mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
@wesk_36 wrote:
@misaonline wrote:
why won't ebay take your tracking # into consideration??Because they can. I have been reading more of these types of complaints lately; if the scan doesn't show delivered and it is overdue according to ebay's time-frame, ebay ignores in transit scans and gives the buyer a refund (and the item typically arrives for the buyer later) You have to have a really honest buyer to return your money or maybe ebay will accept an appeal after it shows delivery, I don't know.
They OP says the tracking number wasn't taken into consideration. That may be more of an opinion than an actual fact. But we will have to wait for the OP's response to know more.
Ebay will refund an INR if it is PAST the ETA date on the purchase AND the tracking does not show ANY movement in the past 10 days. So it is NOT just a delivery scan. If movement is evidenced by the tracking Ebay will extend the time on the INR for auto closure to allow for the item to get delivered in a few days.
Ebay does NOT "ignore" the tracking. It is a very important part of the INR process. Sellers just need to understand that buyers have every right to expect and get the time they ordered delivered. And even though we have no control over our carriers, it remains an important part of our job to do whatever we can to insure delivery. And sometimes that does mean we refund even though we don't really want to.
We are in a time that is very difficult for many online sellers because of shipping delays. I too have been caught in these situations more in the last couple months than I ever have in all the years preceding this. And I've refunded a few because there was no movement for 10+ days.
When a buyer files an INR on an item. My first move is to put a trace on the package and to sign up for email notifications of any movement of the package. So there has been a few times that the package did get delivered after I refunded [Ebay has never forced a refund, I always do it myself before the deadline]. All my buyers have worked with me to either have the item returned to me or they pay for the item and keep it.
Most buyers just want what they ordered, nothing more.
@wesk_36 wrote:So what is your advice for the OP and many sellers that ebay rules against because of shipping delays, and gives a refund to buyers that later get the item and a refund.
Can they appeal to ebay when the scan shows delivered and will ebay give the money back?
I can tell you what I do. What others do is completely up to them.
Buyer Files the INR or just contacts me stating there is an issue with delivery. I handle this in the same exact way.
I ship via USPS. So I go to the USPS website, sign up for updates to the tracking via email.
Then I file for a trace on the package.
I then email the buyer to let them know I've done this and due to the Pandemic, their response can be a little delayed. So it may be 48 to 72 hrs before I hear back from them. I've had only one buyer that wasn't willing to wait. She initially contacted me via email. She then filed an INR and I told her the exact same thing, only this time because the INR was in place she had no choice. She would be waiting.
Many times the signing up for the email notifications or the trace will shake the package loose. But we are having to deal with some unusual circumstances right not and many packages are getting significantly delayed and even lost forever.
If the USPS trace returns that it is still in processed but delayed or that they have no information to share. I share that with the buyer and ask them if they would be willing to wait a few more days. Most say they will. So we wait for a bit.
If an INR is involved, then I will notify the buyer I'm going to go ahead and refund if no movement on the package has happened for about 9-10 days and for them to please let me know if it later arrives. If we are just handling this via email and the buyer is willing to wait a bit longer, then we wait. But if my buyer wants a refund and there is no movement for 10 days, I refund them and I ask them too to notify me if they receive the package at a later date.
Since I have the email updates if the package moves, If the buyer forgets or just doesn't notify me, I'm notified by USPS that the package is delivered so I contact the buyer. Most buyer's are more than willing to either return the package to me by writing on the package return to sender and sticking it back in the mail OR to resubmit their payment.
Out of all the INRs I've had to process in the last couple of months only one buyer gave me grief, but eventually did pay me for the pattern they decided to keep. This is the only buyer I reported to Ebay since they gave me a problem. It was a couple days AFTER I reported the buyer that they contacted me for instructions on how to repay. I have no idea if it had anything to do with me reporting her or not. But I was certainly glad to get paid.
@shopookies wrote:You would think that if ebay can extend the return duration, they'd extend the item not received duration given the times. If they see it as in transit and hasn't moved, give us a ten day window before refunding. If we can wait a month for a return to get here, they should be able to wait a couple more weeks due to the virus holding things up, with the option to return for a refund if they no longer want it. Nothing worse than taking the money AND the product away from the seller without consent.
I understand and I don't disagree but that wasn't what I was describing. I was merely talking about how the policy currently is applied. I have no problem agreeing that Ebay should extend the INR window.
However just as a note. If the item does get stuck for a few days and then start moving again, the 10 day window starts over too.
