$10.23 for an eBay return label?

[winterwriter]

I primarily sell books, usually ship media mail. Haven't had much experience with returns.

Buyer asked for a refund on a $9 book + 3.50 shipping (called it defective), requests a return label. OK, no problem. I click to have eBay send them the label, but they want to charge me $10.23 for a book that cost me around $3 media mail. What? Why so much? No explanation to be seen.

And why am I paying for the label anyway? On the listing form, I always check the "seller pays for return" box. Is this a case of "buyer pays" for NAD? If so, under what circumstances does a buyer actually pay the return shipping?

Obviously I'm not paying $10 to get back a $9 book, so I must give the buyer a full refund and they keep the book. No big deal, but next time am I going to be forced to pay $10 for a label if someone returns a more expensive book that I do want back?

Is this the way returns usually go, or have I messed up somewhere? I list with a flat fee for shipping, so no calculations for book size or weight are necessary on the listing form.

Thanks for any explanations you can offer.

[sam9876 · Accepted solution]

The book is being returned via Priority Mail, so you get to pay $10.

[sam9876]

"And why am I paying for the label anyway? On the listing form, I always check the "seller pays for return" box. Is this a case of "buyer pays" for NAD? If so, under what circumstances does a buyer actually pay the return shipping?"

Huh?

[winterwriter]

Aha, what a "pleasure".

Thanks for the quick response!

So I guess that whole "buyer pays for return shipping" thing is just for show?

[winterwriter]

*Huh?*

Sorry, that should have read "...does a SELLER actually pay..."

[winterwriter]

Replying to myself here, haha.

I was right the first time. Does a buyer ever get the pleasure of paying for return shipping? If not, why is that a choice on the listing form?

[tofu107]

buyer said book is defective,so it is a case of item not as described,seller is punished by picking up return shipping.

Did you print the original label via Ebay?

if so,then the return label should be just like the original label with return address and ship to addr reversed and same weight and method of shipping?

hence the same postage

[tofu107]

if it is just a return due to buyer remorse,then buyer pays return shipping

[johnrj1226]

You  can minimize your losses by refunding the buyer the full amount they paid and tell them to keep the book. 

If  eBay issued a return shipping lable to the buyer you won't be  charged unless the lable  has already been scanned as accepted by USPS.

[missjen831]

---

@tofu107wrote:

buyer said book is defective,so it is a case of item not as described,seller is punished by picking up return shipping.

Did you print the original label via Ebay?

if so,then the return label should be just like the original label with return address and ship to addr reversed and same weight and method of shipping?

hence the same postage

---

The return label is not just like the original label. The return label is always a return service label. The OP shipped media but eBay only issues return service labels 

[tofu107]

since seller did not state weight and measurement,how does Ebay decide the postage to be $10.xx?

[buyselljack2016]

---

@tofu107wrote:

since seller did not state weight and measurement,how does Ebay decide the postage to be $10.xx?

---

weigh was on original label