mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
penguins_dont_fly is a Volunteer Community Mentor
@goodluckselling wrote:Yes I think they still issue defects for full refunds that are not linked to a request or case? It may have changed but I doubt it.
I would just give instructions to the buyer how to open a NAD request for a refund and let them know in your message that you will refund them in full once the request comes through. It is not hard to do and would only take the buyer a minute or so to do this.
Taking this path should not result in a seller standard rating defect as you will be resolving the request.
Good Luck Selling!
NO, please don't do that. Starting next month there is a separate matrix that sellers have to deal with. Just the sheer fact that a SNAD/INAD is opened will be counted against sellers. Not a defect, it is a separate thing to eval us on. If we are running a higher rate of SNAD/INADs that the average of our peers [Ebay determines who our peers are], then it can toss us into the penalty box and we will have to pay 40% FVF penalty.
So if you can deal with your buyer without having them file a Request for Return you are far better off.
@lintbrush* wrote:Not all refunds are automatically defects - it depends on the reason. But, if there is no electronic paper trail as to why you are issuing a refund, it will be a defect.
Does the buyer want to cancel? Do you need to cancel? Did it ship already? Did it arrive damaged or is buyer claiming Not As Described?
If a seller issues a full refund to a buyer without benefit of a Return Request filed in Ebay or a cancellation, they WILL get a defect. So ANY full refund a seller makes without the proper things filed in EBay WILL get a defect.
The best and easiest way for both the buyer and the seller to deal with this is for the seller to write the buyer. Explain they will file for a cancellation of the transaction and that it was requested by the buyer. This enables the seller to refund the buyer without any issue at all to their account. The buyer is happy and the seller isn't harmed. Just be polite and clear in communications with your buyer so they understand what you are doing.
@ccrrefills wrote:This has got to be the most idiotic eBay policy ever, have they removed it by now? I'd like to refund a buyer without making him jump through the hoops of requesting a refund from his end.
Does eBay still give you an out of stock defect if you refund without "buyer approval"?
Some clarification of WHY you want to refund would be helpful ...
Has the item shipped?
Has it been received?
If there are eBay messages from the buyer that indicate that they are unsatisfied with the item that they received (and there is tracking that shows delivered) ... then refunding through PayPal will not cause a defect.
I just refunded for a damaged item ... the box was thoroughly destroyed by some machine with teeth 😞
The buyer messaged, he sent photos and I refunded through PayPal, documenting the whole thing through messages and comments on the PayPal transaction.
No defect.
@hillbillymedia wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@lintbrush* wrote:Not all refunds are automatically defects - it depends on the reason. But, if there is no electronic paper trail as to why you are issuing a refund, it will be a defect.
Does the buyer want to cancel? Do you need to cancel? Did it ship already? Did it arrive damaged or is buyer claiming Not As Described?
If a seller issues a full refund to a buyer without benefit of a Return Request filed in Ebay or a cancellation, they WILL get a defect. So ANY full refund a seller makes without the proper things filed in EBay WILL get a defect.
The best and easiest way for both the buyer and the seller to deal with this is for the seller to write the buyer. Explain they will file for a cancellation of the transaction and that it was requested by the buyer. This enables the seller to refund the buyer without any issue at all to their account. The buyer is happy and the seller isn't harmed. Just be polite and clear in communications with your buyer so they understand what you are doing.
I`m not so sure about this. 8-9 months ago when shipping a comic book I sold, I noticed a defect I didn`t mention in my ad. I shipped the comic and fully refunded the buyers payment. I also emailed the buyer with an explanation and apology. No defect was given me. It was 8 or 9 months ago though so who knows?
It could have been that emailed explanation that did it, but I'm not sure. On partial refunds, if you email the buyer with an explanation in M2M, then Ebay doesn't question it, but I'm not sure about on a full refund. Maybe one of the guys can tell us.
@mam98031 wrote:
@hillbillymedia wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@lintbrush* wrote:
Not all refunds are automatically defects - it depends on the reason. But, if there is no electronic paper trail as to why you are issuing a refund, it will be a defect.
Does the buyer want to cancel? Do you need to cancel? Did it ship already? Did it arrive damaged or is buyer claiming Not As Described?
If a seller issues a full refund to a buyer without benefit of a Return Request filed in Ebay or a cancellation, they WILL get a defect. So ANY full refund a seller makes without the proper things filed in EBay WILL get a defect.
The best and easiest way for both the buyer and the seller to deal with this is for the seller to write the buyer. Explain they will file for a cancellation of the transaction and that it was requested by the buyer. This enables the seller to refund the buyer without any issue at all to their account. The buyer is happy and the seller isn't harmed. Just be polite and clear in communications with your buyer so they understand what you are doing.
I`m not so sure about this. 8-9 months ago when shipping a comic book I sold, I noticed a defect I didn`t mention in my ad. I shipped the comic and fully refunded the buyers payment. I also emailed the buyer with an explanation and apology. No defect was given me. It was 8 or 9 months ago though so who knows?
It could have been that emailed explanation that did it, but I'm not sure. On partial refunds, if you email the buyer with an explanation in M2M, then Ebay doesn't question it, but I'm not sure about on a full refund. Maybe one of the guys can tell us.
Hi @mam98031, I'm happy to clarify. If there are messages done through the eBay message system then a defect will not automatically occur. You'll find more info on the partial refunds knowledge base page. I hope that helps!
brian@ebay wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@hillbillymedia wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@lintbrush* wrote:Not all refunds are automatically defects - it depends on the reason. But, if there is no electronic paper trail as to why you are issuing a refund, it will be a defect.
Does the buyer want to cancel? Do you need to cancel? Did it ship already? Did it arrive damaged or is buyer claiming Not As Described?
If a seller issues a full refund to a buyer without benefit of a Return Request filed in Ebay or a cancellation, they WILL get a defect. So ANY full refund a seller makes without the proper things filed in EBay WILL get a defect.
The best and easiest way for both the buyer and the seller to deal with this is for the seller to write the buyer. Explain they will file for a cancellation of the transaction and that it was requested by the buyer. This enables the seller to refund the buyer without any issue at all to their account. The buyer is happy and the seller isn't harmed. Just be polite and clear in communications with your buyer so they understand what you are doing.
I`m not so sure about this. 8-9 months ago when shipping a comic book I sold, I noticed a defect I didn`t mention in my ad. I shipped the comic and fully refunded the buyers payment. I also emailed the buyer with an explanation and apology. No defect was given me. It was 8 or 9 months ago though so who knows?
It could have been that emailed explanation that did it, but I'm not sure. On partial refunds, if you email the buyer with an explanation in M2M, then Ebay doesn't question it, but I'm not sure about on a full refund. Maybe one of the guys can tell us.
Hi @mam98031, I'm happy to clarify. If there are messages done through the eBay message system then a defect will not automatically occur. You'll find more info on the partial refunds knowledge base page. I hope that helps!
Yes, thank you for supporting that regarding partial refunds. However the question remains, does the same thing hold true if it is a FULL refund?
You all are giving this seller ways to issue a refund for a reason different than why he needs to to avoid full or partial defects.
No we aren't as you are assuming something the OP did NOT say. Also there is no such thing as a "partial defect".
Sellers mis using these reasons is why ebay is changing the metrics to make it more strict.
Again, you are assuming the OP is not using the system correctly and is trying to refund a buyer for some reason contrary to an Ebay rule. The OP did NOT say that nor did they even imply it. You are leaping to a conclusion that is not supported by what the OP has said.
The item is out of stock so the only thing he should do is cancel the sell due to the item being out of stock and take the proper defect.
Where did the OP say that? Other posters brought this up as a possible reason, but the OP NEVER said this.
Messaging the buyer and asking them to request the sale be cancelled due to them changing their mind is cheating and why ebay is changing the rules for returns and refunds. He should take the proper defect and in the future keep a better watch on his inventory to avoid this issue.
You would be correct if your ASSUMPTION is correct. But there are other reasons for a seller wanting the ability to refund a buyer in full without having the buyer file a Request for Return.
Some buyers actually contact a seller BEFORE filing a request for return when a problem arrises. Not everyone immediately jumps to filing a Request for Return. And if my buyer has not opened a RR you can bet I'm going to work with them to make it as easy on them as possible to return the item or get the item refunded without Ebay's intervention. As long as my buyer is happy, I'm happy.
Now if you want to force your buyers to file RRs and do it that way, it is your choice. You are only hurting yourself, but that is your decision to make.
@mam98031 wrote:
brian@ebay wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@hillbillymedia wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@lintbrush* wrote:
Not all refunds are automatically defects - it depends on the reason. But, if there is no electronic paper trail as to why you are issuing a refund, it will be a defect.
Does the buyer want to cancel? Do you need to cancel? Did it ship already? Did it arrive damaged or is buyer claiming Not As Described?
If a seller issues a full refund to a buyer without benefit of a Return Request filed in Ebay or a cancellation, they WILL get a defect. So ANY full refund a seller makes without the proper things filed in EBay WILL get a defect.
The best and easiest way for both the buyer and the seller to deal with this is for the seller to write the buyer. Explain they will file for a cancellation of the transaction and that it was requested by the buyer. This enables the seller to refund the buyer without any issue at all to their account. The buyer is happy and the seller isn't harmed. Just be polite and clear in communications with your buyer so they understand what you are doing.
I`m not so sure about this. 8-9 months ago when shipping a comic book I sold, I noticed a defect I didn`t mention in my ad. I shipped the comic and fully refunded the buyers payment. I also emailed the buyer with an explanation and apology. No defect was given me. It was 8 or 9 months ago though so who knows?
It could have been that emailed explanation that did it, but I'm not sure. On partial refunds, if you email the buyer with an explanation in M2M, then Ebay doesn't question it, but I'm not sure about on a full refund. Maybe one of the guys can tell us.
Hi @mam98031, I'm happy to clarify. If there are messages done through the eBay message system then a defect will not automatically occur. You'll find more info on the partial refunds knowledge base page. I hope that helps!
Yes, thank you for supporting that regarding partial refunds. However the question remains, does the same thing hold true if it is a FULL refund?
@mam98031, sorry about that, I misread your question. A full refund needs to be processed through a cancellation or a Money Back Guarantee request (Item note received or return). If for some reason this is not an option (due to these options having already been pursued and closed or because of timeframes) the seller can refund directly through the PayPal transaction and include an explanation via ebay messages. While this will result in a defect, we would remove any defect that occurred when there were no other options in working to resolve an issue for your customer. In short, if an eBay process is available, it needs to be used.
