eBay

joeanddarra · ‎06-16-2017

Hello,

I have a buyer who notified me the item she purchased, an iPod, arrived missing.

The package was damaged - it looks like it was sliced open.

The iPod was rolled in several layers of bubble wrap - the bubble wrap was still in the package.

When I track the shipment via USPS, there is no note regarding damage.

I don't sell very often, and I've never experienced anything like this, as a buyer or a seller, so I am not sure what to do.

I've been in touch with her all week & phoned the USPS. ( The information they gave me wasn't very helpful )

She told me she will give me until Monday to refund her payment.

What am I required to do?

I appreciate any advice you can offer.

Thank you.

a_c_green · ‎06-22-2017

What is the buyer looking to you for now? A refund less $50? Is there still an open claim with eBay here? Did they ever give you their USPS claim number?

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎06-23-2017

Yikes. The buyer should not be getting the refund from USPS, the seller should. Now we have an additional problem because the buyer can also receive a 100% refund from you, thereby making $50 off this deal !

Not good. You won't receive any reimbursement now.

Is there an ebay not as described case? You are going to have to refund them in full if there is, or else you get an unresolved seller strike on your account, which you definitely want to avoid.

Send the buyer $50 and see if you can get them to close the case.

You could try calling customer service at ebay if they buyer admitted to the USPS refund in ebay messages, but they are so useless....I don't even know if that will work.

retrose1 · ‎06-23-2017

@joeanddarra wrote:
Hi everyone,
Once again, I appreciate your great advice. I replied to the request for a refund by sending a message to the buyer, providing a summary of the events, action taken, etc. (sending a message was the only option, other than refund payment, refund partial payment, etc.)

Anyway, I heard from the buyer today, who heard from the post office & they processed a refund of $50, the insurance.

What I don't understand is that I didn't receive a response from the USPS, and what do I do know that the buyer received the insurance? (it doesn't cover the full purchase price)

Can anyone help?

That is AWESOME!!!!

Did the buyer admit it in ebay messages - if so the put this on your screen ...........

Using other programs to address a concern

Buyers can't use more than one resolution method to get a refund. After selecting a resolution process (eBay Money Back Guarantee, PayPal Purchase Protection, or requesting a chargeback from their payment provider) a buyer is required to use only that process to resolve the transaction issue.

If a buyer requests a chargeback from their payment provider or files a PayPal Purchase Protection dispute, any requests opened through the eBay Money Back Guarantee for the same transaction are immediately closed.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/money-back-guarantee.html#relationship1

Then call CS - make sure that you are getting one without an accent and in the US in their Dispute Resolution department, and tell them that the buyer already got a refund from the PO and have them close the dispute in your favor. And ebay MBG policy says that is what they should do.

I think that the buyer's claim that the PO reimbursed them is as fake as their claim the box was rifled - their statement that the PO reimbursed them was just their way to 'prove' it to you.

(*Bleep*)

starroute-us · ‎06-23-2017

@joeanddarra wrote:
Hi everyone,
Once again, I appreciate your great advice. I replied to the request for a refund by sending a message to the buyer, providing a summary of the events, action taken, etc. (sending a message was the only option, other than refund payment, refund partial payment, etc.)

Anyway, I heard from the buyer today, who heard from the post office & they processed a refund of $50, the insurance.

What I don't understand is that I didn't receive a response from the USPS, and what do I do know that the buyer received the insurance? (it doesn't cover the full purchase price)

Can anyone help?

Have you called the receiving PO?

Google their phone number by zip code, not the 800 number.

Verify information always with the postmaster at that location and have them send you an email stating the facts.

Sounds a bit iffy to me.

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎06-23-2017

Yeah.....then there's that. Were they being truthful about the insurance refund?

Hi star 🙂

I hope you're right Retrose. Seller needs this in writing.

starroute-us · ‎06-23-2017

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
Yeah.....then there's that. Were they being truthful about the insurance refund?
Hi star 🙂
I hope you're right Retrose. Seller needs this in writing.

Hi @ersatz_sobriquet 🙂

The receiving PO will send email stating facts if requested.

One seller I know had the PO do this when using shared zip codes and buyer was claiming INR.

PO cleared up the situation very quickly. Buyer was usingzip code delivery loophole to file claims.

kattinsanity · ‎06-23-2017

I thought that if a buyer filed a claim saying they received an empty package ebay wouldn't get involved? All a seller has to do is have the tracking number proving delivery to have a case closed in their favor. Ebay knows items can be tampered with after delivery and then it's between the buyer and their post office. If a seller has tracking showing delivery that's all they need for ebay.

If a buyer files a return case & sends an empty box back to the seller it makes no difference to ebay as long as tracking shows SOMETHING (even an empty box) was delivered. The buyer will get their refund with that tracking showing delivery.

OP has no control over what happened to that package after delivery and ebay will not hold the OP liable for any refund of any kind. As far as ebay is concerned, tracking shows delivery. End of story.

imakesugar · ‎06-23-2017

@emerald40 wrote:
@wolf*song wrote:
Has it occurred to anyone else that the buyer may be experiencing this for the first time, right along with the OP? Maybe that's why the numerous emails? Only the OP can read the "tone" of those emails, even if they were posted here, because only the OP's opinion about them really matters. None of us has been in contact with the buyer for the last week. Perhaps the buyer's as worried about this being resolved with her money safely back in her pocket as the OP is worried about losing both the item she legitimately sold?

Something to ponder, instead of automatically assuming the worst.
If the buyer was that concerned she would have opened a case already.
The return process is NOT easy to navigate. I Messaged a Seller that sent a wrong item to me. I I opened it as a INAD. I THOUGHT I WAS OPENING A CASE...it turned out to be a request. (THat was Ok by me though I just wanted it to be noticed.) The Seller kept asking me for pictures. I did NOT know how to do that. (My phone does not automaticly download My pictures to computer.) They kept asking me for pictures. (I know I do Not have to give pictures for A return.) finally I figured out that If I sent the pictures to My email addy, I could download it on My puter and then upload it to eBay. We went through quit a few messages...Then the process went smoothly. I did not want a discount ( I was offered a$1.50 for just keeping the item I got.) I wanted to GET what I ordered) I wanted to send back the item I got and I wanted to get the item I ordered. Of course at first they wanted me to send it back on My dime, and I refused, saying it was not MY problem they sent the wrong item. They were the same item with different laser pictures. finally I did get a refund and reordered the one I wanted from the same Seller. They did give me the wrong one they sent also. (postage to China was too high? ) I also left all 5 Star rating as the Seller DID handle the return.

Sorry this got long just that The Buyer might have thought they opened a case when in fact I opened a request.

kattinsanity · ‎06-23-2017

Also, I understand the buyer filed a return case?? If so, if I were the OP I would call ebay and point out the messages from the buyer that they received an empty package so their intention is to probably return the empty envelope, prove delivery through tracking and collect a 100% refund through ebay from the OP. If they have no item the empty envelope is all they would be capable of returning to the OP.

kattinsanity · ‎06-23-2017

Being an item from China ebay most likely refunded you from ebay funds instead of making you have to spend the big bucks to return as well as the fact the seller was unable to send you a return label back to China. Your seller wasn't out a dime & actually didn't deserve the pat on the back for "doing the right thing"~~they have your money from the 1st purchase as well as the 2nd. They did you no favors to deserve any glowing feedback.

kattinsanity · ‎06-23-2017

Be aware that if you make a habit of buying from China you will probably run into more than the usual problems. Ebay will only give you a few "courtesy refunds" and they will take away your buyer protection. They won't cover you for ANY ebay purchases whether from China or any other country. I'd be very careful in filing too many claims.

retrose1 · ‎06-23-2017

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
Yeah.....then there's that. Were they being truthful about the insurance refund?
Hi star 🙂
I hope you're right Retrose. Seller needs this in writing.

If they are lying about the insurance - then they are lying about everything else. So the OP should use the buyer's words against them. And finding out they are lies is not going to help the OP. And since I have never had the PO just do an investigation and refund in just a day or two, I find the buyers statements questionable.

If the return request is for snad, then the OP has to fight back and they might win with this buyers faux paux. Item Not Received is not a return request.

(*Bleep*)

imakesugar · ‎06-23-2017

@llllady wrote:
@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
@megadestroyers wrote:
"I just don't like to educate them, mega."

One of my first replies to the OP (quick! What does OP stand for?) was to state it was NOT the sellers responsibilty to educate the buyer.
Nothing wrong with educating a buyer, depending on what you mean by that.
Everything wrong with educating a scammer.

I think educating a potential scammer about what the possible ramifications of their actions are is a good thing. It may keep them from doing it or attempting it again, especially if they know they will end up on the radar of a company/organization that may take action, i.e., the USPS.

A professional scammer will always find a way, but maybe a would-be scammer will be stopped in their tracks.
Yes, I agree It might stop a would be scammer. OR maybe even a experienced scammer. I am sure that They don't want to be on the radar so to speak. I think Scammers try to pick new Sellers or Maybe even Sucker Sellers who are afraid to ask for a return even IF it costs them return shipping to NOT REWARD the scammer.

I think A nonaccusitory message that has been discussed IS a good way to make a lost item come up or the PITA Buyer to just forget the whole thing and creep into the woodwork again. I'd report it to all the places I could. ICS, USPO, eBay, maybe even BBB in San Jose. I do think eBay tries to keep fraud down but could put other things in place that could help. for example better ID information, of course they have to balance out decisions that Might lose more sales.

I do think eBay is trying to work with Sellers more than they did a few Years ago. I consider that progress. IT is what is slowing down eBay right now. I use eBay almost everyday and all the work arounds get to be repetative and MORE WORK for Sellers. I am sure it is hard for NON- nerds to navigate eBay. My Mother is one! She encouraged Me to get on eBay. Now she can't even get what she wants to see on search, she still has log-in problems from when eBay was hacked ,etc.

imakesugar · ‎06-23-2017

@kattinsanity wrote:
Being an item from China ebay most likely refunded you from ebay funds instead of making you have to spend the big bucks to return as well as the fact the seller was unable to send you a return label back to China. Your seller wasn't out a dime & actually didn't deserve the pat on the back for "doing the right thing"~~they have your money from the 1st purchase as well as the 2nd. They did you no favors to deserve any glowing feedback.
I knew that about only getting a few returns. It was the principal to me. I hate the way Sellers in USA are treated different than foreign Sellers. For example USA Sellers having to pay for returns, and foreigners don't. So, It was a definite INAD (wrong item sent) and I asked for a return shipping label.