Where is the seller protection!!??

[glazzilla]

I see this more and more often lately and it has finally happened to me first hand.

A buyer purchases an item, requests a return claiming it was not as described. As a seller you are basically FORCED to refund them no matter what, and the buyer never returns the item!! It blatantly shows in the return details page that "Started" and "Refunded" are check marked and the "Shipped" circle is NOT .. yet ebay says that the return is closed and theres nothing further they will do.. HOW IS IT CLOSED WHEN THE "SHIPPED" CIRCLE IS CLEARLY NOT CHECKED!!! MEANING THE BUYER NEVER SHIPPED BACK THE ITEM...

But ebay had no problem taking the money from my bank account to refund the buyer before ever confirming that my item was returned to me!! 

This is absolutely rediculous, so now not only does the Buyer get their money back, but they just get to keep the item now aswell huh???  With no recourse what so ever.... 

[the-hook-and-the-loop]

The buyer needs to return the item. You need to appeal this decision. Buyer doesn't get a refund until it is delivered back. Contact eBay via Facebook or call when they reopen.

[blingfling123]

This does not make sense as written.

Did you accept the return? 

If you did not accept the return/provide the label within the required timeframe, the buyer can ask eBay to step in and the buyer will be refunded on your behalf. 

[glazzilla]

The buyer already received their refund and the return is marked as "closed"  I dont understand how ebay just blatantly skipped the "shipped" step of the return process and went straight to the "refunded" step

[glazzilla]

Yes, I accepted the return since it really didnt give me much choice since as you said if i didnt ebay would just step in and refund them anyway, So I accepted the return, it was marked as started and then ebay took the money from my account to refund them, I never received the item back and they marked it as closed.

[crazystuff4sale]

You didn't mention anything about return shipping label or tracking. Was it an international order?

[glazzilla]

Everything ebay asked me for I accepted for the returns process, No, it was not an international sale. The buyer requested a return ebay gave me X amount of days to respond, I did so immediately pretty much, accepted the refuned request, return label and ebay took the funds from my account and refunded the buyer the following day, without me ever receiving the item back. I wish I could post screenshots, It clearly shows in the details for the return where the 3 circles are at the top that "Started" is Check marked "Shipped" is NOT and "Refunded" is Check marked, and below that it says that the return is closed and proceeds to show the amount that was refunded minus fees etc. with $0.00 owed balance. 

[inhawaii]

1) Accept the return.

2) Receive the returned item.

3) Then refund.

Works like a charm.

[glazzilla]

I accepted the return and ebay took the funds from my account without ever even confirming or giving me an option to wait for the item to be returned. 

[lakefor94]

How was the return label issued to the buyer? Was it a eBay provided return label or did you provide the return label?

When eBay refunded, was it time for eBay to be allowed to step in if there was some problem with the return label being provided?

Something with the return label is all I could think of that would warrant eBay refunding without the seller receiving the item back.

Does sound like you are going to have to appeal.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/appeal-ebays-decision-return-missing-item....

[glazzilla]

I accepted the buyers request to refund, sent the label, ebay took the funds from my account and refunded the buyer.  At the top of the page where it has the 3 circles Started, Shipped and Refunded   2 of them are check marked and Shipped is not.  Below that it says the return is closed and shows the amount minus fees that was refunded to the buyer ending with a $0.00 amount owed.  I called ebay support and they forwarded it to their support team, i then received an email basically saying the same thing "the return is considered closed and there is nothing further we can do"

[gamersbaystore]

ebay doesn't take the funds from your account and refund the buyer. Rather they put a hold on those funds until the case is resolved.

As others already noted, you should've waited for the item to be returned before refunding. ebay wont help you recover your item because the case was closed after you refunded. All you can do now is hope the buyer actually returns the item.

The buyer typically has a set amount of time to make a return. If they don't follow thru, then the case is closed in your favor and you get your money back.

[dbfolks166mt]

The use of eBay and seller protection is a contradiction in terms. All the protection is afforded to the buyer. 

[yoonix1]

EBay does NOT refund the Buyer right away. Ebay puts your money ON HOLD till a return shipping confirmation. If you do not have the amount in your Ebay wallet, Ebay will withdraw it from your account linked to Ebay. You agreed to this in the very beginning by switching to Managed Payments. Sellers protection doesn't play any role here. Even if you have No Returns policy, Ebay will take Buyer's side first. You can dispute the case later on.

[wrong66]

You stated you "pretty much" responded to the case immediately. How much time elapsed before you responded to the case?