Advice on Return Situation

[craftforgedesigns]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for some advice on an interesting situation I've encountered with a buyer requesting a return. The buyer initiated a return with reason of "changed my mind" and comment of "ended up not liking them". The return was automatically accepted since I allow returns within 30 days. However, the buyer closed the return shortly after. The reason stated is "buyer accidentally started a return".

I figured they just decided to keep the item. Later that night, I got a message from the buyer saying the item was defective and they want to return it for a refund but accidentally closed the return. They go on to state that now the system won't let them create a return.

I know eBay only allows a buyer to create one return request which is why they can't create another return. My guess is they saw that they were responsible for return shipping when they selected "changed my mind" as the reason, so they attempted to cancel and open a new return with a reason that would give them free shipping.

I don't like to think people are doing nefarious things, but this buyer seems to be trying to circumvent my return policy (buyer pays for return if they just don't want it). At the very least, it is hard to believe the item is actually defective when the reason goes from "ended up not liking them" to the item being broken.

I won't be able to sell this item again once returned, since buyers expect the item to be in new condition and this one will now be used. My question is, what would you do in this situation?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

[clajua_23]

I think the right person to know if he/she is lying is you. You should do the right thing: what your conscience dictates. Just you and the buyer knows if the item is as described or not. I DO think one can click by mistake. One may be worried and hurried to solve the situation, if the seller does not want to fix the things out. Most people does not like to read. Maybe he/she is not a native english speaker. Maybe he/she did whatever he/she read first. 

I am a spanish speaker and I buy at EBay for first time few days ago. I received a cheap chinese imitation of a Branded T-shirt (described as a Branded T-shirt). I wrote the seller twice, but he did not replied. I opened a "not as described case"; however, what I really wanted, before have to do that, was to have EBay to step in, now, I do not have the option to have EBay to do that because I already opened the case. I opened the case because that was the first article I read (I had already contacted the seller). I did not want to affect the seller's very good EBay record (he even sent a gift). I kept reading EBay's articles, and I found the instructions to have EBay step in, so I was about to cancel the return case; however, Thanks to God, I read this post, where I figured out that once a return case is closed by the buyer it can not be opened again.

It is easy to advice, if one is not the buyer. PUT YOURSELF IN HIS/HER SHOES AND  DO THE RIGHT THING. Maybe, you will lose money, but you will keep honest (if you are).

[disneyshopper]

what I really wanted, before have to do that, was to have EBay to step in, now, I do not have the option to have EBay to do that because I already opened the case.

Once you open a case, and the seller is not cooperating, you will have the option to Ask ebay to step in.  Once that happens, the seller receives a defect recorded on his/her account for an unresolved case.

[clajua_23]

Thank you disneyshopper!
So, I will have the option to have EBay to step in? that is great! I had thought I will not (because the article I found after opening the case, says one have the option to do that before open the case).
I will wait the tree business days, then. I hope the seller fixes the things out!