mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
1 BEST ANSWER
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This is a real problem for all of us sellers. A very similar problem was discussed on the Weekly Chat this week. You may want to go review what they are telling us. You probably won't like it, but it is an important thing to read and understand.
In light of the things I've recently learned. If I were in your position, I would outline what I'm doing in an email to my customer in Ebay's email system. Refund the buyer and then go and call Ebay and ask for my FVFs back or I would just let them go if they weren't too much.
You will see when you review the chat they want us to have our buyers open a claim. And then refund from there. I just can't support that as Ebay is asking us to do something that hurts our selling account stats. It makes no sense to me to do this and there is no requirement to do it, they just want us to do it instead of using the cancellation system. There is nothing in the published rules that say we have to do this, however it is what they want us doing. So I suggest NOT using the cancellation system as there is no need to invite problems.
I hope it all works out for you.
Perfect...INR = Lost in the post.
That said? I wouldn't be (sound) so happy to refund (in general) not that eBay give the "seller" much of an option.
I seem to remember a situation recently, where the "buyer" wanted to return an item...it gave a reason that the seller was able to blow outta the water (seller had photographic evidence) 
so the buyer?, CHANGED the reason 
and eBay? told the seller it must STILL accepted the return 
EBay CS eh, it's in a class of it's own.
@marglu66 wrote:Perfect...INR = Lost in the post.
That said? I wouldn't be (sound) so happy to refund (in general) not that eBay give the "seller" much of an option.
I seem to remember a situation recently, where the "buyer" wanted to return an item...it gave a reason that the seller was able to blow outta the water (seller had photographic evidence)
EBay CS eh, it's in a class of it's own.
Your comments have nothing to do with my question.
This has nothing to do with a buyer wanting to return an item. As for your comment that you wouldn’t refund that is exactly what I said some would say.
Sorry - but if I mail it and the buyer never gets it then a refund is the perfectly ethical response. I stand behind what I sell. You would be surprised at the repeat business it generates. Those who would refuse a refund in this specific case obviously do not understand the ramifications. And then they wonder why their sales are down.
@richard1rst wrote:
@sam9876 wrote:Has the buyer filed an INR complaint?
No. He contacted me by eBay messaging asking about the order as the tracking showed no activity.
A sufficient amount of time having passed and, in consult with my post office, I am satisfied it has been lost in transit. I see no reason to irritate him by asking him to jump through hoops for his refund (even though I know there are a whole bunch of hawks here who would make him do it because they are oh so afraid of being scammed.)
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Plus it keeps and INR off of my record.
For what it is worth, I agree with you.
@Anonymous wrote:Tell the buyer to open an Item Not Received request and refund through the request.
Spot on.
This is a pretty simple process from the buyer's end. They open an INR and select "Lost in Transit" (or whatever the reason is). You get the request, approve it and refund in one fell swoop. I usually message the buyer to tell them I've refunded them in full (just to impress them how quick my customer service is 
)
BUT ... then you contact the USPS and File a Claim for a Lost Item for reimbusement for they cost of the item (they will NOT reimburse for shipping costs, although I usually file for ALL the costs, sometime I get lucky). In my experience, if you dot all the "i"s and cross all the "t"s ... you get check in about a week to ten days.
@newview wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Tell the buyer to open an Item Not Received request and refund through the request.
Spot on.
This is a pretty simple process from the buyer's end. They open an INR and select "Lost in Transit" (or whatever the reason is). You get the request, approve it and refund in one fell swoop. I usually message the buyer to tell them I've refunded them in full (just to impress them how quick my customer service is
BUT ... then you contact the USPS and File a Claim for a Lost Item for reimbusement for they cost of the item (they will NOT reimburse for shipping costs, although I usually file for ALL the costs, sometime I get lucky). In my experience, if you dot all the "i"s and cross all the "t"s ... you get check in about a week to ten days.
INR cases will be used in the new metric to possibly increase seller's FVF by 4% if they are too high compared to their "peers".
