eBay

electrola_man · ‎08-14-2021

Someone bought an item on 8/2, which I shipped on 8/3 via USPS Parcel Select Ground (had to due to contents), and it hasn't arrived yet. A couple of days ago she opened an Item Not Received case. Despite my getting USPS to check into why it has been stuck at a facility near the buyer's address for about a week, I have no good answer yet, and my buyer wants a refund. Considering that it is not a terribly expensive item I'm tempted to just refund and move on, and let her keep the package when it finally arrives. I've been lucky to have never had this kind of problem in over 20 years, so I'd just consider it a cost of self-insurance.

My question: If I issue a refund by the date I'm supposed to, will that give me a defect?

popblox · ‎08-14-2021

Yes, if the buyer opened an INR and the item still hasn't arrived, you should refund before the case is escalated to eBay.

If the item gets delivered within 30 days of the case being closed, you can also contact eBay for reimbursement. More info on that process can be found here.

vintagecraze50 · ‎08-14-2021

Popblocks has posted some very good info from Ebay on her post here. You can contact ebay and have them put a hold on the case if it has not been delivered yet. Also it seems that if this item does arrive they will assist in retrieving the funds, but PLEASE ! do not count on that, It is very difficult for Ebay to take money back from a buyer once they issue that refund, so, if you want your money, call ebay and have them put an extension on the case. Then , IF THE BUYER WANTS TO RETURN becuase it was late, they ca do that, and you should get your item back before you refund them.

48hrs-clothing · ‎08-14-2021

If you issue a refund by date shown on the case then you get your final vale fees back.

If you don't issue a refund and eBay have to step in and issue a refund then my understanding is that you do not get your final value fees back.

If item gets delivered before the date shown on the case then send a message to buyer through the case advising them that item has been delivered.

As soon as a buyer opens an INR case defect on your account is recorded irrespective of resolution. Defect on your seller level can be removed by you contacting eBay's CS but this defect in your seller metrics will not be removed for 12 months.

popblox · ‎08-14-2021

@48hrs-clothing wrote:
As soon as a buyer opens an INR case defect on your account is recorded irrespective of resolution. Defect on your seller level can be removed by you contacting eBay's CS but this defect in your seller metrics will not be removed for 12 months.

I've never received a defect simply because a case was opened (or I would've been suspended long ago). Unless something has changed, you only get a defect if the case is escalated to eBay by the buyer.

glasser · ‎08-14-2021

If you are willing to eat the cost, which it seems you are. Then just refund the buyer and see if you can get the package returned from her or from USPS. If you proactively refund her money, maybe she'd be more likely to return it if you pay the postage.

Also, double check the tracking on a couple of sites like ship24 and I think there is one call trackmypackage. Tracking information can often be incorrect. I recently had a package that looked stuck. Checked another source and it was delivered. eBay's tracking information seems to be the least reliable in my book.

simba6 · ‎08-14-2021

It's not a question of if it's safe, it's you need to refund before eBay does for you. Since then you will receive a poor customer service strike. You won't get that if you refund first.

There is an 800 number on the USPS web site. Call that. They can pull up a lot more info than what is on line. I have had a few packages get "unstuck" that way.

48hrs-clothing · ‎08-14-2021

Defect is recorded in seller metrics.

On seller hub under performance select seller metrics and then there are 2 headings.

Items not as described and Item not received.

Click on Item not received and this will show you count of what is recorded as defect on your account and bottom of this page is a tab" Download Report". This details the cases that are counted.

Should sellers metrics go very high then these are the metrics that result in additional fees.

My understanding is that defects due to cases being escalated to eBay can be appealed and defects removed where they effect seller level but seller metrics defects remain.

I currently have 7 defects for item not received in my seller metrics, No defects on my seller level, 6 of these INR cases closed as item was delivered before case could be escalated to eBay and one case was resolved by sending a replacement item and again case was not escalated to eBay.

Fortunately for me period's % is extremely low and has not resulted in additional fees being charged.

I have discussed this in some length with eBay's CS and they were shocked and surprised that these defects were recorded and they did not have the tools to remove these and reports were generated and sent to their back of house technical team and nothing happened.

I do not know if these very high metrics result in suspensions.

pjcdn2005 · ‎08-15-2021

If your item not received metrics are more than 10 and are in the 'very high' range, ebay will add a longer delivery time in your listings. There is no rate increase for item not received metrics or suspension.

If you are evaluated as Very High, the following consequences may apply to your listings on the eBay sites and in the categories or shipping categories where the Very High evaluation applies:

Item not as described: An additional 5% final value fees for listings in the categories where you are currently evaluated as Very High
Note: This additional 5 percentage points fee is calculated on the total amount of the sale, including shipping. Final value fee discounts, including Top Rated Seller discounts, do not apply to this additional fee. See our selling fees article for more information on how final value fees are calculated.
Item not received: Time automatically added to buyer-facing delivery estimates for the shipping categories where you are currently evaluated as Very High

48hrs-clothing · ‎08-15-2021

Thank you for this clarification as I had wrongly assumed that defects (INAD and INR) in seller metrics resulted in additional fees.

cellguy215 · ‎08-15-2021

Upload the tracking number to the case, apologize and ask the buyer to be patient. If there is movement in the last 10 days, eBay automatically puts it on hold for 10 days (as long as you uploaded tracking number to case). I have had packages take some really wacky routes the past few weeks, some bouncing around the country randomly for 3 weeks now. The package isn't lost, USPS is maybe starting to have problems again.

No defect as long as it was shipped and tracking uploaded on time.