eBay

sylviasdaughter2024 · ‎06-25-2025

Hello -

I shipped a product which was carefully packed and the purchaser said it arrived damaged and wants a refund. I have a total of 10 customer reviews all positive with 5 specifically mentioning the quality of the packaging. As a best practice, I always vigorously shake the box before I ship it to ensure stability of item. There is no way the product was damaged (purchaser sent pictures) and I believe the purchaser was attempting to remove a part from the product. Her pictures of the box showed no damage what-so-ever. I did not respond to the request for refund and the purchaser msg me stating she opened a claim. How do proceed?

hekoke · ‎06-25-2025

Hi Sylvia,

This has happened to us as well; we are very particular about packing to preserve the quality of the product. One of our buyers sent a picture of a Matchbox car that had been mangled (it looked like a dog got to it or something) but the box was in perfect condition. We pack the car and the box separately to insure the box doesn't get dented. So, we think, how can the car be damaged and the box not? We went ahead and refunded the purchase and had him return the product. He returned it in the same box we shippped it in and it was in perfect condition. Sometimes folks will take advantage of you. We felt that the perfect customer satisfaction score was worth the cost of replacing the item. Good luck to you! Heinz and Lillie of Hekoke Toys.

redmodelt · ‎06-25-2025

Back in the day (yawn) long ago my shipping manager told me that is exactly how to triple check a box before it leaves the plant.

You mean the 6 foot drop test or bounce off the wall! 🙂 Think the 6 foot was pretty standard in shipping, it could have been higher.

soh.maryl · ‎06-25-2025

Thank you for your correction. Guess I assumed that the OP's reading of the MBG would explain to him his options.

sshebalee1982 · ‎06-25-2025

Don't get discouraged. I don't think that too many people have unique experiences on this platform. We all face issues as sellers on occasion. Sometimes we make mistakes, or the post office does, or there are there are technical issues with the app etc. Buyers can be difficult. It's something that you learn to expect from time to time, but in the beginning you are still learning the best practices with shipping, packing materials, navigating the site etc., so you can expect to run into more problems. You learn. You improve. It's part of the learning process. If you can't prove that the buyer did wrong here. It's speculation. You are going to eat some $. Chalk it up to the cost of learning and doing business. In my experience, the best thing to do is to immediately respond to issues so that you can move past them as quickly as possible and not let it stress you or the buyer out more than necessary. Try to be professional. You don't want a defect on your account or a negative feedback. Good luck.

powell-collectibles · ‎06-25-2025

People come here for help (or to complain, but I'll stay on subject). The MBG has a lot of facets - things to click, places to get lost, rabbit holes to go down. I don't think that "read the MBG" is the elixir that some think that it is. Imagine booking an appointment at an Apple Store for some help - and the "genius" responds with "have you read the manual and all associated help documentation" to every question posed?

inhawaii · ‎06-25-2025

Just a comment.

Every single seller/shipper since the beginning of time who has had something damaged in shipping claims it was packaged well.

Getting back to the matter at hand.

Always assume the buyer is telling the truth.

If they file for a return, accept the return.

When you receive the return, refund the buyer.

If you try to fight this YOU WILL LOSE.

Ebay will refund the buyer with your money and let the buyer keep the item.

Baby Come Back - Player

pickapaper · ‎06-25-2025

@sylviasdaughter2024

One interesting thing about "No Returns" is that is does not mean "No Refunds" due to eBay's Money Back Guarantee. Most buyers know that if a seller has "no returns" on their listings, the buyer can lie about the condition of the item and file a "Not as Described" claim and they will be able to return the item with the seller paying for return postage. A few dishonest buyers will even go so far as to actually damage the item just to be able to return it but most will return the item just as sent, with nothing wrong with it.

As suggested above, you need to familiarize yourself with eBay's Money Back Guarantee. I know you are new and still learning, so it is a good thing you came here to ask questions.

One last thing, don't delay in responding to the claim. You only have 3 days to respond and If you don't, the buyer can ask eBay to step in and they will force a refund and let the buyer keep the item.

tobaccocardyahoo · ‎06-25-2025

@inhawaii wrote:
Just a comment.
Every single seller/shipper since the beginning of time who has had something damaged in shipping claims it was packaged well.

Getting back to the matter at hand.
Always assume the buyer is telling the truth.
If they file for a return, accept the return.
When you receive the return, refund the buyer.
If you try to fight this YOU WILL LOSE.
Ebay will refund the buyer with your money and let the buyer keep the item.

Many sellers and many more buyers think an item is packed well if it arrives intact, some of the time.

Unless either has had adequate experience in shipping, the package is not bullet-proof.

If the packer has adequate experience in shipping, it will probably still not be bullet-proof because making it so takes too much time and effort. I can afford a broken item, once or twice a year, so I pack with that level of care.

deltilogical · ‎06-25-2025

It is necessary to remove all emotion when engaging in e-commerce.

Unfortunately there is no way to really prove the item wasn't broken in shipping, and because we see some unbelieveable stuff, it is always possible. And on Ebay, it is ALWAYS possible.

Hopefully it wasn't an international transaction.

We will be interested in seeing if they complete the return and the condition of the returned item.

Giving the box a good shake seems ok to me - if the package can't hold up to that, it shouldn't be put in the mailstream. The seller should be able to toss it in the air and catch it without worry! It will be flying along on some conveyor belt and needs to withstand being knocked off.

inhawaii · ‎06-25-2025

@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:
@inhawaii wrote:
Just a comment.
Every single seller/shipper since the beginning of time who has had something damaged in shipping claims it was packaged well.

Getting back to the matter at hand.
Always assume the buyer is telling the truth.
If they file for a return, accept the return.
When you receive the return, refund the buyer.
If you try to fight this YOU WILL LOSE.
Ebay will refund the buyer with your money and let the buyer keep the item.

Many sellers and many more buyers think an item is packed well if it arrives intact, some of the time.

Unless either has had adequate experience in shipping, the package is not bullet-proof.

If the packer has adequate experience in shipping, it will probably still not be bullet-proof because making it so takes too much time and effort. I can afford a broken item, once or twice a year, so I pack with that level of care.

I am of the stubborn mindset that ... if the item arrived damaged, it was NOT packaged well.

Baby Come Back - Player

sylviasdaughter2024 · ‎08-18-2025

well i do - sorry you feel that way

sylviasdaughter2024 · ‎08-18-2025

we were refunded by ebay as well as the purchaser. we had photos that backed up our claim. i shake the box to ensure there is zero movement. All items are double bubble wrapped and i take pictures of the shipment preparation.

sylviasdaughter2024 · ‎08-18-2025

the purchaser was credited and ebay also credited me less the return shipping cost. Photos were provided to ebay that substantiated the concern that the purchaser broke the item. There was no way the level of damage was done due to shipping. Thank you for your response.

sylviasdaughter2024 · ‎08-18-2025

The purchaser was credited and I was too - less the cost of the return shipment. Item was returned extremely damaged beyond what normal shipping could possibly do and my photos substantiated the claim the item was maliciously destroyed. I requested that the purchaser be investigate for fraud. Thank you for you response above.