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Summary: lyon_collectables expressed frustration with eBay’s handling of a late package claim, which resulted in an unexpected negative mark on their account. They detailed how they promptly refunded the customer after following eBay support instructions but were not informed of any claims filed against them. Other participants, including mudshark61369 and arraus, provided insights about eBay’s return and refund processes, emphasizing the importance of uploading tracking numbers and responding through official channels rather than messages. lyon_collectables mentioned personal health challenges impacting their communication. mr_lincoln added information about a new seller protection policy that might apply in similar situations in the future.
A package was late in delivery. The customer was given all the shipping information before he filed a claim without ever actually asking for a refund, In fact he never asked for a refund and I was never informed a claim was filed against me by the customer or eBay. I called eBay support and they instructed me to wait until the USPS end date and if the item did not arrive then to refund the item, This is what I did. I provided all the USPS information to the buyer and without any notice a claim was filed and was never sent to me by eBay or the customer .
I promptly refunded the customers money without any further instruction from eBay and was never informed a claim had been filed in the first place. Now I have a negative strike on my record that you refuse to remove even though I followed all rules to the letter, I was not informed the customer wanted a early refund and was never notified by eBay there was a claim. I received no information about this from the customer or eBay to refund the customer before the USPS deadline had past. I called and spoke to several representatives that told me to wait until the USPS deadline had expired and them refund the money, which is exactly what I did never even knowing a claim was filed. I provided the customer with all the shipping information and even a copy of the USPS receipt. The customer never asked for a refund and eBay never informed me of any claim against me. I find this to be a unfair business practice when the message logs prove all of this to be 100% true and eBay cannot provide me with any notification of a claim. I followed guidelines to the letter. I was never asked to refund the order, I did so when the date for the order to be delivered had expired. I was unaware that this customer filed any claim against me from eBay and never told by the customer they wanted a refund. This is all in the message logs you can read for yourselves and dated with time and dates I provided the customer the USPS data. You have everything you need from me and so dose the customer. They get an item for free and I get a strike on my eBay record without any communication from anyone. I did as instructed by your call center before any claim or request for a refund or claim had been filed. The lack of common sense and inability to even communicate for eBay or the customer is unfair in my opinion and I am sure if you look at the messages with timestamps and date you would clearly see I gave the customer all information about this order and my intent to follow your call centers request that I refund when the date had past. I never once was informed by the customer wanted a refund by you or the customer and I knew nothing of this claim yet you give my account a strike and now this customer gets a free item? Please do you due diligence and investigate this issue. I would like to see when and how was I ever informed of any claim and I did exactly as I was instructed by you. At no time was I made aware of this claim and at no time did the customer ask for a refund. look it up because it is all in the messages sent by myself to this customer and your claim against me was never given to me at anytime prior to me issuing a full refund once the USPS date expired. All without any help or notice from eBay yet I'm the untrustworthy one? You have some serious lack of communication and investigation to support your false claim made against me and fail to provide a reasonable response to anything even though all one must do is look at the messages from me to this customer giving them clear and precise expectations on my part in this system you created and you yourselves failed to follow.
lyon_collectables
OP3 weeks agoI have the customer the information after I called eBay to give him as much information as possible. I’m not aware of any plain that was filed.
I take a lot of pride in my service and stay in contact with all of my buyers.
I even send follow up messages to see how they like their stuff. This person never implied he was unhappy and told me eBay told him to file the claim before the USPS window was closed.
I was never given any notice of any claim against me & I refunded the money on my own when the date came.
mr_lincoln
Mentor3 weeks agoHi @lyon_collectables
In addition to what both @mudshark61369 and @arraus have provided eBay launched a new Seller protection late last year. This applies when a Buyer files a claim through eBay that they did not receive their items and the Seller purcahsed their label through eBay and shipping within their handling time. Here is the basics of the new protection:
If the following criteria is met eBay will reimburse you if the package is eventually delivered after you have refunded a Buyer through an eBay claim that they did not receive their package AND delivery is confirmed through tracking on eBay. eBay launched this new Seller protection in late 2025.
1. Seller prints the shipping label through eBay
2. Seller ships and gets a carrier scan within their Handling time
3. Buyer files a claim through eBay that they did not receive their package AND the Seller refunds the Buyer through the eBay claim
4. The package is delivered later and after the Buyer has been refunded, eBay tracking confirms the delivery
arraus
Mentor3 weeks ago · Edited@lyon_collectables Thanks for coming and posting your question. In the future, please review your post before submitting. This is long, repetitive, and many statements contradict. We can help you better when your issue is stated clearly.
Why didn't you get notified:
That is certainly a problem. I get notified whenever a Buyer opens a case, return request, etc.. via email and Notifications in app/on eBay.com.
Let's check a few things (use computer browser for eBay.com, not the app):
Make sure your email registered with eBay.com is correct: https://accountsettings.ebay.com/profile
Check your email's Spam/Junk folder. eBay sends emails out. If it was put into junk, change your setting so eBay.com emails go into your inbox.
Check your eBay Selling Preferences > Return preferences https://www.ebay.com/uas/selling-pref
Check your eBay Communication Preferences for Seller: https://commspreferences.ebay.com/commsprefs
Also, always check the return policy you offer buyers in your listings.
Was package late or not when refund was given?
You are saying the "package was late in delivery" but also saying a refund was provided before USPS's estimated delivery date was past. Which is it?
As a Buyer, I've never been able to open a Return Request or claim UNTIL the estimated delivery date has passed.
When Buyer submitted a Return / Refund Request in the eBay system THAT IS a buyer requesting a refund. That is how buyers are supposed to request a return and refund. Not through messaging. I direct buyers who contact me with issues to open a Return Request. That protects me and them. I never work within messaging because I want eBay to protect me. A case protects me if buyer has unfair demands (like wants a partial refund), leaves negative feedback even tho I met terms of agreement, and they must provide a photo to file a Return Request.
LAST NOTES:
You will not be able to get the defect removed from your account. Not even if you speak to 10 eBay CS agents and their managers. However, it's not the end of the world. I've been through this myself, learning the hard way how Buyer Returns work.
If a buyer opens a return request, you must respond to it FROM THE CASE (not in messages) within 3 business days. If it's "Not as described" request you MUST accept it and provide a pre-paid return label (eBay will provide options within the case). If you do not respond in time, eBay will take over and force a full refund AND seller gets a defect on their account. I believe this is what happened in this case.
You can view all of your Closed return/replacement requests here:
https://www.ebay.com/sh/ord/return?filter=status%3ACLOSED
Click on Return ID, then Return detail in lower left, to view the entire history. It will show the date the item was Purchased, Delivered, Return started, and Refunded.
I understand this is disappointing and frustrating. You'll know better next time. I hope you can get your notifications worked out so you can respond in time next time!! It will get better. Hang in there.
lyon_collectables
OP3 weeks agoI’m sorry for my poor explanation I have stage 3 lymphoma and was at chemo for the 1st time. I was very stressed out for a 7 hour long treatment.
Basically the buyer never asked for a refund he went straight to eBay and filed a claim.
eBay never contacted me about the claim and the buyer never asked me for a refund.
I was actually able to speak to eBay by spamming “speak to a representative “ in the contact menu and I was told to wait until the USPS date for delivery had expired..
mudshark61369
Mentor3 weeks ago@lyon_collectables ,
It really helps us if you add paragraph breaks to long messages. In trying to wade through your long post it breaks down into a couple of points.
"The customer was given all the shipping information before he filed a claim".
A buyer and ebay can both see if an item was sent and track it, IF you upload a tracking number to the transaction. If you buy postage through ebay the number is automatically uploaded. If you purchase it from a shipper or P.O. you have to manually upload the tracking number to the sold listing. eBay will not accept tracking information you send to a buyer in a message.
"In fact he never asked for a refund and I was never informed a claim was filed against me by the customer or eBay".
You have sold enough items that by now you should know how returns/refunds should be handled. The buyer has to file a dispute and you are given 3 days to respond. In this case had you uploaded a tracking number, ebay would have extended the time before you had to take action if there was an acceptance scan from the USPS. Especially, if you are in an area that was affected by storms, flooding, or Fires.
" I called eBay support and they instructed me to wait until the USPS end date and if the item did not arrive then to refund the item".
eBay does not have a phone number to directly call customer support. the ones found online may be used to phish for your information. You have to use the Contact us option under the Help & Contact header at the bottom of any ebay page. from there you can request a call back from an ebay customer service rep.
The information you were given was patently False! You never refund a buyer until they file a dispute, and you WILL be notified if one has been filed. Then you have 3 days (or longer if there is an acceptance scan) to respond to the dispute. You do have to follow the terms of the Money Back Guarantee (MBG) when dealing with a return or refund.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210
"Now I have a negative strike on my record that you refuse to remove even though I followed all rules to the letter",
You do not have any public negative or neutral feedback for the transaction. If you received a defect it was probably for Late Shipment if you did not upload a tracking number. Your account should be re-evaluated tomorrow, and if this took place over a month ago your standing should be upgraded. Though only 1 defect shouldn't have affected your account too much.