Buyer pays shipping on returns

[wife2apastor]

I have a question about returns. I am currently offering 30 day returns but chose the option of buyer paying return shipping. However, the last 2 returns occurred where buyers opened a return case through Ebay and I was forced to accept questionable returns AND pay for a shipping label. How does that happen exactly, that I chose the buyer pays option but I ended up paying?

[thatsallfolks]

That happens when the buyer opens a "not as described" case, which supercedes your return policy, and which requires the seller to pay for return shipping.

You might want to review eBay's documentation on where your policies end and where theirs start. Sellers have been responsible for return shipping on "not as described" cases for many years.

[wife2apastor]

So basically a seller could say ANY

[wife2apastor]

So basically a seller could say anything was not as described and return it without having to pay for shipping?  I guess I did miss that somewhere

[thatsallfolks]

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@wife2apastor wrote:

So basically a seller could say anything was not as described and return it without having to pay for shipping?  I guess I did miss that somewhere

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Yes, they can, but the fact remains that you thought your return policy was in effect when a "not as described" case was filed. That's never been the case. Your return policy covers "buyer changed mind", "item doesn't fit", etc.

[wife2apastor]

And if I make the decision to have a policy of no returns, will I also have the possibility of not as described returns, even if I feel i described it well?  If so, that's one more frustration added to my list of Ebay seller frustrations from too many years of selling

[missjen831]

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@wife2apastor wrote:

And if I make the decision to have a policy of no returns, will I also have the possibility of not as described returns, even if I feel i described it well?  If so, that's one more frustration added to my list of Ebay seller frustrations from too many years of selling

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Your return policy is for buyers remorse returns only. When the buyer says the item is not as described, defective, damaged, etc, your return policy does not apply. The money back guarantee applies. Now if  buyer has lied about the item being not as described, once you get the item back you still have to refund in full but you can report the buyer for abusing the money back guarantee and you can appeal the case & eBay May or may not reimburse the return shipping cost. 

[thatsallfolks]

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@wife2apastor wrote:

And if I make the decision to have a policy of no returns, will I also have the possibility of not as described returns, even if I feel i described it well?

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Of course you will, as it has always been for "not as described" cases. Do you really think eBay would allow sellers to decide whether a buyer's "not as described" claim is valid? How do you suppose that would be decided 99.99% of the time, even if the seller shipped a rock?

This is NOT new; you've managed to sell for years without understanding what your own return policy means. PLEASE read eBay's policies for selling here; if you're not up to speed on the stuff that hasn't changed, there's probably a lot that HAS changed that you're not aware of.

[wife2apastor]

Thank you to those who replied. I appreciate your help. As a seller, I do try to keep up with the changes, but I'm sure there are many of us who have missed things or misunderstood over the years of selling With The Changes eBay has made. However I'm more informed now and I appreciate your help

[marigoldzcloset]

This will happen everytime. You will pay shipping to people and back even when you put BUYER PAYS RETURN SHIPPING. If you get this alot, ALLOW 30 days returns, NOT free and when they send it back, you are able to give only PARTIAL credit back to them if it is damaged or if they lied about the return reason. 
You have more power if you accept returns, because you can issue a partial. if you don't and ebay rules in the buyers favor (EVERYTIME), you will be paying return shipping fees forever, even when you are right. Even when they know you are right, you still pay. 
Mind blowing stuff here. They scam sellers, so beware. Just read about "ebay stealing money from sellers" on google. It's all quite relevant the past handful of months. 

[lonewanderer1553]

It's not unreasonable to ask buyers to pay for return shipping out of their own pockets only if it's a remorse purchase. (e.g. They simply don't like the item, or maybe unwittingly purchased something of the wrong size / color / variety / whatever.) You cannot, however, compel a buyer to pay for return shipping if they received an item that is defective, was lost / damaged during shipment or otherwise doesn't match the listing description. In that case, the onus falls on the seller, as the seller is ultimately responsible for accurately describing their items in the first place. Of course, this is also how eBay's own return policies are aligned, so it's a moot argument.

[missjen831]

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@marigoldzcloset wrote:

This will happen everytime. You will pay shipping to people and back even when you put BUYER PAYS RETURN SHIPPING. If you get this alot, ALLOW 30 days returns, NOT free and when they send it back, you are able to give only PARTIAL credit back to them if it is damaged or if they lied about the return reason. 
You have more power if you accept returns, because you can issue a partial. if you don't and ebay rules in the buyers favor (EVERYTIME), you will be paying return shipping fees forever, even when you are right. Even when they know you are right, you still pay. 
Mind blowing stuff here. They scam sellers, so beware. Just read about "ebay stealing money from sellers" on google. It's all quite relevant the past handful of months. 

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@marigoldzcloset  very wrong advice here. You need to read the spring and summer 2018 updates again. You can’t issue a partial refund unless you offer FREE shipping. You have more power if you offer FREE returns but guess what? All the buyer has to do is ask eBay to step in and they get the rest of their money. And you can only issue a partial refund if the item is returned used or damaged.