08-06-2018 01:52 PM
Recently, a buyer has purchased two products from my store and opened a return for each one *immediately* upon delivery. He has claimed that the products are defective/damaged although these are products purchased from authorized dealers and they would never provide faulty goods, especially straight out of the box.
As bad as that is, it gets worse. Much worse.
-I have asked for photos to substatiate the claim, but he claims he cannot do so because his poor broken phone does not work. There is no explanation given why he cannot use a different/someone else's phone.
-Next, I offer a replacement, because of course if this was sincere, the customer would be disappointed but would still want the item (one of them cost almost $300). He declines.
-He then says he no longer needs it, although the order was placed literally two days before the return was opened up. He insists that the very same product was purchased on Craigslist instead.
-Sure. So I then offer to beat the price he paid for it there, but he will not take up the offer, as he'd rather pay a higher price and not have the security of Paypal and Ebay to cover any future problems the product might have.
-Next, I reluctantly offer a chance to have the package picked up from the guy's house. He is adamant that this not occur for several unconvincing reasons...one of them being he is apparently never home, because he works 7 days a week, 12 hours a day.
-Okay, so I offer a chance to schedule the pick up at a time and place of his choosing, yet he claims he is only available after 10PM because of work. If that were the case, then he could not drop off the box with UPS if I gave the label he wants, because they the UPS store is not open after 10PM...and the box is much too large for a 24 hour dropbox.
-At this point, I also offer an opportunity to have the carrier pick up the box from his place of work, but magically they do not allow the carrier to service the building because it is gated. So apparently his workplace never receives mail in other words.
-I then ask for the workplace's phone number and address so I can contact them to see if any arrangement can be made, but he refuses to provide this basic information.
Why would somebody be so unwilling to cooperate, if they are seriously trying to return an expensive item? Nothing but evasion and excuses for a simple task that takes one minute. I offer any time that is good from 8AM to 8PM any day for the next three weeks, but he insists that only me uploading a label will suffice. There is way too much fraud going on though, so I have pick ups take place for items of certain value. What should be done at this point?
08-06-2018 02:17 PM
If he opened a return request, accept the return and leave the ball in his court.
If he didn't open a return request.....go silent on him. Stop communicating.
08-06-2018 02:20 PM
he insists that only me uploading a label will suffice
What the buyer apparently wants is exactly what eBay will make you do, so I'm not seeing any good reason to fight it at this point. As jen said, if he files the claim, accept it. Otherwise wait.
08-06-2018 02:28 PM
It is not *required* to upload a label. That is one option. Bottom line, the seller is responsible for arranging and covering the cost of return shipping. I have been more than willing to do so, yet the buyer is extremely uncooperative.
This whole ordeal reeks of fraud. I have had people open returns and then ship back the wrong product or empty boxes and the customer service rep issues a refund anyway because tracking shows return delivery made. Then I have to get on the phone with Ebay and try to sort it all out.
Disgusting that people can get away with stuff like that, and the fact that this individual refuses to take a photo or have the package picked up, makes it obvious something fishy is going on here.
08-06-2018 02:31 PM
You actually do have to upload a label or send the buyer funds through paypal. Its the only acceptable proof that you paid for return shipping.
08-06-2018 02:34 PM
Keep repeating I will refund WHEN I GET THE ITEM BACK. Respond to all the dispute messages with that over and over. Dont give ANYTHING until you get the item. If it isnt back in 10 days ask to close the case and he is stuck with it.
08-06-2018 02:41 PM
Direct from the Ebay help page:
"Accommodate the return another way
If you'd prefer, you can provide the buyer with another method of returning the item. For instance, you can offer to reimburse them for the return shipping costs, arrange to pick up the item in person, or let them drop the item off at your closest physical store. If you want to provide an alternative method of returning the item, simply select Confirm you will facilitate the return from the View return details section."
08-06-2018 02:43 PM
08-06-2018 02:46 PM
This is a scammer. He will use the label and attach it to a box NOT containing the expensive item. Ebay will see return delivery made and issue a refund anyway. I've had this happen before and had to call up Ebay and tried to explain everything that occurred. I got my money back, but the thief got free goods out of it. Not happy one bit about that.
08-06-2018 02:48 PM
@discountdominion wrote:but he insists that only me uploading a label will suffice.
If he has filed an INAD, send a return shipping label and let him worry about how he's going to get it shipped back.
08-06-2018 02:53 PM
@discountdominion wrote:Direct from the Ebay help page:
"Accommodate the return another wayIf you'd prefer, you can provide the buyer with another method of returning the item. For instance, you can offer to reimburse them for the return shipping costs, arrange to pick up the item in person, or let them drop the item off at your closest physical store. If you want to provide an alternative method of returning the item, simply select Confirm you will facilitate the return from the View return details section."
If you don’t upload a label or send the buyer money, all he has to do is ask eBay to step in and you lose. You can offer whatever arrangements you want but the buyer doesn’t have to agree to it. If you don’t PAY for return shipping upfront, you will lose.
08-06-2018 02:53 PM
@discountdominion wrote:This is a scammer. He will use the label and attach it to a box NOT containing the expensive item. Ebay will see return delivery made and issue a refund anyway.
About the only way to keep that from happening, is not sell expensive items.
To be honest, he probably got mad when the box arrived and seen where it come from and went there to buy the item.
08-06-2018 02:54 PM
Ordinarily that would be fine. That is not the issue though. In this case, I have good reason to believe that the customer will not be shipping back the expensive item. It will be returned to a large return facility and before it is discovered that the wrong item was delivered, Ebay will likely have given a refund. There is a loophole in their policy, and the Ebay specialist over the phone even admitted that their review representatives were not being trained properly. I am trying to avoid a bigger ordeal, and allowing the scammer to be rewarded for his criminal actions.
08-06-2018 02:56 PM
That's not an answer. Are you really suggesting that people selling expensive items deserve to have them stolen from lowlife scumbags?
08-06-2018 02:58 PM
@discountdominion wrote:Direct from the Ebay help page:
"Accommodate the return another wayIf you'd prefer, you can provide the buyer with another method of returning the item. For instance, you can offer to reimburse them for the return shipping costs, arrange to pick up the item in person, or let them drop the item off at your closest physical store. If you want to provide an alternative method of returning the item, simply select Confirm you will facilitate the return from the View return details section."
Sorry but no. I dont jump through hoops to get an item BACK that I didnt offer when SELLING it. He got it through the mail and payment via Paypal, he can jolly well return it through the mail to get the refund BACK from Paypal. I also think he is being purposely difficult and evasive to try to score a freebie when the seller gives up.