Buyer bought wrong item, files claim that I sent wrong item, eBay is docking me for it?

[concordcorners]

Buyer bought an item from me and filed a claim with eBay that I sent the wrong item. The buyer clearly was in the wrong and marked that I sent the wrong item.  All of our contacts and the listing and the photos back up the fact that she bought the wrong item from me.  I was not even offering the item that she said she bought.  But because she said in her initial claim that I sent the wrong item she gets away with it even though all the evidence proves otherwise.  And now I got dinged for the initial shipping and product cost as well as for the return shipping which I did not want the item returned!  When I tried to get it resolved as I was told it could be the 2 times I called before it was sent back, I was just repeated the party line that nothing could be done because the buyer marked that I sent the wrong item in the initial claim.  I am out of luck and I did nothing wrong.

Any ideas on what I can do from here to get anything other than "Sorry, the buyer marked this so even if all of the evidence shows she was wrong in what she marked, you still are out your money plus return shipping."  The only remedy I was offered was to report her so that if a pattern emerges she will be removed or to block her.  No remedy or logical way of reviewing the actual current facts of my situation to avoid my having to refund her money and /or pay for return shipping even with a no returns policy.   I did nothing wrong as all the evidence shows and yet the buyer gets away with it.

I may be just venting but this might be the final straw.  With all the changes in the last 2 years, my business is down to a small fraction of what it use to be.  And I sell an evergreen item.  

[corvettestainless]

Sorry this happened to you. To avoid paying the return shipping, there is a place in the 'return' where you can simply 'refund' the customer. Then they will not usually attempt to return, and then you are not charged the return shipping as you are only charged when USPS or Fedex shows the label as being used. 

On a side note, I'm sure you know that 'no returns' does not mean no refunds. No returns will simply not 'automatically' approve a return, and usually forces the buyer to use the one way they can force a return, so you may want to rethink the 'no return' thing. At least if a customer makes a mistake and wants to do a 'remorse' return, they will have to pay the return shipping (if you have not joined 'free returns'). 

[moo*cow*corner]

@concordcorners 

Sorry this happened to you. However, you've been around long enough to know how the returns system works. If your buyer opened a SNAD (wrong item sent) return, then you know that you must either accept the return (and send a label for return shipping) OR refund in full without requiring a return.

Your No Returns policy is overridden by ebay's MBG. That's why you lost both your item and the money. Plus, your service metrics will now take a hit with no recourse available to you. Same for the Unresolved By Seller defect assessed to your account. The service metrics can bump you into a higher fee bracket. Not very many Unresolved by Seller defects are allowed before ebay will show you the door, and your selling career will be over.

Your best bet is to either refund without requiring a return for low dollar items, or sending a label and making the buyer return. Then dealing with whatever shows up when delivered back to you. If the label is never used, you don't get charged. If the buyer never returns anything, you are good. 

As TRS, you could deduct up to 50% of the refund for items returned opened or damaged. Reporting the buyer would have gotten you up to $6 credited to your invoice as return shipping reimbursement. If the buyer returns, you'd also likely be eligible for feedback removal. These new protections went into effect on Oct 1st. You may want to remember this for the future.

I hear your venting. No, a lot of this doesn't seem fair. But, fair doesn't have much of a place as a seller here. The new protections are some progress, but it has yet to be seen exactly how much progress...

Best of luck to you!

[this*old*attic]

This is correct.

I allow returns, although not free....

I had an unusual number this month - 3 - but, every buyer was honest and marked "didn't fit." So, I just refunded purchase price.

BTW, Ebay keeps track of your return rate, period. Doesn't matter if it's a SNAD or legit remorse return.