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.

[slippinjimmy]

One comment, instead of sending the buyer money to pay for return postage wy not send them a label instead. You don't need the return process to do this.

If you want to go through the "official channels" then the buyer should open a not as described claim since that is what it is.

FYI - I just did the exact same label swap thing two weeks ago.

[ekmadonna]

Mr. Lincoln, sounds like you got yourself in a major pickle on this one. I obviously can't help but I know this has now happened to you 2x. My advice is get in a habit of before printing out your labels, mark on each box after packaging the weight, customer name or initials and item. this can be done in an area that the label will cover just as a precaution before actually affixing labels. a kind of double check to make sure the label goes on the right package. Hope this helps. I try to package up my sales and print labels almost immediately or in batches of 2 at a time to not make mistakes. Hope everything works out for you on this.

[dtexley3]

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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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Been there done that a couple times over the last 3 years.

1. It's a SNAD.  In eBay's eyes these are two SNAD returns.

2. Yes when (if) you get the items back you can print new labels on EBay or Paypal.  I say if, because in one case one buyer never returned the wrong item.  I was out the item and the money.  My mistake.

3. You can if you choose, purchase labels through Paypal or another service, such as PirateShip and send them to the buyers and hope they both send the item back.  That avoids the return metrics.  You can then print new labels on eBay or on another service.

4.

5. In eBay's eyes and policies they consider it a SNAD and the buyers are allowed to file return claims.  If they do the seller get returns on their seller metrics.

[trustedbasset]

Been there done that. 

Its been done to me as a buyer. The seller never did respond when I contacted him. I eventually kept the item because it was worth way more than what I paid for the other item. 

Im not kidding the seller never messaged me back after 2 weeks of me messaging every few days. 

I hope you can work work it out and have super buyers that understand like I did.

[innovatilife]

Label switching is EXTREMELY EASY to forever fix. Ever since I started doing the steps below I have had zero label switching accidents for years, whereas when I didn't, I wouldn't be able to go a year without at least a few.

1.) When you are packaging your item, write on the package in permanent marker a brief title or description of the item inside that you can easily remember it by (e.g. if I have a Levis jeans, I would perhaps write "Levis jeans", or even shorten it further to just "Levis" if I know I have only one of that brand of clothing). The label will go over this area, so no one else will see this besides yourself.

2.) When you print your label, eBay provides an option to add custom text on label (it will default to the eBay item number), put the same brief title or description of the item here. This will print your label with the brief title or description of the item in small print on the side of the label.

3.) Simply match the label to the package with the title/description you provided on both the label and package.

Doing this also allowed me to do all my labels in one sitting. I often times can do over 50 labels at once and this has been foul-proof.

Good luck!

[luckythewinner]

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@innovatilife wrote:
Label switching is EXTREMELY EASY to forever fix. Ever since I started doing the steps below I have had zero label switching accidents for years, whereas when I didn't, I wouldn't be able to go a year without at least a few.

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I have a similar solution that is a bit less formal.

Since I sell OOAK I can't print a label unless I have the item packaged and weighed. I simply make sure that the package I am mailing is the only package on my shipping desk at the time I print the label. If there is only one package within reach, there is only one package to attach the label to. 

[mr_lincoln]

@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.

[mr_lincoln]

@ekmadonna   It was a 24 package weekend and yours truly got ahead of himself.  I had five similar items in this category and what I do is package everything and make a note on the box of the item, size and weight.  Then I print all the labels and as each one rolls off the printer I make a note on the back as to which item it is for.   Of note is the packing area is 2 floors away from the printer.   Fortunately, when I went and applied all the labels I only switched the 2 and not more in that particular lot of same size boxes ...

[mr_lincoln]

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@trustedbasset wrote:

Been there done that. 

Its been done to me as a buyer. The seller never did respond when I contacted him. I eventually kept the item because it was worth way more than what I paid for the other item. 

Im not kidding the seller never messaged me back after 2 weeks of me messaging every few days. 

I hope you can work work it out and have super buyers that understand like I did.

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Thank you, nice to hear a Buyers perspective, I too would make an effort to get things sorted out and work with a Seller if the situation were reversed.  So far in the 2 instances all Buyers have been understanding and willing to work with me os the resolution.

[mr_lincoln]

@innovatilife   wrote: " When you print your label, eBay provides an option to add custom text on label ..."

Good suggestion ... I actually do that process with the exception of having the item description printed on the label and plus have a master list to pack items from and on that list I simply add dimensions and weight so when I sit down to print labels I can update that info per order as required.   In my case though I accept the fact that I simply made a mistake and put the wrong labels on two boxes that were basically the same size, shape and weight ... yes, Mr Lincoln made a boo-boo.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

I did this error for the first time ever over the holiday season, Mr. Lincoln. 3 identical boxes, double checked them and still somehow 2 were switched, at least not all 3 were. I created labels through paypal, sent them via emails,  and had the customers mail the correct purchase to each other. Worked out just fine. 

[mr_lincoln]

@ersatz_sobriquet   Thanks for that ... this latest "oops" had 5 similar items so I am glad I only goofed on 2!!!  This current situation has some disparity in the item values ... one is about $ 50 and the other about $ 20 ... while I know it will cost me more for shipping in the end I just want to make sure items ship in the condition they were purchased in.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

That's about how mine were, different values, but why pay for postage 3 times? 

[mr_lincoln]

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@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:

That's about how mine were, different values, but why pay for postage 3 times? 

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Its a good question and good point and for some things your solution would work just fine.  For these items I prefer the quality control aspect so if any potential damage occurs in shipping, either back to me OR the 2nd time from me to the Buyer I can deal with it accordingly.  Also for this latest one neither Buyer offered to ship direct to the other party.  The approach I am taking also maintains privacy between Buyers which some people may or may not have a preference for.

At the end of all of this I will probably not lose any money but certainly won't make that much either.