Excessive and fraudulent returns?

[truckflow]

Has anyone else been having issues with excessive returns recently along with terrible customer service? We've had 3 returns within the last month on maybe 30 completed transactions. The first one the buyer purchased the wrong item and damaged it in during installation but claimed it was defective. It was a 3 week ordeal with customer service just to get final value fees back after I was able to get someone to look at the photos provided by the buyer and to read the messages between the buyer and I.

Second return was for an engine we sold. A week after delivery, the buyer claimed we sold him the wrong engine but it was already installed in the vehicle. Then the customer claimed there was metal shavings in the oil pan but refused to send photos or provide any sort of documentation from the buyer. eBay pushed the return through without a high value claims investigation. They had asked the buyer to provide more documentation confirming condition of the item while the case was on hold for 5 additional days but I was later told to disregard that email because it was sent as a mistake. Now we are out nearly $9000 between no engine, refund to the buyer, final value fees, shipping to the west coast and return shipping to the east coast. I was told eBay doesn't require proof for refunds and I'm at fault for not facilitating a return.

The third return happened 29 days after delivery where the buyer claimed I sent them a different item that didn't match the part numbers in the description. I compared the part number the buyer had sent me photos of and that of the part number in the description and it indeed was the same so I called eBay to see if I could refuse the return. I was told take the return but do not refund the buyer. Call when after the item was inspected. I received the return and it was a different item than he was sent. Called eBay, explained the situation and had sent the buyer photos of what was received so eBay could see it. I was then told, refund the buyer since the package has arrived so the return is complete. I was able to speak to a supervisor after having some choice words with customer service. The supervisor had refunded my account along with the buyer since the wrong item was received.

Customer service has been no help along with account restrictions after the first return. Talk to 5 different people and you'll get 5 different solutions to the same problem. Or you'll get the corporate answer of "Losses are all a part of doing businesses". A corporate business model does not do well with small businesses so it's not an acceptable answer. With asking for photos and trying to figure what's going on before accepting a return, I'm trying to keep unnecessary losses to a minimum with these forced refunds by eBay.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Sadly, this is all nothing new selling on ebay. Customer gets their money back. You cannot prove the part was any good so there is really nothing that Customer Service can do. 

In any 'he said she said' the customer (buyer) is always right. 

You sell, you get the $.

Customer is unhappy and wants their $ back.

They will get their money back 1000 out of 1000 times.

Does not matter if you believe in the 'losses is just a part of doing business'; but it is 100% accurate. 

[truckflow]

All business has loss but avoiding unnecessary loss is part of loss prevention especially when the documentation provided by the buyer from their mechanic shows the product purchased was not meant for and would not work with their vehicle. Of course it's "defective" and doesn't work, it's not meant for your vehicle. One of the customer service reps saw that and agreed with me but good luck trying to get the next person to read their notes even after giving them a reference number.

I was lectured on industry standards by one of the high value claims members. No questions asked returns may work in the retail world but in the automotive world the industry standard for electronic items is ABSOLUTELY NO Returns because of cases just like this. Go to AutoZone and try to return a light bulb or a headlight switch that's been taken out of the package and they will show you the door.

[lakefor94]

Could not read your 1st post due to no paragraphs or spacing.

The 2nd post lead one to believe you have to get more familiar with the eBay MBG for buyers. EBay is not AutoZone 

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

[truckflow]

Go back and read the first post and you'll see the issues. The second post was referring to industry standards when it comes to returns. Especially when it comes to eBay motors where automotive parts have different return and refund standards depending on the item. Sensitive electronics that can easily be damaged by someone who doesn't know what they're doing is not the same as clothing or household good. 

[baydistributionllc]

It was quiet on the return front for a while. Recently I had.

A serial POS barcode scanner returned NAD because it wasn’t USB. Never claimed to be.

A Brand New blender pitcher broken and returned covered in food. Of course “arrived damaged.”

A brand new dimmer returned for not working. Tested again, works fine.

Another brand new dimmer. Was factory sealed. Opened and returned for defective because it doesn’t work with ancient LEDs.

Brand New faucet part returned opened and used.

Brand new sink part returned for doesn’t fit with wrong item sent selected.

Open box outlet cover returned because they didn’t like the condition of the instructions.

Grill burners, ordered wrong part. Claims my listing is wrong. Its not.

Old analog cell phone returned for doesn’t work because it cannot be activated.

Pump returned claiming I sent wrong pump because they ordered wrong pump.

Coffee maker returned claiming it didn’t work. It worked fine. User booted before refund so I didn’t have to refund.

Head unit returned claiming it didn’t work when in reality it wasn’t compatible.

Brand new faucet claimed missing some feature not shown or described.

a-holes are going to a-hole. The fact that this garbage counts on Service Metrics truly **bleep** me off. If abuse causes me an increased FVF I will remove all items from the category.

I wouldn’t sell a $9000 engine without photos of the crank, oil pan, cylinder walls, valve train. Your listing was deficient and thats why you were targeted, or you just sold a bad engine.

Any high dollar listing needs to be given the time it deserves to be described 100% If you cover all the bases the a-holes will skip your listing and find someone else who has a lazy listing.

[truckflow]

Completely disassembling an engine for photographs  is not a feasible nor a smart idea when selling a running engine. We did have the oil pan off on this particular engine so we were able to inspect the pan  The original one had some damage to it from an accident so it was replaced. So if we did purposely try to sell a bad engine, it would have been foolish to not clean out the oil pan before reinstalling.

[sub-woofer]

Welll when your entire business model is based on handing money to the buyer when they claim the item they purchased is "not as described*.  Then this is what happens .

My opinion is ,

eBay can't keep customers... Unless eBay gives out refunds like candy ..

Eventually the only sellers on eBay will be the ones that bought the item they claimed was not as described and basically stole...

[truckflow]

Etsy is loosing sellers, eBay is loosing sellers, Facebook marketplace is loosing sellers all because of buyer fraud and pulling the old switcheroo or lying about reason for return so their mistake becomes the sellers issue. If this keeps up, they'll become the next Craigslist.

I have a dozen or so friends that refuse to sell on eBay. They've gone to other platforms or took whatever eBay was taking in final value fees and investing it in their own websites.

[redlinear]

It's a wee little bit of buyer fraud.
It's a considerable amount of buyer stupidity.
It's a WHOLE LOT of buyer ignorance.
  

[dolcetreasures]

It’s completely out of hand. The destruction of merchandise and false NAD’s are reaching fever pitch. Switched to free returns to try to alleviate the chances of eBay collecting additional fees only to be met with increases in shipping costs that aren’t negated by the 10% discount. This place truly is selling equivalent of Hell….