How do I know if I was charged for the Return postage?
I have a return that the package came back using my ebay generated return postage that is typically charged to me. But this postage label only has the sender and addressee info shown, everything else above and below that area is covered up with USPS over the counter labels. The top one shows the USPS logo and price (I'm assuming the buyer paid them) along with barcode and date. The bottom one covers the original tracking barcode and numbers completely with a new barcode and tracking number and ETA.
How do I find out if I was charged for the original return postage label? The area in Payments that I normally check seems to not be updated and is only showing shipping label charges up to January, over two months ago.
6 comments
xadexane
·3 years agoYou were not charged, as the post office clerk boonswaggled your buyer to pay full postage all over again, lying that the package was not eligiggle for First-Class, when it actually says First-Class RETURN SERVICE.
A return service label, Priority or First-Class, covers up to 70 pounds and 108 inches, ON ANY BOX even Global Express, and that label is weighed and measured AFTER it leaves the post office, to calculate the postage to charge eBay the permit holder.
mr_lincoln
·3 years ago@iamalwaysright
eBay has contracted with USPS for special rates on return labels. Sometimes the amount is not correct and the clerks should NOT be charging more postage to the shipper (Buyer in this case). However, not all Postal workers know this or maybe they do but see an opportunity to charge more money so they do. If a new tracking number is placed over the original one because of more postage being paid for at the counter then the Buyer is at risk of not having tracking of their return. Clerks should NOT be doing anything other then scanning the package in and putting the package on their bulk truck for shipment.
If the Buyer does not find a way to upload the new tracking number to the return claim then the eBay return tracking may never show it was delivered back to the Seller. So, in theory, the Seller could ask eBay to step in once the return time frame is not met with a delivery confirmation of the pre-paid label's tracking number.
I think Sellers should be issued the tracking number on ALL return labels eBay supplies to their customers ... I mean in a lot of cases they are paying for the labels right?!?
iamalwaysright
OP3 years agoI agree about getting the tracking number on all ebay generated return postage. I'm sure the reason why the postal clerk did this is because the numbskull buyer decided to use a USPS Priority Large Flat Rate Box rather than the original box the item came in for First Class. It's sad too because this buyer is only Postal Zone 2, haha.
My concern is I don't know if that clerk scanned the original ebay postage and charged the remaining to the buyer or just never bothered to scan the original and charged the buyer the entire cost. I tried tearing out the barcode sticker to try and reveal the original tracking number for me to search online, but the sticker is too strong and ruined the one underneath when I pulled it off.
mr_lincoln
·3 years ago@iamalwaysright The original tracking number was NOT tracked beyond the counter scan IF and I stress IF the clerk even scanned it. If I think to ask next time I ship I can ask the clerk if the original tracking number is scanned and a new number is placed over it does their system move the original number along WITH the new number so both satisfy delivery confirmation?
In your case just check eBay's tracking history on the Return details, you have 48 hours to refund after it shows delivered to you. How you handle your return refund amount is up to you. For myself I would refund if the item was returned in the same condition it was shipped to the Buyer in even if the label issue happened like on your transaction.
iamalwaysright
OP3 years agoOh I already refunded them when I wrote the OP. The return is closed, there isn’t any tracking status on the return details and never was. Under the return postage policy there just has to be any one scan at any time to trigger the charge, even just an acceptance scan.
Anyway, I talked to CS and she was able to pull up the original tracking (but she didn’t give it to me) and confirmed that I WAS actually charged $4.75 for the return postage. That makes it even more confusing because the total shown on the PO sticker was that the buyer paid $20.95. How much is Large Flate Box postage these days? I can’t figure out what the buyer’s clerk even did or was thinking price wise.
mtgraves7984
·3 years agoWell... my first thought is that you won't be charged since it didn't ship with the barcode that you paid for. I dunno...