So how would you fine sellers deal with this return scenario

[immortalfigures]

Today has just been a wonderful day of ebay goodness (little of which is Ebays fault, if any). Had one buyer buy and cancel multiple items over a span of several hours. Had two separate buyers complain that they never got their item when tracking shows it was delivered to their correct ebay/paypal address. All normal annoyances, but this one is the one that made me go, I need to share this.

Person purchased a Power Rangers pull toy. It is a 4 inch power rangers helmet that opens up and a little motorcycle comes out. Grand total (drum roll) $10. Someone purchases it, I send it out, it is delivered. As soon as it arrives I get a sent wrong item claim issued.

This is the message:

I GAVE it back to postman. I thought I ordered a helmet for 4yr old to wear on his head. Obviously, it not the correct item. RETURN TO SENDER ON PACKAGES. PLEASE REFUND SO I CAN PURCHASE A NEW HELMET FOR GRAND SON. HE NEEDS ONE FOR HIS BIKE I WILL LEAVE U A 5* review for the misinformation. Thsnk u so much..

Now, this listing says its a pull toy. Has the dimensions listed. So unless her grandson is using Pym particles to enter the micro verse, I don't think this helmet was going to work.  Also, there are three pictures, in all of them they show a helmet, with a motorcycle inside of it. Sigh. Perhaps this buyer just thought a wrong item sent claim means that the item is different than the one they imagined in their head. If thats the case, I need to return a transformer lot I purchased because it wasn't a life size statue of Don Rickles made entirely of mint chip ice cream, like I thought I was ordering when I saw those picture of Optimus Prime. 

Now, if this was a remorse return and they had presented it as such, I probably would have just accepted it. But instead, they had to do it this way and make it seem like it was my mistake. Even to avoid the annoyance I probably would just accept the return and pay the return shipping but I'm not even sure if that is going to work if they gave it back the post office. Any ideas. I am certainly not going to refund them before I get my item back. 

[bluelinemetalsllc]

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@fern*wood wrote:

Was it the red power rangers helmet?  I couldn't find any photo that showed scale or any dimensions listed.  The motorcycle inside should have been alarming, but obviously they didn't see that.

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I noticed the lack of scale or dimensions as well; I have no idea what a pull toy is so would not have any clue whatsoever what the size of one was. The listing should have had dimensions listed IMO. (although it was pretty obvious a kids head is not going to fit inside there along with the motorcycle lol) 

[murrai-2]

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@corvettestainless wrote:

Yes, and if $10 is going to make/break someone's Xmas- I would just send them the refund and hope I get the item back....and if not- your charitable donation was well worth it. 

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Nope! They need to take responsibility for their mistake and wait for the item to be returned. 

It's a shame they didn't open a proper return if they were so desperate for $10. Return to sender can take weeks to get back because other mail takes precedence over return to sender.

Honestly, I suspect the buyer figures the seller can be bullied in to just refund. At this point the seller has no proof it's been returned.

Sure it's only $10, but every time a seller just refunds before the item is returned it just encourages bad buyer behavior.

[immortalfigures]

Haha, it took me like 10 minutes to realize that I had made a mistake with my voice to text here. That I would likely accept the return was the correct one.

[immortalfigures]

You know, I was pretty sure I put dimensions in there, but you are right I looked at it and it's not. I still don't think her presumption was in any way reasonable (I mean look at the picture of it, it's in the shape of helmet, but even in the first picture it doesn't actually look like a real helmet, there's no actual place for a human being to stick their head in,i every other picture clearly shows it's a toy, moreover, if it was life-size it would have been a giant motorcycle helmet not a bike helmet, and also there's another motorcycle inside of it which is rarely a feature of motorcycle helmets, it's called a pull toy, which is an accurate description of what it is, and there's literally no sizing information associated with it) nor do I believe that having the scale information would have changed her purchase since that information would have gone right next to the information that was already in there that it was a vehicle and was in the action figure category. However,   I still agree that it would have been better to have those dimensions in the first place and that one's on me. 

[immortalfigures]

I totally agree with you here. The interesting thing is if they had just said I'm returning this because this wasn't what I thought it was. I would say there is a 50% chance I would have just immediately accepted the return without issue, and another 50% chance I would have accepted the return and just let them keep the item. I mean it's Christmas after all I don't want to delay anything if they want to get a replacement gift. But when someone initiates a conversation by saying that something is entirely your fault, that you provided misinformation, and then when you ask a follow-up question they don't answer it and just demands that you refund them immediately, it doesn't really get my charitable hackles up. As such, I'm not going to challenge their return, but I'm going to go through the regular process that eBay provides and not do anything extra. As soon as I receive it they will get their refund, no later no sooner.

[fern*wood]

I agree with how you are handling the situation.  Trust me, most of us have had some crazy returns.   I know I've made mistakes, but some defy reasoning. 

[chapeau-noir]

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@immortalfigures wrote:

I totally agree with you here. The interesting thing is if they had just said I'm returning this because this wasn't what I thought it was. I would say there is a 50% chance I would have just immediately accepted the return without issue, and another 50% chance I would have accepted the return and just let them keep the item. I mean it's Christmas after all I don't want to delay anything if they want to get a replacement gift. But when someone initiates a conversation by saying that something is entirely your fault, that you provided misinformation, and then when you ask a follow-up question they don't answer it and just demands that you refund them immediately, it doesn't really get my charitable hackles up. As such, I'm not going to challenge their return, but I'm going to go through the regular process that eBay provides and not do anything extra. As soon as I receive it they will get their refund, no later no sooner.

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Best way to go about it. Some people have to come out with both barrels blazing, maybe they think they won't be heard yelling into the universe or something - there's no reason for it, but oftentimes, even if they're dead wrong, conducting one's self professionally and simply taking care of the situation like any other situation calms things down.  I would not deduct for the 'free' gift, though - that wasn't in the purchase (it was suggested above to do that but I'd just stick to the item price). 

[inhawaii]

You should be getting the item back. Accept it. Inspect it. If intact i would refund the buyer EVEN THOUGH IT WAS HIS FAULT. Chalk it off to the price of doing business - dealing with maroons.  Put him on your blocked bidder list.

[immortalfigures · Accepted solution]

The person who commented on the free gift I think misread my original post. That was a different issue where I gave a person a free gift with their order just because I felt like it, and they liked my shipping packing and wanted to give me a good review, but accidentally gave me a neutral one instead. 

[immortalfigures]

Yeah, it's $10, we will survive. Pretty much when I accept the return, even when I believe its their fault, I've resigned myself that I'm going to refund the money as long as the item is in the same condition. I know eBay doesn't necessarily care if it's in the same condition or not, but fortunately for me I've never have had a buyer send back a damaged item or a different item or no item at all.

Fingers crossed, first time for everything.