eBay

anthonyd46 · ‎01-18-2019

Long story short. 30 day return policy buyer pays shipping. Sold a camera flash to someone. It arrived to the buyer and they said that the flash was defective. Ebay help files say that if the request is open for a not as described reason then the seller has 72 hours to decide to get it back (and pay return shipping). For whatever reason ebay automatically approved the case and sent the guy a return shipping label. I thought maybe this happened because he agreed to pay the shipping (since automatic approvals for remorse are handed this way even though this is INAD). I contact the buyer and ask him the problem. He says the battery contacts weren't working and he attempted a repair. At that point I figured since he admitted to tinkering with it I don't need the thing back since who knows what he did to it. I offered to refund him the entire amount he paid + original shipping and told him do not send the item back as I do not need it. He ignored my message didn't even respond and sent the item back anyway.

Once I got a notification a package was coming I called ebay and the CSR said I could get a refund on the return shipping fee since I told the guy in a message I didn't want it back plus I did not get the 72 hour window I was supposed to get. He told me call back when the package arrived and I could get a refund on the return shipping. The thing arrived yesterday and as expected it was highly tinkered with. So I called ebay and asked for the return shipping refund and they said no, because I "should have refunded in the 72 hour window". I told them I wasn't given a 72 hour window. Tried again with a different CSR and they suggested me to invoice the buyer for the return shipping which I did with her over the phone, but I doubt the buyer will pay it.

Is there some new policy for automatic acceptance for INAD now or what?

Is there a setting I can put to avoid this from happening in the future?

green-night · ‎01-18-2019

Is there a setting I can put to avoid this from happening in the future?

Yes, you can check off the box for an RMA number in your site preferences. Returns will still get automatically approved but it will not issue a label until you issue it manually.

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anthonyd46 · ‎01-18-2019

Ok thats good to know. I didn't see a point in getting this back after he said he tried to repair and sure enough the whole bottom of the contact section is all messed up now. I guess i'll try selling it cheap for parts and see what happens, but with the RMA option I assume I would have gotten the window the just refund and not deal with return shipping.

Also with the RMA thing remorse returns would that override the buyer paying shipping on remorse returns? Because I don't want to lock myself into to paying for those.

green-night · ‎01-18-2019

Also with the RMA thing remorse returns would that override the buyer paying shipping on remorse returns? Because I don't want to lock myself into to paying for those.

No, the buyer would still pay for a label for remorse returns.

green-night · ‎01-18-2019

Tried again with a different CSR and they suggested me to invoice the buyer for the return shipping which I did with her over the phone, but I doubt the buyer will pay it.

CSR reps come up with some real doozies.

anthonyd46 · ‎01-18-2019

The problem I have with ebays return policy is there are to many costs involved. For example this item they paid $49.99 + $10 shipping.

Buyer wants to return it for being defective so it literally costs me $18 to get it back. The USPS isn't going to refund the original shipping I paid them because the item didn't get damaged in shipping so thats $10 loss, plus if I wanted it back I would have to pay the return shipping which is $8.05. So that leaves me with the decision is it worth it to pay an additional $8.05 to get it back since I'm already $10 in the hole from the original shipping I cannot be refunded on. At that point I decided no it was not which is why I asked him to not send it back which he ignored and did and I am now on the hook for that $8.05.

So therefore I had $49.99 - minus fees in my possession once i refunded him the fees go back to me so thats a moot point, but in order to take this return I have to pay out $68.04 when I only have $49.99 in my possession. There this now has costed me $18.05 to get back a now broken camera flash that I didn't want back in the first place. I feel like original shipping should not be refundable because there is no way the seller can get that back from the carrier if the item didn't arrive damaged.

monster-deals · ‎01-18-2019

If the buyer tried to repair it the item doesn't even qualify for the MBG and a CSR should have immediately closed the return....but who knows what the real rules are vs what the secret rules are.

no_zero369 · ‎01-18-2019

Yeah, I hear ya! Doesn't seem fair to loose out on shipping both ways.

That had me shocked and in a tizzy for a while until I realized that returns and refunds were all part of the cost of selling here. Then it took me a while to build up a cookie jar fund or contingency of set aside money to pay for these return expenses when they occur. It sure took a lot of the shock & stress away and let me sleep at night.

I dunno, perhaps something like that might work for you?

vtrsire8i0 · ‎01-18-2019

There are ~~several~~ two things I'd like to note:

1. It may not be such a wise idea to attempt to figure out the buyer's reason(s) for return, with the MBG at their back it is only a matter of time before ebay closes a case and issues the seller an additional defect (not to mention buyer gets to keep the item) because a seller really only has one choice here: Accept the return.

Sadly ebay never present things in that fashion, instead they act as if the seller has a choice.

Meanwhile, if a seller does manage to "win" a case it puts that seller in the position of judge, jury and executioner... It might be fine in this particular scenario but first you really have to place yourself in the buyer's shoes to understand just how that feels, and second it won't be long before sellers in general simply abuse the tactic.

So auto-accept really isn't such a bad idea, except...

2. When a seller does NOT wish to have an item returned it is best to issue a refund immediately (yes this can be done anytime, even before the item ships), doing so will most likely keep most buyers from shipping the item back, one might go so far as to include a comment before closing the case.

anthonyd46 · ‎01-18-2019

The buyer just responded to the message and said they did not see my message asking to not ship the item back until after they already shipped the item.

Also I noticed in the Money back guarantee help file it says in a round about way to not contact the seller:

"The easiest way to initiate a return is through My eBay in purchased items. However, you can contact the seller with any questions or if you are unsure of making the return."

So they are basically saying contact the seller is a last resort and not the first resort. They want people to hit that button without talking to the seller and even telling them there is a problem.

As far as the jar thing I've heard of that, but this is honestly only my second return since August of 2017. The first return was an under $20 item that a wire on the inside broke off in shipping and it was shipped FCM so didn't have any postal insurance to go back on there. I tested this thing at least 10 times minutes before shipping it so I didn't think there would be a problem and obviously even though it was shipped priority mail the shipping insurance won't cover anything here. All I am really out is $18.xx total it could be worse, but its just the point here that i requested it not to be sent back and the buyer didn't even read the message.

anthonyd46 · ‎01-21-2019

They wound up giving me a coupon for the $8.05 return shipping fee. I'm not 100% thrilled with that solution because I now have to buy something I wasn't planning on it would be different if I could use it towards my fees or something, but better than nothing I guess.