Current return window? Sending back is going to be difficult

[47acc_37]

I purchased a collectible item I intended to keep mint in box. The seller mailed it in a thin plastic envelope with no padding, rather than a cardboard box as should have been used, naturally a good portion of the box is smashed and, for all I know, contents inside damaged. A flimsy retail package is not a suitable mailing container especially for a large, heavy object- this item is about 12" x 8" x 6" and roughly 4 pounds. I offered the seller an option of a partial refund(they'd pay out that much just to cover return postage) and I'd try to sell it locally for what I can to afford a replacement but they're not interested, meaning I will have to return it because they could not properly package the item.

Thing is I don't know when I can get to a PO to mail it as I'm leaving the house only for necessities, cutbacks mean my local PO is no longer doing package pickups since they barely have mail carriers sufficient to deliver mail and I'm now worried I won't be able to return this on time, and right now I can find no information about the return window after receiving the item. Does anyone have a solid answer for returning after delivery?

[rebell45]

Ebay has extended the return shipping time allowance by quite a bit. I think you'd have a least 21 days maybe more. You can read about it under Returns in Help & Contact. 

[onlinecentral]

A return label needs to have a scan within 14 days of being printed.
Then a 5 day extension is granted.
A return is considered Abandoned at 19 days with no scans and the case is closed.
If one is occasionally going out for necessities, they should be able to pace themselves and get to the Post Office within the allowed time frame.

[timzbiz]

onlinecentral - Is that 19 business days (Mon - Fri)?

I currently have an open return that was opened Sept 16 and the request states the buyer has til Sept 30 to return. It is Now Oct 1 and I have not received the return, it has not been shipped, and the request is still open. When will ebay close the case and release the hold?

[simba6]

If you printed a return label, you can just give to the postal carrier when they deliver your mail. 

[timzbiz]

I'm the seller not the buyer.

[wastingtime101]

Simba6 was replying to the original poster, not you, and the original poster is the buyer in their situation.

I think returns stay open for about a month before timing out. The length of time depends if the buyer printed the return label or not - that extends their window.

[ma-647837]

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@timzbiz wrote:

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@onlinecentral wrote:

A return label needs to have a scan within 14 days of being printed.

Then a 5 day extension is granted.

A return is considered Abandoned at 19 days with no scans and the case is closed.

onlinecentral - Is that 19 business days (Mon - Fri)?

I currently have an open return that was opened Sept 16 and the request states the buyer has til Sept 30 to return.

It is Now Oct 1 and I have not received the return, it has not been shipped, and the request is still open.

When will ebay close the case and release the hold?

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eBay does not have a 19-day/19-business-day timeline, @47acc_37. And eBay has not* extended the return shipping time allowance by quite a bit. Instead, the timeline is exactly as stated in the policy published in Spring 2020:

When buyers are sent an eBay-generated return label, the return is closed if the label is not printed within 10 business days. If the buyer prints the label, we allow the return to remain open an additional 5 business days to ensure shipping scans are captured. When buyers are not sent an eBay-generated return label, we wait up to 35 business days before closing the return.

So your buyer had 10 business days, from Sep 16 to Sep 30 to just print the label, not to return as you thought. Then eBay checks for 5 business days starting today, Oct 1, that the label was scanned. After that, eBay will close the return if the label was never scanned. When return tracking shows delivered, you have 2 business days to refund, at the end of which eBay will refund if you haven't yet.

*The 21 business days to print/15 business days to scan/5 business days to refund pandemic extensions ended months ago on Jun 30, 2020.

[timzbiz]

Thank you ma-647837 for the answer.

[nickelsanddimes2015]

You can call ebay today and have them shut down the return. I had 2 customers that had to mail the item in by sept 28 I called on the 29th and they shut both down without having to wait any longer and the holds were released. You can go onto to the ebay help page and at the bottom it will say "Have us call you" and they will call you back.

[nickelsanddimes2015]

Hi,  the buyer has to ship it by the date that is stated on the return and has to be scanned in not just printed. 

I closed down 2 returns this week. The date on both  for them to ship the item was by Sept 28 I called Sept 29 at the end of the day and had both closed down :). Now if it showed it was scanned in they would not have closed it down.

Ebay changes their policy so many times it's hard to keep track.

[dede394]

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@timzbiz wrote:

I currently have an open return that was opened Sept 16 and the request states the buyer has til Sept 30 to return.

It is Now Oct 1 and I have not received the return, it has not been shipped, and the request is still open.

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Changes to handling return requests that appear abandoned
Starting April 1, 2020, we will no longer close returns early at the request of a seller when the buyer has not shipped the item back. Instead, we will wait to ensure buyers have sufficient time to provide proof items they requested to return were shipped back.

[nickelsanddimes2015]

Had 2 last week that they closed down for me. That extension for returns was due to covid however they have lifted that now and have gone back to normal from what the rep told me as he closed them down for me.