Getting my manual refund from eBay
Sold my Sony AX2000 Video Camera on eBAY back on January 3, 2023 and I have complete proof and documentation from the USPS that the camera was delivered on January 5, 2023 to the buyer. Because the shipping time took 2 extra days of getting to the buyer, the buyer claimed that the camera was either lost or stolen and started badgering me for a refund. I contacted eBAY and they advised that I should probably go ahead issue the seller the refund which I did. A few days later I visited the USPS where I live and the clerk at the post office ran a search for the missing and supposedly un-delivered camera. Within minutes the postal clerk
printed out a USPS Product Tracking & Reporting document that clearly indicates that the camera was delivered to the eBAY buyer on January 5, 2023 at 13:53 hours and left on the buyers front porch.
I immediately contacted eBAY and an eBAY supervisor sent me via an eMAIL a document up-loader so that I
could send eBAY the USPS the Product & Tracking Report stating without unquestionable proof that my Sony AX200 Video Camera was delivered to the buyer. I have been begging eBAY to send me a "manual refund" which they have said they would do, but as of this day I have not received my refund for the amount of $500.00 which is what I refunded to the eBAY buyer. So now the eBAY buyer has my camera and my $500.00.
I've tried calling eBAY again this afternoon about my refund, but all I kept getting after a dozen attempts to get a real human on the line was eBAY's recorded message. Then after the 12th time of trying to get somebody on the line eBAY apparently started blocking my call by playing a recorded message that sounded like a robot was speaking. If any one has had any experience with eBAY that closely mirrors my horrible situation please contact me. Public record shows that in the last 3 years eBAY has had 13,300 complaints filed against them.
After 21 years of loyalty to eBAY and over 500 completed transactions with a perfect 100% Feedback Record this is how eBAY has decided to treat me. I intend to fight them all the way on this and will be discontinuing my so called loyalty to them as well.
pixel_pantry
·3 years agoI mean even if u waited to refund the buyer, he would have returned you a rock and got the camera and money anyways if that was his intentions. Your out the camera and your cash. Hard truth. This place sucks nowadays for a seller.
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoSince an attorney is going to charge you and NEVER win anything; you should stop spending additional money on that attny.
YOU decided to refund the customer without checking the tracking first, or without waiting for a 'refund case' to be opened (why didn't you just check the tracking on the usps website before refunding??)
YOU decided to NOT upload the correct tracking number, so even if the buyer did open an official return and you then would have inputted a number that NEVER delivered- you would lose that case anyway.
Either way, you would be out the money.
You need to be talking with the buyer to refund you direct, or you can take that buyer to court (small claims) but it must be done in their city.
soh.maryl
·3 years agoYou sold it Jan. 3rd and it was delivered on Jan. 5th.
What two extra days are we talking about?
allthingssurplus
·3 years agoHard truth, you should have never sent the refund without the product returned to you, no matter who told you to do so. Second if eBay gets the delivered tracking after you refunded it is between you and the Buyer not eBay and that is how they do it. eBay does not care about their Sellers this from someone that has been on the site over 23 years and completed over 150k sales. Sad
kari09
OP3 years agoYes I agree, but I've never been in this situation before and I just figured I would get the correct advise by contacting eBAY. At this point it doesn't really matter what I should or shouldn't have done.
I've been contemplating ending my eBAY membership for a while now, this is the opportunity to do so.
The truth is I can live quite happily without eBAY, I actually wish I had ended this membership many years earlier.
harafkac0
·3 years agoYou are certainly free to do so, but if you were looking for a scapegoat reason it's neither ebay's fault nor ours.
fern*wood
·3 years agoThat's terrible, but surely those dates aren't correct. That's just two days before selling and delivery? I've had items not arrive and delay refunds as long as feasible by staying in touch with my buyer and filing a lost package claim with USPS. Usually packages show up, especially if tracking is showing at all.
If I have to refund due to a case, I refund, but my buyers have always reimbursed me. I never tried talking with ebay.
kari09
OP3 years agoThe dates are correct and I have the USPS Product & Tracking print out to prove it. This whole entire problem started with the USPS. The day that I shipped the camera to the eBAY buyer, who's name I shall omit for legal reasons since I'm seeing an attorney now and she has advised me that I don't use the buyer's name, the USPS clerk printed out my receipt which indicates that I added $500.00 for insurance purposes. However, for whatever reason the postal clerk entered two separate tracking numbers on the receipt for the same package which was my camera. It's common practice with the USPS to give a customer $100.00 worth of insurance when shipping a package with Priority Mail Status.
However, when the postal clerk stated this I replied "oh no, I want to add $500.00 worth of insurance money to the shipment", the postal clerk should have removed the first tracking number that included the automatic $100.00 of insurance money and entered a new tracking number to my receipt showing that I paid for $500.00 for the extra insurance. However, the USPS clerk "DID NOT" remove the first tracking number from the receipt thus the receipt ended up showing 2 separate tracking numbers. Apparently the USPS Tracking system along with the eBAY buyer was using the first tracking number as its tracking identifier, but this tracking number was never to be seen as a delivery tracking number because the second tracking number which showed the $500.00 worth of extra insurance was indeed the legitimate "real" delivery tracking number. As I've stated, I have the USPS print out that clearly shows that the camera was delivered on January 5, 2023 by priority mail which is usually a 3 day delivery, so yes the dates are correct. The second issue is, the eBAY buyer was able to use this USPS blunder to his advantage and opened a Refund request at which time eBAY put a hold on my funds siding with the buyer that the package/camera was either stolen or lost since under the first tracking number on the receipt the camera/package showed that there was no movement or where-abouts of the camera/package. As soon as the eBAY buyer discovered this USPS blunder he immediately started hounding me for the refund knowing full well that once I issued the refund eBAY would consider the case closed. As for the buyer's integrity to offer me my money back that's a total negative joke. After repeated badgering and name calling by the eBAY buyer via email messages to me, I called eBAY and explained the situation and asked for their advise. eBAY clearly stated that since the buyer was reporting that the package/camera's delivery information was nowhere to be found, they were siding with the buyer and I might as well give him (the buyer) his refund. So I issued the refund just to get rid of him, but after doing so and about a day later I visited the post office thinking that I was going to have to open a case against the USPS for a lost or stolen package. It was at this time that the senior postal clerk ran a scan for the camera/package using the second tracking number on the receipt and sure enough there it was showing the date, time and place to which the camera was delivered to the buyer. Now I ask you, how much integrity do you think the buyer has where he now has my camera and my money, but has blocked any eMail messages that I sent him asking to please refund the money that I sent him. This buyer as unscrupulous as he is, is not going to return the money or the camera. This buyer is a professional thief who knows how to use any error made by anybody to his advantage. Rest assured as we all know, the world is full of this type of human being. However, I'm a firm believer that nobody gets away with anything in the end and this buyer one way or the other is going pay for this wrong doing, the universe will see to it. Conclusion, even I never see a dime of the money that eBAY owes me I will continue fighting eBAY with my attorney even if it cost me money to do so. I intend to ask for punitive damages, stress related damages and financial hardship damages caused by eBAY. I have filed a complaint with BBB which eBAY in accredited by and I've also asked the USPS to step in and investigate the eBAY buyer who has denied and lied about receiving the camera. I've got all the time in the world to pursue this matter and a motto that I've lived by for 74 years, is in full bloom;" I never give up". Beware eBAY people, eBAY is "not" a safe place to do business and their reputation that they will undoubtedly side with a buyer is alive and well.
kensgiftshop
·3 years agoYou bought a shipping label on Ebay.
Then you bought another shipping label through the PO.
Did you go to the order and update the tracking number to the new one?
kari09
OP3 years agoNo I did not buy a shipping label from eBAY. I never use eBAY's shipping labels.
kensgiftshop
·3 years agoOK.
So when you entered the tracking number, you entered the first one and not the one you actually used?
kari09
OP3 years agoThat's correct and only because I just assumed like in the past that there was only going to be just the one number. Thanks
inhawaii
·3 years agoWhat is it you dislike, the convenience or the discount? 😉
kari09
OP3 years agoI just have always prepared my own shipping labels via the USPS or UPS. Thanks
dhbookds
·3 years agoFrom your post........it doesn't sound like a INR case was opened?.......if it was.......this was information on how to get a refund from ebay if you had refunded and then the item was delivered:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/eBay-s-new-shipping-policy-with-changes-regarding-INR-s/td-p/31974704
) View listings‎06-16-2021 05:03 PM
I’ve seen several threads regarding USPS delays, but I don’t think the majority of sellers are being affected - most of the issues seem to be at specific facilities. At any rate, I’ve been fighting INR’s tooth and nail with eBay since Easter and am only a defect or two away from suspension. All of my previous appeals on INR’s have been denied.
I’ve had 6 INR’s opened in the last 3 days, so I checked all my labels and realized I currently have close to 100 past due orders that are delayed/stuck in transit at the USPS Facility in Memphis, TN. My last 2 requests for INR extensions though “regular†eBay CS were denied, so yesterday I sent a message to eBay for Business on FB and requested an INR extension, but was denied with a reply referencing the changes in eBay’s “new†shipping policy:
Almost 24 hours passed and they never responded to my last message, I presume because of the temper tantrum I started throwing there at the end or because there is no such link (maybe both). Just for the record, I don't normally get that saucy, but I had reached peak frustration. Don't judge me. Regardless, I wasn’t going to start refunding without some kind of confirmation, so today I sent a (very calm and polite) desperation message to eBay on Twitter. I recapped my situation and basically just begged for some kind of seller protection (I didn’t mention I’d already contacted FB). This was their response:
I still didn’t believe them, so I laid it all out to make sure I understood:
I searched the threads, but couldn't find anything about a new shipping policy. I know it's classic eBay, but it seems like a pretty big deal to just tell a seller something all willy-nilly like this (especially in writing), without having some kind of formal knowledge. I really, really hope this is accurate information - it would solve so many of the ongoing issues with INR cases. Has anyone else been told anything similar?
harafkac0
·3 years agoOh yes, see it advertised on this forum as well, never have I gotten my money back by appealing after the item was delivered. It may however be true that issuing the refund voluntarily is helpful (versus allowing ebay to do it especially in the case of defects) but I wouldn't necessarily take their or anyone else's word for it.
Way I see things there's only one way to find out, and that is to test it on an actual case of my own.
Play it through and see what comes of it, it helps to keep track of which options are in play, and that outcome is most likely the outcome you will find to be true every time the exact same situation is repeated.
kari09
OP3 years agoThe dates are correct and I have the USPS Product & Tracking print out to prove it. This whole entire problem started with the USPS. The day that I shipped the camera to the eBAY buyer, who's name I shall omit for legal reasons since I'm seeing an attorney now and she has advised me that I don't use the buyer's name, the USPS clerk printed out my receipt which indicates that I added $500.00 for insurance purposes. However, for whatever reason the postal clerk entered two separate tracking numbers on the receipt for the same package which was my camera. It's common practice with the USPS to give a customer $100.00 worth of insurance when shipping a package with Priority Mail Status.
However, when the postal clerk stated this I replied "oh no, I want to add $500.00 worth of insurance money to the shipment", the postal clerk should have removed the first tracking number that included the automatic $100.00 of insurance money and entered a new tracking number to my receipt showing that I paid for $500.00 for the extra insurance. However, the USPS clerk "DID NOT" remove the first tracking number from the receipt thus the receipt ended up showing 2 separate tracking numbers. Apparently the USPS Tracking system along with the eBAY buyer was using the first tracking number as its tracking identifier, but this tracking number was never to be seen as a delivery tracking number because the second tracking number which showed the $500.00 worth of extra insurance was indeed the legitimate "real" delivery tracking number. As I've stated, I have the USPS print out that clearly shows that the camera was delivered on January 5, 2023 by priority mail which is usually a 3 day delivery, so yes the dates are correct. The second issue is, the eBAY buyer was able to use this USPS blunder to his advantage and opened a Refund request at which time eBAY put a hold on my funds siding with the buyer that the package/camera was either stolen or lost since under the first tracking number on the receipt the camera/package showed that there was no movement or where-abouts of the camera/package. As soon as the eBAY buyer discovered this USPS blunder he immediately started hounding me for the refund knowing full well that once I issued the refund eBAY would consider the case closed. As for the buyer's integrity to offer me my money back that's a total negative joke. After repeated badgering and name calling by the eBAY buyer via email messages to me, I called eBAY and explained the situation and asked for their advise. eBAY clearly stated that since the buyer was reporting that the package/camera's delivery information was nowhere to be found, they were siding with the buyer and I might as well give him (the buyer) his refund. So I issued the refund just to get rid of him, but after doing so and about a day later I visited the post office thinking that I was going to have to open a case against the USPS for a lost or stolen package. It was at this time that the senior postal clerk ran a scan for the camera/package using the second tracking number on the receipt and sure enough there it was showing the date, time and place to which the camera was delivered to the buyer. Now I ask you, how much integrity do you think the buyer has where he now has my camera and my money, but has blocked any eMail messages that I sent him asking to please refund the money that I sent him. This buyer as unscrupulous as he is, is not going to return the money or the camera. This buyer is a professional thief who knows how to use any error made by anybody to his advantage. Rest assured as we all know, the world is full of this type of human being. However, I'm a firm believer that nobody gets away with anything in the end and this buyer one way or the other is going pay for this wrong doing, the universe will see to it. Conclusion, even I never see a dime of the money that eBAY owes me I will continue fighting eBAY with my attorney even if it cost me money to do so. I intend to ask for punitive damages, stress related damages and financial hardship damages caused by eBAY. I have filed a complaint with BBB which eBAY in accredited by and I've also asked the USPS to step in and investigate the eBAY buyer who has denied and lied about receiving the camera. I've got all the time in the world to pursue this matter and a motto that I've lived by for 74 years, is in full bloom;" I never give up". Beware eBAY people, eBAY is "not" a safe place to do business and their reputation that they will undoubtedly side with a buyer is alive and well.
harafkac0
·3 years agoThis thread better reflects what I would expect would happen:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Buyer-Received-Item-After-I-Refunded-Them-unusual-USPS-situation/m-p/33614226#M2177657
On ebay I have found most situations resolve themselves one way or the other, every single time and into the future, regardless of any conflict of information and who stated what... I've seen it all over the years, from a single individual to an entire forum getting it wrong. Even the blues make mistakes some times, often once it is said to be a certain way it can be years before the misinformation is undone... Why I like to test things out for myself, helps if you have ample room for the defect.
caldreamer
·3 years agoYou got bad advice...you should not have refunded money right away. Customer is supposed to open "did not receive item" case (this gives you 3 days to provide tracking# proving delivery).
Once refund is given....you don't get your money back (this happens even if delivery is late). Only thing I can suggest is to ask customer to pay or file complaint ONLINE at Better Business Bureau at BBB.org
1786davycrockett
·3 years agoYou should NEVER voluntarily refund a buyer, until the buyer has opened a case against you.
There was no need for you to contact eBay, and you were provided incorrect and inaccurate advice by an inexperienced eBay employee.
I suspect that both your money AND camera are long gone, and that your buyer does not intend to refund you.
Nor will eBay.
harafkac0
·3 years agoThe standard process for a buyer claiming "either lost or stolen and started badgering me for a refund" is to have the buyer open a case for "Item Not Received" by replying to their messages as follows:
***************
Dear Buyer,
If your item hasn’t arrived and it is past the last estimated delivery date you may go to the Resolution Center, find the item in the purchase history, and select item not received within 30 days of the last estimated delivery date.
Once this process has been completed either your item will arrive within 3-5 business days or you will be issued a refund.
Thank you,
**************
Then, should the buyer open an Item Not Received case, simply Respond to the case by entering the tracking number into the case.
What happens at this point, if the item arrives ebay will close the case.
If it does not, ebay issues a full refund.
At this stage since you voluntarily issued that buyer a full refund ebay will not be giving you any manual refunds or money back, you might try and message the buyer asking them to re-pay you. I can recommend, do a lot of reading on how to sell on ebay before listing another item, you want to be familiar with the process and procedures during transactions that don't go as expected.