Returning multiple items to same seller on same purchase

[crimeariver1]

I'm having trouble finding a straight answer that makes sense -- hope the Community can help me out!

I bought five items of clothing from the same seller on one transaction, and I need to return three.  But when I choose "Return Item" in the drop-down menu in my Purchase History, each item wants to generate a separate return mailing label for $5 a pop -- that's three packages and $15.  

I asked the seller if she knew a trick to accomplish this -- one package and one fee -- and she told me to mail them back and she'll refund my money, but I don't want to go outside the eBay/PayPal system for my refund in case something goes wrong.

Can anyone advise (something other than I have to use three labels and pay three fees, or take them to the PO myself)?  Thanks!

[sam9876]

Why do you want to return those items?

[mczombies]

I don't know how to combine multiple item returns onto one label, but I do question why you are so reluctant to send the items directly back to the seller.  Of course, only if the seller is pretty well established here on eBay--I take it these weren't the seller's first 5 sales, right?

From what you said it appears that the seller has been courteous and professional about the return--I know that I would be irritated as all get out if you wanted to return 3 out of 5 items--what a headache. Although I assume that YOU are paying to return them? These are remorse returns, right? So, kudos to you for being honest.  And if these are "Items not as Described" returns and you are looking to help your seller avoid extra costs--then that is a nice thing to do also. It is always a wonderful thing when buyers and sellers seek to do the right thing here. As I believe your seller is trying to do.

Let me put this into perspective for you. You purchased 5 items--you have the ability to leave 5 separate negative feedbacks for this seller. And you can leave feedback for 60 days--your return should be resolved WAY before then. Also, the seller will lose all the fees that eBay and Paypal collected from them by allowing you to send the items back directly to them.  So, figure about 15% fo the TOTAL sale--including all shipping costs. Then they have to refund you--so the seller is going to lose money on this deal, no matter what. But it seems to me that they are trying to do the nice thing here--especially if they offered free shipping to begin with--did they? Then they lost all that money too.

If the seller has not given you a hard time about the return--and you should be able to judge what kind of seller they are based upon messages, feedback, etc.--I don't know where the reluctance comes in to play. No seller in their right mind, no matter how many sales they have, wants 5 negatives--most sellers can't even stand the thought of one. And if the threat of negative feedback is bad enough for the seller, there are other ways for you to re-coup your money--plenty of them. 

eBay has somehow gotten buyers to believe that they need to always use the returns system, when it isn't even necessary most of the time. Most sellers, just like most buyers are honest people--who care about their little businesses, and don't want any problems or drama. I actually appreciate when buyers contact me directly and ask to return something--especially now that eBay is tracking all of our returns so closely. They keep a running total of the percentage of sellers returns, and that percentage can have all kinds of repurcussions for sellers (some of which remain scarily unclear right now). So, in a way you are doing them a favor too.

I know others might disagree, and spout off about buyer protection--blah, blah,blah--but the truth is, buyers here have the upper hand, and you can damage the seller and their business far more than they could ever hurt you. The chances of them taking your money are slim to none, and the chances of anything going wrong are basically nonexistant--I've mailed 2000 packages this last year--only one was lost. I'm sure you will be fine. Unless your purchases are from China--then that is a totally different story.

[robot-hands]

Just do it yourself and upload the tracking into the return.

Doing that won't make the cover of Big Whoop Magazine.

[chrysylys]

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@crimeariver1 wrote:

Can anyone advise (something other than I have to use three labels and pay three fees, or take them to the PO myself)?  Thanks!

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Sure.  Don't return things you buy that aren't outright defective.

List them for sale here and learn what sellers have to face every day.

[creoleorchid · Accepted solution]

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@crimeariver1 wrote:

I'm having trouble finding a straight answer that makes sense -- hope the Community can help me out!

I bought five items of clothing from the same seller on one transaction, and I need to return three.  But when I choose "Return Item" in the drop-down menu in my Purchase History, each item wants to generate a separate return mailing label for $5 a pop -- that's three packages and $15.  

I asked the seller if she knew a trick to accomplish this -- one package and one fee -- and she told me to mail them back and she'll refund my money, but I don't want to go outside the eBay/PayPal system for my refund in case something goes wrong.

Can anyone advise (something other than I have to use three labels and pay three fees, or take them to the PO myself)?  Thanks!

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This sounds like it was not one transaction but 5. You may have paid for them in one payment, but if you're getting 3 different labels then you made 3 different purchases.

Anyway, since you're paying for the postage, just put them all together and buy the postage for the one box yourself. Then upload the tracking number into the return request.

[tkinnebrew]

Look at all those genius replies you've gotten.  You should thank God.  What a blessing!

Anyways, that was a joke, and in all seriousness: yes, this is a problem.

It's still going on, anytime you buy 2 items from one seller you get 2 return labels to print.  We put them both in one package and there is NO WAY to change your tracking number on one of the items.  Go ahead and believe whatever your brains tell you, but I'm telling you what happened TODAY.  2 items off of a 40 item invoice, the return system wanted us to send them back in 2 packages with different tracking.  As of now the system doesn't recognize that we shipped the other item, so it is up to the seller to give us credit or not.  We'll see.  50/50 , at the most 🙂

[hafoster]

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@tkinnebrew wrote:

Look at all those genius replies you've gotten.  You should thank God.  What a blessing!

anytime you buy 2 items from one seller you get 2 return labels to print. 

Go ahead and believe whatever your brains tell you, but I'm telling you what happened TODAY.

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Hi @tkinnebrew, do you have a calendar?

And how does my brains, all of them, read this:
 
Can buyers initiate a single return for more than one item?
No. Unless they were purchased as part of a multi-quantity item, buyers must initiate a return for each item individually.

[tkinnebrew]

quality humor noted.  just saying it seems like neither the buyer or seller wins here.  taxation without representation?  kidding.  go on.  we lost that battle long ago.