eBay forced me (buyer) to pay for Return Shipping for a defected Item Not Described claim
I opened a return because the item I received was defective and not the same as described from the photos, but the seller was only offering me partial refund which I declined. I escalated it to a claim because I want to return for a full refund. The Seller told eBay he would “send me funds†for me to buy my own shipping label. Now eBay writes to me saying “Seller choose to send you funds, and they did get in touch with you and ask for your email address. We highly recommend you to provide your PayPal address in order for the seller to issue the funds needed to return the item back.â€
The problem is when I send my email address in an eBay message, it tells me “We can’t send your message because it may include contact info. We review all messages and repeat attempts could lead to an account restriction.
{e178493-1112478x}†eBay prohibits sending an email in a message so how can the seller send me funds?
Since I didn’t hear back from the Seller after escalating to claim, I am now at the next step where eBay is telling me to “purchase a label using the funds provided by the seller you can return the item back on their registered return address. please do not forget to upload the return tracking number within 9 days. Failure to upload the tracking number will result to case closure and we won't be able to issue you a full refund.“
The Seller never intended to send me any funds to pay for a shipping label. Why wasn’t eBay able to send me a Return Label that I could print out and use to return? I thought that was standard procedures. This is the first time eBay is saying that the Seller would PayPal me money to buy a shipping label. What happened to the Seller paying for the shipping label and sending me the PDF to print? I’m so confused. Furthermore, they are saying I only have 9 days. Since this was an international sale from China, International shipping from US to China can take up to 21 days for delivery. It seems like eBay is going to want to make a decision based on the tracking number in 9 days when the Seller most likely wouldn’t even receive the package by then. I don’t get why eBay even has an option that allows a Seller to send funds with PayPal. It just seems like a loophole to get out of paying for return shipping. I feel like I might not be able to return this just because I don’t want to be out $30+ for international shipping. Is there anything I can do in this situation?
nenu-5410
·3 years agoSo what happened @surfingagent did you upload the tracking number before the deadline?
an-36344
·3 years agoeBay is very precise @surfingagent (and brief) during the escalated communication.
Notice that eBay says to add tracking and eBay will refund when tracking shows delivered. Sellers usually have 2 business days to refund, but eBay takes that away once they've stepped in. So you'll have your refund, before the seller can claim it wasn't delivered.
But that's not the point:
1. eBay has stepped away,
2. closed your case, and is only
3. waiting for a tracking number to show delivered.
Stepped away, meaning eBay has left you and the seller to work it out, which you can tell because eBay
-- is not looking to confirm if the seller sent any funds as promised,
-- does not ask for a copy of your return label,
-- only wants a tracking number.
However you have a Plan B. If you somehow don't get an instant refund when tracking shows delivered to the US address, show your card issuer the seller's instruction to return to the US address with your already-delivered US tracking, and get your refund. The seller's address in China is void (and that document is irrelevant): You have it in writing (and dated to supersede the previous address) to return to the US address.
The problem is if you don't return to the US address now and you cannot prove to your card issuer the return as the seller requested, the seller can ask your card issuer for proof of the not-yet-returned item ... and then you would actually have to pay the $66 return postage yourself, to return the item back to China.
Worse, that tracking may never show delivered, and you'll be out 1. the item, 2, your refund, 3. the return postage.
surfingagent
OP3 years ago@an-36344 do you think I will be covered if I have in writing from eBay customer support saying “don’t worry if we don’t see any proof that the seller has provided you a payment for postage, we will not hesitate but to close this case within your favor and issue you a refundâ€
I received this response after replying to eBay’s message of asking me to send the seller my paypal email for payment for postage and I explained
1. I never received a return shipping label to print
2. I never received any funds to pay for the shipping label as promised from the seller since I was given the 7/28 deadline to add tracking.
now that the deadline is 2 days away, it is clear to me that the seller dragged the time limit out without me being able to receive a shipping label to return the defective item, and I already made it clear that I wasn’t buying a shipping label out of my own pocket since I won’t be reimbursed for that, so it will look like I didn’t want to return it and he won’t need to refund me. I don’t really want to open a dispute with my credit card so I hope eBay can still help, the only thing is that everytime I get a response, it’s from
different customer service reps, so far over 5 different names has responded to my messages when trying to get help with getting a shipping label for this return.
anthony7421
·3 years agoI just went through something similar where i had to even threaten to just go to my bank. The seller sent me a defective item, i then reached out to him saying hey this doesnt actually work ive tested this item in three different devices(video game) to ensure it wasnt on my end. He then accused me of lying and trying to return a different item. I had to just tell him if this isnt something we can resolve here ill go to my bank and have them handle it as this is not something that a buyer should need to go through in my opinion.
I think unfortunetly a lot of ebays automated things can be a little behind and sometimes your bank becomes your best bet
sdneped
·3 years agoThat's an eBay procedure -- for the seller to send cash via PayPal to pay for return shipping, covered in one of Trinitron's first posts.
Back then, eBay would ask for the seller's PayPal transaction ID on that payment. Now eBay just monitors your return tracking number, and a few minutes after it says delivered anywhere in the world, eBay will release your refund from the seller.
So even if you no longer have your payment from the seller you must still upload a tracking number by (recommend well before) the deadline, as eBay won't deviate from their singular path to your refund after return.
robbie31415
·3 years agoIt's actually not policy, nor is there any requirement to even have a paypal.
Maybe I'm mistaken, I gotta find in the terms buyers may be forced to send personal banking information to foreign sellers when the seller is obligated to buy a label.
This isn't a singular path, I have won this in buyer favor multiple times.
surfingagent
OP3 years agoThe problem is the seller is international and he doeen’t want to pay $66 for international priority mail shipping despite telling eBay he will “send me funds for postageâ€. So now eBay put it in my court to upload a tracking number. But I’m not gonna upload a tracking number and pay for shipping for this defective item I received so I am hoping that once past the deadline eBay can check our messages and ask for proof of payment for funds and can close the case in my favor for a full refund even though I didn’t ship it back.
qeqo_0
·3 years agoeBay is no longer looking for a return to the address shown on the return page. Once the return is escalated
1. eBay leaves it to the seller to "arrange for return" whatever the cost and wherever the address, and
2. eBay will release your refund when tracking says delivered wherever the seller arranged.
eBay assumes that "the seller works with you" and
1. does not look at communications or how the seller has "given you a way to return it" but rather
2. only looks at your tracking number to release your refund, which is currently withheld from the seller.
Upload your return tracking number, and when (meaning immediately, no delay) tracking shows the item is delivered to any (i.e. the domestic) address the seller provided, eBay will release your refund.
But if you don't return according to the escalation, you won't get a refund from eBay, not even on appeal as eBay held your refund for you pending return, then released it back to the seller. If you pursue your return with first PayPal and then your card issuer, the seller can demand that you pay for a return to China before they will issue your refund.
surfingagent
OP3 years agoHow can eBay know that the item shown delivered for a domestic tracking number is actually to the seller if it’s different from the international address they provided me to ship to?
Say the seller emailed me and says “send it to this address in california†so I ship it there, upload tracking, it shows delivered. But the seller can always say “this isnt my address, it was supposed to be shipped back to china†then I would be out of my refund anyways for not shipping back to the international address provided to me. That’s why I didn’t want to ship it to a domestic address because it would be hard for me to prove that it is to the seller when he is giving me this new address outside of eBay messages.
I would feel more comfortable had he sent an eBay message giving me the address or actually purchasing the label and uploading the PDF to me on eBay for me to print, both of which he is not showing any interest in doing. It is obvious to me that the seller doesn’t want to pay for postage nor provide me with a return label hoping that after the deadline passes and I didn’t upload a tracking number into the eBay return case system that the seller won’t have to refund me and force me to keep his defective item.
In the event this happens though, and eBay closes the case without refunding me because of no tracking info showing delivered, I will open up a dispute with my credit card company with all of this documentation for what I’ve been going through to hopefully have them reverse the charge.
nenu-5410
·3 years agoWondering @surfingagent how did you eventually circumvent the eBay prohibits sending an email in a message?
surfingagent
OP3 years agoI just wrote my username and then sent a separate message and put at gmail so it was able to send.
pjcdn2005
·3 years agoYou said that you weren't allowed to send an email address in a message, was that for this transaction or for one in the past? You are allowed to send your email address if you are already in a transaction with the seller so you should be able to send one in this case. If it isn't working through regular messages you could try send one through the claim.
It is standard procedure to be provided a return label IF both buyer or seller are in the US. eBay does not provide return labels for an international sale and sellers in other countries can not usually buy usps labels. I understand that it is frustrating but it is possible that the seller genuinely wants to send you money for the label so if possible, you should tell them the amount required for Priority International and your PP address. First class international does not have tracking to China. If you give the seller the info that they need and you still don't receive the money, then contact ebay customer service on Facebook before the 9h day.
Based on what you wrote, your parcel needs to be in the mail system before 9 days. It doesn't need to have arrived there by then.
robbie31415
·3 years agoContact Ebay on facebook.com/eBayForBusiness and let them know.
All you would have had to do is tell them that you are unable to purchase a label and the seller didn't provide you one.
The case would have been closed in your favor and you would have been issued a full refund and keep item.
surfingagent
OP3 years agoThe Seller claimed he would send me funds to cover return postage but I never got any funds sent to me. eBay already closed my case saying that I would be given a full refund when I add tracking and it shows delivered. But what I don’t understand is why it’s so difficult for me to get a return label. Isn’t it the Sellers responsibility to pay for a shipping label and send me a paid label that I can print out and use to ship this return? I don’t know when this whole “Seller choose to send you funds for shipping cost†option came into play
robbie31415
·3 years agoI've had multiple china sellers pull this on me. I get an email that seller is unable to provide a label, blah blah...
What I do is ignore it. I wait the 3 days. I ask eBay to step in and help, and tell them the seller is responsible for label as it's INAD/defective.
The CSR rep escalates the return to a full case and puts it on a 5 day hold. If the seller doesnt provide a label in 5 days then I'm issued a full refund and get to keep the item (they never typically provide a label).
Easy, I don't know everything you been doing but I think you just didn't understand the process and made things harder on yourself.
Can't trust anything sellers tell you as it's not in their interest to tell you what is correct.
surfingagent
OP3 years agoThat’s what I thought would happen when eBay steps in. However, after stepping in they gave me 2 options now. 1. Send the seller my email so they can issue me funds and 2. Add Tracking, and once it shows Delivered they will refund me. But they think the Seller is actually going to paypal me money is ridiculous. The seller has been ignoring me ever since I’ve been asking for the shipping label now. If my case doesn’t show “Delivered†in 9 days, they are going to close it in favor of the seller and I don’t get a refund. Is it possible for the rep to change this to a full case where the seller needs to provide a shipping label or is it too late now?
robbie31415
·3 years agoI Never talk to seller, and always open cases as soon as the system allows and contact eBay on the Facebook information I provided you on the first post I made. I've never had an issue.
It's better not ask me what they can do, instead just contact them asap.
surfingagent
OP3 years agoSame, I pretty much did all the same steps. I requested to return item was defective. The seller offered me a partial refund, I declined and escalated to claim after 4 days. Then eBay stepped in saying they gave the Seller 5 days to “Send me fundsâ€, “Send full refund with no returnâ€, the Seller chose to “Send me fundsâ€, now the last step eBay is telling me “Add tracking†and they will refund me after the item is shown delivered. But they failed me, failed to see the problem now is the Seller never intended to send me any money on paypal for the shipping. I don’t even know why they give this option for them. Instead of sending me funds to buy the return label, they should tell them to buy the return label and upload me the PDF to print out so I can put it on the box and ship. Now I typically wouldn’t mind paying for shipping if this was domestic, but since the seller is in China and shipping with International Shipping is making the cost out of my pocket to return a 2lb box cost $50 and I’m not paying for that.
little.font.lord.leroy
·3 years agoWhen I read this I thought you meant "people who sell china (dishes)" not "people from China" or "Chinese sellers".
robbie31415
·3 years agoTechnically, the sellers don't have to be from China, or be Chinese sellers.
The sellers could be from Israel, etc.
Was more reference about goods being shipped from China.
surfingagent
OP3 years agoSo just a quick update on this..
Now the seller contacted me at my paypal email that I provided and wrote “Please check how much the shipping cost to this US address†and provided me with a US address.
is it safe to ship to this US address? I feel like since eBay says “Please ship the item back by Jul 28, We’ll send a refund when tracking shows the item is delivered.
Ship the item to:â€
And they give me a China address. I went on USPS click-n-ship for this China address and the total cost for postage with Priority Mail International is $66.
What should I do in this situation? Should I respond to the seller and say I am not allowed to ship to a different address that eBay provided me with? The deadline of July 28 is coming up soon and if I don’t add tracking details and my return doesn’t show delivered to this case, does that mean my return request is going to be closed in favor of the seller and I won’t be able to get a refund because there’s no tracking that shows delivered to his address?
rseuqinh
·3 years agoYes @surfingagent when the seller is paying for the return shipping
eBay allows any return shipping address, foreign or domestic.
Add your tracking number to the escalated case, then a few moments after the online tracking shows delivered, eBay will issue the refund.
kalyoth
·3 years agoFirst, Glad it worked out for you.
In my direct experience in this situation, you only encounter this when the seller resides outside the continental USA. NEVER ship before receiving funds. Always use an international service with tracking (for those countries that carrier provides tracking services for). That is the big con of sellers internationally to avoid sending you the funds.
To provide an email address around ebay mechanics, send it in 2 to 3 parts, in multiple messages. I send it as 1) account email name@ 2)the service name 3) .extension. You can also get creative with a sentence: "My cat459 is sick at the google hospital & I have company over to watch the kids while I go visit. Thanks!" Can italics or bold the key words.
International shipping labels are not a thing from country to country around the world. I have encountered sellers that tell me to ship & provide a picture of the receipt for funds. This was also ebay customer support agent directive to me. When I provided the document, they suddenly get very bent out of shape at the cost & refused to send funds. You get the refund as you can prove item was returned. However, you never get the return shipping reimbursed.
When you wait to ship until you get funds from the seller, should they fail to provide the funds, the case is decided in your favor, refund received & you do not need to return the item in most cases (up to a certain dollar amount, the seller is insane to not pay for the return of valuable merchandise). I absolutely refuse to ship without funds sent now after being burned on a $90 return for Priority International due to it weighing over 4 lbs (8lbs. 6 ounces). Not every ebay agent tells you the same information. So also reference here for information as you have discovered. There is a very good chance one of us has been in your shoes before.
surfingagent
OP3 years agoI got a reminder email from eBay saying to Provide tracking details or proof of shipment by Jul 28, 2023.
is there anyway I could still be refunded if the seller never sent me funds for postage or provides proof which made me unable to ship the return back?
It’s saying if they don’t see a delivered tracking number they will close this request.
broto_64
·3 years agoI'm not sure, normally in the case of an INAD request if the seller is uncooperative at any stage of the process then simply waiting for the system to allow the buyer to "escalate to ebay" resolves the issue with a full refund... However this is an International sale and I'm aware that ebay policy states "sellers and buyers must resolve this among themselves" which is a big joke because we already know who isn't going to budge when the cards are stacked in their favor anyhow.
So I don't know what would happen, I assume this is an expensive item...
rabites-n-chocobos
·3 years ago"Contact Ebay on facebook.com/eBayForBusiness and let them know."
This forum is very active, why do you think we need to go to Facebook?