eBay

craigsdieselrepair · ‎04-09-2020

Hi everyone!

I've got several problems here that I wanted to get advice on.

First, I've gotten hit with 3 bogus returns over the last month (I almost never get returns)

The 1st was a $550 ECM. The guy returned it, using the 'didn't need' option.

I got it back, it was trashed. This person destroyed my ECM. I went ahead and refunded, which some will think was stupid- but I just had a feeling that this guy needed the money. I don't think he destroyed it on purpose, he just didn't know what he was doing. So I didn't report him or anything. I felt I did the right thing in helping this guy out (and I was more than repaid that week since I had over $5k in sales which never happens on eBay for me).

Okay, so the next return was for an injector. The guy said it didn't work. It was a reman. Which is like new from the factory (parts dealers know what I'm talking about here). I received the injector back, and it wasn't my injector! The guy sent me an old core that was destroyed! This thing was covered in rust and busted on the bottom. Also, the guy didn't send it back using the return label through eBay. He sent it back 'return to sender'.

After much back and forth, the guy asked me to just send it back to him, and he said he will talk to his mechanic. I plan on shipping it back on Saturday.

The 3rd return was for a ABS Trailer Brake Valve. This valve was used but good. I am 100% certain it was good. This was a $350 part and the guy said it didn't work. He most likely installed it wrong, or has other issues with his trailer. But I accepted the return and refunded him since I can't prove whether it worked or not (I know for sure it was working when I shipped it though). So now I'm out almost $1000 in returns this month, and still don't know what's going to happen on the injector.

Now today, I got a negative feedback on a seal that someone purchased! I messaged the guy, and he ended up messaging me back and said he was sorry, that he bought 2 of these seals (one from another seller) and he got us confused. He said he didn't mean to leave that feedback for me! I just messaged him back and asked him if he would do a revision, and am waiting on his reply.

My questions are- what is going on with these buyers lately?

What should I do about the injector buyer?

Where do I find the feedback revision request if the buyer agrees to revise? (If he doesn't then I will call eBay but I'm hoping to not have to call eBay). I've looked everywhere and can't find the revision request.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Christa

rockmafia5 · ‎04-09-2020

Welcome to selling parts on ebay. I fight every case like you have just described if its more than $150 or so. You have to call, you have to learn how to play ebay's games. You may get some results, they may just tell you too bad. I have gotten my money back 7-8 times now.

corvettestainless · ‎04-09-2020

I think there are more people off work and trying to play backyard mechanic; but don't know what they are doing. I think this will continue in your world from the next month or 2.

craigsdieselrepair · ‎04-09-2020

Yes I'm learning the hard way. I've not had many returns so this returns process is not something I'm familiar with. If someone purchases a part, and they install it, you know as well as I do that if it fails it usually due to they didn't install it properly (or they had another problem with their truck which ruined the part once they installed it)- Especially with electronic parts. How do you fight on these type of returns? How can you prove it was working when you sent it out? If eBay does side with you, and the buyer hits your feedback, will eBay remove the feedback?

craigsdieselrepair · ‎04-09-2020

Uggh. That's what I was thinking!

inhawaii · ‎04-09-2020

It sounds like you're doing everything right. Just a string of bad luck and/or bad customers.

When pricing your items make sure there is enough profit there to cover things like this.

One question on the injector. In order for it to come back to you "returned to sender" the guy would have had to refuse taking delivery of the package which means he would have never got to open the package and return a different injector. ???

Good luck and stay safe.

Telephone Line - Electric Light Orchestra

earlyant-77 · ‎04-09-2020

@inhawaii wrote:
It sounds like you're doing everything right. Just a string of bad luck and/or bad customers.

When pricing your items make sure there is enough profit there to cover things like this.

One question on the injector. In order for it to come back to you "returned to sender" the guy would have had to refuse taking delivery of the package which means he would have never got to open the package and return a different injector. ???

Good luck and stay safe.

Or open it from the bottom, take out the new one, put in the old, write return to sender and put it back in the mail stream a day or two later.

craigsdieselrepair · ‎04-09-2020

I'm not sure how he was able to use 'return to sender'. I had placed the label on top of the box, it was over the part of the box where the seam to open the box was. So he cut through the label to open the box, and they still let him do 'return to sender'.

Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it.

Thanks!

craigsdieselrepair · ‎04-09-2020

The buyer who left the negative feedback today just revised the feedback (thankfully) so that problem is taken care of.

Still not sure about the injector buyer. Is it okay to send this injector back to him? I've taken photos of the injector (the old core that he sent to me). I've taken photos of the box, that shows 'return to sender', etc.

Thanks!

Christa

picknparley · ‎04-09-2020

"...(and I was more than repaid that week since I had over $5k in sales which never happens on eBay for me)...."

The higher number of sales you have in turn increases your number of returns.

Hope the majority come out on the satisfied buyer side! (ya can't please 'em all all the time!) 😀

fashunu4eeuh · ‎04-10-2020

fashunu4eeuh · ‎04-10-2020

@craigsdieselrepair wrote:
Yes I'm learning the hard way. I've not had many returns so this returns process is not something I'm familiar with. If someone purchases a part, and they install it, you know as well as I do that if it fails it usually due to they didn't install it properly (or they had another problem with their truck which ruined the part once they installed it)- Especially with electronic parts. How do you fight on these type of returns? How can you prove it was working when you sent it out? If eBay does side with you, and the buyer hits your feedback, will eBay remove the feedback?

Hi, @craigsdieselrepair since you offer returns, in eBay's world that means you accept returns for any reason. So even if it is a suspected bogus return, it can be in your best interests to refund. I say that because a disgruntled buyer will find a way around a reluctant seller by opening an also-bogus Not As Described case. In such a case, the seller refunds the full amount and pays return shipping to get his item back. Ebay nearly always sides with the buyer in NAD cases. Then if the seller does not cooperate and eBay has to step in to resolve the refund, the seller is hit with a penalty (called a defect), eBay removes the refund from the seller's account, and Final Value fees are not reimbursed. Lastly, eBay lets the buyer keep the item in some cases.

As for proving that you sent a working item, there is no way to prove it. Once it leaves your hands, anything can happen, including shipping damage. And eBay holds the seller responsible for the condition of the item upon delivery. So shipping damage is the seller's problem, not the buyer's. (This is where shipping insurance can be important. If the sold goods are expensive and arrive in a non-working state, the seller can be made financially whole by filing a claim on the insurance, if he was savvy enough to cover his liabilities.)

For your last question, if you do fight the return and win, the buyer cannot leave feedback, and it can be removed if it was left. But I can't emphasize enough that fighting the return has significant drawbacks, as outlined above. What can be done is after the case is settled, the seller has 30 days to file an appeal with eBay, laying out new evidence supporting their case. Yet it is best to never let it get that far. (Sellers sometimes rely on "cookie jar insurance" as a way to cope with the financial strain of returns. That means setting aside a few cents out of each sale, saving it in the "cookie jar" to cover occasional shrinkage. Since you state that you rarely have returns, this method may appeal to you.)

fern*wood · ‎04-10-2020

It appears you would qualify for the new protections offered by ebay for faulty returns in the fall 2019 update, since you are a TRS and offer 30 day returns. They won't make you whole, but they are definitely better than taking the total hit.

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2019-fall/index.html

dhbookds · ‎04-10-2020

@craigsdieselrepair wrote:
The buyer who left the negative feedback today just revised the feedback (thankfully) so that problem is taken care of.
Still not sure about the injector buyer. Is it okay to send this injector back to him? I've taken photos of the injector (the old core that he sent to me). I've taken photos of the box, that shows 'return to sender', etc.

Thanks!

Christa

No, you shouldn't mail back..... Sad fact is that there is no way for anyone (ebay) to be sure YOU aren't the one who switched the items....... This is just a gamble all of us when selling something on line. You (We) get stuck with a bad customer every once and a while and have to eat costs. As Fern says, there are some mitigation attempts you can make.... But you do need to add in some $$ to the price of everything to cover this type of thing. Again, doesn't happen often, but does happen...........

oops, Fashion said most of that........

craigsdieselrepair · ‎04-27-2020

I did ship the old injector core back to the buyer. Once the buyer received it, they claim they found my injector. By this point, I knew he was a scammer so I emailed eBay and it was a great experience! I couldn't believe how simple it was. They closed the return and told me I didn't have to refund.

Now I have another problem. Another buyer purchased an International Resistor set. Just like the injector buyer, within just an hour to 2 of receiving it, they claimed there was a problem. They opened a return claiming the resistors were used. I packaged this item myself, they were in a sealed pack. I know 100% they weren't used. I received the item back today and my mechanic looked at them. The package has been opened on the ends, and used resistors were put in and shipped back!

Uggh. This is getting ridiculous! I've NEVER had these kinds of scammers on eBay. It all started with that ECM return, and it's getting out of control. People buying things, using them and sending back. Or putting something completely different back in the box and shipping back!