Just curious did the buyer say why he thinks this is your fault? I’ve had this happen many times and just for reference for other sellers here as well, here is the method of how I deal with it.
- I ask them to provide their current complete shipping address. I try to have them type it out to me first. This is because I’ve found a few times if you are first to type the address and ask them to verify it, it’s easy for someone who initially already gave the wrong address to overlook any omissions or typos and mistakenly just say “yes (that’s my address).”
- If they don’t provide their shipping address, I don’t proceed any further and tell them I file the INR, which I’ll win. I refuse to help buyers who are unwilling to cooperate and help themselves. If they provide it and it’s different from their initial address, I then tell them the address I sent it to and ask if that address is familiar to them at all. This will document that the buyer IS associated with that initial address and that I didn’t pull it out of thin air. This also usually lets the buyer see and realize that the mistake was their doing, not mine. But if they continue and say it’s my fault, I politely tell them there is no way I could have coincidently made up that initial address that happened to be familiar to them (like their old house). It had to have been provided to me somehow from their account.
- I then tell them to try and coordinate with that old address to retrieve the item. If they strongly believe it will return to me, then I tell them we will wait until it does and I’ll be glad to help then. If it does return, then it turns into a item re-ship with shipping charged again or partial refund issue. If buyer can’t retrieve item and it’s delivered it’s up to you how to handle it. Send a replacement at a reduced cost maybe. Obviously if they are still singing the tune that it is all my fault then the buyer is just being stubborn and I don’t budge on anything. Encourage them to file INR it and I’ll win and be protected from feedback.
