Returns

[33yrvet]

I'm fairly new to listing items for sale. I have been a member since 2001 and sold previously for years but after a few years of not selling, I started selling again last fall. I have a situation where the buyer is claiming that the silver content of the jewelry they purchased is not of the content I described. 

As for some background, I travel to Mexico and work directly with my silversmiths in creating the pieces I am selling. I have no doubt about the silver content. 

I am selling the pieces at auction with a starting price of $0.99, and am clear in my listings that I do not accept returns. I'm careful with the descriptions and am confident that everything is described accurately.

What is the best way to handle this situation?

[12345jamesstamps]

Do a return label and after item returned refund. "No returns" does not mean "no returns". You have to refund the buyer. If you don't, eBay will refund the buyer from your funds and buyer will keep the item for free. Make sure to block the buyer. Be very business like with the buyer due to feedback as well.

Once the item is returned you can auction it again and sometimes...might get a higher price the second time it is auctioned. I don't recommend partial refunds.

I notice on your current listing you show the silver mark...so it seems you are doing everything correctly. Be careful though some jewelry at certain prices have to be authenticated by eBay.

[stainlessenginecovers]

As stated; 'no returns' does NOT mean 'no refunds'. Ebay has a 30 day Money Back Guarantee for all buyers. 

It only means you can deny 'remorse return requests' only and/or you just 'don't want the item back' should the customer want to 'refund'= where you then just 'refund' them instead of paying the return shipping.

[farmalljr]

2 people have already told you there is no such thing as no returns selling here. Any case other than a remorse return, you are on the hook. 

When you get it back, you may want to have the piece tested so YOU know for sure, the silver content is right. There is a possibility the buyer is telling the truth. I would not just blindly trust the word of the silver smith, just because that is good business. The silver smith may have been taken advantage of and not even known it. 

[33yrvet]

I understand that eBay has the money back guarantee. I'm a reasonable person and will accept returns for a valid reason, an inaccurate description or an item damaged in shipping. This instance is spurious, the buyer states that the item doesn't look like or test as 950 silver, without offering any evidence of a test.

I don't plan on allowing the buyer to keep the items they purchased, as the value is about $300. 

Should I file a report on the buyer for misusing the return process? 

What is the best course of action in an instance such as mine?

Also, going forward, would I be better served to allow returns for an inaccurate description or damage in shipping. I'm using eBay to liquidate the pieces that don't sell quickly in my retail store, and am okay with selling them at a loss in order to regain the investment to apply to future production. Remorse returns seem to be an ongoing problem. 

[ckimodog]

@33yrvet 

Nice item. No doubt you know your business where the silver is concerned.  However, no returns doesn't mean no refunds.  Not only will the buyer be refunded, they are under no obligation to return the silver piece. 

Do yourself a favor, save yourself a headache and change your return policy to accept returns.  I wouldn't even give a best offer either as that feature is also a scam magnet.  This is a whole new Ebay.  Lots of scammers and virtual thieves in droves.  You need to protect yourself as well as your account. That piece you have listed is gorgeous.  I would sure hate to see you lose it.  

Wishing you the best and Welcome back.  

[gurlcat]

You haven't said if the buyer is just making this claim via private email or official ebay return.  That's a hugely important difference.  If they're just writing privately, they're trying to get you to issue them a partial refund; don't fall for that scam.  If they filed an actual return, it doesn't matter if they're lying -literally nothing matters, ebay WILL allow them to return, and if you don't give them a shipping label, well the previous commenters told you what will happen.  

As for future listings, make them all Free Returns with no excuse needed from the buyer.  If you think that sounds crazy, it's not.  It's better for the seller in many ways, including the strange fact that you actually get FEWER returns as a result.  I know, sounds crazy but it's true.  

[33yrvet]

I work directly with the silversmith and observe the process from the melt of the silver to the polishing and cleaning of the finished product. No possible way that the content is less than stated. 

That said, what is the best course of action for me now? Contact the buyer and, what do I tell them? I pay for the return shipping label? I refund the purchase cost? I block the buyer from bidding on future auctions? 

I hope to maintain a good seller rating and worry about instances like this having a negative impact on my seller metrics.

Advice appreciated.

[monica-sells]

Save the grief and ACCEPT this return...do the process exactly as required (explained above) and get your item back. If you do not follow this advice, you will lose your item and refund the buyer anyway....

this is not a negotiation, this is a policy......

It may well be 950 silver, but that is totally irrelevant. This buyer wants to return the item and NOTHING you say or do is going to change their mind.

don't be stubborn...

After you do this

"...Do yourself a favor, save yourself a headache and change your return policy to accept returns..."

[33yrvet]

The buyer contacted me through the eBay platform but hasn't filed a return request as yet. 

So going forward, I should change my policy and accept free returns? Then I'm going to have to absorb the cost of the return shipping? 

I do appreciate your guidance.

[let_us_make_a_deal]

This is baloney.  I, too, am dealing with a sale where the buyer said that the item he bought "was not the correct color" and that it "did not match the description".  In the note that was attached to the return, he wrote that his "young son didn't like red".  (This buyer is at least 79 years old.)  I said no way - sell it to someone else.  I called eBay help desk and all they could say is their standard answer - refund the money after you get the item and then file a claim.
I want to file a claim BEFORE I refund the amount.  Anyone know how to do this?

Hey - if buyers can lie and make false claims, then sellers can do the exact same thing, in my opinion.

[1tuna]

your best bet it to just take it back

from looking at your other sales you are only going to be out $10 or $11 round trip.it not going to break the bank

repost the item and be done with this transaction

if you repost for a dollar you can expect it to bring less most of the time

in my experience only 1 out of 4-5     99 cent auctions will bring more and I do many of them also

playing hardball with a return is just going to bring hard feelings on  both sides

@33yrvet 

[monica-sells]

Tell the buyer to initiate a refund request through ebay

That is the ONLY way to do this going forward

Stop communicating opinions through email. This "buyer" is not your friend....

(I am not a mean person by nature, but you can only do yourself harm trying to convince them)

APPROVE the refund and issue a return label (those options should be available)

DO NOT REFUND UNTIL you receive the item.....

DO NOT LET EBAY STEP IN "to help"

Review the process here......

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/manage-returns-missing-items-refunds-sell...

[gurlcat · Accepted solution]

As Stainless explained the other two forms of return policies (no returns and buyer pays for returns) only apply to certain 'reasons' for buyers' returns.  Tons of buyers have figured out that if they want to return something at no cost to themselves, then instead of choosing their honest reason from the return menu, they choose one of the 2 (Item Not As Described or Item Arrived Damaged) that will make you absorb the shipping cost anyway.  I once had a real nitwit choose 'Damaged' and purposely destroyed an expensive boot to "prove" it arrived that way (there's no way the sole got stabbed through like by a spear, in shipping, lol) .... over a week after receiving the boots, so basically she just wanted "free rental" for an event or something.  Meanwhile, I not only had to refund her, but then had unsellable boots to throw in the garbage.

Also when you have Free Shipping, you get the label from ebay, at a price even cheaper than they sell original shipping labels for.  They get a bulk deal from the USPS for this very purpose.  It's alway way easier for the label to be issued to the buyer this way -ebay auto-generates it for them, so you don't have to go to a website and do a bunch of typing, attaching files, having the buyer say they can't open it (again to try to keep the item) etc.   You also SELL MORE with Free Returns.  Buyers like piece of mind, and some won't buy items they might be stuck with.  Keep in mind, there are scam sellers here, not just scam buyers.   As for why you get fewer returns when you offer them for free ..... we'd need a psychologist to explain that one, all I know is once I changed all my listings to Free, my return rate plummeted, and I've seen lots of other sellers say the same thing.  

Now back to this buyer.  It's good that he's just writing his "complaint" via email, because he actually wants to keep it, knows dang well it's the silver fineness that you stated in the listing, he's just trying to get an after-sale discount, because unfortunately some sellers are pushovers and go along with partial refund scams, so some of those buyers try it on all sellers.    Just tell him, "I'm sorry if this item is disappointing, please file a return."  -I'd put a 95% certainty on you never hearing from him again.  If I'm wrong, then the ebay return page will instruct you what to do regarding the label, depending on what reason this guy chooses from the menu.   And don't forget to add his handle to your blocked buyer list.   

[33yrvet]

I have messaged the buyer and asked them to file a return request. I will accept the items(2) and refund the purchase.

-Should I file a report against the buyer for misusing the return process?

Is it best, after the return,

-to block the buyer from bidding on future items?

I want to continue selling on eBay, and to maintain a good seller rating.