eBay

ten_o_nine · ‎08-02-2022

A customer asked for a return thru ebay and I sent the label thru eBay, how do you know the tracking number of the return?

femmefan1946 · ‎08-02-2022

But I received an email from eBay stating

Do you mean you got an eBay Message? What did you actually get?

If you haven't deleted it, look at the actual address (not what it seems to be).

These may come in handy.

The social media /Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees.

 https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851
  https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.
https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en
 

ten_o_nine · ‎08-02-2022

Hello, I am not looking for a particular question about how to sell and refund! My question was how do you know the tracking number of the return?

ten_o_nine · ‎08-02-2022

It's not really about what i did and didn't do, my question was "how do you know the tracking number of the return that eBay sends to buyers?

inhawaii · ‎08-02-2022

A) Normally the tracking number will show on a return, but since the return is officially "closed" maybe that's why it's not showing?

-or-

B) The tracking number is not showing because the person never sent it. Maybe after getting the refund they decided not to send the item back.

Buster Voodoo - Rodrigo Y Gabriela

coolections · ‎08-02-2022

@ten_o_nine wrote:
I did refund in good faith, I don't want customers wait too long to get their money back.

O'boy. Hope the buyer uses that label. For future reference wait until you get the item back.

coolections · ‎08-02-2022

Have you ever bought anything on Ebay? It always says item was started just like the example you showed. That does not mean it was shipped until AFTER the item is scanned then it shows the tracking.

ten_o_nine · ‎08-03-2022

So, the answer to my question is that ebay doesn't provide a return tracking number until the item ships and gets scanned. I thought they would provide a tracking, just like when I print a label before scanning at post office,

mybigsale · ‎08-03-2022

@ten_o_nine

eBay does not want to charge the seller for the postage if the buyer does not use the postage. My understanding is the tracking number (and charge for postage) is at the time the buyer selects to use and print the label from eBay (at least for USPS).

In the screenshot you provided "Shipped" is not check marked indicating your buyer never used your eBay provided postage so you should not be charged for the postage. If eBay didn't wait for the buyer to decide to use the postage, eBay would need to purchase postage upfront to get the tracking number and seller would need to pay for postage whether the buyer used it or not.

ekmadonna · ‎08-03-2022

ebay does not actually charge you for the return label until the label is actually used.

inhawaii · ‎08-03-2022

@ten_o_nine wrote:
So, the answer to my question is that ebay doesn't provide a return tracking number until the item ships and gets scanned. I thought they would provide a tracking, just like when I print a label before scanning at post office,

@ten_o_nine

NORMALLY the return tracking shows when the buyer prints out the label.

Just like how the tracking shows when the seller prints out the label.

Buster Voodoo - Rodrigo Y Gabriela

sin-n-dex · ‎08-03-2022

@ten_o_nine wrote:
So, the answer to my question is that ebay doesn't provide a return tracking number until the item ships and gets scanned. I thought they would provide a tracking, just like when I print a label before scanning at post office,

This is one reason why I'm glad I print my own labels (although I pay for them first, and have to seek a refund later if it's not used). Then I have the tracking number.

I'm in Canada, so getting an eBay return service label that will be charged when used isn't an option... at least if I pay for the label, they can't mail me a big box of bricks. The post office won't accept it when the package is supposed to be 8oz.

Well I learn something new every day.

C.

ten_o_nine · ‎08-03-2022

Update: I went to the post office today and the package was there and had been there since 7/27. I picked it up and now the return looks as it should, wonder why everything was updated the minute I picked it up, and not when the buyer dropped it off. It came with my return label that eBay did not update during the whole process.

My conclusion - If you close a return case before buyer ships the item or during, the case will not update with traking info until picked up, just my thoughts on this.

a_c_green · ‎08-03-2022

@ten_o_nine wrote:
Update: I went to the post office today and the package was there and had been there since 7/27. I picked it up and now the return looks as it should, wonder why everything was updated the minute I picked it up, and not when the buyer dropped it off.

From looking at the screenshot you provided, the key detail in the center there was to show when the return package was Delivered, which would be significant if you had not already refunded the buyer, since that would start the clock on you to refund within... what, 2 or 3 days, something like that?

I know that your previous screenshot shows the unchecked middle circle labeled as "Shipped" instead, so perhaps that would have updated itself to "In Transit" once the package was on the way. It might be interesting to plug in the return tracking number on USPS.com to see what actual scans were done along the way, prior to your picking it up. It's possible that the eBay coding failed to recognize the return package scans (or the exact text they contained) until the Delivered entry that would have appeared when you collected the package.

Incidentally, if you open a free Informed Delivery account on USPS.com, you can set up alerts to be sent to you whenever you have an inbound package to your address. You do not need to know the tracking number in advance; it will notify you by matching your address with that on the package. I like that functionality a lot since I know what day to expect the delivery.