What happens if...

[inhawaii]

What if there is a INAD return.

The seller accepts the return and provides a return label right away.

The buyer ships the item back right away.

But the item gets "stuck" in the USPS system.

The tracking shows movement but very slow.

If the return window closes while the item is still in transit, who wins?

[chevymontecarlo88]

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@inhawaii wrote:

Thanks for the info.

In this case I am the buyer

Good luck with it.

Last thing I remember, I shipped it out the door
I had to find the package back to the place I bought before

[ittybitnot]

Well, if the seller never received the item back how can they decide that? 

@dolcetreasures 

I would surmise that once you get the "you should have received it (return) by now, so refund your buyer" notice you could just voluntarily refund before eBay does it for you and deduct 50%?  If the option is there, or course.    So refund even though you got nothing back to simply avoid the defect and having to refund the full amount.   You can do it if the buyer sends back an empty box, unless eBay blocks it you can likely do it if you get nothing. 

[sin-n-dex]

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@inhawaii wrote:

What if there is a INAD return.

The seller accepts the return and provides a return label right away.

The buyer ships the item back right away.

But the item gets "stuck" in the USPS system.

The tracking shows movement but very slow.

If the return window closes while the item is still in transit, who wins?

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Interesting question, I did read all the responses but have some alternate input.

When someone sends me back an INAD thing of nominal value, and I see it's departed the US for Canada (if I send them a return label to Canada), or I see it is on it's way back to my shipper in New York, I just go ahead and refund. On expensive stuff I want to check that out before issuing a refund in case I need to exercise my 50% deduction (I have that, it's shown up on refunds before). Lots of times it's a $5-10 item that I don't even want back, but the buyer is honest and insists on sending it back. Then I refund when I see it's moving through the system.

I did have one (an Aussie banknote) that the buyer sent back as a remorse return. I tried to offer a discount so I wouldn't have to deal with the return since I believed the buyer was being honest with me, but he insisted on sending it back. It got lost for a month and turned up later. I had already refunded, so I didn't worry about losing the case with eBay.

Of course if I think they're trying to get a free item, I make them send it back and wait for it to arrive. All decisions I make are based on how I feel about the buyer and the situation. I'll pay return postage on a $5 item to not give it away for free if I think that's the buyer's goal. And then of course I block them after I get the item back and refund.

C.

[continentalcollectibles]

OMG Sorry to hear this happen to you. But Welcome, Your part of my club Now!!  this happened to me twice. Sadly, if the buyer contacts Ebay for help at the end of the return request (at least in my case) eBay Ruled in their favor. It's actually You, the seller who is returning the item, not the buyer .so as its the seller's responsibility all the way until it gets deliver, the same Applies on the return, that is if the seller supplied the return label, if it's an expensive item from now on I always put insurance on it both ways just in case. bring the chips next time

[dolcetreasures]

Unfortunately that’s not the case: simply put, there’s no option for this event in the refund verbiage. It’s simply not an option, you would have to lie and state that what you received was different. There’s no option for “return never arrived back to me”. 

Seems like a big “so what right”? The issue is two fold:

1) most likely, the buyers only transgression was that they used sellers label to return an item. We can’t just “steal” 50% of the money they paid. 
2) as soon as the buyer only gets half their money back, prepare for a neg and eBay will have to physically refund the buyer, they will see we clearly lied as sellers(they won’t care that there’s no other option and it’s only a convenience workaround).

Also keep in mind that it catches you off guard. You just don’t know when that moment will come when you “run out of time” waiting for the return to arrive. Especially if you’ve spoken with an agent that assured you there will be a follow up prior to a final decision. 

[chubbycatcollectibles]

It's one of those "you can't win" scenarios.  Hope it didn't happen to you.  

[broto_64]

I am of the opinion that the MBG relies on the return scan showing delivery before a refund can be processed, of course ebay being as buyer-centric as they are the whole scenario of a default refund with a defect for the seller is entirely believable as well.

As a seller if I have the room for a defect I would likely let it time out, just to see...
Might also contact ebay to ask for an extension (and input) on the social media platforms.

Also this should've been posted on the Buying section.

[robbie31415]

Return scan isn't required unless buyer is responsible for return shipping.

Anything with free returns or INAD, eBay will refund the buyer If excessive time passes.

Buyer can't be responsible for labels they aren't responsible for because they have no ability to buy insurance. It would be mean to give a buyer a label with no options to insure and withhold refund because it didn't get a delivery scan.

[sakic92710]

The buyer wins.   They don't even have to prove they sent it back.