Ebay Refunds Buyer While Package Is Still Moving and In Transit

[jewelatude]

Customer opens a case because the mail isn't moving fast enough for them during this COVID crisis. I call Ebay customer service to have the case extended as the post office told me the package is still moving just slower than normal.  As usual customer service gives me the feel good answer " don't refund, we can see its still in transit,  don't worry....) That night they took my money and refunded the buyer and closed the case. Today the package is almost to the buyer and customer service is telling me to contact the buyer to ask them to pay again. UNBELIEVABLE!!!

I am at the end of my rope with Ebay. The issues are endless. I think that Ebay customer service has an answer wheel that they spin and they give you whatever answer the needle lands on.

[postingid7659]

CS regularly lies to you.  It's going to take repeated complaining to get this one straightened out.  I would demand eBay refund to you the sum you're out once it shows delivered.  You're supposed to be covered under seller protections for one or two of these a year, it may depend on your seller level.  

[voguevintage]

Keep calling. Worry the heck out of them.

This is going to become such an increasing problem with the USPS delays.

[vintagecraze50]

This is absolutely unacceptable. Once they refund that buyer that money will never go back to you. Come on Ebay GET BIT TOGETHER ON THIS ISSUE.

[vintagecraze50]

Usps is in big trouble right now. There are even commercials on TV here in Utah with Mitt Romney where they are asking people to complain their Congressman to help USPS get aid from the govt right now. They are cutting out overtime and these packages are sitting in sorting facilities, out in the wrong bins and sent way across the country then re routed etc etc, It’s currently a mess with them.

[vintagecraze50]

I am extremely concerned about this issue becuase I sell fairly high end expensive items and you better believe it that I am going to get that money back if those packages get delivered in a day or so after a refund. In understand that if a package is like 3 weeks late that it might be lost etc and yes “I” will refund when These packages are looking lost, but not a week or a few days over.

[forgottentreasures99]

I feel for you. Same thing just happened to me. Buyer got refund and the item.  Ebay told me to ask buyer to pay no response.  

[vintagecraze50]

How many days late was this package?

[vintagecraze50]

Just some advice here on this issue. Insure your packages especially anything over $100 dollars for the max amount to protect yourself if these packages get lost. I had a lost one that was underinsured about 3 weeks ago. I filed a claim and still awaiting what they are going to do. If I get 2 more of these, I am switching my service.

[vintagecraze50]

I would like to think that most people are honest and will do the right thing, but do not count on it. 

[vintagecraze50]

More advice. When you see that your package is looking like it is not moving, START a package trace on the USPS website. I have had to do three of these recently. One got unstuck and delivered, one totally lost in Phoenix, one I got a call back from a postal worker at the facillity where the package is suppose to be. They assured me it would get there. Not sure on that one yet.

[vintagecraze50]

If this get’s worse there should be some kind of formal announcement by Ebay about how they are going to deal with this with THEIR sellers here. 

[vintagecraze50 · Accepted solution]

More advice. Message every buyer letting them know that COVID and issue with USPS are causing some delays on some packages and to please be patient if the package is arriving late. If you forewarn the buyer they may not open these cases prematurely. Timing is important here as Ebay will time these item not received cases and close them if they take too long. Prevention may help here.

[voguevintage]

I had a package that was suppose to go to Washington state end up in GUAM!

Of course, the buyer was up my you know what about it. He demanded a refund before it arrived. I told him I couldn't do that because it would probably still arrived and explained the postal problems. He kept hanging eBay's guaranteed delivery over my head and I explained that was eBay's guaranteed and showed him how to redeem his voucher, but he wasn't happy with that either.

Eventually it did arrive and thankfully I avoided a negative.

Then I lost a sell the other week because of the slow USPS delivery and eBay's guarantee. The package was late and the buyer contacted me asking for a refund. I explained the issues and that I couldn't refund her because the package might still arrive. She told me that it wasn't there by the guaranteed delivery date and she didn't want it anymore. She then opened a formal request asking for a refund and put as the reason in the comments "did not arrive by guaranteed delivery date". I told her when the package arrives just refuse it and it'll come back to me and she won't have to even worry about doing a return, but she didn't do that and instead did the entire return label and when she opened the request she again put "did not arrive by guaranteed delivery date". The package finally made its way back the other day with the contents damaged from such a long two way trip.

eBay needs to address this. The fact Guaranteed Delivery is still showing as normal is absurd. Buyers DO NOT CARE about $5 vouchers!

[voguevintage]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

More advice. Message every buyer letting them know that COVID and issue with USPS are causing some delays on some packages and to please be patient if the package is arriving late. If you forewarn the buyer they may not open these cases prematurely. Timing is important here as Ebay will time these item not received cases and close them if they take too long. Prevention may help here.

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I put this in all of my new listings now