Buyer saying item was not as described

[pacificbaseball21]

I have a buyer who opened a case against me stating I sold them an item that was not as described in my posting. They made false claims and is requesting a refund. I responded stating the claims were false and that  I would refund, but I want the item returned to me in the same condition as when I sent it , but I will not pay for the return shipping. I'm afraid the Buyer will damage the item and state that it was that way when received. Will Ebay step in? In the past, I was able to talk to someone from Ebay on how to resolve an issue before it escalated, but no phone numbers for Ebay are available now. Ebay has put a hold on my account.....what can I do?

[powell-memorabilia]

@pacificbaseball21 

No, because they should not back you.  How would eBay know who is telling the truth?  I don’t know what you sent, eBay doesn’t know, and maybe you don’t know.  Pay for the return.

[tmtreas30]

You are going to be responsible for paying for the return. Ebay is 100% going to side with the buyer. As long as the buyer provides return tracking and there's proof it was returned you are going to be forced to refund the buyer. Whether they return the item in the same condition or not is not going to matter. They can send you a different item or an empty box and as long as ebay sees return was shipped/delivered they are going to make you issue a refund. And if you don't they will automatically do it for you. PERIOD

[wrong66]

If it's an item not as described case, you have to pay for return shipping. Like it or not.

[kensgiftshop]

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@pacificbaseball21 wrote:

Will Ebay step in?

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Yes, if you don't accept the return and provide return shipping.

If you don't, they could refund the buyer from your account and let them keep the item.

[maxine*j]

You may care to rethink your "No Returns" policy.  It does not mean "No Refunds." because eBay's MBG guarantees refunds.   It does mean that if eBay has to intervene to get a refund to your buyer (as it obviously will, in this case) eBay will assume you don't want the item back.  So the buyer will get the refund and the item.

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[electrola_man]

When facing one of these NAD return requests that is known to be false (and I'm dealing with one right now), I have found it best to "accept the return" since there really is no other option, but I also write to the buyer and point out the error of the request.  For example, if the reason for the return was that "it doesn't work," I will point to all the places in the listing where I said that, and quote what I said.  I clearly show that I shipped exactly what the buyer ordered.  Over the years through my reasoning and appealing to the buyer's sense of decency, perhaps giving the buyer a chance to rethink the return, I have prevented a few buyers from ever using the return label I provided.  That means I didn't have to pay for the label.  Eventually the case then times out and the sale remains completed.  Of course, sometimes the item came back, but at least I got it back before refunding.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, you need to bone up on eBay’s Money Back Guarantee policy and how to handle a Not As Described claim. Once the claim is opened, the seller is on the hook for return shipping. That is the rule. 

You do not want eBay to step in, unless you want a defect on your account. The process is nearly automatic with eBay protecting the buyer’s interests. Not the seller’s. Ebay will find for the buyer if you fail to refund according to the Money Back Guarantee timelines. (Then your Final Value fees will not be credited but assessed as a penalty, a defect is posted to your account and the funds will be refunded to the buyer. When eBay steps in, they often let the buyer keep the item as well.)

So it is in your best interests in the long run to process the refund after requiring the buyer to return the item. Keep in mind that even if the buyer returns a box of rocks or the item in a damaged state, you are still required to refund. This is the risk we assume as sellers. The exception to this is for Top Rated Sellers and those who offer free returns. They have the option of refunding only half the amount if the item is returned in an altered state.

I strongly recommend you rethink your No Refund policy. Determined, unhappy buyers can find a way around it. Claims can affect your seller metrics too. I have offered Free Returns for years now to avoid a bogus Not As Described claim getting opened against me. Free returns are not for everyone, but having some kind of buyer-friendly return policy can help prevent these scenarios in the future. 

If you feel you have strong evidence of buyer wrong-doing, you can appeal eBay’s decision. Below is the how-to handle that. Good luck, hope this all gets resolved in your favor.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/appeal-ebays-decision-return-missing-item...

[lamber9347 · Accepted solution]

@pacificbaseball21 This platform offers a MBG to all buyers. Your own no returns policy is superseded by eBay’s return policy in the TOS. Once the buyer selects INAD you will have to pay for the return shipping or eBay will deduct it from your account, regardless of what you stated in your own listing. Your best bet is to accept the return and issue the return label or you will also receive a defect on your selling account. It happens; it's a part of selling online. You need to protect your selling account. Best of luck to you....

[soh.maryl]

I strongly recommend that the OP read the Money Back Guarantee for buyers.

It's my personal opinion that ALL buyers (as well as sellers) should read it BEFORE ever beginning to buy OR sell on eBay, and I really wish there was a way it could be a prerequisite before starting an eBay career.  

[downunder-61]

In a perfect world every buyer should be made to sell for a month, just to get a taste of what sellers go through 😂

[m60driver]

I don't see a single item that you have sold in the past month or so that would be worth paying for return shipping.  Just refund the buyer and move on.  Don't spend any time to interact with the buyer.  Resistance is futile.  Refund, block, move onwards.

[antiquevintageimages60]

It is futile, no doubt. As a paper seller, we often get the buyer request a refund because they have just copied the item and now want their $ back.  No arguing the point, no way to stop the refund...so we just go on.

However, dude...why in the world do you feel the need to belittle the items being sold on someone else's site?

That's harsh and totally uncalled for.  

[powell-memorabilia]

@antiquevintageimages60 

I wouldn’t take the reply as an insult.  There is nothing wrong with lower end items - I’d rather own Dollar General than a stand-alone antique store.  It is just reality - it doesn’t make sense to spend an hour on the phone with eBay, pay for a return label, relist the item, and pray that you don’t have yet another issue - all over a $5-$10 item.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@antiquevintageimages60 wrote:

It is futile, no doubt. As a paper seller, we often get the buyer request a refund because they have just copied the item and now want their $ back.  No arguing the point, no way to stop the refund...so we just go on.

However, dude...why in the world do you feel the need to belittle the items being sold on someone else's site?

That's harsh and totally uncalled for.  

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Oooh, paper. I had to look lol

You have some neat stuff! I sell paper too and have never once had that issue.   Ditch the auctions and raise your prices. Fixed price or higher fixed price w/best offer. You're not dealing with collectors. Collectors want the actual item to have and to hold, and they'll pay for it. You're dealing with people who want the image or content and not the actual item. Raising your prices will make that issue go away. No, you won't sell as quickly, but the money you make, you'll keep.