Final Straw!!

[azbill2001]

Received a return request for "Item not as described" on a like new store return pair of New Balance shoes today.  The buyer said the "shoe laces were too short, and was unable to tell the length of the laces in the picture".  The laces were the original New Balance laces that come in the shoes.  After 15 minutes or "chat" and hour on the phone with four different eBay agents, no one could make the decision to reject the return.  A case was opened, the buyer was told to return the shoes and my funds are "on hold" until the shoes are returned.

This is just one of the several bogus "item not as described" returns I have had to deal with in the past couple of months.  Buyers have learned how to "play the eBay return game" to avoid paying shipping to and from them on a return.  eBay doesn't care one bit.  They admit it's a problem, but they are no longer willing to "offend"  buyers by calling out their bogus returns.  I have been selling steady for over 10 years, and have seen many changes (mostly seller adverse) to the platform.  Thankfully there are many other ways of reselling online now, I am forced to make the switch.  "Shoe laces too short" was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

[gwens*4saleitems*]

Well, declaring "The Final Straw" is just dumb. 

Why even/ever argue with buyer?  They apparently weren't happy with shoes.

Approve the return, they will get the return shipping label, get the shoes back, refund the money, AND most importantly, relist those shoes (adding descriptor about shoelaces being original to shoes) and re-sell them.

Easy Peasy.

[gwens*4saleitems*]

Oh yeah, after you get the shoes back and refund buyer. ... REPORT them as misusing the MBG / NAD return system (because that's what they did).

[american-photography]

Part of selling on Ebay is accepting returns even if you don't agree with it.  That goes in the real world of brick and mortar when you have to deal with real "in-person" customers.  

Instead of fighting with the buyer and Ebay, accept their return, and they will pay the return shipping fee, you'll get your shoes back, and the buyer gets their money back.  You can then resell the shoes.  No big deal.

Are you really going to shut down your store of over 2,500 items just for a few buyers you disagree with???

[mtgraves7984]

We sellers all empathize. I must admit... that's one of the most ridiculous Return reasons I've ever heard.

As bad as I hate to see a Return request message, I also hate to see a message from the buyer just after delivery... because usually that's only a preface to the Return. This is a time that I would have welcomed that buyer's message... if only to offer to send a pair of laces in whatever size the buyer wanted or a partial refund for their purchase of a pair.

With all that being said, I find that if something sells once, it will again. Wait to refund until after shoes make it back, adjust your price a bit (to recoup some of/all of the loss) and relist them for the right buyer. Good luck and good golly...

[azbill2001]

Looking at my alternatives.   This one stupid bogus return is part of a trend over the past couple of years.  It will be hard and take time to transfer most of our listings to other platforms, but this crap is getting old.  eBay used to have your back, and I could call a phone number and get it resolved quickly by an American agent.  I have been receiving quite a few unjustified "item not as described" returns lately here at eBay.

[kensgiftshop]

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@american-photography wrote:

Part of selling on Ebay is accepting returns even if you don't agree with it.  That goes in the real world of brick and mortar when you have to deal with real "in-person" customers.  

Instead of fighting with the buyer and Ebay, accept their return, and they will pay the return shipping fee, you'll get your shoes back, and the buyer gets their money back.  You can then resell the shoes.  No big deal.

Are you really going to shut down your store of over 2,500 items just for a few buyers you disagree with???

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When a buyer files an INAD, the seller pays return shipping.

[azbill2001]

I don't mind taking a "hit" every once and awhile for bogus returns, but this year we have seen an uptick in this.  Poshmark doesn't allow returns (except on rare occasion of outright deception by the seller), other platforms have different pros and cons.  eBay has tipped the scale to buyers (like Amazon), hence the reason to explore other more fairly balanced selling platforms.

[fab_finds4u]

Maybe he was looking for a partial refund. Some buyers just gotta try to get it cheaper even when there's  no reason. You should have offered to buy some longer laces. Been cheaper than losing return shipping both ways.  If they refused  and still insisted on returning them then we know he didn't like them or they didn't fit and he wanted you to pay for the shipping on a remorse return.

[inhawaii]

There is no way to defend a "not as described" return.

No matter what the reason is ebay will always find in favor of the buyer on this type of return.

The only thing to do is accept the return, pay the return shipping, refund the buyer when the item is returned to you. 

[a_c_green]

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@fab_finds4u wrote:

Maybe he was looking for a partial refund. Some buyers just gotta try to get it cheaper even when there's  no reason.

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@azbill2001 : "Laces too short" is a ridiculous reason, but it really boils down to whether the buyer is simply grumbling in messages (in which case some smooth talk might salvage the deal; see below) or has actually filed a Not As Described dispute (in which case you respond with a short businesslike reply telling him to ship it back for a refund).

Regarding "smooth talk," if he's angling for a partial refund, send him the same reply about returning it all for a full refund, and nothing less. eBay does not require you to haggle a partial refund, and you are entitled to ask to have the item back before issuing a refund.

BUT... In the maybe unlikely event that he's genuinely unhappy with the laces, you may quote me, a long-time New Balance wearer: before you know it, those factory laces will stretch until they're practically too long. If they made them longer to begin with, you'd be snagging them, dragging them on the floor or double-knotting them even sooner. Believe me, you don't want longer laces, especially if New Balance is making them.

[irishmichael4585]

The way I've found to sometimes beat the INAD scam is to file a complaint IMMEDIATELY at the first hint of trouble that the buyer is asking for something not in the listing.  I've averaged better than 50% either not getting a followup return request or EBay has refused to back the buyer.

[inhawaii]

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@irishmichael4585 wrote:

The way I've found to sometimes beat the INAD scam is to file a complaint IMMEDIATELY at the first hint of trouble that the buyer is asking for something not in the listing.  I've averaged better than 50% either not getting a followup return request or EBay has refused to back the buyer.

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Buyer requests a INAD return. Seller IMMEDIATELY denies the return and complains, asking ebay to step in.  And you're saying that 50% of the time ebay will back the seller?   I've never ever ever heard that one before.

[azbill2001]

That wasn't an option.  I would have sent them a pair of 72 inch boot laces, if that would have resolved it.

[dbfolks166mt]

@irishmichael4585 wrote:

The way I've found to sometimes beat the INAD scam is to file a complaint IMMEDIATELY at the first hint of trouble that the buyer is asking for something not in the listing.  I've averaged better than 50% either not getting a followup return request or EBay has refused to back the buyer.

Buyer requests a INAD return. Seller IMMEDIATELY denies the return and complains, asking ebay to step in.  And you're saying that 50% of the time ebay will back the seller?   I've never ever ever heard that one before.

     I am with you. I have never heard of this happening before but you seldom see good news on this forum. I am also look at this from a seller who has sold a total of 87 items and wondering how often they have done this. I am skeptical to say the least.