Ebay Refuses To Reverse Refund After Buyer Received Items

[iamdebster]

I sold a set of books on September 14th ( Item 363105335813).  I shipped them the next day on September 15th (USPS tracking number 9449008205497304476902).  En route to Hawaii, the tracking showed the books sitting in Richmond, CA for weeks.  The Buyer requested a refund, which eBay granted on October 9th.  On October 15th, the tracking showed that the books were delivered. 

I appealed eBay's refund decision (which is allowed within 30 days of the original decision) indicating that the books had been delivered.  They stated that because I failed to ship the books on time, they are refusing to reverse their decision on the refund.  Then, the customer services rep goes on ad nauseum giving me "tips" on how I can be certain to get the books off to the shipper on time in the future.  Huh?  I shipped the books in less than 24 hours?!  I immediately replied and pointed out that they were wrong and that I DID ship the books within one day.  Ebay stated that I am only allowed one opportunity to appeal so they cannot reconsider.  I responded, "Even when eBay's decision is based on incorrect information?"  I have not heard back from them.

What kind of bozos do they have working at this company?  They base their appeal on incorrect information which is as plain as day when you compare the sale date and tracking number.  And when I point this out to eBay, their reply is essentially, "You cannot point out our mistake."  Really?  Are they that arrogant?  Furthermore, it does not take a brain scientist to know what the correct outcome should be in this case.  The buyer clearly has the books yet hasn't paid a dime.   Meanwhile, I am out the money I paid for the books, the purchase price and the cost of shipping, which was free.  It is amazing what acts of contortion that eBay will go through to protect the Buyer.

And, for those who may be wondering (or not), I have reached out to the Buyer.  He refuses to resend payment.  He does not think he should pay for the books because I did not send him a refund voluntarily and forced eBay to make the decision.  Wait, what?  It took me a moment, but I finally figured out what he was trying to say, which was,  "Ha ha ha ha!  Sucker!  You are screwed.  I have the books, I'm in Hawaii and you are not!  There is nothing you can do.  Score!"  I'm hoping karma does its thing and a volcano destroys one of his cars...or just the books.

Sincerely,

One Royally **bleep** eBay Seller.

[1grandmashope_1]

If you are going to continue to sell during the pandemic, fires, floods, hurricanes and just general shipping issues, I would readdress how you plan on handling your buyers.  Selling that includes shipping is not for everyone right now.

I wish you well, and I hope that the volcanoes in Hawaii do no harm to anyone or anything.

Take a breath and do not list what you can't afford to possibly lose.

Grandma

[fixitcouple]

Since you didn't respond to the open case with the tracking #, eBay refunded the buyer. The appeal case looked at the case, and noticed no tracking number entered and gave you the "tips."  The reality is that this falls onto you. If you HAD entered the tracking number for the case in the beginning, eBay would have immediately told the buyer to wait because there has been USPS shipping delays for months now.

Consider this to be a small cost for the lesson learned.

[ittybitnot]

 It is amazing what acts of contortion that eBay will go through to protect the Buyer.

In a sense, eBay is protecting eBay.  Yours is not the only case here with similar circumstances, and likely will not be the last. 

Previous discussions concluded that you would only be allowed to "appeal" if you did not voluntarily refund for the INR.  Using that scenario, you also get a defect for not going along with the program that indicates you are to refund yourself. Appeals are denied anyway even if there is proof of subsequent delivery. 

If you did comply with refunding due to the item not arriving (being lost, delayed, with no tracking updates due to USPS issues), the typical response when trying to appeal (since the buyer now has the product) has been met with "sorry there is nothing we can do since you voluntarily refunded". 

You have asked the buyer to repay, and they have refused.  I think I would be inclined to initiate a fraud claim with the US Postal Inspectors.  This can be done online.   

[msdanceallnite]

Incorrect I had the same thing happen with tracking the whole way. Buyer Received Item after EBAY granted Refund. I appealed the decision and EBAY says its too late. They asked for me to request the buyer to resubmit payment or send Item back. Buyer basically told me to "Go To Hell" over the EBAY messaging system. I'm out the money even though tracking shows Delivered.....THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME...NOT COOL EBAY!!

Tracking number 9449008205497288067592
Delivery message Delivered, Front Door/Porch

[sg51]

You have asked the buyer to repay, and they have refused.  I think I would be inclined to initiate a fraud claim with the US Postal Inspectors.  This can be done online.  

Buyer may well owe a legitimate debt to OP, but refusing to pay a legitimate debt does not become fraud.

What OP can do is to sue buyer in small claims court.

[pburn]

---

@sg51 wrote:

What OP can do is to sue buyer in small claims court.

---

@sg51 

In Hawaii? How would that be cost effective? That would be a good example of the idiom "throwing good money after bad . . . "

[ittybitnot]

Buyer may well owe a legitimate debt to OP, but refusing to pay a legitimate debt does not become fraud.

Perhaps not.  I am not an attorney.  I do know, though years ago with regards to a similar incident,  once I sent a copy of my USPS claim and case number to the buyer I got paid by the buyer forthwith.  You know I have been here a very long time.  Once ebay throws a seller under the bus, they got to fend for themselves LOL. 

[riverbanklane]

ebay ebay ebay wonder why its falling apart here is just one of their inept actions

[caldreamer]

If you change your "handling time" in your listings buyer cannot open "did not receive" case (until after expected delivery date has past).  That is the only solution I see.

I just ordered something from China (they show handling time 3 MONTHS).  I have been waiting 2 months and tried to file "did not receive" (just to test the system).  Will not allow me to file "did not receive" (because expected delivery date DECEMBER).

[pjcdn2005]

It's odd that they gave you that reason for refusing the appeal as it's unlikely you would have won regardless of when item was shipped.  As far as I know they can not legally reverse the refund from the buyer as they don't have an agreement with them to take funds..unlike the agreement they have with sellers. So if they are to let you 'win' the appeal, it would be ebay refunding you from their own funds..not from the buyer's funds.

[onestopnerdshop]

This happens all the time now, eBay does not care about their sellers. At all.

eBay has adopted the Amazon mindset: bend their sellers over a table, to make their customers happy.  You either sell on enough volume to absorb the losses ebay forces onto you, or you leave. There's no other option I can see. I'm working on plan B, because plan A on this site is basically paying eBay so I can get robbed every week. I lost $600 and the statue that went with it recently (after eBay ruled in MY favor lol). Probably a set of books next that are in USPS limbo. At this rate I'd almost rather burn my inventory than let eBay give it away.

Interestingly enough, a few years back sellers in California brought a class action lawsuit against eBay for similar behavior and won. 4+ million dollars I believe. Yet, here sits eBay, doing the same thing again to their sellers.

[onestopnerdshop]

Everything you just said is 100% false. It doesn't matter to eBay anymore.

I've been in the situation you've described, more than once, done exactly what you claim is the solution (entering tracking # at the start) and I still lose my product and my money. Every. Time.

eBay has never once told any buyer of mine to wait, ever. Not. Once.

[iamdebster]

You are mistaken.  I did respond to the Buyer's request for a refund and uploaded the tracking number.  The refund request closed BEFORE the books were finally delivered.  That is when I appealed and received all the ebay baloney and nonsense.  The reality is, if I had waited to the very last day to respond to the Refund request, the books would have been delivered before the case was closed.  Unfortunately for me, I was diligent and responded immediately.  I recommend that all Sellers to wait until the last day to respond if a case is opened regarding an item you shipped, but went MIA in transit.

[iamdebster]

I did not voluntarily refund the buyer.  I did not think I did anything wrong and let eBay make the call.  As I mentioned in my OP, the fact that I "forced" ebay to make the call rather than voluntarily refund the Buyer is the baloney reason he is using to justify keeping the books without paying.