eBay

nawsetleigh · ‎10-29-2025

A buyer bought an item from me on the 18th. I have a 2 day handling period. I offer 30 day returns with buyer paid shipping. I dropped the item off at USPS on the 20th and later that day the buyer sent me a message saying that all I had done was create the shipping label but hadn’t shipped out their item yet and they wanted to cancel their order if it wasn’t going to arrive by Thursday the 23rd. I informed them that I had shipped out their item already and it does take time for tracking to update sometimes. They messaged back saying they asked to cancel the order if it’s not gonna be there by the 23rd unless I’m doing two day priority mail shipping. I informed them of the two day handling period as well as that I only offered USPS ground shipping and that I had already dropped off their order at USPS before their request to cancel. I apologized as well if the item did not arrive on the day that they wanted. They did not reply after that. Their item was delivered on Saturday the 25th but then on Monday the 27th they took it back to USPS and tried to send it to a different address claiming it wasn’t theirs. That address did not exist so the USPS is now sending it back to sender, which is me. The buyer reported that they did not receive their item on the 28th and is requesting a refund. I messaged the buyer asking that they verify their address and make sure it was correct since it had been delivered, and I saw on the tracking that then it had been sent to somewhere else and that address did not exist, and now it was being sent back to me. I contacted USPS and asked what had happened. They informed me that the item had been delivered on the 25th but then brought back to them on the 27th claiming that it was not theirs and gave them a different address to go to. That address did not exist, and therefore they are sending back to me. I messaged the buyer again and explained that to them and again requested that they verify their info so that we can figure out why they did not receive their item and get it to them. The buyer responded saying that yes the item had been delivered, but sent back to sender and that he is waiting on a refund or having eBay step in if he hasn’t received it by November 2nd. To me, he all but admitted that yes, he had received the item and just decided to send it back instead of doing a request for a return and pay the shipping costs like I have in my return policy.

I do not have a problem with refunding him if he had gone about it the correct way in doing a return and instead of sending it back to sender so that he can avoid shipping fees and placing it on me. If I request eBay to step in, will they decide in my favor or will it be a mark against me and I will still have to refund plus pay the shipping costs? What is the best way to go about this? As well as maybe report him so that he does not do this to other sellers? Am I just gonna have to eat the costs and completely refund him?

grand-and-glorious-purpose · ‎10-29-2025

@nawsetleigh wrote:
instead of sending it back to sender so that he can avoid shipping fees and placing it on me.

Doing that opted them out of the MBG.

You would not be required to refund the full amount nor any amount at all.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎10-29-2025

@grand-and-glorious-purpose That is ebay rule, but not bank/credit card rules. So, if the buyer goes to their credit card and does a chargeback; shows the bank the tracking (which will show 'refused, returned to sender) and then the bank will side with the Buyer and the Seller will be charged back (and also $20 if they choose to 'fight it'). The buyer can also leave negative feedback and it will not be removed.

@nawsetleigh my advice, if you get it back, refund the buyer if/when you get it back. You can always sell it again. Definitely not worth the $3, $4, $10 that you sold it for.

grand-and-glorious-purpose · ‎10-29-2025

@stainlessenginecovers wrote:

I don't have any experience with that. Could you describe the events you experienced when a buyer opted themselves out of the MBG and yet ebay sided against you?

Your advice is still ebays preferred way of handling the situation but is not required of the seller.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎10-29-2025

@grand-and-glorious-purpose wrote:
@stainlessenginecovers wrote:

I don't have any experience with that. Could you describe the events you experienced when a buyer opted themselves out of the MBG and yet ebay sided against you?

Your advice is still ebays preferred way of handling the situation but is not required of the seller.

@grand-and-glorious-purpose My experience is (for here, Amazon, My own website and 30 years ago in a Brick/Mortar store) is that any buyer can file a charge back with their credit card and the decision is not up to any sites or store/company 'procedures'. It is 100% up to the bank to either award their customer (the buyer) or not.

When a buyer says they've 'returned' the item, it takes that bank/credit card up to 1 hour to decide in their customer (the buyers favor).

The way chargebacks work here on ebay is:

1.) seller is notified that XX customer has filed a charge back

2.) seller has a choice to either 'approve' the refund, or pay $20 to fight it.

3.) Again, once the bank has a tracking number and sees it was returned to the seller, no brainer. Buyer wins.

vintage-camerastuff · ‎10-29-2025

If you just give him a refund he will go away. You can also block him from making another purchase and resell the item.

grand-and-glorious-purpose · ‎10-29-2025

@stainlessenginecovers wrote:
The way chargebacks work here on ebay is:

Sure. Got all that.

I'm asking for your specific experience where ebay did not cover you when a buyer opted themselves out of the MBG.

kandf_vintage_finds · ‎10-29-2025

Here's what I would do:

Refund after I received the item back

Block Buyer

Relist

Move on

hotwheelsbum · ‎10-29-2025

@nawsetleigh wrote:
A buyer bought an item from me on the 18th. I have a 2 day handling period. I offer 30 day returns with buyer paid shipping. I dropped the item off at USPS on the 20th and later that day the buyer sent me a message saying that all I had done was create the shipping label but hadn’t shipped out their item yet and they wanted to cancel their order if it wasn’t going to arrive by Thursday the 23rd. I informed them that I had shipped out their item already and it does take time for tracking to update sometimes. They messaged back saying they asked to cancel the order if it’s not gonna be there by the 23rd unless I’m doing two day priority mail shipping. I informed them of the two day handling period as well as that I only offered USPS ground shipping and that I had already dropped off their order at USPS before their request to cancel. I apologized as well if the item did not arrive on the day that they wanted. They did not reply after that. Their item was delivered on Saturday the 25th but then on Monday the 27th they took it back to USPS and tried to send it to a different address claiming it wasn’t theirs. That address did not exist so the USPS is now sending it back to sender, which is me. The buyer reported that they did not receive their item on the 28th and is requesting a refund. I messaged the buyer asking that they verify their address and make sure it was correct since it had been delivered, and I saw on the tracking that then it had been sent to somewhere else and that address did not exist, and now it was being sent back to me. I contacted USPS and asked what had happened. They informed me that the item had been delivered on the 25th but then brought back to them on the 27th claiming that it was not theirs and gave them a different address to go to. That address did not exist, and therefore they are sending back to me. I messaged the buyer again and explained that to them and again requested that they verify their info so that we can figure out why they did not receive their item and get it to them. The buyer responded saying that yes the item had been delivered, but sent back to sender and that he is waiting on a refund or having eBay step in if he hasn’t received it by November 2nd. To me, he all but admitted that yes, he had received the item and just decided to send it back instead of doing a request for a return and pay the shipping costs like I have in my return policy.

I do not have a problem with refunding him if he had gone about it the correct way in doing a return and instead of sending it back to sender so that he can avoid shipping fees and placing it on me. If I request eBay to step in, will they decide in my favor or will it be a mark against me and I will still have to refund plus pay the shipping costs? What is the best way to go about this? As well as maybe report him so that he does not do this to other sellers? Am I just gonna have to eat the costs and completely refund him?

After reading all this, this novel, THEN looking at your sales in October, October 18th you sold a $10 item. October 19th you sold a $3 item. Am I reading that all this is over a $10 item, maybe a $3 item?

C'mon. Refund the $15, or the $8, and go do something more productive.

onlinecentral · ‎10-29-2025

Selling transactions lead to a few inevitable refunds. As a seller, I always lose the original outgoing postage regardless of the return reason.

If your buyer had followed procedure and filed a return for 'Changed my Mind', they would pay the return postage and you would be out the original postage.

I would refund the full original payment so there is closure and certainty on the matter. Then follow the advice in message 8.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎10-29-2025

@grand-and-glorious-purpose wrote:
@stainlessenginecovers wrote:
The way chargebacks work here on ebay is:

Sure. Got all that.

I'm asking for your specific experience where ebay did not cover you when a buyer opted themselves out of the MBG.

@grand-and-glorious-purpose and I'm telling you exactly what happened; and buyer didn't "opt out" of anything (knowingly and if 'refusing item' opts them out of the 30 Day MBG, which is an 'ebay' thing, it does NOT opt them out of doing a chargeback.

What I experienced is exactly what I stated:

Buyer Bought

Buyer Refused

I got it back

I didn't refund (because supposedly ebay MBG is not in play)

Buyer opened chargeback

Buyer won because they showed tracking that showed I got it back

nawsetleigh · ‎10-29-2025

I do not have a problem refunding him. It’s more the principle than anything, and that I am out the shipping cost when I did nothing wrong and that he is an a*hole. And because he got away with this he could do it to more sellers. I’m new to eBay and I am trying my best to make a living. Regardless how much I make off of things, it is still income I am putting the work into. It all adds up. Even if it’s only $3.

I do not know how to go about refunding him minus the shipping cost. As that is what I would like to do. And what I would have done per my refund policy.

kibble-net · ‎10-29-2025

It is true that you don't have to refund the buyer in this situation. The buyer opted out of the MBG by not going through the proper system to open a return.

But, at the very least I'd refund them the price of the item, less any shipping costs. No reason to open yourself up to a chargeback or negative feedback. You can then block this buyer in your selling settings.

Stuff like this is going to happen occasionally here on ebay, and it's just not worth your time to get upset over. It is a numbers game. For every X items you sell, X/Y are going to have a problem, and the Y is going to vary depending on your niche(s).

grand-and-glorious-purpose · ‎10-29-2025

@stainlessenginecovers wrote:

Your buyer did not opt themselves out of the MBG?

I would be on the phone with ebay and asking them why they are allowing your buyers to refuse items and still covering them under the MBG.

nawsetleigh · ‎10-29-2025

I don’t have a problem with refunding him at all. I just don’t want to be stuck with the return shipping cost. Even if eBay is my favor and says I don’t have to refund him. I offer returns with buyer shipping in the first place. Which he could have done. He’s just wanting out of paying for shipping. Is there a way I can refund him minus the return shipping?