Seller refunded now wants return, but won't send me a proper shipping label. What to do?

[annabauer111867]

I bought a ring for over $200, when i recieved it it was a smaller carat weight than described. I opened a case for return and the seller did not get back to me in 7 days so I asked ebay to step in. During the last day they had before the case was forfeited in my favor they responded by giving a full refund. Ebay closed the case. 

I figured they didnt want the item back. Then a few days later they are messaging me with instructions to return the item on my dime. I said they need to send a prepaid label. They send me a prepaid fedex ground. I do not have a fedex store near me and Im not willing to travel to return this item. I asked them for a usps or ups label instead and they said they dont do that and sorry for the inconvenience. 

So what do I do? They're making it difficult for me to return their item. Do I have to pay for a usps label myself? Do I keep the item? I've never been in this situation. What's the protocol here? 

[tofu107]

Kitty,
You beat me to it.
I would flip burger and make minimum wage if I cant afford 2.61 or 48 cents with a recycled envelope.

[tofu107]

me too,and I JUST FOUND THIS THREAD

[rixstuff]

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@jason_incognito wrote:

This shows a big point that I have an issue with. So many act like the fact that the seller issues a refund makes the buyer whole. Sometimes it can be a pain in the behind to return something, and we didn't ask for that.

If I can slap the label on the box and leave it on the stoop, maybe, but having to get in the car and drive all over town to find a drop box so that you can get it back cheaply? No thanks. As a seller I don't ship Fed Ex because it would be such a pain to do so. I most certainly aint gonna to go find a Fed Ex location to save the seller a few bucks.

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Im with you! I cringe when items ship UPS because our UPS is such a disaster in our neighborhood. They only deliver 9-5 M-F when people are at work, there is NOWHERE to go pick it up, and they have often found one person home on the street and left all the packages for the street with that person - even if we dont know them and because they make them sign, it shows "delivered".  And of course if you dont know the person and they dont know you how do you find out if htey have your package? HATE HATE HATE UPS. 

[rixstuff]

At the risk of sounding like a total scumbag, you dont REALLY have to return it at this point.  It is pretty awesome that you are trying though.  Ebay, Paypal, and the seller should have made you return the item BEFORE the refund but they dropped the ball. I say get their address off the FedEx label and ship it any way you want to as long as it is cheap and convenient for you.

[missjen831]

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@rixstuff wrote:

At the risk of sounding like a total scumbag, you dont REALLY have to return it at this point.  It is pretty awesome that you are trying though.  Ebay, Paypal, and the seller should have made you return the item BEFORE the refund but they dropped the ball. I say get their address off the FedEx label and ship it any way you want to as long as it is cheap and convenient for you.

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Why should the OP pay out of pocket when she was issued a label? All she has to do is put it in the drop box.

[rixstuff]

I live in the big old city (Washington DC) but I recognize that not everywhere HAS FedEx dropboxes or UPS centers.  They do have USPS post offices though.

[missjen831]

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@rixstuff wrote:

I live in the big old city (Washington DC) but I recognize that not everywhere HAS FedEx dropboxes or UPS centers.  They do have USPS post offices though.

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The OP has stated that there is a drop box. And that she does not want to pay For shipping. So that is why the question remains, why should she pay for a USPS label when she has a prepaid fedex lax and a local drop box? 

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@missjen831 wrote:

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@rixstuff wrote:

I live in the big old city (Washington DC) but I recognize that not everywhere HAS FedEx dropboxes or UPS centers.  They do have USPS post offices though.

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The OP has stated that there is a drop box. And that she does not want to pay For shipping. So that is why the question remains, why should she pay for a USPS label when she has a prepaid fedex lax and a local drop box? 

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I think it's because people were saying that ground packages didn't go in the drop box.  

Since the seller willingly refunded I do think the buyer should be sending this back with the label provided.   The seller could have choose return for a refund the op would have used whatever label provided no matter how inconvenient and waited to receive their refund until it was returned and the seller then issued the refund. But because the seller issued the refund immediately the buyer doesn't want to be unconvinced by sending it back.    Sorry that's just wrong.  

[lintbrush*]

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@myangelandmyprincess wrote:

I think it's because people were saying that ground packages didn't go in the drop box.  

Since the seller willingly refunded I do think the buyer should be sending this back with the label provided.   The seller could have choose return for a refund the op would have used whatever label provided no matter how inconvenient and waited to receive their refund until it was returned and the seller then issued the refund. But because the seller issued the refund immediately the buyer doesn't want to be unconvinced by sending it back.    Sorry that's just wrong.  

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Funny, I still don't get that vibe that the seller voluntarily refunded.  They didn't reply for 7 days.  Buyer asked eBay to Step In.  Isn't it out of the seller's hands then and a done deal that eBay decides?

I don't remember the wording when a refund is forced, but it may say that eBay decided in the buyer's favor and the seller has issued a [forced] refund.  We'd have to see the return case message that the OP received - and even then it may not indicate if it is a voluntary refund.

[snowandsmoke]

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@lintbrush* wrote:

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@myangelandmyprincess wrote:

I think it's because people were saying that ground packages didn't go in the drop box.  

Since the seller willingly refunded I do think the buyer should be sending this back with the label provided.   The seller could have choose return for a refund the op would have used whatever label provided no matter how inconvenient and waited to receive their refund until it was returned and the seller then issued the refund. But because the seller issued the refund immediately the buyer doesn't want to be unconvinced by sending it back.    Sorry that's just wrong.  

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Funny, I still don't get that vibe that the seller voluntarily refunded.  They didn't reply for 7 days.  Buyer asked eBay to Step In.  Isn't it out of the seller's hands then and a done deal that eBay decides?

I don't remember the wording when a refund is forced, but it may say that eBay decided in the buyer's favor and the seller has issued a [forced] refund.  We'd have to see the return case message that the OP received - and even then it may not indicate if it is a voluntary refund.

Reread the opening post, the seller refunded just before the deadline 

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[snowandsmoke]

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@missjen831 wrote:

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@rixstuff wrote:

I live in the big old city (Washington DC) but I recognize that not everywhere HAS FedEx dropboxes or UPS centers.  They do have USPS post offices though.

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The OP has stated that there is a drop box. And that she does not want to pay For shipping. So that is why the question remains, why should she pay for a USPS label when she has a prepaid fedex lax and a local drop box? 

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Because she doesn't really want to return it...

[lintbrush*]

@snowandsmoke

I've read it a few times.

Once a buyer asks eBay to step in, it's out of the seller's hands.  The deadline to use return for refund has already passed.  I wonder if the phrasing made it look like the seller refunded voluntarily. 

[annabauer111867]

I'm no longer interested in engaging in the rest of the conversation at this point but I will add the message that ebay sent for "science."

I assumed the seller refunded voluntarily based on eBay's wording. I brought Ebay in on the 7th day. They said to wait another 5 days and if the seller didnt respond they would refund me and close the case. I got this message on the 5th day but there was still time. 

"Hi annabauer111867,
Good news! We let the seller know the item wasn't as described, and the seller issued you a full refund. This request is now closed.


Refund information:
A full refund of $229.99 was issued on Dec 26, 2017. The refund includes the purchase price plus original shipping and was issued to the same payment method you used to pay for the item.

Please log in into PayPal and view the History page if you don't see it in your PayPal balance."

[castlemagicmemories]

I had this happen several years ago.

I had asked for a USPS label but they sent FEDEX or UPS.  I went to schedule a pick up online and found that they would charge $10.00 for it.

That was NOT going to happen, so I complained to the seller.  Explained I am very far from one of these stores.  I found a pick up box in the next town but the box did not fit in it.  Please send USPS label.  Had to complain to the site, (no it was not here) and they had her send the USPS label.  Seller said she would have sent it to me if I had asked.  I pointed out that I had. 

The kicker is this was for an item I ordered, and they were out of stock, so they just substituted, without asking me, another similar item, which I already had.

Seller said it seemed there was no pleasing me!  I said most places would not just substitute something else, they would contact you to see IF you wanted something else or a refund, and none of this was MY mistake.

Never bought there again. 

[kattinsanity]

It's been my experience that when a case is opened & the seller hasn't responded in 7 days, buyer asks ebay to step in & a decision is made on the spot in the buyers favor & they get a FORCED refund.  They don't give a seller 5 more days to respond.  The seller already had 7 days.

Now~~If a buyer opens a case and the seller agrees to a refund upon return the buyer has FIVE days to return.  If they haven't shipped it by-on day 5 the seller can call ebay on day 6 and close the case in the sellers favor.  That's the only 5 day time limit I've heard of once a case has been opened.  I haven't heard of ebay giving a seller a 5 day extention after 7 days has already passed from a case being opened.