Messed up after being scammed and unsure how to continue.

[an_830234]

About two weeks ago I ordered an item from someone without knowing they were a scammer, and they've stalled my order until past the estimated delivery date. The problem is, I opened a return request before the estimated delivery date and now I have no options for reporting that it never arrived. I don't know how to get my money back with Ebay's guarantee now, trying to close the return means I can't return it or get help, and I definitely can't return an item I don't and won't ever have.

[simba6]

Sounds like you opened the wrong type of case.    First try this link. See if you can get that changed to the correct case.

https://www.ebay.com/help/call_us?type=ContactUs&topicId=4000

  If you paid by credit card, contact your card company.

[house*of*paws]

Hi @an_830234 

 I hope one day to understand why so many buyers decide to open return requests before they’ve received their items … but they do.  🙂

What you can do now is request a chargeback from your credit card company … as eBay can’t help you because of the request you opened.  

[house*of*paws]

Hey @simba6 

Have you heard of eBay ever switching a Return Request to an INR claim?  I’ve wondered about that … as I thought they only did vice versa.  🙂

[simba6]

I have never had to do so.  I'm not sure if eBay will or does it on a case by case.   I thought it was worth a try in case they did not pay by CC.

[house*of*paws]

Thanks @simba6.  I was hoping you might know that it’s actually been done.  [I hate sending people to their CC company so often.]

[lakefor94]

Back in the day....  5-6 years ago when anyone could call in to CS during ebay business hours and get a USA rep, the buyers could get just about anything done including changing a return reason.

Those were much better days for buyers and keeping them around.

[robbie31415]

Changing return reasons can open up abuse.

Some buyers get buyer's remorse for their honest choice once they see the return shipping cost.

[lakefor94]

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@robbie31415 wrote:

Changing return reasons can open up abuse.

Some buyers get buyer's remorse for their honest choice once they see the return shipping cost.

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The number of buyers that hose themselves by selecting the incorrect reason when they have legitimate INAD products far outnumbers the dishonest buyers. 

It is the buyers that continually get shafted without being able to call in and get problems straightened out. Not just because they make return choice mistakes. Sellers take major league advantage of novice buyers, day in and day out. We see the scams here every day. Running buyers off left and right. Sickening.

[janet9988]

What does the tracking information show?

[kyle@ebay]

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@house*of*paws wrote:

Hey @simba6 

Have you heard of eBay ever switching a Return Request to an INR claim?  I’ve wondered about that … as I thought they only did vice versa.  🙂

---

Hey @simba6 and @house*of*paws I'm glad you brought this up.  We don't technically change the return over to an INR, but we have a way to document the return and say that it is being worked as if it were an INR.  So it won't change what you see on the buyer or seller end, but it does change how we handle it internally, so that we're treating it like it was an INR all along.

[house*of*paws]

Thanks for that info kyle@ebay !  It's extremely helpful!

What exactly would you recommend we tell a buyer to do if they've mistakenly opened a return before receiving the item.  [I'm not sure 'anyone but the three of us' know for sure that there's a solution to this mistake.   LOL]

[simba6]

Thanks for the update.    It was always in question before.

[kyle@ebay]

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@house*of*paws wrote:

Thanks for that info kyle@ebay !  It's extremely helpful!

What exactly would you recommend we tell a buyer to do if they've mistakenly opened a return before receiving the item.  [I'm not sure 'anyone but the three of us' know for sure that there's a solution to this mistake.   LOL]

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Hey @house*of*paws  The buyer would need to contact our CS (by whatever method is convenient) to get the return documented as an INR.  The contact itself is as simple as "I opened a return but meant to do an INR" and then our agents can take care of the rest.  

That's really all there is to it.  It's super simple, but very important too.  Without this contact, the return will still be treated like any other return, and that's when it leads to difficulties.  

[house*of*paws]

Thanks again kyle@ebay   Hopefully, the CS reps are familiar with this tweak in policy, which I hadn't heard of before.  It definitely solves an important ... and long-standing ... mistake that buyers seem to make regularly.  😊