Buyer returns an item outside the eBay Return process ... first time this happened, need some advice

[mr_lincoln]

There's a first time for everything.  A relatively new Buyer purchased an item.  It did not work to his expectations, I sent a part that improved the operation but not to his liking.   During all of this I let them know I offer Free Returns.  So I just got a message from the Buyer that they sent the item back and of course wants a refund ... but in checking my eBay account no return was processed through eBay, they just sent it back to my address in the original box.

I messaged them letting them know about the Resolution center and eBay's return process AND the fact that I have paid eBay their Selling fees already.  I further explained that the official return process lets me recover those fees when I refund the Buyer.  I also reminded them that the Free Returns would have provided them with the pre paid return label AND that I cannot refund more than what was originally paid.

So the obvious questions are:

-Can I withhold the eBay fees when I refund the Buyer, I've already let them  know what that amount is

-Can I have less than Positive FB removed (if the Buyer leaves it) with a return sent outside the eBay return process?

As mentioned, this never happened before so its new territory for me and any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[chapeau-noir]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

I'll be curious as to what ebay says.  If your buyer canceled the return, you'll probably find your funds returned tomorrow morning.  I've had cancellations take a few hours to a day or so to complete. Then you can go ahead and cancel the sale as buyer request and get your money and fees back*. But if you don't see your funds by then, yeah, I'd rattle eBay's cage a little.

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* Ugh - sorry, he gets his money and you get your fees back.  I seemed to have lost a couple of words in there somewhere.

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@chapeau-noir   It's an interesting situation, funds are still on hold this morning.  The Hold amount is interesting too.  I have a store so fees in MP are 11.5% right?  The total sale on Order Details was $ 115.18 but the amount on hold is JUST the item sale price of $ 104.95.  Wouldn't the entire sale amount be on hold including the shipping?  Here's a pic of my MP financial summary page a day after the Weekly Payout (Tuesdays), the negative Available funds amount is the result of the Hold amount plus labels I printed AFTER eBay's Payout and the $ 76.09 are sales since Monday that have not shifted to Available.

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They somehow separated the shipping from the item price - my azz-umption is that the amounts are treated differently due to being handled differently in return situations.  It's definitely a confusing situation and I think came from the buyer trying to start a return, then canceling the return.  Hopefully you'll get a knowledgeable CS to put this back together again.

ETA: Tag @mr_lincoln 

[chapeau-noir]

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@eunster1313 wrote:

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Larry's expression is priceless!

[mr_lincoln]

@chapeau-noir   I think you are right about them treating shipping differently ... they are not showing it's value anywhere at the moment. 

[vintagecraze50]

Oh God, that was really funny. Thanks for that picture and caption.

[vintagecraze50]

Is that Einstein’s picture on the book. Even he can’t figure it out.

[elite-thrift]

I've had to deal with this before, and here's the breakdown.

Since the buyer opened and closed a return case, they should be unable to open a new case, and you are technically entitled to keep their money and your item. As far as eBay is concerned in this scenario, the buyer sent you a gift having nothing to do with eBay.

Had the buyer not opened and closed a return case, they would still be within their rights to do so during the return period, and could do so successfully only if they provided the tracking information for the return shipment. Beyond your accepted return period or without the tracking number, your buyer would be SOL.

Issuing a refund (and how much to refund) is a decision resting solely on your shoulders now. Was your buyer courteous through the process? Would you have refunded the full price as well as covering shipping both ways if the return had been processed normally? If you decide to issue any refund amount, wait until eBay has decided the case in your favor (and you have no risk of double-refund), then issue your selected refund amount through PayPal (unless you're stuck with Managed Payments too, in which case... *shrug*).