Switched labels - questions and comments

[mr_lincoln]

@Anonymous   Good evening Trinton, I have a situation I wanted to run by you.  I switched labels on two boxes and am working with both Buyers to get the packages back to me so I can inspect and then reship to the correct Buyers.  I did this once last year, both Buyers were in the US and I simply refunded through PayPal their out of pocket expense for shipping the wrong items back to me then I paid shipping a 3rd time to get the items to their rightful owners.  This time one Buyer is using a Freight Forwarder and we can't stop the package nor can the Forwarder ship back to me, not to mention they are a 3rd party that I can not simply "refund" costs to.

Anyway, all that aside the situation has me thinking and questioning a few things as follows:

1. These do not qualify for any "return" options in the Resolution Center.  I am sure this happens on a regular basis with over 25 Million Sellers on the site.  Does it make sense to have a "Switched labels" return function for Buyers & Sellers to use so we can benefit from the lower return shipping costs AND have a pre-paid label made available to them?  This would avoid a Buyer having to put out any $$ event though it would be refunded to them.

2. Additionally, when the Seller eventually gets the correct item for the other Buyers can they use the eBay-PayPal label printing to print a new label with tracking that would go on the Sold file (again) and also benefit from the shipping discount a 2nd time on each transaction (Assuming the shipping method is either Priority or First Class)?

3. In my situation, and as mentioned, I am going to Refund shipping via PayPal so it will appear as a "Partial refund" for anyone who may review the file.  I am not concerned with recovering Fees in this case, just want to get the right things to the right people in the condition they were purchased in.  Does this particular situation count against a Seller in any way?

4. The final resolution for each Buyer in this case may wind up being different and the US Buyer has the option with me to pick another item of their choice from my active eBay Store OR ask for a full refund, which I would grant and process through PayPal.   If they choose the replacement route I will simply end that item and ship it to them ... in this scenario neither eBay or PayPal would be aware of this unless they read the message trail.  The Foreign Buyer on the other hand "may or may not" bring the wrong item back to the US whenever they return BUT they will get the correct item shipped to them once I get it back from the US Buyer, but again, this will be done outside normal label printing functions and simply happen with the only trail being messaging.

5. I don't see this type of situation as a penalty against Sellers if they are making a concerted effort to correct their mistake and do the right thing.

[coffeebean832]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

@slippinjimmy   Ahh, I forgot I could send them a label through PayPal, thanks for the reminder.  The NAD does not apply in this situation because that would result in a Full Refund and that is not what is happening ... I will eventually get either the correct item or acceptable replacement to the Buyers so this is NOT a case of any of the eBay return claims.

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You asked for a switched labels return function in your OP but eBay already has a return function in place to handle this situation- the SNAD system. I'm going to safely assume that eBay would prefer you ship the buyer what they purchased than invest a lot of time and money into a system to fix an occasional error- a system contingent on understanding buyers- when they already have a system in place for wrong items sent.

Personally speaking- I think there are more important things that need to be fixed on this site and a switched labels functionality isn't anywhere on that list.

Issuing a partial refund from the buyers' original payment isn't appropriate unless it's to give them a discount for the inconvenience. Shipping funds should be sent separate from the original transaction. When the items arrive the buyers may want to file a remorse return or SNAD return for damage in shipping- your partial refund has just screwed that up and given the buyers something additional to worry about.

You may not be able to get the package back from the buyer using a freight forwarder unless you file a package intercept. If the other buyer still wants that item and not a replacement from your store then you will have to refund them in full. The partial refund has again turned that into more work and something else for the buyer to worry about.

It would be more efficient to provide pre-paid labels to the buyers next time as long as they say they can print them.

[Anonymous]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

@Anonymous   Good evening Trinton, I have a situation I wanted to run by you.  I switched labels on two boxes and am working with both Buyers to get the packages back to me so I can inspect and then reship to the correct Buyers.  I did this once last year, both Buyers were in the US and I simply refunded through PayPal their out of pocket expense for shipping the wrong items back to me then I paid shipping a 3rd time to get the items to their rightful owners.  This time one Buyer is using a Freight Forwarder and we can't stop the package nor can the Forwarder ship back to me, not to mention they are a 3rd party that I can not simply "refund" costs to.

Anyway, all that aside the situation has me thinking and questioning a few things as follows:

1. These do not qualify for any "return" options in the Resolution Center.  I am sure this happens on a regular basis with over 25 Million Sellers on the site.  Does it make sense to have a "Switched labels" return function for Buyers & Sellers to use so we can benefit from the lower return shipping costs AND have a pre-paid label made available to them?  This would avoid a Buyer having to put out any $$ event though it would be refunded to them.

2. Additionally, when the Seller eventually gets the correct item for the other Buyers can they use the eBay-PayPal label printing to print a new label with tracking that would go on the Sold file (again) and also benefit from the shipping discount a 2nd time on each transaction (Assuming the shipping method is either Priority or First Class)?

3. In my situation, and as mentioned, I am going to Refund shipping via PayPal so it will appear as a "Partial refund" for anyone who may review the file.  I am not concerned with recovering Fees in this case, just want to get the right things to the right people in the condition they were purchased in.  Does this particular situation count against a Seller in any way?

4. The final resolution for each Buyer in this case may wind up being different and the US Buyer has the option with me to pick another item of their choice from my active eBay Store OR ask for a full refund, which I would grant and process through PayPal.   If they choose the replacement route I will simply end that item and ship it to them ... in this scenario neither eBay or PayPal would be aware of this unless they read the message trail.  The Foreign Buyer on the other hand "may or may not" bring the wrong item back to the US whenever they return BUT they will get the correct item shipped to them once I get it back from the US Buyer, but again, this will be done outside normal label printing functions and simply happen with the only trail being messaging.

5. I don't see this type of situation as a penalty against Sellers if they are making a concerted effort to correct their mistake and do the right thing.

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Hi @mr_lincoln, the best course of action to take in this kind of situation is to have the buyers open Return Requests, citing that the item they received did not match the description. A domestic buyer would usually have access to a label to return what they received, and the international buyer would need to be provided with a prepaid label or funds directly through PayPal for the return. You could also simply send a replacement if this is more cost effective for you in these situations. 

Refunds directly through the PayPal payment won't be an issue for a seller when we can see there is communication between the buyer and seller about the refund and the refund is not best handled under another resolution process (such as a return request, item not received request, or cancellation). This situation would be best handled through a return request, since the items received would not match the description. If you are able to successfully reroute a package back to you and are going to send a replacement, a refund would not be needed as long as the buyer is agreeable with any potential delay to delivery. If you are in a situation where you cannot send a replacement and have had the shipment routed back to you, a buyer would need to open an item not received request for you to refund them in full.

These situations are rare and as such would likely not warrant adding a "switched labels" option in our resolution process. In almost all situations, an item not received request or a return request will be an appropriate way of resolving the issue.

Let me know if this addresses your concerns! I'm happy to elaborate or touch on anything I missed as needed.

[mr_lincoln]

@Anonymous   First and foremost, thank you for the comprehensive reply ... I will have one too later today or this evening as I am committed to meetings this afternoon  ...

Mr. L

[mr_lincoln]

@Anonymous   Comments - Questions in red ...

Hi @mr_lincoln, the best course of action to take in this kind of situation is to have the buyers open Return Requests, citing that the item they received did not match the description. A domestic buyer would usually have access to a label to return what they received, and the international buyer would need to be provided with a prepaid label or funds directly through PayPal for the return. You could also simply send a replacement if this is more cost effective for you in these situations. 

1. Replacements:  If the listings had quantities of more then one of the same item this would be a good choice.  My situation is that the items purchased were one offs so any "replacement" offered would be a similar but not the item purchased, thus a different item.  But yes, a "replacement" of the Buyer's choice of similar items I have for sale has been offered since we now know his item may not return to the US for quite some time or ever ... 

2. NAD or SNAD returns:  If the situation was that I shipped one buyer the wrong thing OR the item shipped was not as described in the listing this would apply and I understand how they work.  However, and correct me if I am wrong, those type returns only result in a full refund and I would therefore be giving up the two sales entirely ... that's not the solution either Buyer wants, in my case, they both want what they purchased so I am working to that end ... there is no eBay return option to cover this and to your later point, yes its a very rare occurrence (for us twice in several thousand sales) and I understand it does not make sense for eBay to program for that.

3. The comment about the international Buyer is a little confusing, Sellers are ONLY responsible to pay return shipping from the US address NOT the country the Buyer is from when they use a Freight Forwarding company, so to me that's not an option.  That Buyer contacted the Forwarder and they were not able to pull the package and return it to me (true or not that's what the Buyer advise so I am going with that).  That Buyer also said they would bring the item back to the US next time were here BUT had no time frame for their return, I suspect they are serving in the military abroad on an extended tour of duty so basically, THAT item is gone and out of play ... maybe I will get i back someday and maybe I won't.

Refunds directly through the PayPal payment won't be an issue for a seller when we can see there is communication between the buyer and seller about the refund and the refund is not best handled under another resolution process (such as a return request, item not received request, or cancellation). This situation would be best handled through a return request, since the items received would not match the description. If you are able to successfully reroute a package back to you and are going to send a replacement, a refund would not be needed as long as the buyer is agreeable with any potential delay to delivery. If you are in a situation where you cannot send a replacement and have had the shipment routed back to you, a buyer would need to open an item not received request for you to refund them in full.

Thanks for that, I had not thought about the INR angle which could come in to play if the US Buyer decides against getting the replacement offer I tabled.  That would clean up one of the transactions.  they could open the claim and I could simply select refund immediately and that would be finished, thanks for that.

These situations are rare and as such would likely not warrant adding a "switched labels" option in our resolution process. In almost all situations, an item not received request or a return request will be an appropriate way of resolving the issue.

I understand and that makes sense.  As mentioned above, 2 occurrences in several thousands sales is rare.

Let me know if this addresses your concerns! I'm happy to elaborate or touch on anything I missed as needed.

Yes Trinton, your reply addressed my immediate questions and concerns.  If I have more or run in to  snag I can not handle I will post again ...

Best regards,

Mr. L

[Anonymous]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

2. NAD or SNAD returns:  If the situation was that I shipped one buyer the wrong thing OR the item shipped was not as described in the listing this would apply and I understand how they work.  However, and correct me if I am wrong, those type returns only result in a full refund and I would therefore be giving up the two sales entirely ... that's not the solution either Buyer wants, in my case, they both want what they purchased so I am working to that end ... there is no eBay return option to cover this

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The eBay option available is for the buyers to open a not as described claim citing "wrong item sent" and you refund in full upon receipt of the returns. Then if the buyers still want the items you can relist them and the buyers can repurchase.

[disneyshopper]

That is exactly what happened to me a few months ago.  I accidentally switched the labels for 2 packages.  Both buyers filed a Returns Request for "wrong item."  I accepted both returns and paid for return shipping labels and refunded both buyers.

I then relisted both items, and sent each buyer the new listing so each could then repurchase.  Neither one did.

[mr_lincoln]

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@disneyshopper wrote:

That is exactly what happened to me a few months ago.  I accidentally switched the labels for 2 packages.  Both buyers filed a Returns Request for "wrong item."  I accepted both returns and paid for return shipping labels and refunded both buyers.

I then relisted both items, and sent each buyer the new listing so each could then repurchase.  Neither one did.

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Yes, that is EXACTLY  what I am trying to avoid despite the fact that I will not make much money on either sale.  I already have a solution complete for the US Buyer, he has returned the foreign Buyer's item and it is in transit.  He has selected a replacement and it will go out first thing in the AM.  I have also messages the Foreign Buyer sharing the tracking number of his item coming back to me.  By Monday PM this will be all over ...

[castlemagicmemories]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

@slippinjimmy   Ahh, I forgot I could send them a label through PayPal, thanks for the reminder.  The NAD does not apply in this situation because that would result in a Full Refund and that is not what is happening ... I will eventually get either the correct item or acceptable replacement to the Buyers so this is NOT a case of any of the eBay return claims.

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I bought from a seller who switched my item and another buyer's.  She asked each of us if we would mind sending the item on using the label she would provide.  We were both agreeable, used her labels, and each got what we ordered.  Seller was very grateful for our cooperation, refunded our shipping, and there were three happy people.  None of this went through any type of formal return case.

[divwido]

I went one step further.  Ship one item, then start on the second one.

But it would be nice is there was a easier way to fix it.

[mr_lincoln]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

@slippinjimmy   Ahh, I forgot I could send them a label through PayPal, thanks for the reminder.  The NAD does not apply in this situation because that would result in a Full Refund and that is not what is happening ... I will eventually get either the correct item or acceptable replacement to the Buyers so this is NOT a case of any of the eBay return claims.

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I bought from a seller who switched my item and another buyer's.  She asked each of us if we would mind sending the item on using the label she would provide.  We were both agreeable, used her labels, and each got what we ordered.  Seller was very grateful for our cooperation, refunded our shipping, and there were three happy people.  None of this went through any type of formal return case.

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The normal Resolution Center claims certainly have their place and serve their purpose, I've used them myself with great success.  However, they do not cover every possible scenario, one of those being this thread, and its nice to see I am not the only Seller who has accidently switched labels.  Your point about "three happy people" is a good one, that's my goal ... because in the end I may wind up with repeat business from the two Buyers ... to me that's a win-win and worth the effort. 

[castlemagicmemories]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

@slippinjimmy   Ahh, I forgot I could send them a label through PayPal, thanks for the reminder.  The NAD does not apply in this situation because that would result in a Full Refund and that is not what is happening ... I will eventually get either the correct item or acceptable replacement to the Buyers so this is NOT a case of any of the eBay return claims.

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I bought from a seller who switched my item and another buyer's.  She asked each of us if we would mind sending the item on using the label she would provide.  We were both agreeable, used her labels, and each got what we ordered.  Seller was very grateful for our cooperation, refunded our shipping, and there were three happy people.  None of this went through any type of formal return case.

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The normal Resolution Center claims certainly have their place and serve their purpose, I've used them myself with great success.  However, they do not cover every possible scenario, one of those being this thread, and its nice to see I am not the only Seller who has accidently switched labels.  Your point about "three happy people" is a good one, that's my goal ... because in the end I may wind up with repeat business from the two Buyers ... to me that's a win-win and worth the effort. 

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It actually went smoothly, minor inconvenience, seller was very sweet, and I was genuinely touched by how grateful she was.  It wasn't that big a deal, but I guess it was to her.

[mr_lincoln]

@castlemagicmemorieswrote:  It actually went smoothly, minor inconvenience, seller was very sweet, and I was genuinely touched by how grateful she was.  It wasn't that big a deal, but I guess it was to her.

_________________________________________________________________________

Good point, each Seller decides what's important to them in an adverse situation and what is best for their customers and their business.  eBay's Policy states that Buyers and Sellers should work things out so based on that, regardless of "how" that is accomplished if BOTH Buyer and Seller are happy at the end of the situation there should NEVER be a defect posted against the Seller.  Mistakes happen but if they are resolved then the mistake has been corrected so why should anyone take a hit for that? 

[Anonymous]

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@mr_lincoln wrote:

@Anonymous   Comments - Questions in red ...

Hi @mr_lincoln, the best course of action to take in this kind of situation is to have the buyers open Return Requests, citing that the item they received did not match the description. A domestic buyer would usually have access to a label to return what they received, and the international buyer would need to be provided with a prepaid label or funds directly through PayPal for the return. You could also simply send a replacement if this is more cost effective for you in these situations. 

1. Replacements:  If the listings had quantities of more then one of the same item this would be a good choice.  My situation is that the items purchased were one offs so any "replacement" offered would be a similar but not the item purchased, thus a different item.  But yes, a "replacement" of the Buyer's choice of similar items I have for sale has been offered since we now know his item may not return to the US for quite some time or ever ... 

2. NAD or SNAD returns:  If the situation was that I shipped one buyer the wrong thing OR the item shipped was not as described in the listing this would apply and I understand how they work.  However, and correct me if I am wrong, those type returns only result in a full refund and I would therefore be giving up the two sales entirely ... that's not the solution either Buyer wants, in my case, they both want what they purchased so I am working to that end ... there is no eBay return option to cover this and to your later point, yes its a very rare occurrence (for us twice in several thousand sales) and I understand it does not make sense for eBay to program for that.

3. The comment about the international Buyer is a little confusing, Sellers are ONLY responsible to pay return shipping from the US address NOT the country the Buyer is from when they use a Freight Forwarding company, so to me that's not an option.  That Buyer contacted the Forwarder and they were not able to pull the package and return it to me (true or not that's what the Buyer advise so I am going with that).  That Buyer also said they would bring the item back to the US next time were here BUT had no time frame for their return, I suspect they are serving in the military abroad on an extended tour of duty so basically, THAT item is gone and out of play ... maybe I will get i back someday and maybe I won't.

Refunds directly through the PayPal payment won't be an issue for a seller when we can see there is communication between the buyer and seller about the refund and the refund is not best handled under another resolution process (such as a return request, item not received request, or cancellation). This situation would be best handled through a return request, since the items received would not match the description. If you are able to successfully reroute a package back to you and are going to send a replacement, a refund would not be needed as long as the buyer is agreeable with any potential delay to delivery. If you are in a situation where you cannot send a replacement and have had the shipment routed back to you, a buyer would need to open an item not received request for you to refund them in full.

Thanks for that, I had not thought about the INR angle which could come in to play if the US Buyer decides against getting the replacement offer I tabled.  That would clean up one of the transactions.  they could open the claim and I could simply select refund immediately and that would be finished, thanks for that.

These situations are rare and as such would likely not warrant adding a "switched labels" option in our resolution process. In almost all situations, an item not received request or a return request will be an appropriate way of resolving the issue.

I understand and that makes sense.  As mentioned above, 2 occurrences in several thousands sales is rare.

Let me know if this addresses your concerns! I'm happy to elaborate or touch on anything I missed as needed.

Yes Trinton, your reply addressed my immediate questions and concerns.  If I have more or run in to  snag I can not handle I will post again ...

Best regards,

Mr. L

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Hi @mr_lincoln, happy to elaborate: 

1. Replacements: in your situation with these being unique items in your inventory, a replacement would not be applicable. Because you are running into some challenges with the return of the item that was forwarded internationally, you may need to consider refunding both parties. It is not the ideal situation, and not what you or the buyers want, but without having the shipments returned to you it seems like there is no other option.
2. Not as described returns do have the option of a buyer requesting a replacement, exchange, or a partial refund being worked out. In your situation and as I mentioned in point 1 of this post, it does seem like you are facing issuing full refunds if you are not able to receive back the items that were sent out for reshipment.
3. Sorry for the confusion regarding international shipments - my comment was for general information on return shipping labels and how you might be able to get back what was sent out. Since you sent out the incorrect item you would be responsible for return shipping, but we would not expect you to pay for the return internationally since the delivery address you were given was a domestic address. In most situations, an item that was forwarded after the original delivery would not be eligible for eBay Money Back Guarantee protection, however, in this specific situation since it's been confirmed the wrong item was shipped out you would be responsible to take reasonable steps to resolve this for your buyer. That would not include an expectation for you to pay for the international shipment, but in all reality, you may need to consider this option so you can resolve the problem for both of your buyers.

To summarize, I can see that you are working hard to resolve this for your customers and at the end of the day, it really is just a difficult situation to be in. Your options are more limited by the international shipment and while I can reiterate that we would not expect to pay for return shipment from an international location for the forwarded item, you may need to consider this option to ensure you receive back both items and can properly ship them out. Since you do not have additional inventory for these products, you face having two unhappy buyers if you decide not to pay for the international return and that buyer does not send the item back at their own cost. Taking into consideration the cost of the items, the cost of return shipment, and the potential loss of customers are all factors you may need to put thought into when deciding what to do next. eBay would expect you refund the buyer who is located domestically as they did not receive what they ordered and are eligible for protection. The buyer located internationally would be eligible for an eBay Money Back Guarantee case only if you offered a resolution in eBay messaging. 

Again, it's a tough situation to be in. I am happy to help in any way I can or answer any other questions you may have, don't hesitate to touch base as needed.

[escuintla]

I've done it too!

But, the mistake that you or anyone else can make is to print several labels at a time. You get confused sometimes.

My mistake was that when I had (laugh all you want) many sales a day, I had to print the label, which occupied half of the sheet of paper, so, to not have bunches of halves around I would flip the sheet and print another label on that side. That would make me put a label on a package that wasn't the right one. 

So, when I get to print 2 labels on the same sheet of paper, I write on each label and package #1, #2, #3, etc. 

[mr_lincoln]

@Anonymous   Again, thank you for the comprehensive reply and yes, I have been working hard to resolve the issue for both Buyers.  As this week comes to a close I am happy to report:

1. US Buyer has shipped the Foreign Buyer's item back to be and it will arrive in a day or two, I refunded their shipping cost via PayPal.  I sent the tracking number to the international Buyer so if they desire they can follow its progress.

2. The US Buyer accepted my offer to pick out another item from my inventory, they agreed and that shipped to them this AM at my expense.  So the US Buyer has been taken care of.

3. The international Buyer thanked me for keeping them in the loop, upon receipt of his item I will inspect and providing there are no issues re-ship it to them at my expense.

4. If schedules hold by the end of Monday the International Buyer's originally purchased item will be in route to them.

5. The only loose end is the US Buyer's original item that is somewhere between here and the International Buyer's country ... it may or may not ever be returned, they said they would bring hand carry it back to the states when they return but have no date for that ... so in the end they may wind up just keeping it.