Ebay refused to close a return after expiration

[carpe_diem_jedi]

So, I sell iPhone cables.

This customer bought a set of cables from me and complain that they weren't working.

She opened a return on July 14th. And the last day to return was July 28th.

It turns out the cables were not the problem. She was using a case so tight that the cables wouldn't fit through the case. Hardly my fault.

The buyer apologized and left a positive feedback.

Today is July 29th @10pm and I contacted ebay to close the case.

Ebay refuses to close the case because the buyer hasn't had enough time to return.

WTH

What's the point of the deadline, if you aren't following it?

So now, ebay tells the buyer to return by a certain date but they won't close the return if they don't and they will let them return anytime afterwards. 

Meanwhile my money for that transaction is tied up and the buyer can decide to screw me over anytime they choose to.

Nice Ebay, another giant step in the wrong direction.

[buyselljack2016]

@carpe_diem_jedi 

Just had one of those. Not exactly the same, but no need to go into the details.

Buyer did not return by the date given by eBay.

7 day wait from there, and then eBay "auto closed" the return on day 8.

Funds released 45 days after the sale.

Had it happen in the past. Called. Not worth my time to call for a repeat. Learned the 1st time.

[kensgiftshop]

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@carpe_diem_jedi 

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The buyer can close the return on their side.

The seller can no longer call and have a return closed, you'll just have to wait until Ebay closes it.

[carpe_diem_jedi]

Follow up. 

My chat conversation with eBay took place last night between 10-11pm CST (8-9 Pacific) and did not end well as I reported.

I woke up this morning and checked my account.

Found two emails. 

The first email is the usual "You opened a case blah blah blah" at 4:13 AM server time.

The second email was at 4:34 AM and read:

"We reviewed this case and have closed it without any refund to the buyer.

The case will not affect your seller performance. Any feedback left for this transaction will be removed.

The buyer did not return the item to you within the required timeframe."

So, all this fighting and frustration last night and ebay rep telling me that the rules have changed and that they can't close a return even if the buyer didn't return. Then they are able to close it anyways.

This shows the **bleep** show that eBay has become.

[buyselljack2016]

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@carpe_diem_jedi wrote:

Follow up. 

My chat conversation with eBay took place last night between 10-11pm CST (8-9 Pacific) and did not end well as I reported.

I woke up this morning and checked my account.

Found two emails. 

The first email is the usual "You opened a case blah blah blah" at 4:13 AM server time.

The second email was at 4:34 AM and read:

"We reviewed this case and have closed it without any refund to the buyer.

The case will not affect your seller performance. Any feedback left for this transaction will be removed.

The buyer did not return the item to you within the required timeframe."

So, all this fighting and frustration last night and ebay rep telling me that the rules have changed and that they can't close a return even if the buyer didn't return. Then they are able to close it anyways.

This shows the **bleep** show that eBay has become.

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Great that it worked out.

One thing about the "canned message" that you got.................

The case will not affect your seller performance.

While true in some respects in that you will not get an "unresolved by seller" defect, we still get the "return request" ding in our metrics.

In my case the buyer opened a INAD return as "missing pieces/parts" when in actuality it was not received at all at that time because of a USPS delivery scan error.  Buyer got it in a later delivery, but the INAD damage was already done.

[carpe_diem_jedi]

Yes, Ebay manufactured their own little crisis to screw sellers over.

In order to sell, you need to place high in the search.

In order to place high in the search you benefit from being a Top Rated Seller.

In order to be a Top Rated Seller, you need to offer 30-day free return or more.

eBay basically tells buyers that they can return anything, anyhow, anytime which by the way is not how the return warranty is supposed to work. It's supposed to be if they receive a defective item not if they break it after three week.

Anyway buyers abuse the policy and return items after they've used them for 3-4 weeks. My returns have more than tripled since eBay started forcing us to offer 30-day return.

So buyers return more.

eBay in turn keeps track of returns opened and penalizes sellers who have a high rate of return by adding an extra 4% to Final Value Fees. ouch! 

So eBay forces us to offer 30-day return, encourages buyers to return more, then punishes sellers because they have returns.

Ebay's master scam at work.