Customer returns

[cowboywill70]

Hello. I have shipped 2 baseball cards to the wrong customers. Each of the 2 got the other one’s card. One has been refunded their money but will not ship the incorrect card back to me until I send them a return label. The other tried to enter a return but closed it out in eBay and cannot re-enter another. This one still wants the card being “held hostage”. Short of mailing a shipping label to them both so I can get the cards back and reship the correct card to the customer who still wants it can anyone offer a solution? This is getting very tiresome. Thanks for any input you may have.

[heckofagame]

So, the guy holding the card has been refunded already? 

[amazingsecondshop]

Been there. For future orders, I only print a label & then affix or put in a shipping box/item b4 I print another label. I would send them a pre-paid label via ebay's system. If that is not available bc you refunded, buy a label on pirate ship & send them the link to the label. 
Accidents do happen, next time do not refund until you get the item back. 

[cowboywill70]

Yes. Full refund. Maybe I could have included a return label when I originally processed the refund but this is my first experience with returns and I assumed (I know, right?) eBay would send them a label. 

[cowboywill70]

Thank you so much for responding. I had hoped to send them a label through eBay but evidently that’s not possible since the refund is closed. Thanks for the pirate suggestion. That may be a way out. Customer has not been helpful or understanding. Thanks, again!

[12345jamesstamps]

If all you are going to be selling are trading cards...I can honest say you lost 2 repeat buyers.

My business plan is repeat buyers and they make up more than 50% of my sales.

When I make a mistake like this and I have...I  email them and tell them to keep the mistakes. And I usually send something for free as well. My feedback is rather important.

I basically eat my mistakes. I can't put demands on a buyer.

I understand about the lost funds. I have been there.

Think about your future selling. What if you got a bunch of cards to sell? 

And these 2 buyers...have they left feedback yet? That's the scary part.

Just my own opinions here

[klhmdg]

You should have had both buyers file "not as described"

Then had the cards returned to you.

You then refund once received and have the buyers repurchase.

OR you could buy 2 labels - on say Pirateship, and have each buyer send the incorrect card to the other buyer.

This gets sticky because one buyer could refuse and then you are out items and double shipping and there is zero guarantee that the buyers will be any happier.

I would have apologized and refunded both buyers letting them keep the items they received.

[cowboywill70]

Honestly, I do not want to deal with one of them again. Have not seen any feedback yet. Thanks for responding and good luck with your business! 

[gemnasium]

The same thing happened to me in the genesis of my collectibles selling. Fortunately, dumb luck rather, I had two of both of the cards that the Buyer #2 purchased. Buyer #1 was happy to keep the more expensive of the two items (he was given a full refund as well) and Buyer #2 kept the mistake and I shipped the duplicate. It was a Randy Moss rookie and I have tons so again, I got really lucky. He went from purchasing an SGC 9 to a PSA 9 and was rather happy. He got a free upgraded slab and I got one positive feedback and one didn't leave either, positive or negative. Good luck man, this really stings but good people will work with you and then there are those who are difficult and love to take advantage of any openings ever given to them.

[iart]

We just did this too. Trying to get it worked out now. And yes, it's a serious pain.

Don't feel too bad about the error. We've been selling for over 20 years. Tens of thousands of sales. And we still make this mistake sometimes.

[kensgiftshop]

If you do send them a prepaid shipping label, there's no guarantee they'll use it to ship it back.

You could be out the card and price for the shipping label.

The buyer has the card and their money back, so they have no reason to send it back.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@cowboywill70 wrote:

Hello. I have shipped 2 baseball cards to the wrong customers. Each of the 2 got the other one’s card. One has been refunded their money but will not ship the incorrect card back to me until I send them a return label. The other tried to enter a return but closed it out in eBay and cannot re-enter another. This one still wants the card being “held hostage”. Short of mailing a shipping label to them both so I can get the cards back and reship the correct card to the customer who still wants it can anyone offer a solution? This is getting very tiresome. Thanks for any input you may have.

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Re in red: And why would you not send a shipping return label? This is your mistake! you need to do the right thing. 

Re in blue: That's what you MUST do. Pay for 2 return labels, get the cards back, buy two more labels and ship the right cards to the right buyers.

Why is there even a question? 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@cowboywill70 wrote:

Honestly, I do not want to deal with one of them again. Have not seen any feedback yet. Thanks for responding and good luck with your business! 

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Maybe I'm missing something. 

YOU made a mistake and the buyers didn't get what they wanted so I assume they're a bit frustrated. Then, to add insult to injury, you didn't want to pay for return shipping. So now they're ticked off at you and is that why you don't want to deal with them again? 

I'm willing to bet that 95% of us (and I'm being conservative in my estimate) who've been selling a while have switched labels and sent the wrong buyers the wrong items. But those who own their mistakes and learn tactics to avoid repeating them get those buyers to continue to buy from them. 

[inhawaii]

I would apologize to each buyer.

I would fully refund each buyer.

Let them keep the incorrect cards.

Send the the correct cards (if I have them) at no additional cost.

[fyeo20000]

this happened to me as a buyer, 2 magazines mixed up; seller offered a return for full refund, or permission to disclose shipping info for the other buyer ... both of us buyers wanted our items, & chose to send the incorrect item to each other; the seller sent a generous partial refund up front covering shipping/handling/inconvenience