eBay

bigdeals.etc · ‎08-24-2019

A buyer filed a return request, automatically accepted. Buyer claimed to have sent it back but I didn't receive anything. He didn't use the eBay return label and failed to give me any tracking number. It's possible he didn't send anything back at all, I don't know.

I emailed eBay CS to close out the case for me (I do this often for returns passed the buyer return window when they've sent nothing back) and I got an unusual reply.

"After reviewing the case, I have found that this claim cannot be closed. Your buyer is not eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee, so we are not able to escalate the claim. It will automatically time out after 21 business days or the buyer can close it on their own, however eBay is not able to take any action on the case..."

I don't understand this. If the buyer isn't eligible for MBG, why would that prevent you from closing it out in my favor? Wouldn't keeping it open actually help the buyer out? I'm trying to protect my feedback here. And since they aren't eligible, does that mean they can still open return requests??

I get a lot of these types of return requests, but never had one that eBay was unable to close out for me. Can you look into this for me @Anonymous ? Thanks.

parkersparrow · ‎08-24-2019

I would try calling customer service on the phone. That's what I do the day after the return date passes and they will usually close it right away.

this*old*attic · ‎08-24-2019

Hmmmm.

Either buyer used a re-shipper in the US, or has been limited for abusing the system?

Those are the only times I’m aware MBG goes out the window, but it shouldn’t apply to friendly agreed upon returns. YOU don’t lose YOUR protections.

Wait..... are they still a registered user?

bigdeals.etc · ‎08-24-2019

@this*old*attic wrote:
Hmmmm.

Either buyer used a re-shipper in the US, or has been limited for abusing the system?

Those are the only times I’m aware MBG goes out the window, but it shouldn’t apply to friendly agreed upon returns. YOU don’t lose YOUR protections.

Wait..... are they still a registered user?

Right... that's what I'm talkin' bout. Why should I (the seller) lose my protection because a buyer isn't eligible for THEIR protection?? And yes they are still a registered user. 1 month old account with zero rating.

@parkersparrow Yea I'm trying to avoid calling as I'm out of town on vacation. My daytime is reserved for family time. Only left with messages and emails when everyone's asleep.

pburn · ‎08-24-2019

@bigdeals.etc wrote:
Yea I'm trying to avoid calling as I'm out of town on vacation. My daytime is reserved for family time. Only left with messages and emails when everyone's asleep.

Try contacting them via Facebook or Twitter:

www.facebook.com/ebayforbusiness

https://twitter.com/ebayforbusiness

bigdeals.etc · ‎08-24-2019

Thanks. I've never done that before but I'll try it. But I wonder how will they respond to me... are they able to divulge account info to me since I didn't answer any security questions and won't be using an eBay account to contact them?

pburn · ‎08-24-2019

I've never had to contact them through FB or Twitter, but I do believe you contact them through Messenger or a tweet, and then the convo is taken up elsewhere--like eBay messaging--where they can confirm your identity.

bigdeals.etc · ‎08-24-2019

Just looked at their FB page rules. They only check messages Monday-Friday. And I don't have a twitter. I guess for now, the blues it is! But they will probably take care of this on Monday too.

Anonymous · ‎08-26-2019

@bigdeals.etc wrote:

A buyer filed a return request, automatically accepted. Buyer claimed to have sent it back but I didn't receive anything. He didn't use the eBay return label and failed to give me any tracking number. It's possible he didn't send anything back at all, I don't know.

I emailed eBay CS to close out the case for me (I do this often for returns passed the buyer return window when they've sent nothing back) and I got an unusual reply.

"After reviewing the case, I have found that this claim cannot be closed. Your buyer is not eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee, so we are not able to escalate the claim. It will automatically time out after 21 business days or the buyer can close it on their own, however eBay is not able to take any action on the case..."

I don't understand this. If the buyer isn't eligible for MBG, why would that prevent you from closing it out in my favor? Wouldn't keeping it open actually help the buyer out? I'm trying to protect my feedback here. And since they aren't eligible, does that mean they can still open return requests??

I get a lot of these types of return requests, but never had one that eBay was unable to close out for me. Can you look into this for me @Anonymous ? Thanks.

Hi @bigdeals.etc, when a transaction is not eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee, neither the buyer nor the seller can ask eBay to step in. The option simply does not exist, as the request is for communication purposes only. It will close on it's own after 21 business days, though the buyer can close it themselves from their end. The request would not have any impact on your selling account; it would not result in a defect, is not recorded on your service metrics, and cannot place a hold on funds (as it is not eligible for protection through our program).

There are many reasons why a transaction may not be eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee. Most common reasons are that the item may not have been listed in an eligible category, payment may not have been recorded, the request may have been opened beyond our time frames for protection, the buyer may no longer have coverage through the eBay Money Back Guarantee, or there may have been a case opened with a third party protection program.

Anonymous · ‎08-26-2019

@bigdeals.etc wrote:

Just looked at their FB page rules. They only check messages Monday-Friday. And I don't have a twitter. I guess for now, the blues it is! But they will probably take care of this on Monday too.

Hi @bigdeals.etc, can you tell me where you are seeing on the Facebook page that messages are only reviewed Mondary through Friday? Or was this only displayed on our eBay for Business Facebook page? We have teams of agents working to respond to Social Media contacts around the clock, 7 days a week. If there is some misinformation you have found, I'm happy to get this clarified.

Additionally, I wanted to add to my previous reply that you have not lost any protections in a request that is not eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee. If the transaction is not eligible, then the request that is opened is only for communication purposes and there would not be any seller protections needed when you are communicating with your customer.

bigdeals.etc · ‎09-03-2019

@Anonymous wrote:
@bigdeals.etc wrote:
Just looked at their FB page rules. They only check messages Monday-Friday. And I don't have a twitter. I guess for now, the blues it is! But they will probably take care of this on Monday too.
Hi @bigdeals.etc, can you tell me where you are seeing on the Facebook page that messages are only reviewed Mondary through Friday? Or was this only displayed on our eBay for Business Facebook page? We have teams of agents working to respond to Social Media contacts around the clock, 7 days a week. If there is some misinformation you have found, I'm happy to get this clarified.

At the bottom of the Rules page for the Ebay for Businesses account on FB.

coffeebean832 · ‎09-03-2019

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi @bigdeals.etc, when a transaction is not eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee, neither the buyer nor the seller can ask eBay to step in. The option simply does not exist, as the request is for communication purposes only. It will close on it's own after 21 business days, though the buyer can close it themselves from their end. The request would not have any impact on your selling account; it would not result in a defect, is not recorded on your service metrics, and cannot place a hold on funds (as it is not eligible for protection through our program).

There are many reasons why a transaction may not be eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee. Most common reasons are that the item may not have been listed in an eligible category, payment may not have been recorded, the request may have been opened beyond our time frames for protection, the buyer may no longer have coverage through the eBay Money Back Guarantee, or there may have been a case opened with a third party protection program.

This is confusing to me. If the buyer or transaction is not eligible for the MBG and the case is only for communication purposes- then why allow a case to be opened in the first place? Why not force the buyer into an eBay message to communicate their issue with the seller instead of allowing a SNAD that affects a seller's service metrics?

Anonymous · ‎09-03-2019

@coffeebean832 wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

Hi @bigdeals.etc, when a transaction is not eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee, neither the buyer nor the seller can ask eBay to step in. The option simply does not exist, as the request is for communication purposes only. It will close on it's own after 21 business days, though the buyer can close it themselves from their end. The request would not have any impact on your selling account; it would not result in a defect, is not recorded on your service metrics, and cannot place a hold on funds (as it is not eligible for protection through our program).

There are many reasons why a transaction may not be eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee. Most common reasons are that the item may not have been listed in an eligible category, payment may not have been recorded, the request may have been opened beyond our time frames for protection, the buyer may no longer have coverage through the eBay Money Back Guarantee, or there may have been a case opened with a third party protection program.

This is confusing to me. If the buyer or transaction is not eligible for the MBG and the case is only for communication purposes- then why allow a case to be opened in the first place? Why not force the buyer into an eBay message to communicate their issue with the seller instead of allowing a SNAD that affects a seller's service metrics?

Hi @coffeebean832, allow me to first calibrate on some eBay terminology so there is no confusion. As of our Fall Seller Update in 2014, the word case refers to a request where eBay has been asked to step in and help. For this discussion, a case would not be possible. A request is possible, because this is a form of communication between a buyer and seller. Many have asked in this thread why a request is allowed to be opened when the transaction is not covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee, and the answer is so the buyer and seller can communicate on a problem the buyer is having with the transaction. As I mentioned earlier in the thread in post #9, a request for an item that is not eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee would not have any negative impact on the seller's account - there would be no defect, no mark on the seller's service metrics, no hold on the funds, etc.

While there may be pros and cons to either form of communication, if a buyer is limited to only sending a message through eBay messages the resolution process is slowed down, the buyer and seller may waste time trying to identify why a request can't be opened, and the process of uploading photos, approving a return, uploading tracking, or providing a return shipping label are all made more difficult. Many buyers and sellers are familiar with the request process and the options it presents, so this is the process we wish to present for a buyer when they have an issue that needs to be discussed.

coffeebean832 · ‎09-03-2019

That actually makes a lot of sense and I apologize for missing the text from post 9 where it doesn't count against a seller's performance.

I still find it odd that the seller can't have the request closed under the "normal" time frames, but I get why a request would be opened instead of a regular eBay message.

Anonymous · ‎09-03-2019

@coffeebean832 wrote:

That actually makes a lot of sense and I apologize for missing the text from post 9 where it doesn't count against a seller's performance.

I still find it odd that the seller can't have the request closed under the "normal" time frames, but I get why a request would be opened instead of a regular eBay message.

Hi @coffeebean832, eBay can only take action when we are asked to step in on a request and it becomes a case. This is a process within the eBay Money Back Guarantee, and subsequently wouldn't apply to a request for an item that isn't eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee. The option to ask us to step in (and then close a case) simply isn't available when the transaction isn't covered by our protection program. Closing the request when the buyer hasn't shipped the item back after 5 days have passed since the return was approved is a form of protection within the eBay Money Back Guarantee as a way of ensuring the buyer doesn't return the item later and put the seller in a position where they must refund something they considered resolved. Since a return request for a transaction that isn't covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee is solely between the buyer and seller, the seller would only need to refund later if they felt inclined to do so - we wouldn't be stepping in to make a decision either way.