Negative feedback for package still on the way...

[packratville]

I received an order at 4:37 pm on December 4 and took it to the post office on December 5. It took two days for USPS to get it to the regional center, then it apparently got hung up in Memphis. It's still enroute to the buyer.

I just got home a short time ago and had a message from the buyer, simply "Still has not arrived," and apparently he immediately left me a negative feedback, "Has not arrived."

I don't know if he's checked tracking or just assumes a seller has some kind of magic they can wave to move a package along. I understand his disappointment, I'm not happy about the status either, but it would be nice if people would at least have the courtesy to contact me first and give me time to respond before leaving a negative.

Anyway, sorry for the little bit of a rant. I'll respond to the negative feedback politely and professionally. But what should I do about the feedback? Can I contact eBay yet to have it removed or does it need to be delivered first? What's the best course of action? 

Thanks!

[wastingtime101]

Hey kyle@ebay I just spotted a typo - says "fault" but looks like the intent is "faulty" - on this page under the eMBG section as shown in the screenshot in my last post. They also forgot to capitalize the B in one of the uses of eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/rt/return-preferences

"eBay Money Back Guarantee covers most transactions on ebay. It means buyers can get their money back if their item didn't arrive, is fault or damaged, or doesn't match the listing. This guarantee could override some of the rules you have set to automatically issue a refund."

[kh-shakhib]

Hi everyone,

This discussion has gotten a bit heated. Please remember that, while it is fine to disagree with others, discussion should always remain friendly and respectful as required by the Community Guidelines.

Thank you for your cooperation.

[wastingtime101]

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@mam98031 wrote:

I've used [RMAs] for a long time and I'm well aware of how it works.  I have zero returns automatically approved.

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That's the opposite of what I and every other seller I've discussed this with has experienced. With RMAs we're given a grace period to confirm RMA and, if required, provide a return label. All returns are still auto-approved with few exceptions; after the return is approved RMA puts a halt so the label isn't auto-generated.

Do you keep email records of your eBay messages about returns? When was your last return request? Can you check what that initial email said and post a screenshot?

I'm super curious since what you're saying is not an eBay policy I'm familiar with and I've used RMAs for years.

[robbie31415]

@kh-shakhib 

Hard to take the community guidelines seriously when you don't apply them equally.

Biased moderation to protect 'mentors' from looking bad.

Even though they continue to spread misinformation.

[robbie31415]

Kyle unfortunately used the term 'case' wrong.

A case is specific to an escalated request.

A buyer and seller can not communicate in a case for either INR or Return.

Buyers and sellers can only communicate in either a non escalated INR before it becomes a case.

Or a non approved return request. However with eBays automatic approval system that is very unlikely to be possible.

[fern*wood]

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@mam98031 wrote:

return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number is required per the settings in your Return Preferences, we will ask you to provide it before the buyer can send the item back to you.

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I think that is the key line in the automatic approval/rma discussion.   I signed up for this to control whether to pay for the return label or not to have the item sent back.  If the math doesn't make sense, I don't want to provide the label (damaged or heavy cheap stuff I shouldn't have listed anyway) and just let them keep it and refund.   It wouldn't make sense to allow sellers to not approve an INAD return or most would do this and they never allow sellers to pick/choose which remorse returns they will allow even though some think that's proper.   Of course this is based on the timing/policy requirements being met.  

[wastingtime101]

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@fern*wood wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number is required per the settings in your Return Preferences, we will ask you to provide it before the buyer can send the item back to you.

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I think that is the key line in the automatic approval/rma discussion.   I signed up for this to control whether to pay for the return label or not to have the item sent back. 

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That line has nothing to do with the automatic approval process. See my above post for screenshots of a return automatically approved the other day.

Reminder: subject line from eBay was the return was approved and message said return was automatically approved.

Because I use RMAs I could use an eBay label, upload my own label, confirm I already sent a label through messages, or send a refund without requiring a return.

Having those choices does not negate the fact the return was automatically approved by eBay as soon as the buyer filed it.

Automatically approving a return and automatically providing a return shipping label are two different things and that seems to be where confusion is coming in for some.

[robbie31415]

Phases of a Return on eBay

1. Before Approval (Non-Approved Request):

   • Before 2020, sellers had more control over manually approving or denying return requests.
   • Post-2020: eBay implemented changes where 99% of return requests are automatically approved regardless of seller settings, especially for reasons like buyer’s remorse or SNAD (Significantly Not As Described).
   • Sellers can still use the RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) function to manage return logistics.
     • The RMA function allows sellers to provide their own return instructions and issue a return merchandise number.
     • However, RMA does not prevent automatic approval of return requests. It only delays the automatic generation of a return shipping label.
   • In rare cases where automatic approval doesn’t apply (e.g., returns outside the policy timeframe), sellers may manually review the request and respond.

2. After Approval (Approved Request):

   • Once the return is approved—whether automatically or manually—it remains classified as a request but enters the approved stage.
   • At this stage:
     • Communication between the buyer and seller is no longer permitted regarding the return.
     • The buyer receives return instructions, including a shipping label (unless the seller uses the RMA function to provide their own).
     • The seller is required to refund or resolve the issue upon receiving the returned item.

3. Escalated to a Case:

   • If there is a dispute during the return process (e.g., the buyer doesn’t return the item or the seller doesn’t issue a refund), the request can be escalated to a case.
   • Once escalated, eBay steps in to mediate and make a final decision.
   • Communication between the buyer and seller is completely removed, and all interaction occurs through eBay’s case management system.

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Key Policy Update (2020):

• In 2020, eBay introduced policy changes that result in approximately 99% of return requests being automatically approved upon filing, skipping manual review and proceeding directly to the approved request stage.
• The RMA function allows sellers to add return instructions and delay the automatic creation of a shipping label. However, it does not prevent automatic approval of return requests, as eBay prioritizes buyer convenience in the return process.

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Why This Matters:

For sellers, understanding the nuances of the RMA function and its limitations is crucial. While it offers a level of control over how returns are managed, it does not override eBay's automatic approval process. This clarification ensures sellers can manage their expectations and prepare accordingly within eBay's return framework.

[mam98031]

Yes, I could have worded it a bit better, but I also posted the Ebay policy.  When using an RMA number, that the seller assigns, it gives us the opportunity to review the Return Request and even communicate with the buyer before assigning the RMA number and issuing the return label.  I find that a helpful period of time.  It doesn't stop the auto approval, but it slows things down so the seller has the opportunity to review the issues with the transaction before a return label is issued.

[mam98031]

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@fern*wood wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number is required per the settings in your Return Preferences, we will ask you to provide it before the buyer can send the item back to you.

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I think that is the key line in the automatic approval/rma discussion.   I signed up for this to control whether to pay for the return label or not to have the item sent back.  If the math doesn't make sense, I don't want to provide the label (damaged or heavy cheap stuff I shouldn't have listed anyway) and just let them keep it and refund.   It wouldn't make sense to allow sellers to not approve an INAD return or most would do this and they never allow sellers to pick/choose which remorse returns they will allow even though some think that's proper.   Of course this is based on the timing/policy requirements being met.  

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Yes.  It give the seller the opportunity to review the Return request BEFORE any return shipping label gets issued.  And we can communicate with the buyer if needed before the buyer is approved to ship the item back.  This has served me well as it has others.  I do just like you, there has been times I've just refunded the buyer without issuing a RMA number and return label.

[robbie31415]

Wow... Now the backing up when found to be clearly wrong.

Posting policy that has nothing to do with the auto approval process.

Making actual statements that your INAD's aren't automatically approved, when in fact they are.

Your recommendations that people communicate within a 'case' not even a possibility. 

Did you use the wrong words in basically every response you made here?

The eBay forums are literally comical, only a few people on this board are recognized for giving accurate and thought-out information. And the mentors aren't apart of that. Hopefully they never become a 'Mentor'. But I'm sure eBay wishes they were.

[mam98031]

I am NOT backing up.  When you use RMA numbers to be created by the Seller.  It allows sellers a couple of days to review the Return Request, contact the buyer if needed and make a decision on how to proceed.  It allows all of that.  

The seller can decide to issue the RMA number then the return label can be issued.  The communication with the buyer may cause a different agreement to resolve the issue and possibly no return may be necessary.  If that is the agreement, then the buyer has to close the INAD of course.  Or the seller may choose that the buyer can keep the item and fully refund them so no return is necessary and the INAD will close.

My initial statement that brought all this nonsense on was "I don't have my INADs auto approved.  I prefer to keep that to my review first."  That was in my post number 91 to Kyle.  I could have and should have worded that better.  The first part of that is an incorrect statement on my part and I should not have used the word "don't" and not what I really meant, but it was what I said.   The second statement is exactly why I and other sellers will have their accounts set to assign a RMA on a return request and the point of my post.  That creates a window in which sellers can review the Return Request before the buyer is given the go ahead to ship the item back.  

[robbie31415]

Nothing you are saying relates to what we were talking about.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RETURNS BEING APPROVED.

Come on now..... You know this,

Your INAD's ARE auto approved, there are only a few circumstances where they aren't.

Now you are trying to completely change the context of the argument, which is bad faith.

Facts are facts, and what you said before were not facts.

[brightlightbookseller]

@mam98031, hate to say it, but you did mess up this time.  Returns are automatically approved in nearly every case even with RMAs enabled, it simply gives you time to choose how to do the shipping label.  You do not, at that point, have the option to decline the return, only provide a shipping label or a refund instead.  While it's mostly semantics, you're incorrect about the actual wording you were using.

[fern*wood]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

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@fern*wood wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number is required per the settings in your Return Preferences, we will ask you to provide it before the buyer can send the item back to you.

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I think that is the key line in the automatic approval/rma discussion.   I signed up for this to control whether to pay for the return label or not to have the item sent back. 

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That line has nothing to do with the automatic approval process.

Having those choices does not negate the fact the return was automatically approved by eBay as soon as the buyer filed it.

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I agree the RMA does not have anything to with automatic approval.  (I was merely referring to this discussion on the board of the two).  Returns are approved prior to ebay asking for the RMA, which allows me to refund rather than issue the return label.