What do you do with international orders that are returned?

[mozartbach1971]

Not very often I receive a return package for an international buyer,  I think usually it's because they did not want to pay the customs charges.  Most or all are returned many months after they were shipped, I think one was sent back after a year. Some have addresses that aren't very readable.  Does anyone know what I should do with these?  

[wastingtime101]

How long ago was it purchased, what was the estimated delivery date and has the buyer contacted you?

[slippinjimmy]

Can't say what you "should" do but I can tell you what I actually do.

First off, it's been a very long time since I've had International returns but in years gone by......

Second, we have two kinds of returns, ones that have already been refunded via an INR claim and those where there has never been a peep from the buyer.

For the former I'm just grateful it came back and I can resell again. For the latter I send a message to the buyer letting them know the package was returned and asking if they want it resent. If they respond and still want the item I will reship, on my dime if it's a carrier issue on their dime if it's a failure to pick up or a failure to provide a correct address.

If the buyer responds but doesn't want the item reshipped I would refund their payment LESS all my expenses.

If I get no response from the buyer I toss the item in a pile and let it sit there basically forever. I have a existing little pile of these things, some date back nearly 20 years! (one day I'll open up the packages and list them again).

[katzrul15]

We usually send a message to the Buyer that it was returned to us, unclaimed, etc.

We then refund the buyer minus the shipping and we then relist the item.  If they did not pick it up or pay to collect it the first time, they will not again.  I do report it in the transaction view in case the buyer files to get the delta withheld.

[farmalljr]

It's no different than when someone here refuses a package. eBay says buyers have no protection. I'm pretty sure there are only two reasons a package would come back internationally. One, they used the wrong address. Two they refused it or refused to pay import fees. Neither of those excuses are the seller's fault or anything the seller can do anything about. 

Some people might relist the item and move on, unless the buyer said something. Others might reach out to the buyer to ask what they want to do. IMO, I don't care what a seller does, because if the buyer isn't concerned then neither should I be. If someone wants to go the extra mile they are under no obligation to go, then that's all well and good. If they don't, I don't see the problem with that either. 

[vintage-camerastuff]

I get them back alot.  Sometimes 3 months, 6 months or a year later.  Not much I can do unless the buyer gets in touch.  I wait awhile and then re-list.

[heckofagame]

If it has been months and the buyer has not inquired, I will place the package on a pile and once 120 days since purchase has passed (to avoid chargebacks), I relist it. 

[bigdeals.etc]

I once got one back (return to sender) two years later. It never showed the reason why it got returned but I suspect it was customs fee. The buyer was NARU when I got the package back.

[this*old*attic]

Happened to me once

I just resold it 🤷‍♀️

[7794heather]

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@this*old*attic wrote:

Happened to me once

I just resold it 🤷‍♀️

---

Same

[femmefan1946]

If an item is Undeliverable, you are not required to refund anything.

But ethically you should at least refund the payment less your costs, which includes the original shipping, any return shipping charges, plus your eBay and PP fees including any optional fees you paid (Reserve, Promoted Listings).

The buyer should also be added to your Blocked Bidder List.

This has nothing to do with International, although those do take the longest to complete. EBay's policy affects all Undeliverable shipments.

[femmefan1946]

Some have addresses that aren't very readable.

If you printed out a shipping label the address should be as readable when it gets back to you as it was when you sent it.

Being in a different language or script is not a problem for the postal system.

The "legal" language for the Universal Postal Union is French but they also work in

• Arabic
• Chinese
• Russian
• Spanish

And English was added relatively recently. Only three of the languages use the Roman alphabet. I am bemused that Sanskrit used by a large proportion of the peoples of the second largest country in the world is not on the list.

[femmefan1946]

BTW-- you could avoid the "customs" problem by using the Global Shipping Program.

This is a Seller Protection program and one protection is that the GSP collects import fees to cover duty and sales taxes before you are told to ship.

Another is that you are only shipping to the GSP plant in Kentucky, where your responsibility for delivery ends.

Do NOT confuse this with eBay's newer International Shipping, which gives lower rates but does not offer either protection.

[kobunji]

I get 2-3 international packages back a year, usually around 6 months after they were sent. It's too long to go back and find the buyer, so they are just relisted and sold again. If you do enough volume, it is one of the ways you end up getting free stuff.

[postingid7659]

I always let sleeping dogs lie.  I had one go to Germany, buyer never picked up, it came back something like 60 days later.  Never heard from buyer, eventually I resold it.  

Had that happen here in the US, too, an item got returned.  That one I did message buyer on.  No response.