mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
I'm surprised you read that here. I've read just the opposite several times --- even backed up by ebay reps.
Cancellations are scary things for me and I don't enter into them unless I feel I have to. Even when I have a legitimate request by a buyer, my finger shakes as I hit submit. 
I've been told countless times here to not worry about refunding and getting an out of stock defect even though I've had that happen to me before.
Always make sure you are taking advice from an actual seller in matters to do with selling and your stats. Any seller that understands the system would NEVER tell you this. As a seller you should watch your Dashboard on a regular basis. If you do that you will gain more understanding of what may hurt you and what may not. Each section of the Dashboard has help links and some even detailed reports. You need to be intimate with this information for the health of your selling account.
I had an order that wasn't delivered because of the Canada Post strike and decided to refund the buyer to be nice even though they didn't request a refund. I now see I got an out of stock defect, and after calling they refused to remove it because the I refunded the buyer without his authorization, how absurd is that?
Terrific customer service although you may have been to quick to do this. But still it tells a lot of good things about you as a seller. I understand that since you wrote this Ebay is now willing to remove the defect. It is most likely because of their announcement about protecting sellers due to the Canadian postal disruption. But no matter the reason, I'm glad Ebay is working with you.
Especially considering you're only allowed a fraction of a percent of OOS defects, and I even refunded and re-shipped the order a second time and that's how eBay treats me when they said they would protect sellers from defects related to the strike.
You are getting upset with Ebay when you should not be upset with Ebay. Ebay has rules. It is up to every Seller to know the rules and adhere to them. You are mad at Ebay because you did not understand or know the rule and that isn't fair to Ebay. It is your job to know this stuff. And if this is something you are wanting to do for one of your customers, there are ways to accomplish it without causing an OOS defect. You just need to spend more time with your Dashboard and the rules that control the numbers.
Or you could end up dropping to Below Standard and then you will have a hot mess and penalty fees to pay. Again, I'm glad this situation worked out for you and I hope the future is bright.
@myangelandmyprincess wrote:You do get a defect for refunding even if you don't do the cancellation However I swear I've seen some of the blues say that if it shows it shipped that would be an exception to getting the defect for oos
USPS lost a package I shipped (first time in 18 years). I refunded the buyer, naturally. ebay gave me a defect (also naturally, although it was not my fault).
@myangelandmyprincess wrote:You do get a defect for refunding even if you don't do the cancellation However I swear I've seen some of the blues say that if it shows it shipped that would be an exception to getting the defect for oos
Well now that will all depend on how the seller handles it and IF Ebay catches the refund without an email and/or cancellation in Ebay.
If a seller refunds a buyer for whatever reason there may be. If the seller emails the buyer inside of Ebay and explains why they are issueing the refund in full or part, Ebay is not likely to give the seller a defect for OOS. Well unless the email to the buyer said they were refunding for OOS.
What Ebay doesn't like is a blind refund. No communication and or no cancellation. But if you are refunding because they return the item or for overpayment of shipping for example, if you email the buyer and outline what the refund is for, the chances are extremely slim that Ebay would give a seller a defect.
You do NOT automatically get a defect just because you refund a buyer without a cancellation. The Ebay bot would have to catch it AND the seller didn't email the buyer outlining the refund as I previously described.
@books...forthememories wrote:
@myangelandmyprincess wrote:You do get a defect for refunding even if you don't do the cancellation However I swear I've seen some of the blues say that if it shows it shipped that would be an exception to getting the defect for oos
USPS lost a package I shipped (first time in 18 years). I refunded the buyer, naturally. ebay gave me a defect (also naturally, although it was not my fault).
Had you of emailed the buyer in the Ebay system explaining the refund, Ebay wouldn't give you a defect for the reason you described for the refund.
