shipping issue due to incomplete address on buyer profile

[dhew3913]

A Customer bought a couple of items and I offer free shipping.

Address on file was incomplete (missing lot number in trailer park) and package was returned to me by usps.

Customer sent message telling me to ship to new address with lot # and is assuming I will pay for shipping again.  I will, however I have requested she update her shipping address so that I can print label.

No response for 3 days...Ive sent 3 messages 

Any ideas on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated.  Id rather not loose the sale

[albertabrightalberta]

---

@44012 wrote:

Wasn't the OP already out the cost of shipping since it was "free" ?

The buyer wasn't charged so why not just refund for the merchandise and close the order?

---

I'd deduct that "free" shipping cost that I (as a seller) paid before refunding the buyer. 

And after refunding, the buyer would be on my BBL. 

[mam98031 · Accepted solution]

I agree with the others.  Cancel the sale for a problem with the address.  That will not count against your selling stats.  Then email the buyer and let them know you cancelled for the bad address and fully refunded them.

If this ever comes up again, DO NOT offer to ship it to ANY other address that what appears on the Payment notification.  If you do that, even if the buyer emails you in Ebay, you will LOOSE your seller protection.  So don't do that.  

Once you cancel it, you are free to relist it.  You can even tell your buyer they can repurchase it and remind them to correct their ship to address or you will have the same issue.

[horseloverforchrist933]

how do you issue partial refund, minus the shipping costs, when item was return to sender from postal service due to buyer having insufficient address? When canceling order due to buyer address issue, it only allows a full refund, however I already shipped item and so would lose money by doing this.

[wastingtime101]

---

@horseloverforchrist933 wrote:

how do you issue partial refund, minus the shipping costs, when item was return to sender from postal service due to buyer having insufficient address? When canceling order due to buyer address issue, it only allows a full refund, however I already shipped item and so would lose money by doing this.

---

Go here for info on sending a partial refund @horseloverforchrist933 :

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/refunding-buyers-managed-payments-seller?...

-----

This is my standard advice for RTS (returned to sender) packages. Take the parts that are relevant to your situation.

You have a few options. You should decide which route you'll be taking and communicate with the buyer, but wait until the item is returned (and delivered) to you before you take any of the following actions.

• You can refund the buyer the item cost minus original shipping and minus a portion of your eBay fees (fee credits are prorated on a partial refund so you won't get back fees on the shipping amount you withhold). Go to your orders page, find the transaction and select "send refund." On the next page enter the amount. After that, relist the item and if you still want to work with this buyer you can tell them to repurchase it with the correct name/address.
• Have the buyer sort out their address issue then pay for re-shipping. Send them an invoice through PayPal or give them your PayPal e-mail. This is post-sale so it's OK to exchange e-mail addresses. It's also OK to ship to a different address because it's technically not tied to the original transaction. You would not purchase the shipping label through eBay or upload tracking to the transaction. You would purchase it from an alternate site like pirateship.com or paypal.com/shipnow and you can send the buyer the new tracking # through e-mail or eBay messages.
• A different way to accomplish buyer payment for re-shipping is to create an eBay listing for the shipping cost (bumping it up to factor in eBay fees) and having the buyer purchase it, entering their correct address at checkout. You could purchase a shipping label through eBay for that transaction.
• You can cancel the transaction "problem with address" which will trigger a full refund to the buyer and your FVF would be credited.
• You can do nothing. The buyer's MBG protection is voided when there's a package delivery attempt. I don't recommend this because even though you'll win an INR (item not received) claim on eBay, there's nothing stopping that buyer from going to their credit card to file a dispute and why deal with all that? I also think handling it before it gets to this stage with a partial refund is the "right" thing to do if you're not going to make reshipping arrangements.
• You might also want to direct the buyer to this page so their address is updated for future purchases: Account Settings: Addresses

[mam98031]

---

@horseloverforchrist933 wrote:

how do you issue partial refund, minus the shipping costs, when item was return to sender from postal service due to buyer having insufficient address? When canceling order due to buyer address issue, it only allows a full refund, however I already shipped item and so would lose money by doing this.

---

You can do a partial refund.  There is no need to do a cancellation since the transaction did happen.  You will be refunded your FVFs for whatever refund you issue the buyer.

[bashort]

Someone explain to me why ebay allows a buyer to buy without a valid address

[mam98031]

---

@bashort wrote:

Someone explain to me why ebay allows a buyer to buy without a valid address

---

Ebay does not validate ship to addresses, nor have they ever validated them.  

If this is a big thing for you, you can start printing your shipping labels through USPS.com, they validate the address before allowing a shipping label to be created.

With that said, if the buyer's ship to address is incorrect and gets bounced back to the seller, Seller Protection covers the seller as long as they ship within their stated handling time, ship to the address on the buyer's payment notification and uploads their tracking.  Plus if it is $750 or more, signature is required on the delivery.

[reallynicestamps]

When a shipment is Undeliverable, eBay does not require you to refund anything.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

However, it would be polite and good customer service to refund the customer who does not want to pay for shipping again at least the actual price of the product they are not going to receive.

The original shipping price was given to USPS and they did their job . Twice. No refund of shipping costs.

[mam98031]

---

@reallynicestamps wrote:

When a shipment is Undeliverable, eBay does not require you to refund anything.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

However, it would be polite and good customer service to refund the customer who does not want to pay for shipping again at least the actual price of the product they are not going to receive.

The original shipping price was given to USPS and they did their job . Twice. No refund of shipping costs.

---

I would just add that if you refund the buyer, don't refund the shipping or your fees for that shipping.  

If they are willing to pay again for the shipping, they can be billed through PayPal and again don't forget to add fees on the money you will receive.  Also print the shipping label from the PP payment.  Don't do it in Ebay so you can preserve the original tracking info on the transaction in case it ever becomes important again.

[bashort]

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@bashort wrote:

Someone explain to me why ebay allows a buyer to buy without a valid address

---

Ebay does not validate ship to addresses, nor have they ever validated them.  

If this is a big thing for you, you can start printing your shipping labels through USPS.com, they validate the address before allowing a shipping label to be created.

With that said, if the buyer's ship to address is incorrect and gets bounced back to the seller, Seller Protection covers the seller as long as they ship within their stated handling time, ship to the address on the buyer's payment notification and uploads their tracking.  Plus if it is $750 or more, signature is required on the delivery.

---

yes always been that way and has always been stupid and will always be stupid

[dbfolks166mt]

Removed duplicate response. 

[mam98031]

---

@bashort wrote:

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@bashort wrote:

Someone explain to me why ebay allows a buyer to buy without a valid address

---

Ebay does not validate ship to addresses, nor have they ever validated them.  

If this is a big thing for you, you can start printing your shipping labels through USPS.com, they validate the address before allowing a shipping label to be created.

With that said, if the buyer's ship to address is incorrect and gets bounced back to the seller, Seller Protection covers the seller as long as they ship within their stated handling time, ship to the address on the buyer's payment notification and uploads their tracking.  Plus if it is $750 or more, signature is required on the delivery.

---

yes always been that way and has always been stupid and will always be stupid

---

Maybe to you, but certainly not to everyone.  I for one appreciate the Seller Protection on situations like this.