Ebay gave my Buyer a full refund, before the item was returned back me. Why?

[bluebedelia4]

The situation: Buyer bought one item. She got the item, but then did not like it and asked me for a full refund. So I checked the box that said I would refund the buyer AFTER the item was returned back to me. I even paid for a RETURN SHIP label (USPS)--paid to Ebay, and they deducted the amount from my checking account. Within one hour, Ebay issued that Buyer a full refund.

But  the Buyer still has my item!

Yieks!

NOTE = all this took place in a matter of 3 hours.

Three hours: 

1) Buyer asks for REFUND.

2) I went and bought return ship label from eBay.

3) and Ebay issued Buyer a Full Refund....all this within a matter of 3 hours.

And the Buyer still has my item PLUS a full refund!

What the heck happened?

I am scared to Sell on Ebay now.

...Scared because if Ebay is gonna issue Refunds (ie: taken from my checking account)  even before my item is even returned, then Buyers will end up with my items, PLUS a Full refund, and I am out a ton of money.

This has neve happened to me before. 

Have they changed their Return Policy to only favor Buyers and then just take $$ from Seller's accounts within minutes of a Buyer filing for a Return?

?

[bluebedelia4]

Once again, I did not use that DROP DOWN MENU to issue any refund.

I have used that drop down menu before, thus I am familiar with that menu.

But this problem I had,  did not involve that drop down menu at all.

In actuality, I was sent a FORM from Ebay via that MESSAGES FROM EBAY,  to use.

I tell ya, Vintage craze, that form I got was WEIRD---and it was something I had never seen before.

[bluebedelia4]

Once again, this problem I had , had nothing to do w/ that drop down menu that we, as Sellers, use to issue refunds to our Buyers.

What happened to me, was totally strange. 

It was not the way  that we, (as Sellers) use to refund or partially refund our Buyers. 

[bluebedelia4]

Yes, that is what I had to do.

I did not think that the Buyer was going to comply, (since she already got the Full Refund from Ebay).

But she did and I sent her the Prepaid Return Ship Label to her.

( & then she never wrote back, as of today).

So now, the ball is in Buyer's court, (to do THE RIGHT THING, and return my item back to me).

The ball is in her (Buyer's) court now.

Ebay has basically made it so that I am out of the loop,  and now, the Buyer is in total control. 

So all I can do,  is sit and wait,  and see if that Buyer returns my item back to me.

We'll see if that Buyer "does the right thing".

Luckily, the item was only $60.00!

[bluebedelia4]

Yes, I know the feeling.

I did not sleep well.

And mostly because I have to re-think my Ebay selling options. And  because in the future,  I really do fear selling anything over $50.00 on Ebay ....and all because of problems like this! 

[bluebedelia4]

I understand.

This is the first time I've come here for HELP, in MANY MANY years.

Before (like over 10 yrs ago) , the threads were easier to follow (imho), thus, I am just now getting used to this new Community help system.

For me, it's just hard to follow .... so I need to get used to it,  since I'm used to the "old system".

(#LearningCurve).

Bye , and have a great day,  and txs for your help. 

[erkosuniverse]

Do be careful,I lost my shirt a few times due to the policy's

A buyer receives item then cries to e-bay

Buyer keeps item and gets refund

I as seller lost item and payment

Of course i was given run-around reasoning and explanations

[erkosuniverse]

There is a situation that happened to me a few times called

"Courtesy Refund"

The buyer claimed INAD (item not as described)

Cried about it to e-bay

Buyer kept the item PLUS a refund

I lost item and payment

[wrong66]

You state "No Returns" in your listings. Could that have something to do with it?

[maros9416]

The same thing happened to me with an international sale. The problem was the carrier tried to deliver twice and the buyer wasn't home. The buyer then puts in a claim for not received. I got 2 messages out of the blue, 1 saying that she opened a case, the second saying the case was closed!

  Then, the buyer emails me and wants to pay, as they picked it up from the carrier. My only recourse was to file an appeal. I did file an appeal and I was reimbursed right away. Try the appeal process, it should be somewhere at the bottom of the decision message.

[bluebedelia4]

TXS for asking.

My husband and I have wondered the same.

NO RETURNS is the default set by Ebay, when a Seller starts back on eBay---as I have (after 12 years)

 I left it as such, thinking I would change it later, as I was re-learning Ebay all over again (after 12 yrs) & was busy shipping all sorts of items to my eBay Buyers, etc.

So then, here's what my husband and I ,and his brother did just this morning:

>> We went to my account to see if we could change that "NO RETURNS" preference, and guess what, it would not let us.

It would not let us!

My Preference is now STUCK on "No Returns".  

Just 2 months ago I had the ability to change it , but not any more.

So Ebay's computer Programming Dept, somehow changed my setting to be stuck in NO RETURNS MODE.

It's stuck.

Thus, yet another weird glitch!

And my husband has found a bunch MORE strange situations like that, on my account,  where eBay changed my settings without my permission. 

My husband and I are so freaked out by now, that we have begun to remove as many listings from my account as possible, since there is some sort of glitch.

And plus,  had we listed HIGH END items, we could have been out a bunch of money.

Luckily, I am only out right now approx $60.00 (plus all the shipping costs and fees Ebay charged me).

And my husband looked up  on various Forums today ,and  discovered that Ebay did this not just to me, but to a bunch of other NEW eBay accounts too. 

NOTE= This all began when I switched to MANAGED PAYMENTS and I gave eBay access to my Checking Account.

So many glitches!

Scary!

[ceas_jenn · Accepted solution]

yes I've lost a couple of item plus my $$ the buyer didn't return my item to me so he got the note plus a refund. Not fair, but what do u do, just eat it. Not fair!!

[bluebedelia4]

Thank you for your suggestion

[bluebedelia4]

Yes, I will just have to "eat it" ....as you said

[winterpalace25]

That probably had everything to do with it. I was about to ask OP if they had a no returns policy. 

[powell-memorabilia]

Don’t lose out on $500 to protect against $50 in losses.  Be nervous all you want, but, nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

ebay is a numbers game - sell enough to cover the eventual occasional losses.  Don’t be scared to sell!