Buyer Returning Item OUTSIDE Ebay Return Program -- How To Get My FVF Back?

[mstcwrld7]

      Buyer just put item in envelope and is sending back for a refund.  .   Well and good, I'll refund..

But ebay won't know it has been returned and won't refund my FVF. 

     Someone told me to just cancel the sale, and my FVF will be returned automatically.

      But it will be on tracking record that I shipped the item to the buyer. 

So it will look like the sale DID take place and the buyer DID get the item.  There will be no record of the buyer's returning it to me.

       There are no CS reps I can call now to fix this.

Anything I can do?  Will Paypal answer if I call and can they do anything?

[nobody*s_perfect]

If you cancel the transaction, your buyer will get a full refund and the final value fee will be credited regardless of anything that happens regarding returning.

[aldente28]

Taking a transaction outside ebay is like voiding a warranty. You can try CS, but tbh I don't see any way to get those fees back if you refund outside ebay.

Did you tell the buyer this was OK? If not, maybe consider refunding less your fees. You can explain the situation to the buyer. Or just refund the whole thing if it's too much of a hassle. Whatever you do, I'm skeptical that you will be reimbursed by ebay. Every corner I turn they say "never take a transaction outside ebay".

[jbjbj_7]

I would deny the return. I realize it is the right thing to do but you are selling on eBay marketplace and on eBay marketplace the time frame for returns is 45 days.

If you were working in someones store and they had a 45 days return policy and you gave a refund after 45 days they might dock your pay for it. Same thing.

Forget about doing what's right. Those decision making abilities have been completely taken away from eBay sellers. Just follow eBay's rules.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Once you get the item back in good condition, you can cancel the transaction using the buyer requested option, since by returning they have obviously requested it.  There is no harm to your account by doing this.

When you do that, the buyer will be refunded and your fees will be credited. 

[lilbama911]

Some buyers have blatant disregard for a Seller's Return Policy, although, in your buyer's case and Covid-19, the buyer gets an additional 10 days beyond your stated Return Policy. 

However, your buyer has 45 days under Ebay's Money Back Guarantee Policy and an additional 10 days due to Covid-19.  This mean that eBay's Money Back Guarantee Policy supercedes your 14 days or 30 days Return Policy.

If you are enrolled in Hassle Free Returns and refund the buyer the original price + shipping, your FVF fees will be refunded. 

[tev4all]

Wait till you have item back. THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.   

[nobody*s_perfect]

The OP didn't state anything about the time frame or their return policy. They just said that the buyer returned the item without filing anything and without tracking.

If a seller accepts returns, they can choose a  time frame of 30 or 60 days, or in some categories 14 days.  eBay's buyer protection policy (which they call the Money Back Guarantee) states that a buyer must file a claim for "not as described" within 30 days after the item is delivered.

In neither case is their a 45-day time frame. I have checked eBay's policy announcements and couldn't find anything about getting an extra 10 days to file.

[fern*wood]

---

@jbjbj_7 wrote:

I would deny the return. I realize it is the right thing to do but you are selling on eBay marketplace and on eBay marketplace the time frame for returns is 45 days.

If you were working in someones store and they had a 45 days return policy and you gave a refund after 45 days they might dock your pay for it. Same thing.

Forget about doing what's right. Those decision making abilities have been completely taken away from eBay sellers. Just follow eBay's rules.

---

Where the heck are you getting your rules??

[luckythewinner]

OP, 

If the buyer did not open a return on eBay, I assuem that means the buyer paid for the return shipping. 

If that is the case, I would agree with some of the previous sellers and cancel the transaction with "buyer requested". 

This will give the buyer a full refund, return your FV fees to you, and not count as a transaction defect against you. 

[bubuttfa0]

How do I return an item?

1. To start a return, find the item in the purchase history section of My eBay. Select Return this item.
2. Select the reason for the return. You'll see your anticipated refund amount.
3. The seller is notified of your return request and will send you a return shipping label if they are paying for the return. If you are responsible for shipping costs, be sure to either use an eBay label with automatic tracking for you and the seller, or send the seller your carrier’s tracking information to protect you in case of an issue with delivery.
4. Next, pack the item carefully. Include the packing slip, affix the shipping label, and send the item back to the seller within five business days of starting the return in My eBay. You can drop the package off at the post office or schedule a pickup with the US Postal Service or designated carrier.
5. Tracking your return package:
   • If the seller is paying for return shipping and the return is being handled through the standard returns process on eBay, you’ll automatically receive tracking information. If it’s not handled through eBay, or if you are responsible for return shipping, you need to send tracking information to the seller to protect yourself if there’s an issue with shipping/delivery. If you have an international return, you should communicate directly with the seller about return shipping and tracking.
   • Once you've shipped your package back to the seller, you can track the status of the returned item in the Purchase History section of My eBay when it's being handled through the regular eBay returns process. The seller should issue your refund within six business days after the return item shows "delivered" in the tracking info. If you've not received your refund after 6 business days, send the seller a message to discuss.

[bubuttfa0]

Let me state this...

ANY return that does not follow the outlined process falls outside of the Buyer Protection scheme.

End of discussion

[pjcdn2005]

Regardless of whether the buyer opened a return request, the seller plans on refunding when they get the item back.   Seller gets their item, buyer gets their money  back.  The story ends with everyone relatively happy.  

What protection is needed at that point?

[mynewfindstore]

You could also message the buyer and tell them that since they did not follow the eBay protocols on opening a return through eBay, you can only do an exchange.  Tell them to choose another item and you will credit the difference or have them pay the difference, whatever the case may be.  If you cancel the transaction, you have to be aware that by doing so, you will be forced to give a full refund, including any shipping charges the buyer paid, as if it was an SNAD return.  If you charge shipping, you will lose this money.  Up to you of course!

[pjcdn2005]

That’s a good point about having to return the original shipping cost but if that was an issue, I would ask the buyer to open a return and let them know I wouid refund as soon as they did.  But in most cases, I would rather keep everything as simple as possible.  Note that the seller has free returns so they have already saved the cost of paying for the return since it wasn’t done through the system.