eBay

unchainedinnovations8 · ‎03-03-2023

I was handling my first return on ebay and I already had another question to ask them so I called eBay. 90-95% of the items I sell are new and the first return I was dealing with was an Xbox video game that was brand new in the plastic the buyer never contacted me or said anything to me at all I just saw those refund you know in process and I was supposed to evaluate the item once I received it and go from there and I had a very strong feeling that I was going to get the game back and it was going to be opened. My first thought was that they may have had that game already & maybe it didn't work and if I was just going to do a switcheroo. When I got the game back of course it was opened and my valuation of the disc was that it was you know scratch free had some fingerprints on it however I do not own an Xbox so I cannot put it in to see if it works so when I was on the phone with an eBay agent they asked me about the condition of the return and I told him that it was opened and the agent suggested that I do a partial refund which I was just okay with because I can no longer sell his name as a new game or if at all and she asked me what percent of return I wanted to do and I think I told her 50% and she said she would handle it and that I didn't need to do it online that it was already done once I got off the phone 30 minutes later I checked and it says eBay granted full refund. I suppose I'm just putting this out there to see what anybody else says about this and see what comments make it this is common practice/somebody returns a brand new in the plastic item opened such as a video game and it says that says it doesn't work and you have no way to test it to see if it works how are you buying up for refund just trying to see my account but other people have to say about it thanks

bamorris · ‎03-03-2023

It's just your average return fraud on video games. Electronics and video game and video game disks have a pretty high return rate fraud.

Next time don't involve a customer service rep and just issue the refund yourself or partial refund. In your case, I wouldn't have left it in their hands and insisted I process the 50 percent refund myself.

You should have some way to test the products you are selling. Otherwise it's a gamble and you have to be willing to accept whatever the buyer says. Heck, even if you know it's a known good working disk. The buyer can still say it doesn't work or is defective and extract their money back from you. In some cases keep the product too.

Just chalk it up to experience and move on. Know that you'll probably average around 10 percent return fraud on video games.

caldreamer · ‎03-03-2023

EBAY return system is automated...when customer claims "not as described, defective, counterfeit" (you are forced to refund purchase price + shipping BOTH ways). This is covered under EBAY Money Back Guarantee which (supersedes "no returns" policy).

Only time you can "deduct percentage" for damage (open box) is if you offered FREE RETURNS in your listing.

EBAY reps often give out "incorrect or bad advise" (they are in a foreign country and sometimes things get lost in translation).

Honestly, if you need an answer quickly...it is better to ask your question here on the Seller chat room. Sellers have decades of experience and are good at solving problems.

simply-the-best-for-you · ‎03-03-2023

I think you were victim to yet another unknowledgable CSR. First off, only a certain type of seller can do the 50% refund, you have to meet a bunch of criteria & I apologize, but since I'm not one, I don't know the details, someone who does, will come along. That said, since you are a fairly new, low FB seller, I doubt that you qualify. If memory serves me right, you must have free returns and you don't. Also, even if you DID qualify to refund only half, that process is automated & YOU the seller does it, NOT a CSR. A CSR cannot do it for you. The only thing they would have the power to do the buyer a TOTAL refund. And likely they gave your account a hit for not doing the return.

Typically, when you involve Customer Service, your buyer is going to get a full refund (regardless of what they tell you, eBay always finds for the buyer) & you're going to get a hit. You could have avoided the possible Defect (you can check your dashboard to see if you have one), but you can't avoid having to refund. On eBay the buyer is king & if they invoke the MBG (money back guarantee), it is in your best interest to resolve it yourself & the only way to do that is to offer a full refund & YOU pay for return shipping if you want the item back.

It's unclear whether a case was opened here or whether the MBG was invoked. My guess is that it was, but that they contacted eBay directly, rather than you. Unfortunately, games are a high scam area.

This one goes to Eleven - Nigel Tufnel

Simply-the-best-for-you Volunteer Community Mentor
eBay Seller since 1996