mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
This was the Spring 2020 Update -- 15 business days to ship returns.
And it's 15 business days today -- no change.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/handle-return-request-seller?id=4115
How long a buyer has to ship the return:
Once the return is accepted, we'll provide the buyer with a date by which they should ship the item back to you. After 15 business days, if we don't see any indicators that the item is on its way back to you, we may close the return and protect you from negative feedback.
@albertabrightalberta wrote:
@zgnisaer wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@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!
During the Pandemic Ebay adjusted the timeframe for buyer's returning items to give them a huge amount of time to get the item shipped. It was recently asked when Ebay was going to put it back to the timing we had pre-pandemic. Their response was there was no plans to change it at this time.
So all you can do it wait. Don't message the buyer. Just wait. In a couple weeks, if they haven't shipped it back, then you will prevail on the claim. I currently have one of this type of returns too. I've been waiting a couple weeks now for them to return the item. The tracking still shows that the label was created but nothing beyond that.
Pre-pandemic, it was 15 business days. The buyer printed the return label, so eBay waited until Jun 24, in case tracking scans start showing up.
Post-pandemic, it is still 15 business days.
Not sure why the confusion, that eBay has any timing to revert?
This is not accurate. Ebay gives the buyer approx. 21 days to return the item.
Can you explain what makes you think it is "approx. 21 days" as opposed to what eBay's own policy language says? Like can you show anything that says 21 days?
@albertabrightalberta wrote:
@zgnisaer wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@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!
During the Pandemic Ebay adjusted the timeframe for buyer's returning items to give them a huge amount of time to get the item shipped. It was recently asked when Ebay was going to put it back to the timing we had pre-pandemic. Their response was there was no plans to change it at this time.
So all you can do it wait. Don't message the buyer. Just wait. In a couple weeks, if they haven't shipped it back, then you will prevail on the claim. I currently have one of this type of returns too. I've been waiting a couple weeks now for them to return the item. The tracking still shows that the label was created but nothing beyond that.
Pre-pandemic, it was 15 business days. The buyer printed the return label, so eBay waited until Jun 24, in case tracking scans start showing up.
Post-pandemic, it is still 15 business days.
Not sure why the confusion, that eBay has any timing to revert?
This is not accurate. Ebay gives the buyer approx. 21 days to return the item.
15 business days is 21 calendar days plus holidays.
Week 1: Sunday + business days 1 to 5 (Monday to Friday) + Saturday
Week 2: Sunday + business days 6 to 10 (Monday to Friday) + Saturday
Week 3: Sunday + business days 11 to 15 (Monday to Friday) + Saturday
That's 3 times 7 days = 21 calendar days, plus any holdays within those weeks, @albertabrightalberta.
Here's May 2024, for example. And if May 27 Memorial Day was INSIDE those 15 business days, then it'd be 22 calendar days.
Or if June 19 Juneteenth was WITHIN another block of 15 business days, then it would be 22 calendar days.
This has nothing to do with the pandemic or pandemic return time window. It is true that eBay did raise the number of days during the pandemic and it has stayed that number, but the deadline showed to the you and your buyer WAS the final day of that (extended) window.
That is incorrect. It did happen due to the Pandemic. All you need is to look at your own post to see that what I stated was and is true. The policy was changed early in the Pandemic, which is when the Seller Update came out that changed the policy to 15 BUSINESS DAYS, translation 21 days.
Your interpretation of the policy is simply mistaken.
Can you explain what makes you think it is "approx. 21 days" as opposed to what eBay's own policy language says? Like can you show anything that says 21 days?
This is simple. The policy reads 15 BUSINESS days. Business days are Monday through Friday [if no holiday falls during the week]. So Saturday and Sunday do not count. So if you add the weekend to the rule, you get 21 days. It isn't overly complicated.
In some cases it is 22 days if the buyer files the Claim on a Friday. The day count starts on the following Monday, which skips over 2 non business days. But most cases will be 21 days which is why that is the way I state it and others state it.
Can we let this rest now or do you need further clarification?
@gurlcat wrote:Would you mind looking up the date that the buyer initiated the return? I don't believe you stated that before in this thread.
Why does it matter? If the claim was still open when the buyer shipped the item back, why would you risk not accepting the return? Risking a Defect, forced refund and the loss of the FVFs, would that be something a seller should risk? Risk a negative feedback?
I suppose if the seller was just entrenched in the feeling that they don't want to refund the buyer denying it for a late return could be important. If the a seller wants to take that position, they certainly have the right to do it. It isn't likely to turn out well for them, but they can try to deny the refund, not the return as that is already on its way.
Whatever direction the OP decides to go, I hope it all turns out well for them.
@mam98031 wrote:This has nothing to do with the pandemic or pandemic return time window. It is true that eBay did raise the number of days during the pandemic and it has stayed that number, but the deadline showed to the you and your buyer WAS the final day of that (extended) window.
That is incorrect. It did happen due to the Pandemic. All you need is to look at your own post to see that what I stated was and is true. The policy was changed early in the Pandemic, which is when the Seller Update came out that changed the policy to 15 BUSINESS DAYS, translation 21 days.
Your interpretation of the policy is simply mistaken.
That is incorrect.
"The policy was changed early in the Pandemic, which is when the Seller Update came out"
The 2020 Spring Seller Update came out on Feb 26, 2020 before the pandemic, setting the timeline to
-- 15 business days to return, 2 business days to refund.
Then on Mar 25, 2020 the timelime was temporarily raised to
-- 21 business days to return, 5 business days to refund.
But only 3 months later on July 1, 2020 the timelime was reset to
-- 15 business days to return, 2 business days to refund.
Where it is still today, now 4 years later.
Your interpretation of the policy is simply mistaken.
@gurlcat wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
She didn't clarify that she meant calendar days. @qeqo_0 made that clarification on her behalf, thank you. Can YOU let go of this idea that the OP's return case failing to close AFTER 21 days of no acceptance scan has something to do with the pandemic?
OMG, the change was done during the Pandemic. Ebay even said the increased time was due to the Pandemic in one of the Weekly Chats, I think, as we still had them back then. But if you want to believe it had nothing to do with it, then that is what you believe. It really doesn't matter one way or the other. The rule is what the rule is. It makes no different.
The item is in transit back to the seller.
You want to argue with me for some reason, it appears important to you. I'll let you continue on as I don't see the value in continuing this conversation with you. If that makes you feel better, I think that is perfect.
You are correct, thank you for providing the right info. I certainly did have the change dates confused. My bad entirely. My mistake was saying it was the Seller Update that changed the time frame.
Ask eBay to step in If the seller hasn't responded or hasn't issued a refund by the refund deadline, or if the buyer and seller can't reach a resolution, either party can ask us to step in and help.
eBay may step in without the buyer asking if the seller didn't respond to the return request | Earliest:
Latest:
eBay may hold the return request open for up to 35 business days after the date the return was accepted. |
Again, thank you for making sure the correct information was provided and I'm sorry for anything I posted regarding this that was misleading or incorrect.
