Customer Return: Sent my item back, a few days later, sends me another item
A customer returned an item to me, which I received back on Monday. I issued the refund, and I thought we were all squared away.
Two days later, I receive another package from the customer (same USPS tracking number, which is very odd) and it contains an item that did not belong to me. I reached out to the customer, and they say the following:
"Must have been my mistake. It was another return. So sorry about that. Is it tan or grey? I have the QR code if I venmo you some money for your time/packaging would you mind dropping it at the post office next time you ship out to another buyer? Never made that mistake before so don't know what you prefer."
I have not replied yet, but what is the recommended course of action? The Venmo thing spooks me out.
mam98031
·2 years agoThe return policies options are as follows.
With option number 1, No Returns the seller can completely deny taking a return for a Buyer's Remorse Return Request. Or if they want to, they can accept the return and have the buyer pay the return shipping. If the seller so chooses, they can withhold the original shipping if it was separately stated on the listing [not free shipping] when it is time to refund the buyer.
On options 2 & 3 the buyer is responsible for the return shipping on a Buyer's Remorse Return. Plus, if the seller so chooses, they can withhold the original shipping if it was separately stated on the listing [not free shipping] when it is time to refund the buyer. As of October 1st 2019, sellers that are TRS have some additional protections as well as they can issue partial refunds if they use options 4 or 5 as their return policy.
On options 4 & 5 above, they are also known as Free Returns. If a seller that has either of those policies, they will pay the return shipping even on a buyer's remorse return. A seller can withhold the original shipping value from the refund if the shipping was separately stated in the listing [not free shipping]. Also, Seller’s offering options 4 or 5 have the ability to do partial refunds in certain cases if the item arrives back damaged, missing something or in a condition less than what it was sent to the buyer in, see the policy for more details, the link is below. In the cases where a deduction in the refund is taken due to damage or other authorized reasons for a partial refund, Ebay will protect the seller from negative or neutral feedback.
ALL OPTIONS [1, 2, 3, 4 and 5] are required to process SNAD claims without exception. Even if they are improperly filed and should have been a Buyer’s Remorse claim.
All return policies by sellers must meet or exceed what is stated in the Money Back Guarantee Policy!
14 day return policies are allowed in certain categories: Jewelry & Watches, Collectibles & Art, Cameras & Photo and Medical, Mobility & Disability Equipment.
For those with Free Return and/or TRS members with 30 day return policies, there are some added protection benefits, one of which is the ability to do a discounted refund under certain conditions.
mam98031
·2 years ago@stylewithkyle
Sounds to me like a person that made an honest mistake.
inhawaii
·2 years agoA) Send it back to the shipper.
B) Send it to who the shipper meant to send it to.
C) You received a free gift.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years ago@stylewithkyle
Per your OP, the message from the buyer was
I believe you can have your buyer send you the QR code. Have her send you a screenshot.
Then YOU can take that to the post office, have them scan and print the label and from there, it'll go back to the correct seller.
pjcdn2005
·2 years agoThat sounds like it would be fairly easy. I see now that they offered to venmo an amount to pay for the seller's trouble and packaging costs. If it were me, I wouldn't worry about that part as long as I could use the QR code to send the item back.
But wouldn't it be a problem to use the same QR from and to a different location?
a_c_green
·2 years agoAll the QR code is doing is tying itself to a particular stored label which can be printed by anyone on the USPS network. It's up to the shipper to have the correct Return and Ship-To: addresses plugged in when they purchase the label; the recipient can bring it in for printing at any PO.
pjcdn2005
·2 years agoThank you, I didn't realize that was how a QR code worked.
Unavailable member
·2 years agoDon't be surprised when you get charged for the second return as an adjustment.
djvp53
·2 years agoIf the buyer can send you the QR Code for the correct label and if it weren't an inconvenience to go to the post office to use the QR code, I would have them send the QR code through eBay messages. I would forward the package on without asking for any extra money or whatever, so I wouldn't fiddle with Venmo or Paypal. I wouldn't ask them to text or email the QR code because I don't want my buyers getting more of my personal information than they need.
I know people are saying it's impossible to reprint and reuse a shipping label but I know you can because I did so inadvertently once. I accidentally reprinted a label and shipped one of my buyers a second item that was intended for a different customer. I never got charged for using the label a second time although it would have been fair for USPS to have done so. For what it's worth, I sent the buyer a shipping label that I purchased through PirateShip to attach to the box and send to the correct buyer. As a thank you, I sent my helpful buyer a free gift.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoThe buyer referred to having the QR codes for the labels so the error(s) she made are understandable.
She probably just mistakenly showed the postal clerk the same QR code for both returns, a very easy mistake to make.
I like the RTS idea as long as the item wasn't already opened. If it was opened, RTS needs to be paid for.
sextons-sweet-deals
·2 years agoI would tread lightly on this before doing anything. Maybe go your local USPS with the packages / labels and ask how and why. Might actually have to ask for the postmaster and then they might get you in contact with their security personal if needed.
I don't see how the buyer was able to print your return label twice and use the same tracking number and get caught by USPS system.
Was this second item received expensive? What was the size different / weight from the first package?
I would not dabble with the Venmo.
Have you looked at this buyer's complete profile? True location? All feedback categories?
Overall, I would not communicate with the buyer anymore right now.
stylewithkyle
OP2 years agoI have both packages with the shipping labels attached, so I definitely could do this...
My item was a lot lighter (athletic pullover baselayer) but more expensive/NWT, while this second item was a heavy Wrangler Overshirt/Button Up.
As per their feedback, all positive, even the feedback left for others. But in that feedback, they mention A LOT of issues with the items which indicate returns...
b86fiero
·2 years agoDo you still have the packaging with shipping label from the item that does not belong to you? Does that label have the buyers address as the return address?
If so I would put a big "Return to Sender" on it and drop it at the post office.
davidstarcher
·2 years agoWrite “Refused" on the mail item. Once you mark the mail item, return it to your mail carrier—through the collection box or handing it to your mail carrier. Please note you cannot refuse mail if you have already signed for the mail item. If you've signed off on the letter or package, then you will need to pay the postage to send it back so this only works for some items.
If it did require your signature tell them you will hold it for a period of time awaiting their sending you a prepaid label to send it elsewhere or cash/money order, PayPal, or whatever method you are comfortable accepting needed for you to mail it and if they don't you will consider it abandoned property and dispose or donate it.
stylewithkyle
OP2 years agoEven if I tape it back closed, I can refuse it?
a_c_green
·2 years agoOfficially, it's supposed to be unopened when you return it to the PO as a Refused package (you don't have to do this immediately on delivery; you can bring it back in a day or two later), but with a little polite diplomacy as needed, they can accept an opened-and-reclosed package if they feel like it. You should definitely do the neatest possible resealed package job, so that at a glance it won't look like someone went digging through it.
However, see my previous post about possibly not being able to Refuse a Return To Sender package (i.e. a package bearing a Return label) and having it actually go back to the sender.
gloryglorygifts
·2 years agoYou can't do that on opened mail. You need a new shipping label if it is opened.
cstpos
·2 years ago@stylewithkyle I would tell them they can email you a prepaid label. They could purchase the label on ebay and send it to you.You could also mention that this will provide them with proof that they are returning the correct item to the other seller.
You can send them a Paypal invoice for the shipping instead of a Venmo transaction.
There have been posts about glitches at the USPS where users did print and use the same label twice. Keep an eye on your label charges to make sure you don't get hit with that return shipping twice. Best of Luck!
gloryglorygifts
·2 years agoRelist it. If the buyer wants it, they can pay for it all over again along with the shipping. If you want, you can tell them it's available for purchase through ebay again and give them the listing number. No need for anything more.
The other item is technically not your problem, unless you want to help them. Up to you if you want to mail it back to them or not. I would mail it back, but that's just me.
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoThat is a great way to avoid taking payments outside of Ebay. List the price (All fees) and the shipping cost.
Ex. List it for $1.50 plus shipping $8.00 (actual shipping costs)
If you were afraid someone else may snipe it before , list it for double of they go for with a best offer option that will automatically accept what price you agree on.
The only downside is what if they opened a INAD case. 😀
gloryglorygifts
·2 years agoWhat are you talking about?? The customer returned the item and the OP refunded him. He CAN relist a returned item on ebay. Can't open an INAD on something already returned and refunded.
broto_64
·2 years agoUnless it's really large or heavy I would most likely just buy a Ground Advantage label on my dime and ship it back to the buyer, not say another word, not even reply to the buyer's message, just ship it back and done.
stylewithkyle
OP2 years agoYeah, no. I'm not that nice. I already accepted a return for my item that I didn't have to accept.
mam98031
·2 years ago@stylewithkyle
Now that isn't exactly true unless it was a properly filed Buyer's Remorse return. If your buyer files an INAD, even with your no return policy, you need to process it. If you don't, in a few days the buyer can ask Ebay to step in and Ebay will force you to refund and likely not have the return the item.
stylewithkyle
OP2 years agoIt is exactly true.
mam98031
·2 years agoI meant no disrespect. Lots of seller using the No Returns policy as their return policy do not fully understand the impact of that. You have to still process INADs and pay for return shipping. Your only difference with others that have different types of return policy is if the buyer files a PROPER Buyer's Remorse claim. They have to select one of the buyer remorse reasons when opening their claim. If a buyer does that, you can deny the claim if you want. Or you can have the buyer return the item at their expense and IF you had separately stated shipping on the listing they purchased from, when you refund you can withhold the original shipping charge. But if you do Free Shipping you can not withhold original shipping.
All sellers return policies have to meet or exceed the MBG. A very important policy for all sellers to completely understand.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoI would do the same but you could consider having them send you payment via Paypal, Family & Friends. I never used Venmo so i do not know if they have a similar function as PayPal does. (Friends & Family where they send you cash without any fees and they DO NOT have any recourse to retrieve the funds from you once sent)
-Good Luck
toysaver
·2 years agoHow many returns do they have? Tell them to send you cash. They have your address.
stylewithkyle
OP2 years agoThe item I received on Monday was their only purchase from me. I really don't understand how USPS allowed for the same tracking number/label to be used on two separate packages.
toysaver
·2 years agoThe buyer likely printed out 2. They will likely be caught and charged for 2 as well, eventually. Possibly there will be a shipping cost adjustment type deal going on?
a_c_green
·2 years agoThere's a certain amount of flexibility in the USPS tracking system to allow for duplicate scans, late uploading of data and that kind of thing, so the system apparently "assumed" that it was looking at late scans for the original package. It did not detect that it was a second package making the same trip to the same destination.
It sounds like the buyer mixed up his return labels to be used, printing the same one twice instead of two consecutive labels. (One could argue that the USPS system should have detected it at the origin sort and bounced it back sooner.)
I agree with the others that marking it as Return to Sender and handing it back in to the PO is the easiest strategy, unless the buyer sounds competent enough to generate a label from you to him, and email you the PDF file to print. I'm not familiar enough with QR codes to say whether he could send it in that form instead, if that's easier.
toysaver
·2 years ago"It sounds like the buyer mixed up his return labels to be used, printing the same one twice instead of two consecutive labels."
I'd think twice about if it was an accident or intentional from a perfect stranger wanting to get in bed and do the Venmo with you.
12 Venmo Scams Exposed: How to Protect Your Money | TIME Stamped
a_c_green
·2 years agoWell, sure, but we're talking about receiving a Venmo payment here, not sending one out to some unknown character. Plus the buyer accidentally sent his entire returned purchase to the OP, which seems a pretty complicated setup for a scam.
All that aside, something else occurred to me just now: I don't know if you can do a Return to Sender procedure using a Return label, can you? In other words, the OP is essentially refusing a Return package, and the USPS, AFAIK, is not going to allow an indefinite ping-pong of packages between a buyer trying to do a Return (with the correct label for that) and a seller who doesn't want it back.
I had personal experience with that about a month ago, and when the USPS returned the package to the sender, they refused it, at which point the USPS redirects it to their dead mail facility in Atlanta, GA.
Thus I think it might be best for the buyer to send a standard shipping label to the OP so that the package can be reliably returned to him.
stylewithkyle
OP2 years agoIf I were to request he send me the label, should I have him create a label directly to the seller of this shirt or back to himself, so he could send to the seller?
pjcdn2005
·2 years ago"Well, sure, but we're talking about receiving a Venmo payment here, not sending one out to some unknown character"
_________
Exactly. I'm not sure why the hesitancy about receiving money via Venmo.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoYou might end up getting backcharged for having the same label used twice.
luckythewinner
·2 years agoHere is a scary - but completely hypothetical - thought:
When a seller underpays postage, the USPS now has the ability to bill an adjustment back to eBay - who then bills it back to the seller's account.
If a label gets used like this a second time, will the USPS eventually start billing a adjustment to collect the postage a second time?
If so, could a buyer making a return theoretically punish a seller by mailing 100 empty packages using the same label, causing the seller to pay for the label 100 times?
toysaver
·2 years ago"If so, could a buyer making a return theoretically punish a seller by mailing 100 empty packages using the same label, causing the seller to pay for the label 100 times?"
Once you print a label if you have printing issues there are only so many tries you get to reprint. I think it's about 5 but it's been a while since I had issues - back when I was on dialup.
a_c_green
·2 years agoWell, if you print the label to a PDF file instead of directly to a printer, you can run off as many copies as you like after that, but I don't see the post office being unable to detect 100 duplicate packages, as well as determining who sent them.
broto_64
·2 years agoI know...
There was a time, some bit ago...
I recycled a box and forgot to cover up or otherwise get rid of the old label that was on the box from when it was shipped to me. I purchased and stuck the ebay label on there and out it went...
Days later it came back to me, because of the old label.
My own new label I had purchased was also "used" up.
I quickly repackaged, made sure only my label was visible and shipped it back out.
I got a late delivery defect for that one.
How did the USPS honor an old label like that, one that had already scanned delivered?