Return never arrived

[mynewfindstore]

I have a return that did not get shipped back before the deadline of June 18.  On that day, I received an eBay message to refund the buyer!  It would usually close automatically but this one did not.  I contacted customer service THREE times and they said they would close it.....it is still open!  The only option now is to refund.  The tracking shows no movement.  Where can I get real help on this?  It says to respond to the return buy June 24....then what?  I get a defect and money taken from me with no item back??  eBay for Business on Facebook is not there anymore and I can't find where they moved to....was going to go wherever they went.  Very frustrated!

[itscalledapostingid]

If you read the message from ebay more closely it probably says something like "the item should  have been returned to you by blah blah.." It's probably not instructing you to refund before getting the item back.

The way it's worded is a little confusing as many of ebay's automated communications are.

If you go right to the return details page you should see the current status and what action needs to be taken.

[asset_liquidators]

No they shipped within a few days of getting the label.

[gurlcat]

Well that is just messed up on top of messed up then.  I don't understand any part of it.  

[mam98031]

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@asset_liquidators wrote:

No they shipped within a few days of getting the label.

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Where does the OP say that?

[albertabrightalberta]

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@12345jamesstamps wrote:

"tracking shows no movement"...but it has tracking...if it has tracking it is being returned.

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According to the OP "The tracking shows no movement" but it's not clear what @mynewfindstore means by that. 

If by "no movement," all that's shown when plugging the number into USPS is that a label was created, the OP should now receive a release of the funds. (I'd think no movement means that nothing has changed since creation of the label.) 

However if tracking shows any movement such as "acceptance," "arrived at sort facility," "processed" etc., then the OP would be on the hook.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@asset_liquidators wrote:

No they shipped within a few days of getting the label.

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Where does the OP say that?

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@asset_liquidators is referring to their own situation as described here. 

[mynewfindstore]

Tracking shows that they never shipped it.  It was never accepted.  

[mynewfindstore]

No acceptance scan...

[albertabrightalberta]

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@mynewfindstore wrote:

Tracking shows that they never shipped it.  It was never accepted.  

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It's been a long time since I had an unshipped return but IIRC, I was able to go back to the return request and have ebay step in to close it in my favor. I think I waited about a week after the buyer's last date to return. 

[mynewfindstore]

On my other returns that have shipped, when you click on tracking, it says "the item is on it's way back to you".  This one never had that....the tracking number just says USPS awaits item.

[mynewfindstore]

I have not had to do anything lately when a return did not get sent back to me.  It would just close automatically.  I wish things were more consistent, it would be less stressful!!

[onlinecentral]

The policy has been consistent since the Spring 2020 Seller Update. eBay announced that sellers could no longer call in to close returns early. Perhaps June 18th was the fourteenth day. If so, then today is June 23rd, the 19th day. eBay may close the case in an automated way, in your favor.

Changes to handling return requests that appear abandoned
Starting April 1, 2020, we will no longer close returns early at the request of a seller when the buyer has not shipped the item back.

[mynewfindstore]

That should happen but I have not had the case where a return was not shipped and on the last day the buyer has to ship the item, and ebay notification appeared saying "the item should now be delivered".  Actually, the title of the eBay message was  "Has the item been returned?"  I got two of those!

[itscalledapostingid]

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@mynewfindstore wrote:

That should happen but I have not had the case where a return was not shipped and on the last day the buyer has to ship the item, and ebay notification appeared saying "the item should now be delivered".  Actually, the title of the eBay message was  "Has the item been returned?"  I got two of those!

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I have received those messages and like I said earlier it's very confusing the way ebay chose to word them.

I always just check the return details page frequently to keep up with the status and see if there's any action I need to take.

[robbie31415]

You should be fine, eBay words things kinda poorly.

If there is no acceptance scan then the system should automatically decide on your side.

There is ways scammers can bypass by claiming they shipped on their own and provide their own tracking, but there is no evidence that is going on here.

Most likely just an abandoned return and you just gotta wait until eBay eventually closes it.