I sold an item for a car - posted numerous photos, part numbers and info to help the buyer make an informed decision. "NO RETURNS ACCEPTED" was in the ad. Ebay attached their "vehicle application chart" to my item as well which confirmed the info I put in the ad.
Buyer paid $100 plus shipping on 4/13/21, I shipped the item using a label I purchased through ebay the next day. Item arrived at buyer's home on 4/16/21.
Buyer immediately filed a "not as advertised" claim stating item did not fit the vehicle advertised, the buyer claiming that the item did not fit his 2020 Jeep Cherokee. I contacted the manufacturer and confirmed that yes the item WOULD fit that vehicle. So the item is very much exactly as advertised.
Since returns are NOT OK thru ebay when the buyer simply has remorse or made a mistake on his end, clearly either the buyer
a) changed his mind on the item and filed a fraudulent claim of "not as advertised"
b) bought the wrong part number, found his mistake and filed a fraudulent claim of "not as advertised"
In either case it was not my fault.
I messaged the buyer back asking what the problem was, but got no reply.
Meanwhile ebay's automated **bleep** insisted that I needed to do a return so I contacted ebay "customer support" through chat and email. From there it went down hill.
Multiple emails later I was still nowhere so I got a callback setup. On the phone that csr said that what I needed to do was send a shipping label to the buyer so they could return the item. I should wait for the item, make sure it was as I shipped it and then call back to address the fraudulent activity and get my fees/shipping refunded.
SO I issued the return label and messaged the buyer to that effect. The buyer returned the item. Hours from when the item was dropped at my door on 4/22/21, ebay's automated **bleep** advised me that the item had been delivered to my house and that I had until 4/26 to issue a full refund. But as I had discussed with the multiple ebay people, I only OKd a return of the $100 purchase price, not the shipping, so I reached out to ebay again by phone.
This time the CSR advised to let the system issue a return, which would happen automatically on 4/26/21....then she would file an appeal on my behalf on 4/27/21. She said she could not do so until the system paid the refund. We even set up a date for her to call me back to discuss the outcome. She also advised me to submitted a complaint against the buyer, which I did.
But then the automated **bleep** refunded the FULL AMOUNT to the buyer 3 days early on 4/23/21. And I got numerous emails from different ebay people basically all saying "sorry so sad have a nice day"
I figured I would wait for the CSR to call back on the 30th at 11am as she promised she would, figuring that the automatic stuff was generating the emails......
Well, that callback time came and went so I again and she never called.
I again got online and asked for a callback.
Got a call from a different CSR and I explained the whole deal again.
THAT CSR said that he agreed with me and would start an appeal and tha **bleep** would take 2-4 business days to hear back.
I also uploaded the manufacturer email once again thru the link the other CSR provided.
Now, just HOURS after talking to the most recent CSR who said it would take 2-4 business days on the appeal, I have emails from multiple ebay csr people saying "sorry, so sad, bye bye" basically.
This is even after I have uploaded photos and the email from the manufacturer as proof that the buyer made a fraudulent claim into the record.
I can not tell from the emails if it is the "appeals department" contacting me through email or just the front line people responding to the latest document upload. Every time I reply asking for help it generates a new email from a new CSR with the same copy and paste information saying "sorry, bye".
To make matters worse, they just hit my paypal account for the sellers fees for the original sale, and TWO shipping charges (the charges TO the buyer and again FROM the buyer) are "pending"!!!
I will be out almost $70 in shipping and fees by the time this is all done, for a $100 item!
I have the item back, but why should I eat the seller fees, paypal fees and TWO shipping charges when the buyer clearly abused the "not as advertised/automatic authorized return for buyer protection" policy?
The buyer and ebay are ripping me off!
What can I do!?!?
