eBay

call_me_caro · ‎11-14-2017

I have some vintage dinner plates listed for sale individually. Today someone bought 5 of them [yay!], but they didn't wait for an invoice with combined shipping, which I mentioned in my listing that I would be willing to provide.

They are located in the same state and shipping is going to cost me $30 less than what they paid. I feel bad about keeping that much, but have no idea how to issue a refund for shipping.

Is that individual preferance? Could it back-fire? Do I wait until the package is delivered and then offer it? Or should I not offer it at all?

Thoughts? What would you do?

ted_200 · ‎11-14-2017

@mobileman67 wrote:
Super easy fix.

Log into paypal, go to the transaction in question, then scroll down to the REFUND link.
Then just enter the ammount you wish to refund, and a quick note. You can add the auction # in the invoice section if you wish.

Do that.

And send an eBay Message explaining the refunded amount and why (to protect against the new invisible defect for partial refunds without disputes open).

If you have extra time and materials into it, make it $20 if you want... it's an unsolicited refund, they'll appreciate it either way.

Note: I had to do this just last week, and did what's recommended here. Yesterday the buyer messaged me (they've got it, and left f/b for all 3 items already) saying their MyeBay page is showing the item (the one I used to process the partial refund from) is "awaiting payment" and wanted to be sure I got paid for it.

More headaches, thanks eBay!

So I had to Message them again, explain what happened, assure them I got paid, and tell them to ignore it.

The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.

durof1 · ‎11-14-2017

This is exactly what I also do. I include an invoice with item/s shipped and under total Less: Partial shipping refund. On the following day when I email buyer, I alert them to partial refund and suggest they check their PayPal account refund. Some of them will reply back with a thanks. Some don't but that is ok. Every once in a while if a seller has not activated their PayPal acct, I will receive a message from PayPal that the refund amount is returned back to my acct !!!!

Hope

lookng2015 · ‎11-14-2017

@call_me_caro wrote:
Thanks, everyone! The plates go for $21 on replacements.com, so they already saved $20 right there.

The plates took me some time to package and used quite a bit of packing materials, so I do want to account for that in the handling.

I may send the buyer a message as a courtesy offering a small refund through PayPal, so long as it doesn’t cause any issues.

They already got them cheaper from you than elsewhere, and were apparently happy with the 'total price'. If they were hoping for 'cheaper shipping, you would have already heard from them. Just imho. YMMV

"If a product doesn't sell, raise the price" - Reese Palley
"If it sold FAST, it was priced too low" - also Reese Palley

chrysylys · ‎11-14-2017

Do you have another matching widget that didn't cost you much that you could include without raising your postage cost?

Forget keeping up with the Joneses. Be the Finklegrubers!
OK kids, time to get the Dodge loaded up again. I hear 'Poppy's By the Tree' calling. This trip might be a long one too.

labratdolls · ‎11-14-2017

Before issuing a partial refund for shipping became a known defect causing issue on eBay, I had a buyer overpay shipping by $15. I don’t know if I entered the wrong weight on the listing or what, but I contacted the buyer and asked if she would like me to send her the refund money in the package or just do a partial through PayPal. She chose PayPal. She thanked me and ended up bidding on a couple of my other auctions and left me positive feedback. I did not get a defect since I had messaged her about the reason for the partial refund. So, for me it was worth refunding.

call_me_caro · ‎11-14-2017

@chrysylys I have other dishes that match the set, but nothing that is small enough to be a "bonus".

I sent the buyer a message earlier this evening and will go ahead with a partial refund tomorrow, unless I hear otherwise.

ted_200 · ‎11-15-2017

Re: They already got them cheaper from you than elsewhere, and were apparently happy with the 'total price'. If they were hoping for 'cheaper shipping, you would have already heard from them. Just imho. YMMV

She thanked me and ended up bidding on a couple of my other auctions and left me positive feedback.

This is why I do it. I sell low start auctions, I rely on extra bids to run prices up higher. And maybe 50%+ of my items go to repeat bidders, or end up in combined purchase packages which saves me time and money both.

The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.

mrconran · ‎11-15-2017

I have a store and I want customer's repeat business so I send refunds daily. If you sell one of a kind items it is not nearly as important to offer refunds.

All that is needed is to send a message with the refund in the message box below the refund I write "ship refund". I have never received a defect for issuing a refund this way. It just shows Ebay that the refund was for a shipping discount not a missing item.

I do withhold the Ebay fees on the shipping. I cannot call ebay daily to have the fees on shipping refunded just not enough hours in the day.

riverredhat57 · ‎11-15-2017

@papyruspapillo wrote:
Addendum: Before you issue the refund, be sure to send the buyer a message through ebay messages that you are going to do so; that is to avoid a defect on your account. Ebay hates to give anything back for any reason. I don't know the value of the plates or what you received for shipping, but you might have to refund on more than one completed listing. I did this just yesterday, and have done it in the past.

Seriously, you really think ebay keeps track of that??? Now that's hysterical!!!! I use to give a refund for over-payment...no more. If buyer is willing to pay the amount on the invoice, I will NOW assume they are OK with it. Been selling on ebay 18 years.... gets to be more of a headache every year with all the chances made that make absolutely NO sense. Looking for a new venue for selling my antiques and collectibles. If I had the sufficient funds and know-how I'd start up one myself.

tkinnebrew · ‎11-15-2017

Next time make sure your settings are correct so that this doesn't happen again. Even then, sometimes it will. When it does, you should have stated in your description how much your shipping will cost regardless. So refund the amount you said you will charge. If you didn't have a price listed, the seller is obligated to pay full shipping for all the items and they don't seem to care. Or maybe they will care, and give you a ONE STAR RATING ON SHIPPING PRICE.

🙂

Best luck to all rest of the year, lets go ebay!

d-k_treasures · ‎11-15-2017

@ted_200 wrote:
@mobileman67 wrote:
Super easy fix.

Log into paypal, go to the transaction in question, then scroll down to the REFUND link.
Then just enter the ammount you wish to refund, and a quick note. You can add the auction # in the invoice section if you wish.

Do that.

And send an eBay Message explaining the refunded amount and why (to protect against the new invisible defect for partial refunds without disputes open).

If you have extra time and materials into it, make it $20 if you want... it's an unsolicited refund, they'll appreciate it either way.

Note: I had to do this just last week, and did what's recommended here. Yesterday the buyer messaged me (they've got it, and left f/b for all 3 items already) saying their MyeBay page is showing the item (the one I used to process the partial refund from) is "awaiting payment" and wanted to be sure I got paid for it.

More headaches, thanks eBay!

So I had to Message them again, explain what happened, assure them I got paid, and tell them to ignore it.

And let's just wait and see when a seller sends something like - "I just sent you 10.00 thru paypal for item #'s 1234 and 5678" and see if a new defect or nastygram arrives ..........

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"

mobileman67 · ‎11-15-2017

Thanks for that advice. Curiously, I've never gotten hit for defects when sending partial shipping refunds. I could see that possibly being a thing when ebay had it's direct ties with PayPal, but not, being that they're fully separate entities, I don't see that being an issue. It's also been my experience, in speaking directly with ebay, that they're very reasonable about correcting things like that should they occur.
Best,
Hil

riverredhat57 · ‎11-15-2017

@mobileman67 wrote:
Thanks for that advice. Curiously, I've never gotten hit for defects when sending partial shipping refunds. I could see that possibly being a thing when ebay had it's direct ties with PayPal, but not, being that they're fully separate entities, I don't see that being an issue. It's also been my experience, in speaking directly with ebay, that they're very reasonable about correcting things like that should they occur.
Best,
Hil

OMG...Been on ebay 18 years have yet to get a straight answer about anything I had a question about! What ebay are you calling??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

mycheaperstuff · ‎11-15-2017

Don't ever give cash like that! If the buyer later applied for a refund, such as for damage in shipping, the seller would have no proof of the $10 cash and would have to refund the buyer's original payment amount! Giving he refund with a nice thank you note in paypal is sufficient!

keziak · ‎11-15-2017

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:

The greater problem is that some sellers are getting defects on their accounts for refunding part of the sale. These defects are untrackable, invisible to us or hidden from us, but we have had an employee of ebay claim right here on this forum that sellers are given defects for partially refunding transactions and that it affects our standing in search.

If the defects are invisible or hidden then how do sellers know they are getting the defects?

Where do they show up in our accounts? I talked to an employee who swore this was not happening. Gee, mixed messages from ebay? That has to be a first.