Buyer Claims a sealed DVD isn’t as described.

[digitdiscs]

I'm a former PowerSeller who only recently dipped my toe back in to selling on ebay. I'm having the hardest time understanding this new-to-me policy that the buyer is always right.

I sold a brand new sealed DVD to a buyer. The UPC, item image, and all of the details in my listing description are 100% accurate. The buyer filed a return request with these details:

Reason for return

Doesn't match description or photos

Comments

I did not remove it from the shrink wrap because it is not what I expected.

I've spoken on the phone with ebay CS three times during this process now and I'm getting conflicting info. First time ebay told me I should accept the return since I have no choice anyway. Why even ask me then, ebay? They also told me that once I receive the item back and confirm it's as I described that I should open a dispute. Since I only have 3 days to approve a refund to the buyer, the day the item is returned I immediately file "report an issue with the buyer" and it tells me ebay will usually get back to the seller within 48 hours. 2 days pass without a response, so I talk to CS again and they tell me not to do anything, wait for a response to my report, and that I can appeal ebay's decision if it's in the buyer's favor. 3rd day comes and buyer automatically gets a refund. 6 days after the filing the report I still haven't heard anything from ebay, and I see no option to appeal ebay's decision since they clearly haven't actively decided anything. The refund was automatic. 

The buyer's feedback shows a couple of negative feedbacks for abusing ebay's return policy, and this definitely reeks of it. Also a red flag, the buyer (who is also a seller) has received 2000+ feedback, but has only left 79 total, a good portion of which are negative. I have a nearly perfect ebay track record, 100% positive feedback, seller for 20 years, etc, and I don't want this buyer to impact me or my standing in any way.

Today I had a third phone call with CS and they said the only way to appeal is directly through CS. Huh? There's a whole link about appealing a decision. Now they're telling me they'll look into and I'll get a response from ebay, though I've already been told that before.

Currently I'm out the cost of shipping to the buyer, and the cost of shipping it back to me, which is obviously not a huge cost. But what if it was an expensive item to ship -- I've had items that cost over $200 to ship, such as large art pieces -- and everything about my item is "as described?" I'm just out the money because a buyer can decide for any reason to return an item? Apparently it's also meaningless that I have a "no returns" policy listed in all my sales. Why even allow me to say that if it won't be honored by ebay anyway? If even a brand new DVD can be returned "not as described", how will ebay rule in my favor on anything that's even remotely debatable? Is this madness actually ebay seller reality? It sounds bonkers.

[a_c_green]

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@digitdiscs wrote:

3 different days that I talked on the phone with CS, so 3 different people. They all said I should be protected with an appeal. All 3 were lying?

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Well, I would describe it more as "reading what they have been given." That is, they are most likely not actually eBay sellers or even buyers, but simply minimum wage workers (for whatever passes for minimum wage in their country) who got a job at an answering service and probably know little to nothing about eBay, and thus really have no idea that what they are reading to you as a response does not... comport with reality... in terms of whether what they are telling you is remotely accurate.

eBay has not been forthcoming about where they get their answering service(s), or what sort of expertise or knowledge their employees have about eBay processes and operation, but the anecdotal horror stories heard here have not been refuted.

(As an aside, it occurs to me that when the answering service job involves fielding complaints and problems about eBay for 8-10 hours a day, the last thing they would want to do is become eBay buyers or sellers themselves, so the odds of their becoming experts through experience are rather remote.)

What you heard is what they are coached to say, after which they move on to the next caller. They have no idea (and no followup to clue them in otherwise) that what they are telling you to do has little to no chance of success, in terms of achieving the desired outcome.

Conversely, we here have been in the trenches ourselves, and are better positioned to tell you what will happen in a given situation, because we are actual eBay... participants, let's say... and whatever you describe here has likely been seen many times over.

[rosemary6525]

Very typical EBAY screw the seller, that is their default position.  Not accepting returns only mean that the buyer as to lie and claim NOT AS DESCRIBED and then seller pays for shipping both ways.  All thank to the MBG    You can REPORT BUYER but what a joke means NOTHING unless they do it every week

[reallynicestamps]

All my listings include "Seller does not offer returns."

So you are willing to let the buyer keep the DVD and get their money back?

That would not be my choice, but okay...

You can refuse returns, but you cannot refuse refunds.

And that has been true since I started here in 1998.

If you do not refund promptly in exchange for the refunded payment, eBay will award you a Defect.

Defects can lead to higher fees, restrictions on the number and value of listings, and if the problem persists, a closed selling account.

Send the shipping label, get the DVD back, send the refund, block the buyer, relist the DVD, and move on.

It's business not personal.

[katzrul15]

What you heard is what they are coached to say, after which they move on to the next caller. They have no idea (and no followup to clue them in otherwise) that what they are telling you to do has little to no chance of success, in terms of achieving the desired outcome.

Not only is it predictable, but it is sad.

The only thing harder than learning this job (Seller on e-Bay) is un-learning what you used to know about this site.  When you're new, you just kind of accept how it is.  When you have history here, it makes it tough to apply logic to some of what is now reality.

Hopefully, the Op comes back and sells more and re-launches.  

[na_833338]

I had an experience with a refund because of problems with the global shipping program.  The customer service rep that I was talking with was actually very calm and as helpful as he could be.  It just that the decision was completely opposite to what logic would dictate as the outcome.

I asked to file an appeal, so he helped me with that and sent the request off.  As we were closing out the call,  I asked him something about what kind of weather he was seeing outside of his window because it was absolutely miserable where I was. 

He laughed and told me what it was like, I told him what my weather was like, and then he wished me a good day.  Just as I was hanging up the phone, I suddenly got an email from eBay that said my appeal had been denied.  There's no possible way that someone could've received that appeal, read the case, and then made a decision in that short of time.  It was all automated on the appeal process and the default is always 'thumbs-down'.

It was actually kind of funny how it finished up, if you dismiss the part about me losing money.

[cooper9211]

this is messed up.  try to appeal, twice if you hafta

[lagarto_electronico]

Consider the possibility that they buyer may have the ability to re-shrink rap empty  DVD boxes. They likely copied the DVD as well.

You will need to find out if the returned item is complete. Odds are not wonderful that it is.