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How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

I have been selling phones through craigslist for a few years and decided to become more active on Ebay. I am beginning to think I should end selling on ebay because the seller protection sucks against lying buyers.


How long does a buyer have to file a dispute for a phone after receiving it? Is it really 45 days from what i have been reading???!!!!! Anything could go wrong with technology after a few days of being purchased. "knock on wood" Now I am scared to list anything here again. Ebay has been making $800 a month in fees from me, it might not seem much to some but I have had returns that absolutely had no issues and buyers just wanted a refund.



Please tell me 45 days is wrong. More like 7 days to file a claim would be perfect this is ridiculous.


Another question that I have is, How can you file a claim for a phone that goes missing from the postal office. I always ship everything with insurance and signature confirmation but what do they require the seller to confirm the price of the phone? Everything that I buy is straight off good ol craigslist and i do not get any receipts for anything obviously.

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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

Everytime I sell something lately I get nervous. I'm just getting through a case where the guy claimed he didn't get an item. He waited 20 days to file a dispute. In that time, Paypal took the sale money back I'd transfered to my checking account. Then they made the money available to me again. The item sold on June 22 and still hasn't closed (It's 08/06!). People say sellers shouldn't escalate, while EBay told me that the case would go in my favor due to the tracking. I just wait...

 

Now I've sold an iPad to someone who has under 10 feedbacks as a buyer, yet who only gave feedback to a couple of people he bought from! He guy paid right away, but I'll be swetting for a month. I've tried to initiate contact saying thanks and oh I sent a free cover for it, but he says nothing. I honestly feel safer selling on Craigslist to strangers on parking lots than in this overly buyer biased economy Ebay has setup.

 

Aargh!

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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

A buyer messaged me yesterday saying she has not received the cellphone. Checking on the usps tracking confirms it was delivered. Didn't use delivery confirmation but now I am waiting to see how this rolls out. In the past a young boy also new to ebay 0 or very minimal feedback reported only receiving an empty box without a phone inside. The box had a slit cut which i could see from the pictures I requested. In the end never heard from him after 2 weeks of tag. Sounds like a SCAM. This new one also has 0 feedback and is telling me that they never received anything??  Anyways I am still mad that ebay is charging 10% for selling a cellphone. That is extremely high and cuts deep in profits. That is why I don't do ebay as much as before. Think about it EBAY READ THIS LOWER YOUR FREAKING FEES AGAIN!

Message 17 of 205
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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

I have sell one laptop "as/is no warranty or refund for parts only" 35 days after buyer recieved he open a case for full refund because "item not as described" really? I chk hes feedback and he buy a lot of laptops and parts.. Im still have my 100% positive feedback and im selling laptops or parts since 2003 on ebay.
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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

Same thing happened to me. I'm still nervous about transferring my funds on Paypal to my bank account because the buyer could open a claim any time. He hasn't contacted me in two -almost three- weeks even though he was raging about not receiving the item even though I shipped to the address on his PAYPAL account (tracking said it was delivered as well). -_-" I'm really starting to believe this is a scam partly because I informed him that I'm relatively new to selling on ebay (which I realized I maybe shouldn't have said) and this lack of communication.

Also, 45 days is a hell of a lot of time for a person to use a product and see if it works or not. Unless they don't care for the item that much, then they shouldn't care if they get their money back or not. If the usual refund period is ~30 days, 45 is PLENTY of time!!
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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?


@rabbitplush wrote:
Same thing happened to me. I'm still nervous about transferring my funds on Paypal to my bank account because the buyer could open a claim any time. He hasn't contacted me in two -almost three- weeks even though he was raging about not receiving the item even though I shipped to the address on his PAYPAL account (tracking said it was delivered as well). -_-" I'm really starting to believe this is a scam partly because I informed him that I'm relatively new to selling on ebay (which I realized I maybe shouldn't have said) and this lack of communication.
...

As long as you have delivery confirmation proving delivery (or signature confirmation depending on the value), you will be covered if the case is for an Item Not Received.

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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

I can understand the pains that all of you have.  I have been buying and selling items that I don't need on Ebay for almost 11 years now.   Ebay is just a hobby for me to have fun and recycle things that I don't need.  As a former seminarian with perfect credit score and a job that can provide me with a mid 6 figures, I consider myself an honest person with a comfortable living.  Definitely, Ebay is not a place for me to make money at all.   Currently, I have 100% positive feedback but not sure how long my feedback will stand.  A week ago I sold a cell phone that I don't use.  Before shipping it to the buyer I tested it and it works just fine but the buyer open a case claiming that the phone does not charge.  I offered to exchange the battery.  Then the buyer said it's not the battery, it's the phone, then I offered  to exchange the phone then the buyer does not want an exchange anymore but a full refund instead.  I also agree to refund him the purchase price not the shipping cost since he changes his mind not to get the phone. He still does not agree and call me a fraud and open a case under title: "Item not as descrided".    This is a typical case of "Change of Mind" after winning bid and receiving the phone.  A lot of buyers does not understand that when they bid on an auction they are entering a legal binding contract and a "change of mind" would be a breach of the contract and they have to compensate the other side for all losses.  In my case would be the shipping cost and the lost of opportunity to sell the phone but I am only asking for the shipping cost.  Paypal has frozen my money in this case which is ok with me (it's just $47) but I hope Paypal and Ebay understand the legallity of breaching a binding contract.  My case is still open and not sure what will happen.  This is not worth it and  would be my last activity on paypal and ebay.

Message 21 of 205
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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

Well Im not sure what is going on. I just had a claim opened up against me because the buyer said the item was not as described, That is all well and good, but he bought the item on July 4 and opened the case yesterday Aug 27. That is 54 days, The item was a PC game. It had a registration code but the buyer says that it was not in there. I am worried that I am going to have to pay for this person game.

Joanna
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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

I think I would have to agree with your post 100%
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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

as a BUYER i often get wrong and counterfeit goods shipped to me.

EBAY says i have to return them in TWO DAYS!!  even yesterday and

tomorrow is Labor day!  And no payment of return shipping when the

buyer is 100% at fault.  These losses are adding up; time to sue Ebay.

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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

I learned the hard way not to esclated the case.  I had a case opened that the buyer didnt receive it.  They got it the next day and I had the tracking number to prove it.  I waited a month, asked the buyer to close the case.  Wanted my money freed up, and escalated the case.  they found in the buyers favor and refunded him all of his money.  Im out the entire thing with no option to appeal.  

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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

Hi

Mines just as bad, seems to be the normal Ebay trend

Sold a good white iphone 4 for £175, buyer starts getting daily hassle, theres no sim pin, you send me money, the phone is fake etc etc. I said if you not happy send phone back and I will refund you (as sellers you know we have to eat humble pie) to buyers or get negged. Next raises an INAD stating fake phone, you refund me, which I agreed to. Getting suspicious now so the day before item was due for return I did a checkmend report on the phone which gave me proof of its validity. I then setup my video camera to record the opening of the returned package and box to then switch the phone on to show its valid IMIE and Ser No, but no, no phone in the box at all only the charger plug and lead, I was dumfounded. got onto Ebay Customer support which is c_r_a_p no use at all just give you back a few pasted copied or their bull s_h_i_t pages. The above details were all mentioned in the case to which in the last 5 mins the buyer escalated the case and 20mins later Ebay closed it in favor of the Buyer as they do. So the buyer now has a £175 phone and a £175 Paypal refund which was instantly snatched from my account. I appealed but got nowhere at all with them, wouldn't budge, lost it all.

jb

Message 26 of 205
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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

45 days given to buyers to open up a claim against you its a little out of proportion. EBAY RECONSIDER!! have a little more appreciation for honest sellers which are the foundation to your success. also stop playing God with those outrageously high fees of 10 percent. I seriously hate paying 10 percent specially to a company that does not really care for Sellers.
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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

What if you spent the money 20+ days later the item was sold?
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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

Well you have to be honest here ... sellers are the problem way more often than buyers. Sellers usually sell their items because they want to get rid of them and the reason is the item has a problem. They of course don't mention that problem in their listings.

 

I read many stories about buyers paying for an item and receiving **bleep**. I recently purchased my first iPhone 4S off eBay and I was very aware that I may receive an item that is not as described. But I said to myself "I still have 95% chance of receiving an iPhone from an honest seller that will be as described". Well guess what ? The phone I got was damaged and the power button didn't work. The listing however said "top condition".

 

So the buyers have every right to be **bleep** and unremorseful towards sellers. And believe me, 95% of the sellers that get disputes opened against them deserve it because they are slackers, don't descibe their items as they really are and try to pass off **bleep** to legitimate buyers.

 

If you are an honest seller who doesn't try to rip off buyers and describe your items as they really are then you won't have disputes opened against you. Those that you get you will be able to write off as normal business loss. EBay knows that and they are right about it.

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Re: How long does a buyer have to open a case and request a refund, lost items?

The whole time frame is crazy on how long someone can take to open a case.  I just sold my old Iphone 4 because I was upgrading to a newer Iphone.  My iphone 4 worked for 2 years flawwlessly, I never had any issues with it at all.  I sold it and now a week later I have a case opened up on me and the customer is stating that the left speaker does not work and they cannot turn down the volume.

 

I think that this customer has never had an iphone before and does not know how to use it properly.  First off the iphone 4 does not have a left speaker, and now I have negative feedback stating that the phone was not as described left speaker does not work.  Before even contacting me they added negative feedback and opened up a case, I think this is just a buyers remorse issue.

 

Will Ebay remove that negative feedback for being incorrect?

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