eBay

nycstylepro3000 · ‎12-15-2020

Hello all, long time reader, first time poster here.

I sold an item recently for $60 plus $5 shipping. Buyer gave an invalid address and the package is being returned to sender (me). How do I proceed with a refund? Prior posts said I should deduct the cost of shipping and refund the buyer the cost of the item. Makes sense.

however, I called eBay today and the rep that spoke to me said I should refund the entire purchase amount once I get the item back, and call eBay to manually get a reimbursement for the cost of shipping. I have NEVER heard of eBay picking up the tab before, so I want to make sure this is actually legit? Should I call again and see if another operator says the same thing? I know it’s only $5, but my profit is pretty low on this item so I want to be sure I get it back one way or another. Thanks!

buyselljack2016 · ‎12-15-2020

@nycstylepro3000

If you refund less than the full amount you will not recover the eBay FVF (more than $5) without more calling, and then you still may not get it refunded.

When I had this happen I was able to cancel the transaction as "problem with buyer's address." Full amount buyer paid.

To me, the call after for the "reimbursement" sounds like maybe the CSR went "off script", and is applying a policy that "does not apply" to the situation, but hang on for a bit. There may be more answers here.

lamber9347 · ‎12-15-2020

@nycstylepro3000 wrote:
Hello all, long time reader, first time poster here.
I sold an item recently for $60 plus $5 shipping. Buyer gave an invalid address and the package is being returned to sender (me). How do I proceed with a refund? Prior posts said I should deduct the cost of shipping and refund the buyer the cost of the item. Makes sense.

however, I called eBay today and the rep that spoke to me said I should refund the entire purchase amount once I get the item back, and call eBay to manually get a reimbursement for the cost of shipping. I have NEVER heard of eBay picking up the tab before, so I want to make sure this is actually legit? Should I call again and see if another operator says the same thing? I know it’s only $5, but my profit is pretty low on this item so I want to be sure I get it back one way or another. Thanks!

The rep is only saying that because eBay trains them to in order to keep all buyers happy. If the buyer made a mistake in their address on file that is on them and not on you as the seller. You are not obligated by any policy to refund for the original shipping. It was the buyer's error and should not cost you out of pocket for their own error.

You should do as you planned and only refund partially. You will then be done with this and can move on. When you get your item back just resell it and incorporate any losses you had for fees. You can do this. Best of luck to you....

wastingtime101 · ‎12-15-2020

The rep was wrong and if you call again you might get another wrong rep. eBay will not reimburse you for shipping and they don't offer buyer protection on bad addresses. Your primary options to choose from:

- Give the buyer the option to pay for re-shipping to their correct address - invoice them through PayPal if they say yes.

- Do a partial refund to the buyer subtracting shipping and non-refundable fees. Tell the buyer if they still want the item they can purchase it again when you relist it and to enter their correct address at checkout.

- Cancel the order selecting "problem with address" which will trigger a full refund to the buyer.

GLORIOUS!

lilbama911 · ‎12-15-2020

Once you get the item back, you decide whether you want to refund the entire purchase plus shipping or only refund the cost of the item minus shipping. Often times, eBay Customer Service will give sellers misinformation regarding refunds.

Actually, your seller wasted your time by not providing an accurate address and by not keeping his/her contact information current. Most likely, the item could have been purchased by another bidder.

Personally, I would deduct the cost of shipping which includes your supplies.

dhbookds · ‎12-15-2020

I agree with others........deduct the shipping IF YOU CAN...... I think (may be wrong) there are instances where you only have the option to do a full refund. I would call back if there is not the option to deduct.

That said, I think the rep got mixed up on seller/buyer...........if the buyer calls them and complains that the shipping wasn't refunded.......it's possible (no guarantee), CS will give them (the buyer) a courtesy refund of the withheld shipping amount. But that refund would be from Ebay, not you............

nycstylepro3000 · ‎12-28-2020

Thanks for the help everyone! I wanted to let you guys know the outcome, as it wasn’t what I expected. When I got the item back, I wanted to be sure I didn’t get a defect so I used the option “problem with buyers address” and issued a full refund.

I called eBay again to ask for my shipping credit. To my surprise, I actually got it! The rep on the phone credited the price I paid for shipping to my invoice. I got an email confirming the credit. I guess this time it worked out for me!

Buyer was willing to repurchase the item, but I have no faith in them typing their address right because their messaging indicates they may be very young. I went ahead and blocked to just avoid a repeat. Glad it all worked out this time.

maryshopper333 · ‎11-10-2021

I recently had package come back no apartment number. I can't find where I am able to cancel the order.

fashunu4eeuh · ‎11-10-2021

Hi, @maryshopper333

You may want to repost your question as a new thread. It is buried here at the tail end of an old thread from nearly a year ago. Folks may get confused and make a reply to the original poster.