eBay told me not to send an item to a buyer, then the buyer raised a dispute which I lost.
Towards the end of November last year I sold a digital camera, but before I could send it eBay messaged me, telling me not to send the item as they suspected fraudulent activity. Below is the message, I have edited out the 'buyers' name:
256730134092 - Canon IXUS 50 Digital Compact Camera 3x Zoom Lens
We understand that this must be disappointing, but unfortunately the buyer, hazh_30, is no longer registered on eBay so we had to cancel all of their open transactions.
Here’s what you should do
And remember, we’re here to help so please get in touch with any questions you might have.
Help & Contact
Some time later the 'buyer' raised a payment dispute, complaining that I did not send the item. I had been told explicitly by eBay NOT to send the item. After a phone call to eBay, they confirmed that I was not to send the item and that I could relist the item.
Today I received a message from eBay telling me that the dispute had been settled in favour of the buyer. How can this be when it was actually eBay who directed me not to send the item? On top of this, the 'buyers' account no longer exists on eBay and I have been charged a dispute fee of £14! It seems eBay do not want to admit any fault in this case, when clearly, they are at fault. I've just got of the phone with a helpful advisor at eBay who will hopefully escalate this issue.
dhbookds
·1 year agoGlad it turned out well for you..............just a comment that you are in the UK.......and this board is primarily US sellers.... There could be differences in how things are handled in the UK that we don't know about......i.e. how the buyer payment is handled..........
starless1975
OP1 year agoMorning/afternoon/evening all.
eBay have now admitted they were in the wrong and I am getting my funds for the sale back and I will not be charged the dispute fee. So, I was right, eBay wrong!
dbfolks166mt
·1 year agoMorning/afternoon/evening all.
eBay have now admitted they were in the wrong and I am getting my funds for the sale back and I will not be charged the dispute fee. So, I was right, eBay wrong!
So you actually still have the camera AND eBay has given you the cash from the transaction which I suspect they did out of their own coffers. I also suspect they fully refunded the buyer or the CC company which refunded the card holder. Things worked out well for you in this situation.
starless1975
OP1 year agoThe buyer no longer has an account on eBay, that’s the strange thing. So I don’t know if they got refunded. It was all a bit strange. In these situations with eBay it really does seem the luck of the draw who you get on the end of the phone. I’ve spoken to a number of people there varying from the extremely rude to the really pleasant and helpful like the person this morning. She sorted in about 2 minutes what others failed to even acknowledge.
gurlcat
·1 year ago@starless1975 Go to your Payments page. Do you NOW see the amount on Hold? Do you see any deduction of it in your transactions?
evry1nositswindy
·1 year agoYour own post says that a payment dispute was opened. That does indeed show that you were paid. Even if the funds were on hold, you could have issued the refund. Since you didn't refund in the time allotted, eBay found in the buyer's favor and refunded them.
starless1975
OP1 year agoThats the way it's supposed to work.......... the buyer (who actually doesn't now exist, according to eBay) apparently paid but no funds reached me. I've double checked again. As I've said, I followed eBays instructions to the letter. Maybe, just maybe, they've cocked up?
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoTheir payment didn't show up in your MP account?
starless1975
OP1 year agonegative.......
ittybitnot
·1 year agoEven if the funds were on hold, you could have issued the refund.
@evry1nositswindy
Maybe things are different in the UK, but generally speaking here in the US "held" funds cannot be used for a refund. It is my understanding that the seller must 'refund' first, and then wait for the funds to be released, even if the funds on hold are directly related to the transaction at hand.
This has been rather problematic for 'new' or 'returning' sellers under the 30 day hold program and then need to refund for a return.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 year agoWhen this occurs, if you have the money, you need to refund.
What you have experienced is what should be expected.
If Ebay had cancelled the order, they would have taken the funds.
You cannot rely on anything that customer service tells you if that relates to financial risk.
starless1975
OP1 year agoI never saw the money so how could I refund? We are not talking a lot of money, but the principle remain. I followed their instructions to the letter and they don't seem to want to accept any responsibility at all.
fern*wood
·1 year agoI had a similar situation. The message said to not refund or ship, so I didn't try. I figured ebay would handle it on their end and I assumed from my account. You know what you get for assuming---a payment dispute from their bank (charge back). As soon as I saw that, I tried looking back over my account to figure out if they had refunded and couldn't find anything, so I immediately issued the refund myself at that time to close the dispute. I guess they were protecting me from something, but I'm not clear from what.
onlinecentral
·1 year agoYou should have issued the refund the instant you got the Payment Dispute message from eBay. That way, you could have avoided the dispute fee of £14.
evry1nositswindy
·1 year agoSo you kept the money and didn't ship it? When eBay told you not to ship, you should have cancelled the sale. This would have refunded the buyer plus you wouldn't have gotten your fees credited.
starless1975
OP1 year agoSale had ended, the message from eBay came after the sale had ended.
starless1975
OP1 year agoWhen I spoke to eBay on the phone they told me not to do anything, they would sort it.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoWhy didn't you issue a refund when they told you not to ship the camera?
starless1975
OP1 year agoMoney was not in my account
theteamsetguy
·1 year ago@kensgiftshop ,
Having your cake and eating it too comes to mind.
starless1975
OP1 year agoIf you read the message eBay sent me I've done everything they told me to and I phoned to confirm I was doing the correct thing, which they confirmed. So I've had no cake to eat.