Need immediate help if possible!

[gurlcat]

Okay I'm doing an awful buyer thing that I have often complained about as a seller: I put off shipping a return item until the last minute.  -Maybe I'll explain later but for now suffice it to say I did have good reason.  In fact, I still have reason to wait until tomorrow if possible, and that's what I need to know.

The facts: I already printed the return label, a couple days ago.  My post office closes in 2 hours, so if I need an acceptance scan today I need to know now.  I have no idea how closely the seller is watching this and I can't remember if they'll need to prompt eBay to close the return or if it'll happen automatically, but let's assume they're watching and will hit the button the first moment possible. 

EDIT: Okay maybe this is what I should really be asking: what happens if a buyer already printed the return label while it was available to do so ... but then didn't actually ship on time .... the seller or eBay closes the return .... but then the buyer uses that label to ship the item afterward?  Does eBay just ignore the ensuing tracking activity and the buyer loses the item and gets no refund, or does the acceptance scan effectively bring the return back to life? 

[wastingtime101]

Get an acceptance scan today, the 13th, to be safe.

Generally eBay auto-closes the day after (in this case the 14th). It's possible you bought a little extra time by printing the return label but I don't know if that rule is still in effect and in your shoes I would not chance it.

[fab_finds4u]

One place it says send your item back before Nov 13th.  I interpret that to mean send it back before this date arrives. You have interpreted it to mean before the day ends or by the end of this day.

I think the seller could ask eBay after midnight to close the case because there's  no tracking showing you mailed it back. 

Whether or not they will close it I don't know. 

I'm throwing my hands up over this one. 

[chevymontecarlo88]

 I wonder if you get a Kiosk acceptance scan would that work? If so, you could drop off the next day or so.

[12345jamesstamps]

There are different time zones in the USA....which is one thing...I don't know if eBay is one time zone.

'send the item back by Nov 13'...need it scanned by someone and not just thrown in a bid.

'already printed the return label, a couple days ago'...I am not sure but I thought that had to be used the day it got printed and not later...I might be wrong.

'before Nov 13'...is the title....guessing you missed the date for this one.

Let us know...you should know pretty quick on this today or tomorrow.

[gurlcat · Accepted solution]

I buckled down and requested a callback, got an (American) employee who is specifically in the returns department.  He said I'll be fine to ship tomorrow.  What he explained was basically what I suspected, that a buyer would not be able to print the return label after the cutoff, but if they already printed it they have some wiggle room to get the acceptance scan.  He said "a couple more days" -not an exact number but I didn't press because he said he wasn't even really supposed to say there's any extra time at all, and anyway all I need is ONE extra day, lol. 

EDIT:  I'm gonna go ahead and self-select this as 'Best Answer' to get the emergency status off this post, ha. 

[aproudparent2010]

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@gurlcat wrote:

I buckled down and requested a callback, got an (American) employee who is specifically in the returns department.  He said I'll be fine to ship tomorrow.  What he explained was basically what I suspected, that a buyer would not be able to print the return label after the cutoff, but if they already printed it they have some wiggle room to get the acceptance scan.  He said "a couple more days" -not an exact number but I didn't press because he said he wasn't even really supposed to say there's any extra time at all, and anyway all I need is ONE extra day, lol. 

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Not sure if I'd believe that...I had a buyer send an item back that was scanned the day after it was due to be shipped back by and eBay closed in my favor. I did give a refund minus shipping though when received enough though I didn't have to.

[fab_finds4u]

I  would be reluctant to believe it, too. How many times have reps given out wrong information? Sometimes they tell you what you want to hear.

To be absolutely safe I would mail it today.

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[aproudparent2010]

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@gurlcat wrote:

Okay I'm doing an awful buyer thing that I have often complained about as a seller: I put off shipping a return item until the last minute.  -Maybe I'll explain later but for now suffice it to say I did have good reason.  In fact, I still have reason to wait until tomorrow if possible, and that's what I need to know.

The facts: I already printed the return label, a couple days ago.  My post office closes in 2 hours, so if I need an acceptance scan today I need to know now.  I have no idea how closely the seller is watching this and I can't remember if they'll need to prompt eBay to close the return or if it'll happen automatically, but let's assume they're watching and will hit the button the first moment possible. 

EDIT: Okay maybe this is what I should really be asking: what happens if a buyer already printed the return label while it was available to do so ... but then didn't actually ship on time .... the seller or eBay closes the return .... but then the buyer uses that label to ship the item afterward?  Does eBay just ignore the ensuing tracking activity and the buyer loses the item and gets no refund, or does the acceptance scan effectively bring the return back to life? 

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Had this happen and eBay closed in my favor because buyer didn't get an acceptance scan on the day it was due to be sent back,

Item arrived and I issued a refund minus shipping....didn't have to though.

[gurlcat]

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@fab_finds4u wrote:

To be absolutely safe I would mail it today.

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LOL you wrote that the exact minute my post office closed, 4:30.

[aproudparent2010]

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@gurlcat wrote:

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@fab_finds4u wrote:

To be absolutely safe I would mail it today.

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LOL you wrote that the exact minute my post office closed, 4:30.

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If seller asks eBay to step in they will since it wasn't shipped on time

[kensgiftshop]

If you don't have it shipped back and scanned by the date Ebay gave you, the seller can have the case closed.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@gurlcat wrote:

Okay I'm doing an awful buyer thing that I have often complained about as a seller: I put off shipping a return item until the last minute.  -Maybe I'll explain later but for now suffice it to say I did have good reason.  In fact, I still have reason to wait until tomorrow if possible, and that's what I need to know.

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I'm not comfortable with the advice you received from CS. My opinion is that they told you what you wanted to hear. (And since you said you spoke to a US employee, it merely shows that domestic CS people are no more accurate with their advice than offshore ones.)

I think the seller would be well within their rights to have the case closed tonight.

As a buyer, I don't return often but when I do, I send it back ASAP. The sooner I return it, the sooner I get my refund.

And as a seller, I don't get too many returns but when I do, it's frustrating to wait weeks for an item the buyer was prompt in telling me she didn't want/like. I'm anxious to relist the item and not being able to do so for a month seems inconsiderate. 

I can't imagine a reason to postpone shipping until the last minute, cutting it so close that you might not even get the refund! 

[aproudparent2010]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

If you don't have it shipped back and scanned by the date Ebay gave you, the seller can have the case closed.

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I tried telling them.....

[gurlcat]

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@aproudparent2010 wrote:

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

If you don't have it shipped back and scanned by the date Ebay gave you, the seller can have the case closed.

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I tried telling them.....

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😆Yes you did, let's see .... 1... 2 .... 3 times.  Relax, it's fine.