Buyer has incomplete address

[bigte92]

I looked but couldn't find an answer exactly. Someone purchased an item from me (0 feedback) and it's now being returned due to an incomplete address. I don't recall ever dealing with this before, so what do I need to do from here once the item gets back to me?

[inhawaii]

You have no obligation to do anything.

Most sellers will refund the buyer LESS shipping and be done with it.

[mtgraves7984]

Retain the tracking number in case the buyer opens an INR claim. You'll be covered in that case.

[rosachs]

As best I know, eBay considers a Return To Sender for some reasons as equal to delivered.  Invalid address is one of those reasons, Refused is another, as is Not Picked Up (for PO boxes, mostly) and more.  As long as you shipped to the address the buyer supplied, the onus is on them to ensure that address is correct, accurate, and complete.

eBay will not require a full refund.  I've always given the customer a simple choice - repay to have it reshipped, or I can refund less what I paid (or charged) for shipping.  Simple as that.  Results have been pretty evenly split.

Now... if the customer does a chargeback because they "didn't receive the order", you have a tracking number and tracking details to show that the order was sent but the address given was incorrect.  I know banks are pretty lenient with reasons to rule a chargeback in favor of the customer, but there is also eBay's Seller Protection.  I know for packages shown as delivered and shipped to the given address, eBay will cover the chargeback - you do not lose your payment.  I'm not 100% certain if that applies to Return To Sender cases.  Perhaps another person would know that.

-Bob.

[bigte92]

This was my first inclination but I really wasn't sure if I should be doing something extra. Thanks for the response

[richard1rst]

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@bigte92 wrote:

I looked but couldn't find an answer exactly. Someone purchased an item from me (0 feedback) and it's now being returned due to an incomplete address. I don't recall ever dealing with this before, so what do I need to do from here once the item gets back to me?

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In case like this my first inclination is to do a Goofle search for the address. More often than not I have found it is an apartment building or business tract missing the unit number. That makes the mistake the buyer's fault. Not to point fingers but as a defense to "You sent it to the wrong address".