Free Returns

[alicderia0]

I am a seller who offers free returns and just received a request for one.  I thought it would be easy and would just have to purchase a label through ebay until I realized that they were going to charge me double the rate that I paid when it was shipped.  They did not understand why my ship rate was cheaper and said I could go through PayPal and transferred me to them to purchase a return label.  PayPal informed me they do not offer that service and Ebay keeps referring people to them as an option but they do not provide the option to purchase a return shipping label.  What is the best way to go about offering free returns on ebay and shipping costs?  Thank you

[green-night]

You can always purchase the label yourself from USPS (or whoever) and upload it to the return for your buyer to use. 

I'm curious as to the details of your situation though .

[alicderia0]

I Initially went to USPS with my original receipt for the item that I shipped and attempted to purchase a label and explained the circumstances and what i was trying to accomplish.  They said that they could not sell me a label that i would have to send them a mailer.  Made no sense.  I contacted Ebay to inquire why they were charging double the price for the return label and they could not offer an explanation and checked my listing and said there were no issues there with the weight and package size that i entered.  They suggested I go through PayPal and transferred me who does not offer the service.  I did go on USPS and was given a rate slightly less expensive but it still baffles me as to why it would not be the same/close to the same rate as it was shipped and why Ebay is charging over double the rate. 

[fern*wood]

Do you purchase your initial shipping label through ebay?  When I've authorized ebay to issue a return label for my buyer, the cost has always been the same cost as my initial label.   I've only done this for a SNAD, though, since I don't do the free return thing.

[alicderia0]

No, I have always purchased through USPS because it was less expensive.  I think I will probably change my account settings on free returns. 

[myboardid]

You should be able to go directly to USPS to purchase the return label.  I have done so a few times when I had the same problem.  eBay wanted me to pay for a Priority Mail label when the item was originally shipped First Class, and should be returned First Class. 

[alicderia0]

Is it always the same price as you originally paid to ship?  Then I would just scan it and upload it...correct?  Thank you for your help!

[dtexley3]

You can open a free stamps.com account and print a discounted return label to a PDF and email it.

[missjen831 · Accepted solution]

You can purchase a prepaid label from paypal. It will be a regular label the same as the one you purchased when you shipped the item to the buyer. You purchase it, save it as a PDF or JPG and you email it to the buyer/upload it to the return case. Paypal doesn't provide return service labels like ebay does. So if you asked paypal about a return shipping label, they probably thought you meant a return service label and thats not something they can provide because they would have to have a contract with USPS like ebay does,

If you accept returns then ebay automatically approves your returns and issues the buyer a label. But if you use RMAs, you should be able to manually approve the return & issue your own label.

[alicderia0]

That makes sense.  Thank you very much!

[oasis-acres]

Don't offer them..  Buyers will abuse this..

[roverproducts]

You can print return labels from Pirateship.com. I am somewhat new to this service but happy with the half dozen transactions so far (one was for a return label).

In the past, I had printed return shipping labels from Stamps.com. I have a free eBay limited account - that doesn't technically allow return labels. I just change the ship from address to the customer and the ship to address as ours. It is a bit more of a pain through Stamps.com, as with the limited acct, you cannot print to pdf. So, I had to print the label on a sheet of paper, scan it into a pdf, then email that to the customer. Since Pirateship.com is easier, I will use them for returns from now on.