire $20 ????? Because I offered free shipping on that auction. Why should I lose money when I did nothing wrong? We can't know if the buyer is going to be able to wear what I have sold.

If this is the policy then I will remove all free shipping on my auctions. I can't afford to pay postage on items and not be protected.

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@pmkat252

This is not my area of expertise but I will say what I believe the answer to this is.  If the buyer was returning the items under a buyers remorse claim then if you have a restocking fee stated in your listing, then you can charge that restocking fee (most add this to cover the cost of the Free shipping if the item is returned) and Ebay will automatically deduct it.  Buit when you have free shipping, Ebay considers it just that, FREE so there is no deduction allowed from the refund for the shipping cost.  If you do not offer free shipping but have a stated shipping cost, then I believe you can deduct that cost from the refund, but hopefully others with more knowledge can chime in and either confirm or correct this statement.

If the item is returned as a SNAD claim then even if you have a restocking fee or shipping was charged, you must refund the entire amount paid by the buyer.  

I hope this helps some until the pros in this area weigh in.

David

Twnpopcards

[duchess-at-speakeasy · Accepted solution]

The buyer is entitled to a full refund of the item price when you accept "buyer's remorse" returns. If the item price happens to include your shipping expense, then that's your problem, not the buyer's. The buyer, of course, pays return shipping if that's how your return policy reads. Oh, and you DID remember to add the shipping cost to the item price, right? Some sellers forget this little detail!

Whether you offer "free shipping" or not, you can state a restocking fee in your listings. The most common amounts are 15% or 20% of the item price. The fee is intended to offset the cost of repackaging new merchandise for resale and/or selling "opened" items for less money. (Manufacturers, distributors and other suppliers who accept returns from retailers assess this fee.) In your case, a restocking fee helps offset other expenses such as postage and shipping supplies.

~~C~~

[missjen831]

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@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:
The buyer is entitled to a full refund of the item price when you accept "buyer's remorse" returns. If the item price happens to include your shipping expense, then that's your problem, not the buyer's. The buyer, of course, pays return shipping if that's how your return policy reads. Oh, and you DID remember to add the shipping cost to the item price, right? Some sellers forget this little detail!

Whether you offer "free shipping" or not, you can state a restocking fee in your listings. The most common amounts are 15% or 20% of the item price. The fee is intended to offset the cost of repackaging new merchandise for resale and/or selling "opened" items for less money. (Manufacturers, distributors and other suppliers who accept returns from retailers assess this fee.) In your case, a restocking fee helps offset other expenses such as postage and shipping supplies.

~~C~~

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@duchess-at-speakeasy once again that is incorrect. On a buyers remorse return, the buyer is not entitled to a FULL refund unless shipping was free. If the seller charged for shipping, the seller is allowed to withold the original shipping cost from the refund, the buyer is NOT entitled to a full refund. It does not matter IF the seller accepts remorse returns. Here's the policy http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/return-item.html#refunds

[missjen831]

Since you offered free shipping and you do not have a restocking fee, the buyer gets a full refund. If you offer free shipping and you have a restocking fee, then the restocking fee is how you recoup the original shipping cost. If you charge for shipping then on this type of return, the buyer isn't entitled to a full refund, you can refund the item price only. Here's the policy on that http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/return-item.html#refunds

[pmkat252]

This question was in the context of free shipping on this particular item.

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

@missjen831 Please note that I specifically said "item price."  I did not say "item price plus separately stated shipping and handling." ~~C~~

[phcd1]

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@pmkat252 wrote:

Some of my auctions include free shipping. In the returns section of my auctions, I have the statement "shipping is non-refundable unless I have made an error in the listing".

The buyer is to pay return shipping, unless of course I messed up the auction. Had a buyer return 3 dozen gloves, that I spent $6.10 (of her $20 purchase price) to mail to her. My auction was correct but the gloves "DIDN'T FIT HER". So she returned. I contacted her and offered to refund $15 for the return. She agreed. EBAY tells me that I must refund the entire $20 ????? Because I offered free shipping on that auction. Why should I lose money when I did nothing wrong? We can't know if the buyer is going to be able to wear what I have sold.

If this is the policy then I will remove all free shipping on my auctions. I can't afford to pay postage on items and not be protected.

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That's why I no longer offer free shipping, you can't deduct "free". Wait until you start getting SNAD claims, you'll be paying shipping BOTH ways AND you can't charge restocking fee's!

[phcd1]

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@missjen316 wrote:

Since you offered free shipping and you do not have a restocking fee, the buyer gets a full refund. If you offer free shipping and you have a restocking fee, then the restocking fee is how you recoup the original shipping cost. If you charge for shipping then on this type of return, the buyer isn't entitled to a full refund, you can refund the item price only. Here's the policy on that http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/return-item.html#refunds

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Except when you have a restocking fee that buyers remorse return suddenly turns into a SNAD return, but you are correct! 😉

[tdlclifford]

This is the second time I have accepted a return on a "free shipping" listing due to the buyer changing their mind.  I refunded all but the initial actual shipping, as the buyer and I agreed prior to returning the item.  Nevertheless, eBay decided that I failed to make the correct refund and marked it against me in their silly statistics.  Now I have a high return rate, if I get one more return I will go below what is allowed to be a TRS.  The whole problem is the refund was incomplete according to eBay because I didn't refund the initial shipping.  Somehow eBay thinks that free shipping is a miracle whereby no one pays shipping!  What is wrong with them--delusional??  Both times I talked to customer service and was assured they had made an error and the rating would be changed.  It never was.  I'm tired of dealing with eBay customer service.  They really haven't a clue.  I dropped from the TRS Plus program due to getting tired of jumping through unreasonable hoops for a very small reward.  NOW, I'm dropping Free Shipping from all my listings.  No more getting dinged for being nice and taking returns on buyer's remorse.  The buyer will pay all the shipping.  Too bad, lots of buyers appreciate free shipping and being able to use the shipping cost toward eBay bucks.  Most buyers do not return.  The very few who do so unreasonably spoil it for everyone.  And eBay allows them to.  This loss of service to buyers in my shop is due entirely to the extreme incompetence of eBay Customer Service.  eBay tries to tell me how to run my business when they demonstrably cannot run their own.  

[misfitfun]

Buyers remorse returns do not require refund of the shipping charge

Shipping charge is the amount you charged to buyer not the fee you paid to ship.In free shipping there is not a shipping charge.

[myangelandmyprincess]

This is why a lot of sellers who have free shipping and returns have a restock fee.  To help recoup the initial shipping costs 

[pjcdn2005]

Now I have a high return rate, if I get one more return I will go below what is allowed to be a TRS.  

How does that work? Sellers don't get penalized after a specific amount of returns.

[spudcakes]

Never offer free shipping unless shipping is small $
I Shipped an item for $21.77. The buyer said the pool cue had dings and wanted to return. My description stated clearly that the butt had a number of dings. Also my description graded the cue at 85-90%. Both of these condition statements should have turned the seller off or at least prompted questions before bidding. The buyer refused to accept refund minus shipping and refused to pay return shipping. Long story short, Ebay required the buyer pay return shipping but I was still out my shipping of 21.77. The final explanation I got from Ebay is that free shipping is not part of the price of an item and a full refund is required, I cannot re-coup shipping from the buyer. Ebay advised that I should set up for shipping charges and abandon free shipping. That way only the actual price of the item has to be refunded but the shipping is not. So, it makes no sense to figure in shipping in the price of the item and use free shipping. It can come back to hurt sellers when they sell to a "Window Shopper" who wants to buy it and look at it then return it instead of reading the description. Ebay has no help to offer the Free Shippers in such a case. I tried real hard but nuthin' doin'. I had to talk to several customer suppot personnel to get the explanations and finally the advice and it took some prodding. Yes they are polite but they want to protect ebay's profits from free shipping. Shippers are not afforded a fair consideration. No justice for shippers.