Confused as to what to do?

[borginla]

I sold an item on a Friday, then paid for and printed a shipping label on Saturday. Later that day the seller contacts me and says that EBAY has an old shipping address and he needs it sent to a different one. I have never had this happen before and wonder if it is possibly a scam? After some quick research,  I respond saying that for my seller protection to be intact, ebay requires me to ship to the listed address. 

The buyer responds and says he will try and contact the person living at that address.  

I hear nothing from them on Sunday, or Monday and ship the package later that afternoon. When I get home I input the tracking number so the buyer knows that it has shipped. 

I hear back from the buyer the following Sunday stating that the package went to where he was no longer at, and was shipped back to me. He then asks if I can relist it and he can buy it again. I tell him I will contact him when I receive the product. 

Here's where the problem kicks in. 

I updated my shipping address at ebay when I moved over a year ago, but my account also apparently still has my old address as well. So for some reason when printing my shipping label it used my old address (which is multiple states away) ,  instead of my shipping address? I double checked and my shipping address is listed correctly.

Someone at that address signed for the package, and I have no way of getting it back, and I'm split on what to do.

Part of me says it's not my fault, as I shipped it to the ebay listed address and if it was correct, as it should have been, the buyer would have received their purchase in a couple days as it did go to that address. The buyer also did not ask me to cancel the auction or communicate with me in any way after the initial contact about the wrong address.

On the flip side, I didn't notice that the return address label was incorrect. So if the product came back here I could relist it and the buyer could repay for shipping and still get his product. 

What should I do?

[*coins]

Hi, @borginla.
Can you contact the person who signed for it and say there was a mistake and you need it back? This is tough because both of you are a little at fault and the worst part is that you both pretty much made the same mistake.

You can refund the buyer or tell the buyer they are out of luck. This is a difficult decision to make. I really cannot tell you what the best thing to do would be because I do not know. It's pretty much your call.
Hope you get this straightened out, good luck.

[dbmm-media]

when the buyer said it was the wrong address, all you needed to do was not ship and cancel order, problem with buyers address 

[cream_couture]

I would contact the post office and report mail theft because the person at your old address opened mail that wasn’t addressed to them. Maybe you can still get it back, but I’m not real confident that you will. 

[robot-hands]

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@borginla wrote:

What should I do?

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First BBL your buyer.

Change your return address, then do nothing unless your buyer opens an INR.

Buyer opens an INR, upload the tracking into the case, call in and have it closed while you are on the phone. Don't volunteer any extra information.

Don't bother trying to get someone arrested for opening your mail, all you're going to get is mercilessly laughed at.

[dtexley3]

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@robot-hands wrote:

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Change your return address, then do nothing unless your buyer opens an INR.

Buyer opens an INR, upload the tracking into the case, call in and have it closed while you are on the phone. Don't volunteer any extra information.

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I can't believe you are recommending the seller be dishonest about their error.  The buyer not only contacted the seller about having a old address on file but went the EXTRA distance and was able to get the item sent back. 

It's NOT the buyer's fault that the seller also had an incorrect address on the label.  The seller is responsible in this case.  The OP should refund the buyer in full, no questions asked and then do what they can to try to retrieve the item from the incorrect return address.

Recommending the seller be dishonest and not refund the buyer just perpetuates the image the buyers have the all sellers are thieves.  I can't say what I really think, but this just makes my ears steam.

[monster-deals]

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@dtexley3 wrote:

 dishonest about their error. 

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If the buyer didn't blow the sale first we wouldn't be talking at all.

Place the blame where it is deserved and save us the pearl clutching.

[cleaning.the.attic]

If this ever happens again, do what  dbmm-media said.

Go to your sold item, find the option that you want to cancel it. When it asks why, there is a choice that says there is something wrong with the buyer's address. Your buyer gets a message about cancellation, and can agree to it. They are refunded, you should get your FVF back, like it never happened almost. Ebay pretty much walks you right through it with messages. 

Then start over, and they can put in the correct address and buy it again. 

When there are issues with addresses, it's always a pain if they buyer does not get back to you, because you want to wait and fix it, but you also want to meet your ship-by date. 

And make sure you get your return address updated. That can also mess up shipping price--if it appears package is originating from one state, but you actually ship from another, package could be over or under-paid. Just depends on locations and shipping service.

[robot-hands]

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Recommending the seller be dishonest and not refund the buyer just perpetuates the image the buyers have the all sellers are thieves.  I can't say what I really think, but this just makes my ears steam.

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No one is recommending the buyer be dishonest and the buyer doesn't deserve a refund.

In the grand scheme of things the buyer seems to be a wonderful person.

Simply put, no good deed goes unpunished.

[parkersparrow]

I would refund the buyer. They did contact you before you shipped to tell you it was the wrong address and you shipped anyway. You could have just canceled stating problem with buyers address and relisted. The package was then shipped back to the return address on file. 

[neande2007]

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@monster-deals wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

 dishonest about their error. 

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If the buyer didn't blow the sale first we wouldn't be talking at all.

Place the blame where it is deserved and save us the pearl clutching.

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Had the SELLER voided the label, and worked with the buyer to sort it out, it would be a non issue.

[robot-hands]

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@neande2007 wrote:

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@monster-deals wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

 dishonest about their error. 

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If the buyer didn't blow the sale first we wouldn't be talking at all.

Place the blame where it is deserved and save us the pearl clutching.

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Had the SELLER voided the label, and worked with the buyer to sort it out, it would be a non issue.

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The seller is not required to do that but the buyer IS required to have a proper shipping address.

So once again yes, this is the buyers fault. No, ifs, ands or buts about it.

Very plain, very simple.