Buyer Requested Refund and did not send item back

[mg_2014]

I sold and item "as is no returns" and the buyer fraudulently initiated a return claiming my merchandise was fake (it's not). I opened a claim regarding this return with eBay but eBay chose to side with the buyer and has given me no recourse to get my item back. I contacted eBay support via phone multiple times throughout this process and expressly told to NOT issue a return label as the claim was groundless and had been decided in my favor. However I then got an email saying the opposite and now my appeal has been denied. I never agreed to the return throughout this entire process. EBay has released the funds back to the buyer, so I am out my item and money. I have attempted to contact the buyer, but they will not respond to me. I talked to customer support and was told nothing could be done. So short of hiring a lawyer to sue this buyer for obvious fraud and theft, what recourse do I have?

[mg_2014]

It's 100% there right next to the other two. Should read "Give you item and money away for free". No warning, no disclosure. 

[mg_2014]

I directly read them all the emails sent by ebay and got an explicit "yes" that my item would be returned in the event the case and appeal (two separate days, agents and calls). I got an explicit "no" that I should NOT issue a return label for this item as the initial return case was fraudulent, and even if the "return window" had passed due to processing time of the case I would get my item or money back. I also got an explicit conformation of a "yes" that the case was decided in my favor and all funds would be returned to my account....only to get an email 3 days later saying the opposite. I asked for explicit "yes/no" answers to all of my questions and reiterated what I was told. I was informed that all of this was documented in the case record along with audio logs of all these conversations. I stayed on the line to have the rep read back what was put in the case record and then email me a copy. 

I was as black and white about this as humanly possible and left a paper trail with audio recordings of the whole process. 

[theteamsetguy]

@mg_2014 ,

Unfortunately, eBay doesn’t want to get in the middle of a he said she said dispute between buyers and sellers. In this case buyers says item was counterfeit, and you said it is not. They don’t have the resources and would be very costly if eBay got involved with every dispute.

Also, eBay prefers sellers take care of issues with buyers on their own and its policies are designed to do that. Sellers are incentivized to accept and pay for the return of merchandise whenever a buyer files a INAD claim regardless if the buyer is telling the truth.

Most of a time smart buyer who wants to return something to a seller like yourself who doesn’t accept returns will file a false INAD claim knowing eBay will decide in their favor when a seller digs in their heel in because of principal. When ebay decides in favor of the buyer in a INAD case, they will withdraw the full amount from the sellers bank account to cover refund to buyer, keep the FVF, allow the buyer to KEEP the item, and give the seller a service metrics or BBE ding. Too many dings and the seller will be put in the eBay dog house. When a seller is in the dog house, they will have to pay a 5% FVF penalty and too many dings usually means a seller’s career selling on eBay will be permanently terminated.

The moral of the story is never fight a INAD case or city hall.

Bot 8675309

[mg_2014]

Sounds like a system ripe for exploitation. Also doesn't change the fact that eBay lied to me about their own policy and how to act. 

[bonjourami]

You are not the first seller this has happened to. 

[lakefor94]

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@bonjourami wrote:

You are not the first seller this has happened to. 

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We see the same on so many threads about the Reps doing the newbies that way. 

If everything the OP said the Reps told him/her was true, makes me think they were just having some fun with the OP and later laughing about it around the water cooler in the break room. 

[jerseyboymusic]

@mg_2014 

I do want to say that most of us (myself included) learned this lesson the same way you did. My experience with those outsourced reps is that they repeat everything you say back to you and it feels like they read from a script, with no real training.

I'm pretty sensitive to that. I was a customer service rep for many years. I hate the state of "customer service" these days.

These reps you wasted time with will yes you to death and I don't feel are familiar with Ebay policy. That's why I check these boards. 

Unfortunately, there are SO MANY posts like yours that many of the users on here become calloused to complaints like yours. Folks can advise to be up on Ebay policies, but it's hard to do that... especially with the frequent updates.

Bottom line. There is NO SUCH thing on Ebay as "No Returns". Well, there is... but the buyer can keep your item without returning and get a full refund. 

I think the only thing to do is take this as a loss on your taxes. It is the cost of doing business, sadly

[fern*wood]

Another thing lately that has made it more difficult to help is that once in awhile a seller will post that ebay sided with them and gave them a refund.  Granted, it may be a courtesy refund, but who knows.  We don't always know all the details or some sellers just aren't being truthful about all the details. Things do change all the time, though, so I hate to give outdated information or advice.  I just try to report what actually happened to me in similar situations.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@mg_2014 wrote:

I directly read them all the emails sent by ebay and got an explicit "yes" that my item would be returned in the event the case and appeal (two separate days, agents and calls). I got an explicit "no" that I should NOT issue a return label for this item as the initial return case was fraudulent, and even if the "return window" had passed due to processing time of the case I would get my item or money back. I also got an explicit conformation of a "yes" that the case was decided in my favor and all funds would be returned to my account....only to get an email 3 days later saying the opposite. I asked for explicit "yes/no" answers to all of my questions and reiterated what I was told. I was informed that all of this was documented in the case record along with audio logs of all these conversations. I stayed on the line to have the rep read back what was put in the case record and then email me a copy. 

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@mg_2014 

I'm so glad you requested and received an email copy of the conversation.

Please post a screenshot of that emailed copy. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

Calling eBay customer service for advice is a gamble.  Come here to the forums instead. Phone support is known to sometimes give incorrect, even damaging, advice.

There is no such thing on eBay as selling an item “as is”. No hedging of bets, so to speak. No way to avoid risk as a seller. The seller accepts all the risk here—not the buyer, not eBay.

The best way to protect one’s account is to know the policies inside and out. Not knowing has cost you dearly. Not that i blame you as it makes no sense to expect CSRs to blatently lie to you, even tho that is what happened. 

Is it abhorrent? Yes, but is there anything that can be done about it? Not much if you choose to use the platform. When each seller signs up, we tacitly agree to abide by the governance as stated in the policy pages. The rules are buyer-centric, meant to favor the buyer, often at the seller’s expense.

The damage is done and the only positive that might arise from this debacle is your post may spare a fellow seller the same fate, tho likely a small comfort.

Sorry this awful experience befell you.

[kensgiftshop]

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@bonjourami wrote:

You are not the first seller this has happened to. 

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And they probably won't be the last.

[terrycece62]

I am only chiming in as a longtime buyer and a used to be eBay seller

I have found that customer Service on the whole is not a great resource as already pointed out it's a gamble,

You will get better advice here on the community board.

eBay is your selling site but not your selling partner imo anyway and there is a serious lack of seller protection

eBay is totally on the buyer's side 

Sellers need to protect their business interests

no returns usually means that seller will not get their items back (also already pointed out by another community member

Now if you sell low-cost items such as books or CDs for under $6 or $7  it might be cost effective not require a return when a problem arises saving you the return shipping cost, other than that it is best to accept returns and get your item back so you can resell it to someone else

I would also like to add i am sorry this happened to you

eBay is a great site because it is so well established and has great marketing features.  but as I stated before, each seller is independent seller and you have to operate your business transactions under eBay's policies which can be brutal imo but they are not your partner but your marketing/selling souce