New Seller Advice needed: Buyer claims damage, does not want to return item

[lts11829]

I'm a relatively new seller that has started running into a few issues.  I'm selling some collectibles for my in-laws.

1-  I have listed that I don't ship internationally.  A buyer purchased something, had it shipped to a location in the USA, and then apparently shipped it to another country.  They say there is a crack on the product and provided pictures.  The pictures definitely show the crack. They are demanding a partial refund  but do not want to return (and my site says no returns).  I'd rather they return the collectible.  I'm certain there was not a single crack when it was packaged and it was wrapped well - but with the Christmas rush, double wrapped in large bubble wrap, air pillows and extra paper may not have been enough - especially with however they shipped it overseas. It was not double-boxed, so lesson learned there too.  If I request they return for a full refund, do I have to pay international shipping?  What do I do if there is even more damage upon return?

2 - I have another listing that has sold to another buyer in that same country but with a USA address.  I'm afraid the same thing will happen again.  Can I cancel the order without repercussion?  Is there a way to block listings for these situations?

Thanks for any/all advice!

[missjen831]

Items forwarded from the original delivery address are not covered by the money back guarantee. If the buyer has opened a return request, call ebay with the money back guarantee in front of you,  & point out that the buyer had the item shipped to a forwarding service in the US. You are not responsible for anything in this situation. For the 2nd buyer, you can't really cancel without repurcussion. The only way to block these sales, is to set up the blocks in your paypal account--you need to block payments from non-US accounts and payments in currencies you don't currently hold.That way IF an international buyer with a US address wins your item, they won't be able to pay. You would just need to file unpaid item cases.

[lts11829]

Thanks for the advice.  Buyer hasn't opened a return request, but sent a rather aggressive email.   Of course, that could have been a translation issue.   It also looks like they rubbed something on the crack to try to make it look old - part of the crack looks very dark and the rest looks like it just happened - so I'm suspicious especially as my pictures show no hint of a crack.  I have sold other items that had cracks those cracks were yellowed as opposed to black (yes, I was upfront and showed the defect in those listings).

Unfortunately, my PayPal account is personal and not business, so it won't let me block payments from foreign countries! (I just tried it).   Ugh.

I was trying to help my in-laws out and as soon as the collectibles were gone, that was the end of selling.  Seems I'm going to need to pay more fees to protect us.  Learning a lot of lessons !

[bigchief2472000]

Since the item was reshipped there is no way for you to file an insurance claim through the shipping company you used, and also no way for you to know if it was damaged before or after it got the the original address you sent it to.  Like Jen said, you are not liable for any damages on a reshipped item.  You can advise the buyer to file an insurance claim with the shipping company they used to transport it from the US to wherever it went, but that's about as far as I would go in trying to resolve the issue with the buyer.

[jason_incognito]

If you "overpack" some reshipping companies will repack the item in a smaller box with less padding to minimize the international postage fees. If it was double boxed I would not at all be surprised if the reshipper just shipped the inside box.

[lintbrush*]

Just to let you know - even if you have no returns, that only holds water if the items are as described.  Otherwise, the Money Back Guarantee takes over (which means you're going to make the buyer whole)

However, it does not cover items that are shipped overseas after delivery to a US address.

Dear buyer,

I am sorry to hear your item arrived damaged.  It was shipped to the domestic address you provided and was packed properly for safe travels.  You hired a reshipper for the international leg and I am not responsible for their actions (damage due to re-packaging/shipping).  

That's all I'd say and put the ball back in their court.

If they open a refund request and you can prove it was a re-shipper, you can get the case closed in your favor.  If you accept the return, all you would be responsible for is the domestic return price - not the international shipping price.  

Air pillows are often not a good idea for many fragiles.  Air pillows expand/contract and pop.  The item can slip between them too.  Depeding on the weight, paper isn't always great either as it flattens when the item shifts.  Can youtake your package, hold it over your head, drop it on cement and know it will survive?  Would you roll it down your driveway?

[bigchief2472000 · Accepted solution]

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@lts11829 wrote:

Unfortunately, my PayPal account is personal and not business, so it won't let me block payments from foreign countries! (I just tried it).   Ugh.

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I don't have a business account and I'm still able to change those settings on my Paypal account.  Go to your Paypal "Summary", scroll down and click on "Seller preferences", then on the next page, scroll down to "Block payments", look to the right side of the screen and click on "Update", and you should be able to change your settings there.

[lts11829]

@BigChief Thank you! Found it and made the change to not accept foreign currency.
@lintbrush - thank you for the tips. Yes, I know a buyer can return an item regardless if it doesn't meet the description. Good points on packing. Bought air pillows thinking they would better protect the items, but maybe we'll buy packing peanuts now.
Thank you everyone who gave advice.