Buyer demands refund for book, gets refund, then gets book, won't return book

[fishzlot]

The last time a seller filed a claim for a  late arrival/non-arrival Ebay immediately put the funds on hold.  As is policy.  But then, only about 36 hours later, automatically refunded the buyer without even giving me a chance to find out what happened or work it out with the buyer.

Recently I sold a brand new Bible, deeply discounted and it still cost $40.  The book reached the regional USPS center in Memphis, Tennessee and then didn't move for 18 days.  It had been exactly 21 days since I had shipped.  I shipped the day after being paid despite having 2-day shipping.  Which is what I usually do.  The extra day is just to keep a buffer.

Since i knew Ebay was just going to automatically refund the buyer almost immediately I just processed the refund as per the customer's request.  What's the use of waiting any longer?  The book didn't move out of Memphis to its destination in Arkansas for 18 days.  I figured it had been crushed or is in the dumpster.  Like stuff disappears at the regional sorting center in southern New Jersey.  Jersey has a Black Hole or something in the USPS.  Possibly helped along by the likes of Tony Soprano.  If it's gone there, it's gone.  It's a Jersey thing.  It fell off a truck.

This notice doesn't need resolution.  It's an FYI for other sellers.  You would hardly think somebody would steal a Bible.  But anything can happen in our crazy country.  But the information for sellers is that you don't have to eat this.  The first Ebay team mate told me I was out the money and had to eat the costs.  And kept repeating wrong information I know is not true.  I've been an Ebay  member 22 years.  I know.  But sellers should realize that the person they talk to from Ebay may not even know what they are talking about.  This Ebay team mate spoke English so badly I could barely understand him.  And was not trained properly by Ebay.  When I demanded to talk to RESOLUTION the problem was resolved.  I don't have to eat that cost.  That Associate was trying to feed me baloney.   And I had to ask for a supervisor NUMEROUS times from this Ebay team mate.  So  if you get somebody like that at Ebay, don't get angry.  Just talk to some one else.  Because just like any employer, Ebay can employ a few poorly-trained idiots.

[mam98031]

I don't know what happened on that first claim, but it is NOT a usual thing for Ebay to auto refund without you having the time to respond.  You could have contacted Ebay and disputed that and likely Ebay would have given you the money back.  Unless there was some other mitigating factor not shared here.

It is a mistake to assume that Ebay is now going to handle all your claims the way they did on the other one.  It was a mistake and you should have notified Ebay.  But a bigger mistake is to assume that all your other claims will be handled the same way.

USPS is having some problems more often than I'd like getting packages delivered on time.

If I have this problem first I go to https://www.usps.com/welcome.htm call up the tracking number and then I sign up for updates on this tracking number as entries / movements get recorded on the tracking.

Then I go to https://usps.force.com/emailus/s/ to file for a trace on the package.

If the buyer has contacted me expressing a problem, I will email them and let them know I have a trace on the item. When I get any additional information on the package I will share it with them right away. I will continue to do that until we come to a resolution that works for both of us.

If at some point you and your buyer decide a refund is in order, because you filed for the updates on the tracking, you will still get notified if it does finally arrive one day after you have refunded. So if the buyer doesn't contact you, you can contact them and let them know you are aware that their package finally arrived.

I then ask them if they want to keep the item or return the item, their choice. If they want to keep the item then they need to repay for the item, which you have no ability in Ebay to do that. So get their email address and invoice them through PayPal. If they no longer want the item and you want it back, send them a return label so they can easily get it back to you.

USPS rarely actually loses a package.