What do I do about this return?

[electricalboutique]

Buyer is trying to return a very expensive dvd/vcr combo player. He is saying the vcr portion doesn't show up on screen, he sent me a picture and had the player hooked up COMPLETELY wrong. I tried to instruct him on how to hook it up and a few days later they opened up a return saying I never responded to them and they want to return the faulty item. I again explained to them in the return case how to hook it up and they are still not responding. What can I do? The buyer is a drop shipper btw if that matters. 

[ittybitnot]

it up and a few days later they opened up a return ...

If your buyer chose a SNAD  "item not as described" reason for the return you have three choices:

Accept the return and provide a return shipping label at your cost, and refund when the item is returned.   You will be refunding no matter what is returned in the parcel.

Refund and let the buyer keep the merchandise for free. 

Ignore/deny the request in which case ebay will do it for you, and take the funds from your proceeds, and may or may not require a return.  You will earn an additional more serious seller metric ding in addition to the one you already got simply because the buyer filed an "item not as described" return. 

[18704d]

Good post!  @ittybitnot 

And, I hate to state this...

this entire situation .. and knowledge of the choices sellers have in this circumstance...

should have been evaluated before anyone lists such an expensive item.

I mean .. respectfully ...

those who First study everything they can about eBay's seller protections .. and buyer protections.. etc ...

And Then evaluate the Risk vs Reward they encounter selling here...

(based on their acquistion cost vs dollars lost due to returns.)

Seem to do better here.  And elsewhere.  (and everywhere)

Thanks

Lynn

[m60driver]

Like any other widget one sells on Ebay all you can do is accept the return and hope they send back what you shipped out.  In general, electronics is a high risk category for sellers so hopefully you have the margins to handle a few losses.  If I were you I would add a small shipping and handling charge, say $10,  to every item to be used for self insurance.  Many of the electronic items you sell aren't worth paying the return shipping, not to mention paying for shipping to yet another buyer.

[slippinjimmy]

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@18704d wrote:

should have been evaluated before anyone lists such an expensive item.

---

$50 is an "expensive item"?

[18704d]

Yes,

to some.

I remember the days .. where 50 dollars could make or break..

if I could pay rent.  or a utility bill ...

Lynn

[slati_2013]

Yes, it matters if the buyer is a dropshipper. The person he sold the item to has already returned it to him. Giving him instructions serves him no use. He does not need the item. He needs the money he refunded his buyer back and he is going to get it from you. Your only option is to agree to the return and send him a label. Do it as soon as possible or eBay will close the case out for him and you will be out of money and item. 

[peraspera55]

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@electricalboutique wrote:

Buyer is trying to return a very expensive dvd/vcr combo player. He is saying the vcr portion doesn't show up on screen, he sent me a picture and had the player hooked up COMPLETELY wrong. I tried to instruct him on how to hook it up and a few days later they opened up a return saying I never responded to them and they want to return the faulty item. I again explained to them in the return case how to hook it up and they are still not responding. What can I do? The buyer is a drop shipper btw if that matters. 

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All messages and correspondence between a seller and a buyer, between you and the customer service are documented. If they  ( I assume you mean eBay )  tell you that “ I never responded to them “, then something is really wrong. Please, keep calling eBay and urging them to review all your messages.

[peraspera55]

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@18704d wrote:

Yes,

to some.

I remember the days .. where 50 dollars could make or break..

if I could pay rent.  or a utility bill ...

Lynn

---

I still rely on $50 a lot, I can break it into, say, cat food, a tip for a hairdresser, a dry cleaner’s bill, etc. I value all my pennies and dimes. I respect them.

[peraspera55]

This is humiliating and outrageous. So, we, honest sellers can’t really do anything about it?

[ittybitnot]

And, I hate to state this...

this entire situation .. and knowledge of the choices sellers have in this circumstance.

should have been evaluated before anyone lists such an expensive item.  

I totally agree.  However, new sellers do not have the benefit of KNOWING in advance.  There is no place on the site that speaks frankly about any of these issues other than here.  

I have been an ebay member since 1998,  My first successful "scam" against me was the  Local Pickup pay with the Pal program.   Buyer pays $790 via the Pal, , picks up the next day, and files INR the day after that.   

I get a notice..upload delivery confirmation..I think  WTH?  The dude picked it up..???  I lose. 
 

Maybe I got on the "ebay"easy to scam list because I got another one the next day,.  Sold a 6 ft high bronze statue.. buyer picked it up,,,,, sane old same old...no DC I lose... Sort of...
I got a flatbed trailer, went to the small Alabama town in which they lived, enlisted law enforcement, and picked up my ugly a** fountain and brought it home. 

New sellers are not informed as to the reality and actual consequences of the policies here. To me that is a sad thing.. SELL YOUR OLD PHONE AND GET CASH...LOL... Maybe, if you know the signs of a scammer buyer, AND are willing to pay for a false snad claim to get a toothbrush back instead of your item. 

Ebay should put in their user agreement in BIG BOLD Text.. By clicking I agree to this agreement, you, as a seller,  agree to be a victim of buyer fraud. and the monetary losses incurred  as "part of doing business" with this venue. 

It is indeed time to STOP blaming sellers for listing expensive items.   We know better, but unless they come here, they do not