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Ebay automate return refunded buyer money wrong amount at my expense
One November 8, 2022, A buyer purchased two dvds from me for $150. One of the DVD cases was damaged during shipment so I agreed to refund the buyer $75. On November 14th, I received the damaged dvd and when I went to refund the buyer I noticed there was no option to modify the return amount (partial refund). I immediately called ebay customer service to notify them. They told me the only thing I could do was contact the buyer. I'm not sure how that would help since the buyer has no authority to amend the refund on their end, but I attempted to contact them anyway. The buyer never responds back. Two days later, November 16th, an amount of $150 was automatically deducted, closing the return claim. I have emailed the buyer several times including calling them and leaving them a voicemail on their cell to no avail. I called ebay help and contact at least 6 times to explain my ordeal and have spoken to two supervisors. For each response I have received an email from them in which they either fail to comprehend the facts or fail to grasp what kind of problem I am having and are fixated on framing the blame on me. For instance one said I needed to wait 3 days after opening a claim before I could ask ebay to step in. Another said the reason the claim was closed was because I took too long(I assume 3 days) to ask ebay to step in. Both are irrelevant. The rule is after I receive the return I have 2 days to approve the refund before ebay automatically refunds the buyer. Also each response I am only given one solution, to work it out with the buyer. What I find amazing is prior to the purchase the buyer was a virtually chatty Cathy emailing me 17 times in 5 days asking me questions about the listing, 15 of those emails were in one day. Now that I am asking for what's rightfully mine, the buyer is nowhere to be found. If anything the entire escalation team is aware that they made a mistake, they could have fixed this on day one but instead they let the return close and now its impossible for them to get the money back from the buyer.
bamacollabs
·1 year agoI am going through same problem now. I offered a $100 partial refund and eBay took out all but $100. And the item was $100 to ship so basically paid someone for the honor of keeping my item. Did you end find recourse? I was told that the reason why I was not getting any help is because I was asking for an appeal versus a correction of payment. That's the latest in the round of customer service help that I've gotten after four or five calls four or five transfers and everyone telling me they understand they 100% say it should be not a no-brainer. It should be the easiest fix in the world. We can see what you were actually asking or requesting and to see what we took out. It's different I just got an email now saying that it's not appealable. It's done once the product is refunded and unappeable even though it's in black and white what I was offering and not what was refunded.
kh-laura
·1 year agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
bit5andbyte5
OP3 years agoI have an update to this "situation". I went through my messages on ebay so I could try again to contact the buyer to get my money back and all correspondence between me and buyer have been scrubbed(deleted) I did not delete the messages. Coincidence?
bit5andbyte5
OP3 years agoOOPS! I just found the emails, months ago I created a folder to keep all these emails and I forgot. I couldn't delete the previous post because of a set time limit to amend or delete the post.
bit5andbyte5
OP3 years agoNo, letting the buyer keep the item is a non-starter. The only option would be to accept the return and refund the buyer once I received the item. Once that happens, I would return to the return claim screen to approve the return. This is where I would be able to give the buyer a partial refund. but for some reason ebay did not give me an option to offer that. I have gone though the return process before and have always had that option. Knowing that ebay automation kicks in after 2 days, and that it is virtually impossible to get the money back once this happens, why couldn't eBay customer service override the process and refund the correct amount manually? Instead my only recourse was to be left at the mercy of the buyer and hope that they did the right thing.
albertabrightalberta
·3 years ago@bit5andbyte5
I assume this is the listing:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/195230755085?hash=item2d74a8e90d:g:jBoAAOSwEhRi16qf
When the buyer opened a return request, you had several options, one of which was to offer a partial refund (though the buyer wouldn't have had to return the broken item). You could have offered the partial refund but having accepted the return, your only option is a full refund.
What you and the buyer agreed to on the side is irrelevant when it comes to how you accepted the dispute.
This was the option you should have chosen (with the arrow) rather than the "accept the return."
papa486516
·3 years agoAt step 1, you missed the Refund Summary at the bottom of the page, @bit5andbyte5.
No oversight is given to your oversight --
1. The amount at which the return request is opened,
2. is the exact amount that will be refunded to the buyer
when tracking shows the return label is delivered to you, regardless if nothing else is attached to the label.
baydistributionllc
·3 years agoIf a return is open 100% needs to be returned for 100% refund since it seems you sold both as a quantity 1. You could only refund half if it was a multi quantity.
The second the return was opened you needed to understand BOTH of the DVD needed to be returned. Returning half of one item isn’t a thing.
When you got only one back you needed to report you didn’t get all of your item back. Then it would turn the return into a case.
They got you. The fished for inexperience in the messages and got you on the line. You are probably stuck. If you have never had a similar situation you might get ebay to cover your loss if you call. Definitely report them. You may have just got a $75 lesson on how returns work.
You can partially refund from the order details but you definitely don’t want to do that with a return open and Im not sure it will let you. I have never tried.
PayPal refunds aren’t going to mean anything to ebay. Thats just giving money away.
bit5andbyte5
OP3 years agoThanks you!!! this is what I needed to hear, I never thought of that nor has ebay support ever explained that to me. I still find it discouraging that ebay has done nothing to fix this. It is clear what transpired. The buyer got a free item at my expense. I still think that Ebay's return policy is one-sided. The chances of recouping my money back from the buyer once the money is sent to them is virtually impossible. Therefore ebay had a responsibility to resolve this before the refund is transacted. Instead ebay virtually gives the buyer the benefit of the doubt that they will cooperate. ebay expects me to trust that the buyer will do the right thing, of course its because its not their money. Ive been selling for 17+ years and it's insulting that ebay doesn't even trust me because when a buyer opens a return, ebay immediately holds my funds to protect the buyer. Trust works both ways.
bit5andbyte5
OP3 years agoI don't know if this will help after exhausting all other options, but I just reported the buyer reason: buyer did not return item: "Buyer sent one of two items back for a full refund"
kitschy*loot
·3 years ago@bit5andbyte5 You told the buyer to return only one DVD and you were perfectly fine with that. Now that you aren't fine with how the situation has gone you report them for doing what you approved in the first place? You won't get anywhere by reporting them anyway because it is already on file they returned the item for a refund and you received the item and they were refunded.
bit5andbyte5
OP3 years agoEbay told me to report the buyer, none of the options given were relevant. I made several attempts to contact the buyer including leaving them emails and voicemails explaining the situation all which they ignored. Prior to this the buyer didn't have any problem asking me questions and I had no problem answering them. Now that the buyer realizes they were able to profit off Ebay's mistake they think they can refuse to cooperate. So obviously the buyer is complicit with receiving $150 for sending back one item, and that is exactly what they were reported for.
bit5andbyte5
OP3 years agoYes thats right I approved them receiving $75 for sending back one item, you are 100% correct. I never approved $150, ebay overrode my approval. Furthermore Ebay instructed me to report the buyer, none of the options given were relevant and since the buyer failed to cooperate they are 100% guilty of theft. If someone finds a cell phone, the phone attempts to inform them to return to rightful owner and they decide to ignore it they are a thief. By the tone of your email, you would probably consider it finders keepers but they are a thief! I made several attempts to contact the buyer including leaving them emails and voicemails explaining the situation all which they ignored. Prior to this the buyer didn't have any problem asking me questions and I had no problem answering them. Now that the buyer realizes they were able to profit off Ebay's mistake they think they can refuse to cooperate. So obviously the buyer is complicit with receiving $150 for sending back one item, and that is exactly what they were reported for.