Received return back damaged

[bestpricedeals247]

I sold a very large item (swimming pool tank with filter) it was about 42"x15"x15" that cost me $60 to ship and it sold for $329.99 I had free shipping on the item. The buyer waited until it got from Nevada all the way to Miami, FL to open a return due to "found it $30 cheaper". I offered him up to $60 refund on it if he would not return it because I explained that at the very least the box and item would likely get beat up shipping back and forth a large item that distance. He ignored my message until 5 days later and said he had already sent it back. I just go down to the post office and sure enough the box is ripped up to the point you can stick your hand through it, and I have only seen the top part of it so far which shows plastic broken off of the top (I'm assuming there will be more damage when I take it all the way out). He was telling me that he did me a favor by paying the shipping back, but I think he would have gotten a free return due to me being a top rated seller? Anyways I am just trying to figure out how to handle this situation now as I am already out the $55 I paid to ship it there, plus the $227 I made after fees and shipping, and I can't resell it now. I know I can't recoup shipping and what not but it says that I can deduct for damages. The item obviously wasn't damaged when he received it because he returned due to finding a lower price. To add insult to injury I had to walk this thing 2 miles to the post office and back. 

 

 

[ampgroup2021]

Give it a rest Cpt doom and gloom

[isaiah53-57]

@bestpricedeals247

Something is smelling fishy here and it ain't old pool water - Buyer says he found it $30 cheaper, but is willing to pay $50 to $60 to ship yours back to you?? - Surely he sent you back a damaged one and kept yours - But hey what a he11uva nice criminal not to make you pay to get it back right??

In my opinion, and by our experience, buyer fraud is out of control here and hardly a thing is being done about it - Lets see where that puts ebay in a couple more years - Actually, now that I think about it, sales could be better, because this is where all the criminals will come to shop...

[mam98031]

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@bestpricedeals247 wrote:

You're right I think I was just imagining that because I never had to pay anything in the rare instances that I had something returned to me, I probably had buyer pays return on those items.

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That still doesn't make sense unless you had a 30 day return policy with buyer pays shipping or a No Return Policy and all the returns you got were from properly filed Buyer Remorse Returns.

Buyers are never responsible under any type of return policy to pay for return shipping on an INAD.

[mam98031]

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@bestpricedeals247 wrote:

I figured that out, I haven't been paying much attention lately since I haven't had many returns and none of much significant value. When I went back to look at that auction that ended I couldn't find what I had the return policy listed as but now I see I had it as buyer pays return shipping thankfully.

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That applies ONLY to properly filed Buyer Remorse Returns.  So if your buyer filed using the reason they found it cheaper elsewhere, that would be a Buyer Remorse Return and they would be responsible for return shipping.

So in this case, the buyer is the Shipper and is responsible if the item arrives damaged.

[mam98031]

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@bestpricedeals247 wrote:

I was mistaken about the free returns thing, I hadn't dealt with returns enough, but I did have the listing as "buyer pays return shipping" and I haven't been charged anything for return shipping yet, even though the return shipping label says "eBay return service". So I'm guessing they paid it through eBay?

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I explain that in a much earlier post.  You said you issue a return label to the buyer from the claim.  Sellers are NOT charged for a shipping label they issue on a return UNTIL the buyer actually uses it.  If the buyer never uses it, then you never get charged for it.

[mam98031]

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@bestpricedeals247 wrote:

There was no insurance on the package and it was sent FedEx and returned through USPS. I had buyer pays return shipping set I just noticed thankfully. But now I'm thinking since they didn't mention anything about any damage before they sent it back how would I try to claim the $100 protection from USPS for the return service? I don't think he took the pressure guage off or damaged it but he put the box upside down length wise when he labeled it, and the top of the box was the weaker end. If I deduct anything eBay will not give me a final value fee back from my understanding, and that was close to $50 which is more than what I was thinking about deducting even. So I'm thinking just refund the whole thing and if there's anyway possible to try to make a claim for $100 on return shipping damage to try that. Just not even sure if return shipping (USPS) is even covered.

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So it has $100 of insurance.  Is that through FedEx or USPS?  It was damaged in shipment if as you have described earlier still remains true.  So yest the insurance should apply.

I'm unsure why you would fully refund you buyer.  IMHO that doesn't make any sense at all.  But it is your decision to make.

We do get a refund on our FVFs when we issue a partial refund.  But if for some reason you don't, then just take a bigger discount to accommodate the fees, but be sure first.

You seem to be all over the board about what you are going to do.  I'm certainly confused.  But whatever you end up doing, I hope it is a good decision for you.  Best of luck.

[mam98031]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

There is no insurance on eBay return service labels.

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The buyer didn't use an Ebay label.

[mam98031]

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@toomuchstuffagain35 wrote:

Even though it's an ebay Return Service label, seller has buyer pays returns AND it's a remorse return, not a SNAD, so the BUYER will be charged for the label, not the seller.

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Except that the OP said they issued a return label to the buyer.  It is still unused at this point and the seller does have the package back.  It appears the buyer purchased their own label.

[dbfolks166mt]

@bestpricedeals247 wrote:

That's true, but I think Amazon and the company ship them out in the same boxes from what I've seen online so I was hoping it would be ok.

You can deduct 50% but if buyer doesn't like that they can open a case to get the rest back.

Just had it happen where a buyer only send back 1/2 of the items I sold them so I only gave 50% refund and they opened a case with eBay and got the full refund anyway

     Did you or eBay pay for the other 50% of the refund? 

[dbfolks166mt]

     In addition to all the other replies based on how everything else works out with refunds and what eBay may or may not cover you could try filing an insurance claim with the carrier which I assume is USPS. You will need to retain the original packing and the item. You would file the claim against the return label that was used and file as the recipient. There is a timeframe limit on filing claims with USPS. 

[fern*wood]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

There is no insurance on eBay return service labels.

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The buyer didn't use an Ebay label.

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Maybe I've lost track of what all has happened, but I thought I read the OP state the label was the ebay return service one.  I'm not clear on whether those have insurance or not.   When the buyer printed the label they would have been informed they will be charged for it since the return was filed as a remorse return.   The labels seem to look the same whether the buyer or the seller is charged for them.

[wastingtime101]

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@fern*wood wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

There is no insurance on eBay return service labels.

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The buyer didn't use an Ebay label.

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Maybe I've lost track of what all has happened, but I thought I read the OP state the label was the ebay return service one.  I'm not clear on whether those have insurance or not.   When the buyer printed the label they would have been informed they will be charged for it since the return was filed as a remorse return.   The labels seem to look the same whether the buyer or the seller is charged for them.

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I read the same as you, @fern*wood . Buyer used an eBay-generated return service label.

At this point we don't know if buyer or seller is paying for it because seller isn't clear on that, though posting the official return reason (not return comments) would clarify that. The listing offered buyer-paid remorse returns.

If it was a not as described / damaged return then the seller will eventually be billed for the label. From my recollection, that charge is not real time; it's on a delay. I've experienced situations where that return label wasn't billed until a month after the item was shipped back.

If it was a remorse return then the buyer will pay for the label and the amount they owe eBay for the label will be deducted when they are refunded. Random numbers: if total amount is $50 and seller refunds $50 and eBay is owed $10 for the label then eBay will send buyer $40 and keep $10 for the label. Seller will see that information on the screen when they submit the refund. I can't access my screenshot right now, but if you want to see what it looks like I can post the screenshot later.

eBay return labels are not insured. To obtain insurance, one must use a label generated outside of eBay. For sellers that means enabling RMAs so they are given the opportunity to upload their own label instead of eBay auto-generating one. For buyers it means uploading their own tracking to the return, or if system prevents that they sometimes have to contact CS to add tracking for them. Same goes for signature confirmation (not that it applies to the OP, but still worth mentioning).

[mam98031]

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

@bestpricedeals247 wrote:

That's true, but I think Amazon and the company ship them out in the same boxes from what I've seen online so I was hoping it would be ok.

You can deduct 50% but if buyer doesn't like that they can open a case to get the rest back.

Just had it happen where a buyer only send back 1/2 of the items I sold them so I only gave 50% refund and they opened a case with eBay and got the full refund anyway

     Did you or eBay pay for the other 50% of the refund? 

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Ebay pays the other 50% if they choose to support the buyer.

[dbfolks166mt]

@dbfolks166mt wrote:

@bestpricedeals247 wrote:

That's true, but I think Amazon and the company ship them out in the same boxes from what I've seen online so I was hoping it would be ok.

You can deduct 50% but if buyer doesn't like that they can open a case to get the rest back.

Just had it happen where a buyer only send back 1/2 of the items I sold them so I only gave 50% refund and they opened a case with eBay and got the full refund anyway

     Did you or eBay pay for the other 50% of the refund? 

Ebay pays the other 50% if they choose to support the buyer.

     Fully aware that is what is supposed to happen. What I was asking the poster was if that was what actually happened. 

[mtgraves7984]

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@bestpricedeals247 wrote:

That's good to know, thanks. I'm assuming they actually paid it since I had "buyer pays return shipping"? I haven't been charged anything yet and received it a few days ago. And I guess I'm down to just refunding full amount and getting my $50 in FVF back as opposed to attempting to withhold a lesser amount and not getting my $50 FVF back. I guess that's sounding like the only option I assume.

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@bestpricedeals247 

^^^ This is crazy talk. Revisit my earlier post. You have the power to discount the (impending) full refund by up to 50%. Your FVFs (for the refunded amount) will be reversed... no matter what the amount of the refund is.

In my humble opinion, this is the best  option you have. It's one of the last seller protections left. Use it.