Best regards,
@mr_lincoln wrote:INR Question
I’ve read a number of threads where a Buyer processes an INR while the package is still in transit as Tracking shows and can be proven by the Seller. An INR should not be allowed if the package is still in transit. Buyers are getting awarded the claim and Refund then the package shows up late (through NO fault of the Seller, just a slow shipment by carrier) so they wind up getting the item FREE … Sellers have absolutely no control over what happens to a package once it is put in the hands of any carrier so why should they be penalized for that?
What is in place to protect the Seller from losing both money and item in this scenario?
@mr_lincoln Thanks for this feedback. Typically a buyer should not be given both the item and a refund -- we do indeed take a look at tracking details, estimated delivery date, and the carrier and service selected. If it's still in transit, we understand that the package should have an adequate amount of time to arrive. There is still always a risk of packages taking longer than the estimated delivery dates -- especially during busy times like the holidays! -- so we'd advise using tracked methods and really you should be covered. I'd also advise using more 'reliable' shipping services (e.g. economy may not be the best during this time of year) if you're worried about the packages taking too long.
@lauren*us Sorry I could not get back to the Chat today to reply ... I appreciate your reply but it doesn't answer the question. The issue is not how an item is shipped other than it has tracking as stated ... it could be a 1 day delivery or 1 month, it does not matter. The issue is the carrier fails to deliver on time so the Buyer can open an INR and get their money back ... then if the item gets delivered (and again, these are real live threads where this has happened) the Buyer keeps the item, does NOT pay for it since they have already been refunded ... so back to the original question ... What is in place to protect the Seller from losing both money and item in this scenario?
@sodelight wrote:
@mr_lincoln
I appreciate the compliment! Thank you.
YOU are more than welcome! Appreciate your contributions to this thread and topic.
Hi everyone, I wanted to hope in and add some clarity. There are several reasons an INR can be opened while a package is still in transit. A few of these reasons are:
- The latest estimated delivery date has passed
- The seller is no longer a registered user on the site
- The purchase is found to be an unauthorized transaction
The most common I'm seeing on this thread is when the latest estimated delivery date has passed and tracking hasn't shown an update in at least 7 days. Generally, the soonest an INR can be opened is 1 day after the latest estimated delivery date. It can be escalated 3 business days after it's been opened. As Trinton stated, once a case is escalated to us we'll check the tracking to see when the last update was. If more than 7 days have passed without an update for domestic transactions or 10 days for international, we'll approve a refund. While we try to avoid situations where a buyer or seller has both the item and funds, it's reasonable to assume a package has been lost in transit when such a significant amount of time has passed after the estimated delivery date without any updates from the shipping carrier.
The protections we offer in this situation are waiting an adequate amount of time before making a decision. If tracking confirms delivery, we'll close the case in the sellers favor. As stated above, we will wait a reasonable amount of time to see if tracking updates before making a decision. In my past experiences working with buyers and sellers, I've found that the majority of situations like this ended with buyers and sellers working together to arrange redelivery or repayment. While I'm unable to get into hypothetical situations on this topic, if you have a specific situation you'd like reviewed then please reach out to customer service for them to assist further.
@gracieallen01 wrote:
For clarification, could you please advise whether you are using the 'we' in a 'Royal' context?
Aren't you and Trinton, and a few others, in 'communications' with Alan? When you say 'we', are you referring to ebay? I notice when there is a problem, all of you say that you will refer the problem to the 'team' in charge of the particular area. And, aren't these INR cases - and returns, in general - handled by CS and 'bots?
Clarification would definitely be helpful.
Hi @gracieallen01, happy to clarify! "We" refers to eBay.
brian@ebay My sincere thanks for the reply ... this is not hypothetical it is procedural and goes back to the original question but to a specific situation where Buyer gets the Item and a Refund here it is.
1. Seller ships with 1 day handling with tracking on a 2 - 9 day Parcel Select delivery. (10 days max)
2. Package does NOT arrive by the latest Delivery date (day 10)
3. Buyer opens an INR claim ONE day past Delivery date (day 11)
4. Seller checks tracking and the package is still in the system but has not been delivered yet.
5. 3 Days later (day 14) claim is escalated and eBay sees that no tracking updates were made in the past 7 days (day 7) and approves Refund - Buyer gets their money back
6. Day 15, tracking updates and day 16 package is delivered. Now Buyer has their money back AND the item.
I think I got the day numbering about right but I think you can see there is a gap whereby the Buyer can get their $$ back but the package can still be delivered after that. This is not hypothetical, this is and always was a procedural question but based on factual accounts of INRs being processed and packages eventually getting delivered. So this is where my question comes in ... what is in place so the Seller gets paid for the item that was delivered but has already been refunded?
@chrysylys wrote:
See Post 26 above and explain how a buyer was able to open an INR within two or three days of buying the item.
Hi @chrysylys@, while I wouldn't be able to speak to specifics here on the boards, if you can locate the thread and @mention me in it, I will be happy to reach out to disneyshopper via email to discuss details further. There are times where a case is opened earlier, but this is not something I would be able to elaborate on publicly, especially regarding another members account.
