Puzzling return....

[gator08041971]

I had an order back on August 11th.  Purchased, packaged and shipped out, delivered on time, no issues.

On the 25th a return was opened.  Reason?

Return Reason

Just didn't like it

Comments

Ordered incorrectly.

Okay, so it was a buyer remorse return.  Not a problem, I have 30 day returns, buyer pays return shipping.

I sent them a message indicating that once the item was received back, I would promptly refund their purchase.  This all happened on the 25th.

Fast forward to the 15th of September.  This was the cutoff for them to ship back the item per eBay.  On that very day, I got an update that it was shipped.  However, the tracking number for the return shows nothing.  Not scanned, not traveling. Nothing.

Today, I get told the package should have arrived by now and its marked as delivered...  But how is that possible?  I certainly didn't get it, and the tracking still shows nothing has happened:

Now if I go to my messages, I had a message from eBay stating:

I have reached out to the buyer, but no response.  In fact I have had no communication with them during this entire return despite reaching out a couple times.

My question:

• Is eBay going to force the refund despite not having tracking showing it has been returned?
• If I ask eBay to step in, are they going to force the refund regardless?

I mean, I haven't done anything wrong that I can see, yet it looks like I will get dinged in two days if I don't make a choice here.  Anyone else ran into this particular issue?

Thanks,

[krazzykats]

Refunded based on the confirmed acceptance date at the post office.  

Refunding buyers | eBay

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[hardrhymer76]

Have you tried tracking the shipment at USPS.com instead of just eBay? Sometimes the two don't link properly.

[gator08041971]

@krazzykats 

confirmed acceptance date

I have reviewed some of the help pages before.

But there is no tracking confirmation at all.  So what are they basing this on?  The estimated time?

I should also note, I don't see where they were refunded by eBay in my history of the return.  Only that I need to refund the buyer.  Are you assuming that they pre-refunded?  Again, based on what?  There was no package acceptance.

@hardrhymer76 

Yes, I have reviewed the USPS website before posting thread.  Shows the exact same info.  Awaiting package.  No scan of package:

And it is not here, no package with a different tracking number, nothing.

[hardrhymer76]

It seems to me that the buyer never got around to shipping it, and that the status notifications you're getting are just being triggered by the case's projected timeline.

I haven't had a return in forever, so someone can either back me up or shoot me down on this. But my thought is if you were to have eBay step in before the refund deadline with a claim of "Haven't received the return" it would then turn to the buyer's responsibility to upload the tracking number -- which is the only thing that should matter to make the determination. The case should close in your favor, although not necessarily immediately.

[gator08041971]

@hardrhymer76 

I'm probably going to go that route tomorrow.  Trying to give the buyer a day to reply to my inquiry.  If no response by tomorrow, going to have to go that route.

[krazzykats]

Don't think you understood me.  When you dropped it off at the post office, the package was scanned delivered, instead of acceptance.  Thought you had posted a delivered status on this thread, which showed delivery on the 18th, even though you mailed it today? 

I'm seeing things...😑 and now I'm lost...I'm going to go play with emoticons for a while...

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[stacy_pme]

"awaiting package" means that there hasn't been an acceptance or dropoff scan at the post office *yet*.  Once it gets dropped off, it usually gets scanned.... SOMETIMES when people ship first class, or in a small bubble mailer or envelope that gets sent in with letters... it won't get scanned until it's delivered.  You shouldn't need to return the money until you received it from the post office, and that should be after it is delivered and it should have a delivery scan 🙂   you can always go down to your local post office and have them track it for you and advise you on this 🙂

[gator08041971]

@krazzykats 

Yeah, you aren't even on the same page.  lol

The buyer filed a return on the 25th.  They had till the 15th to do the return.  ON the 15th, the case updated that it was shipped. (but I suspect it actually wasn't, this might have been an auto update by eBay)

There have been no tracking updates at all. Not even a drop off scan.  USPS shows still waiting for the package even on their website.

Mind you, the buyer has not replied to any of my messages during all of this.

Today I got the message from eBay asking me if it has been delivered, but eBay is marking it AS delivered, though it clearly isn't, even according to the tracking number.  Their system is making an assumption, based on...  Time that has passed?

It makes no sense.  So I have three choices:

• Refund the buyer.
• Have eBay step in.
• Ignore eBay and have them refund the buyer anyway. (which I won't do anyway)
  
  

What I need is a choice that says:  Report package hasn't arrived.

Anyway, my only option here is to ask eBay to step in tomorrow and see if I can get this sorted that way.

@stacy_pme 

The only flaw here, this is a somewhat larger package with some weight.  It will have to be sent GA or similar.

Otherwise they are committing fraud if they sent something other than the item they bought.

Point is, eBay is curtailing my time frame.  If I don't take care of it myself (by refunding the buyer or asking eBay to step in) they are going to resolve it for me on the 25th regardless if I get it back or not..   And we all know where that leads.

[12345jamesstamps]

I had the same problem...exactly a while back.

No one here could explain it...a glitch?

Sounds like it wasn't after all?

This was a 'remorse return' plus 'buyer shipping(Can you believe that?)...no tracking and nothing return after 30+ days...gave a refund because I 'chickened-out'...afraid of a ding and / or eBay stepping in.

[gator08041971]

@12345jamesstamps 

Good to know.  Maybe this is a flaw in the system.  Not good if that's the case.

[gator08041971]

I actually had to call an agent this morning on this.

The system sent me a second message this morning about doing a refund, but the option to ask eBay to step it was now gone.

The only choices I had were to refund it.

So yeah, that wasn't going to fly.  SO I bit the bullet and did the agent thing through the chat and had them call.  Person that I talked to could see the return shipment was never sent, never delivered yet the system was claiming it was.  Opened the case for me and told me it should be cleared up in my favor, since it doesn't appear to have been returned.  Which it hasn't.  The buyer has still not replied to any of my messages either.

Not sure if they are lazy, or actually trying to pull a fast one.   We will see what the "case" decides. Ugh.

[gator08041971]

Update:

It looks to be resolved.  Guess time will tell.

[kalyoth]

Glad it worked out correctly in the end. However, the breakdown in how it was "programmed" to force a refund regardless of shipment is a major problem that should be kicked up the chain directly to ebay for correction. I know some mentors can try to flag ebay folks for some oversight. This should be one of those.

[gator08041971]

I plan to.  Already ahead of you there.