(Scam or Incompent) Buyer Paid Local Pickup/Expected Shipping/Opened Dispute/Will Not Cancel Dispute

[sceneographer]

Hey all, so I've had a few hours on phone this past wekk with ebay CS and a supervisor.  Tomorrow is last day I have to respond to the dispute, but, of course, there's no option for me to counter-dispute that the buyer in NC (I'm in NYC), paid for a local pickup-only elliptical machine, and the options are only for me to agree to refund, or upload shipping info.   I've been asking him to please cancel the dispute, he claims he's been on the phone with CS for hours every day, and they haven't given him instructions for canceling this dispute.  I initiated contact with him to give him my location, and that's when he replied that he didn't understand this item was pickup only.   I've since emailed him at least 4 times, asking him to kindly cancel the dispute.  He keeps claiming he's trying.

I asked ebay if agreeing to refund in this dispute will have any negative impact on my account, and they said that it wouldn't.  But, I don't trust ebay, because I feel like this will be logged somewhere in my account if another dispute or problem occurs, even if it doesn't affect my seller rating.  So, I wanted to ask the community what your experience is, and in past I have just cancelled orders, but didn't have a chance to immediately for this one.   If anyone can tell me what happens in such a case where the buyer is at fault and seller is forced to refund through a dispute vs. a simple cancellation, I'd really appreciate it!  Hope everyone's having a great week, in NYC we're in a grey-brown haze from the fires in Canada, it looks like 7pm at 2pm.  🌫️🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

[myangelandmyprincess]

You would just agree to refund 

[ga_open_box_llc]

Can't you just cancel the order under problem with buyers address? That's basically what it is, just the listing is for pickup only. I think that would be the simplest way to do it, and it shouldn't do a negative ding on your account. I had a buyer a long time ago bid on a auction that was in China when I don't ship internationally and I just canceled the order under problem with address. They kept offering to pay for the shipping, which would've been at least $600 but I was unable to send invoice due to not being an account enlisted for international shipping. This seems like a similar case.

[house*of*paws]

Hi @sceneographer 

Buyers are unable to cancel transactions.  Only sellers can do that.

The buyer appears to have opened an 'Item not received' dispute.   All you need to do is REFUND the buyer.  That will cancel the transaction.

What will give you a 'defect' is doing nothing.  The buyer can then ask eBay to step in ... and eBay will refund the buyer, which will create the defect because of your inaction.  

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@ga_open_box_llc wrote:

Can't you just cancel the order under problem with buyers address? That's basically what it is, just the listing is for pickup only. I think that would be the simplest way to do it, and it shouldn't do a negative ding on your account. I had a buyer a long time ago bid on a auction that was in China when I don't ship internationally and I just canceled the order under problem with address. They kept offering to pay for the shipping, which would've been at least $600 but I was unable to send invoice due to not being an account enlisted for international shipping. This seems like a similar case.

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@ga_open_box_llc wrote:

Can't you just cancel the order under problem with buyers address? That's basically what it is, just the listing is for pickup only. I think that would be the simplest way to do it, and it shouldn't do a negative ding on your account. I had a buyer a long time ago bid on a auction that was in China when I don't ship internationally and I just canceled the order under problem with address. They kept offering to pay for the shipping, which would've been at least $600 but I was unable to send invoice due to not being an account enlisted for international shipping. This seems like a similar case.

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It is not possible to cancel for any reason when there is an open case you will get an error that a case is already opened.  

The seller just needs to refund through the case.  It won't hurt their account. If it gets escalated if will by doing nothing it will though. 

[myangelandmyprincess]

Even the buyer closing the case wouldn't fix the issue...and if the buyer were here I would highly recommend they didn't.

[ms.rodriguez*]

Click the REFUND button or click CANCEL THE SALE and use PROBLEM WITH BUYER'S ADDRESS.  The entire payment EXCEPT 30 cents will go back to the buyer.   If you click the CANCELLATION button, ebay will let you relist the item for free at the same time.  Make sure that you block this buyer after refunding. You do not want them re-bidding.

[sceneographer]

"Even the buyer closing the case wouldn't fix the issue...and if the buyer were here I would highly recommend they didn't."

Hi, thanks for answering my question about whether or not refunding through the dispute would affect my account negatively.   That's what I needed to know.  But, I'm confused by the above.  "If the buyer were "here", meaning where, in this forum?  Why would you "highly recommend" to a buyer who has made an error costing a seller time and trouble and has opened a dispute to not close the case so I could just cancel under the wrong address option?   I'm  a seller trying to do the right thing.   It's why I posted my question.

[sceneographer]

Hi, I just wanted to thank you for all your advice.  As others have said, once the buyer opens a dispute, a seller can't cancel.   I do appreciate your advice to block this problematic buyer.   

[sceneographer]

Hi, thank you for being helpful.  I'd have loved to have had the opportunity to cancel, but as I had posted, the buyer opened a dispute.    

[ga_open_box_llc]

Sorry I wasn't much help. I wasn't aware that it doesn't give you the option to just cancel when a dispute is opened.  I figured it would be under the order detail drop down menu. 

[sceneographer]

Hi, thanks, yes, I know do know that as a seller, not responding is problematic, but that's not an option I was choosing.  I needed to know if the dispute itself will affect my seller rating, even if I refund.  That was my  main concern.

[campanaelia]

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@ms.rodriguez* wrote:

Click the REFUND button or click CANCEL THE SALE and use PROBLEM WITH BUYER'S ADDRESS.  The entire payment EXCEPT 30 cents will go back to the buyer.

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So wait a minute, are you saying every time a deadbeat seller lies and use " Problem with buyer's address" or "Buyer requested to cancel" as the fake reason to avoid their own defect, the seller is also costing buyers $0.30 each time they do this?

Many sellers are notorious for doing this...

[sceneographer]

Oh, no, you were really helpful!   I do appreciate your response and your support.  I feel like so much has changed for ebay sellers over the years, we have fewer options now than we used to.

[rustydalmatian]

If you don't refund NOW, eBay will do it for you and give your account a defect.