you welcome, here are the answer as per best of my knowledge.
1: buyer open return and say not as describe will be taken against your seller service metrics, if you want not taking against your seller service metrics then you have to report the buyer if he file false snad or return you something else.
2 : if buyer file false snad, and leave you negative feedback, and you report it and then you call ebay yes that feedback could be remove it will not put any defect on customer account, but they will remove your feedback as courtesy but they will remove it with another reason that is consider something buyer defect so it can be removed.
3 : you can call helpline, if you are TRS may be you will get invitation from concierge department which is special dedicate customer service which is much better then standard customer service.if you have standard customer service then you should explain them situation, always try call them after you try with the buyer, if buyer do not agree to return the product and ask for money that means buyer is violating policy by not following process and there is you can be protected.
4 : if you are TRS you have to offer 30 days returns , not a matter free returns or not or what handling time, if you offer 30 days return policy, buyer pay return shipping, and you receive something else used or open product packing , you can deduct up to 50% but make sure you must report buyer before you deduct amount so ebay knows why you deducted.
5 : if you are in standard customer service then try solve with buyer first, because ebay like see if you try work out with buyer if buyer do not want resolution then its buyer problem, you can send him feedback revision request if you are so much careful about feedback, hemight can refuse or can revise from negative or neutral to positive. he cannot revise from neutral to negative, negative can be revise to neutral or to positive and neutral can be only revise to positive, it cannot be reverse.
i would suggest you to offer 30 days return policy at the end of day, after you report you will be protected from negative and from seller service metrics if you are TRS. if you will not offer returns buyer can still return the product by not as describe case and that will only hurt you in term of seller service metrics and in negative feedback and you will not be protected.
i hope one day you get invitation from concierge and then there you will be little extra taking care off, i do not know how many listings you have, but remember one thing you have to try with your customers to make them happy if they deserve and they are right. but for scammers you must report to ebay all the time because if you let scammer scam you next time he will do this to some other sellers.
you should also set message in your listing, etc ( Thank you for your purchase, if youhave any concern about your purchase , please do not open any return but give us chance to make ti right for you by contacting us on ebay before leaving any neutral or negative feedback ) something like this. always send packing list with your packages.
i wish you good luck for your business on ebay 🙂
