Return label for an item already returned?

[gunnerk19]

I ordered an item that took nearly three weeks to arrive, despite the sellers claim of "Free delivery in four days". I was on a deadline to complete a project I needed the item for, so I sourced it locally and told the seller that upon arrival I was going to send it back. The seller said just refuse the delivery and when they got the item back they would start my refund.

Well, I did that. It arrived on 4/9, I refused it and they got it back on 4/11. Funny how they supposedly shipped it out on 4/25 and I didn't get it until the 9th, but it only took USPS two days to get it back to them.

I asked about my refund, and they said to start a return in order to have it done. Now I'm getting a message from ebay saying to print a return label, or mark it as shipped and provide a tracking number. 

Well, since it was returned as refused, there is no tracking number other than the one the seller used to send the thing out, and it won't accept that as a valid tracking number. They've already gotten their item back, I'm not printing a shipping label for an item that's already been returned, so how do I go about getting my money back? There's no way that I can find to actually talk with anyone from ebay directly to try and work this out.

[orangehound]

So frustrating.  Sorry that you are going through a much larger headache than necessary.

eBay doesn't accommodate your situation with their policies well, so it can be a bit of a kludge to get this settled.

A few things ...

1. When you refused the package, you voided your rights under the Money Back Guarantee policy.  eBay's policy reads:  "Generally, the buyer is responsible for accepting the item when it arrives. If the buyer refuses delivery, their claim is not eligible for the eBay Money Back Guarantee."   The Money Back Guarantee is generally what you would lean on to get your money refunded ... a delivery past deadlines is considered "Not as Described".   Let's hope your seller is honest.
2. However, the seller appears to have given you permission to do this refusal - it is a seller trick to avoid return postage on a MBG claim.  Hopefully this advice from the seller is in your eBay messages ... it doesn't count if it is in your personal email.
3. The seller is asking you to start a return, because this is how they can get a refund of their selling fees after a refund.

With that said, here is what I would do.

1. Call eBay customer service and explain the situation, pointing out the communications from the buyer.  They should be able to get the return marked as delivered ... and this will then trigger the refund.  The phone number for eBay can be found by clicking on the "Help & Contact" link at the bottom of every page, and then going down to the bottom of the page where you will see a "Call us" button ... navigate Call Us >> Returns & Refunds >> Return an Item for a Refund.
2. If the customer service representative doesn't understand your English and then "escalates" the refund claim rather than marking it as returned, it could be turned down because a software robot or CS minion will reject it because there is no "return" on the claim ... sigh ... then you'll need to appeal the decision in order to get a real human to look at the situation.
3. If you get completely stonewalled by eBay and/or the refund doesn't happen, my next step would be to file a claim with my Credit Card company for an item Not as Described (Shipping too late) and refused/returned but not refunded.

[gunnerk19]

 Past and future messages with the seller are in my ebay message folder. I won't be able to actually call ebay until maybe Tuesday morning, still getting the run around from the seller. I asked why I need to print a shipping label for an item they got back a week ago and all they said was "Hi! We have already provided return information."

I also find it odd the items shipped from Dixon, CA but the seller's return address is in Providence, RI.

The purchase price was only ten and a half bucks, but money is money and I would think the seller would simply complete the refund like they stated they would and not risk getting dinged on their DSR. Although, I did look yesterday and they have 23 Negative feedback ratings in the past month, and 89 Negative in the past six months. That seems like a lot and doesn't really inspire confidence in their being forthright about things.

[daw365]

eBay won't be able to refund when you call on Tuesday: You need return tracking to get a refund. The eBay community team has long ago said here on the boards that if the seller writes in eBay messages to refuse the delivery or to return to a different address, for examples, and you comply, you get a refund.

So print out all the messages, plus the tracking showing refused and returned to sender, then highlight for the seller to see and read their own instructions for you 1. to refuse the delivery to get a refund and 2. to start a return to get a refund. Since the seller deliberately issued a label instead of immediately refunding, which was an option in response to you complying and starting a return request, when the return tracking shows delivered, your seller has 2 business days to refund, as originally promised, or eBay will force the refund.

This is exactly what you would do if you file a credit card chargeback with the reason Good returned, credit not received: Send a document that the item was returned to the seller, but instead of showing the tracking to the seller for the eBay return, showing the tracking to the card issuer for the chargeback.

[gunnerk19]

Thanks, the return tracking upon refusal already shows it was delivered back on 4/11. That's why I'm wondering why I need to print a return shipping label that's not going to do anything?

[orangehound]

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@gunnerk19 wrote:

I also find it odd the items shipped from Dixon, CA but the seller's return address is in Providence, RI.

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That sounds like a drop shipper.  They might be from RI, or they could be from some place like China or Lithuania.

[ste-9405]

The seller pays for it, and it's going to get you your refund.

[gunnerk19]

So. I just print off the shipping label and sit on it?

[disneyshopper]

Print the shipping label, attach it to an envelope with all of the printouts of the messages between you and the seller.  Once the tracking number shows DELIVERED, the seller has 2 business days to refund you.

When you filed the Returns Request, the seller should have just refunded at that point.

[dare-2046 · Accepted solution]

No, the tracking number on the return label must show delivered back to the seller for you to get your refund, which your devious seller already dangled twice: First if you refuse the delivery, and second if you you start a return. This will be the third time.

Since your seller sent you a return label, you should use it.

[gunnerk19]

Got it. Thanks, I'll give it a try.

[gunnerk19]

Got my refund. Thanks for all the help!