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? 

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@kattinsanity wrote:

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.

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They did that for one of my sellers.  After it was escalated to eBay and found in my favor they gave the seller five days to refund or provide a label 

[lja440]

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@berserkerplanet wrote:

You can't put FedEx Ground or FedEx SmartPost (SmartPost is FedEx Ground for initial leg) shipments in a FedEx dropbox. FedEx Ground and Express are different companies under the FedEx umbrella with different trucks and drivers, different schedules, and in some case different facilities or areas of facilities.

UPS is all services under one company and you can stick small ground shipments in their dropboxes if they will fit (consider weight and size though - wouldn't want to drop a 35 pound UPS ground box of fishing weights in a dropbox on top of someones express envelope full of bearer bonds or photographs.)

You should be able to call FedEx and schedule a pickup for $4-5 (which would probably have to be charged to a credit card) Might be worth the $4 to get this over with. (1-800 Go FedEx)

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$4 is bad enough but FedEx charges $11.45 to pick-up at my house and demands someone here to pay for the pick-up and hand over the package. All without a schedualed time other than 8am to 8pm.

[lintbrush*]

@myangelandmyprincess

Thanks for that.  I know on high value items, extensions are sometime given but I didn't know if that was the case here.   

[lja440]

I think I would send the seller this and then leave it in their hands:

Dear seller,

Like I have pointed out in previous messages, I have no FedEx close to me. I give you two options. #1 I drop your package in the local FedEx EXPRESS drop box where there is posted a sign that it is NOT for FedEx GROUND. You realize thet they are no longer the same company, don't you? Or #2 You can void this label and send me a return label for either USPS or UPS which are local for me to use. Please answer me within 72 hours as to which you prefer. Like I have stated before FedEx Ground is not an option.

[adamsapple-3]

Sounds to me like the buyer didn't set out to rip the seller off, but since she has the opportunity, she's taking it

[lja440]

Maybe.

[kattinsanity]

I think the OP is being way too overly dramatic over this~~making a mountain out of a molehill.  Spend the 3 bucks and ship it back USPS and get it over and done with.  When a buyer isn't able to or refuses to use the label a seller provides shipping should be out of their own pocket.

I had a buyer who wasn't able to print the return label because she didn't have a printer.  She even called ebay and was told to either print it, pay return shipping herself or don't return it for refund~~her choice.  I'm sure the OP would be told the same thing by ebay if this was a return for refund case.  My buyer paid the return shipping herself and was honorable enough to leave me good feedback because she knew it was HER problem that she couldn't use the label I supplied.  It's too bad some buyers can't admit the problem is THEIRS and not the sellers.

[tennischmp]

Except in this case the buyer is not required to return the item and is doing the seller a favor so why should the buyer be the one to spend the 3 bucks and not the seller, especially since the item was not as described to begin with? 

[robot-hands]

Exactly.

I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone is still talking about this.

If they don't want to send a label the buyer can use or won't pay for FedEx to come pick it up why even communicate with the seller anymore..

I would have have given them two chances and then never thought about it again.

[kattinsanity]

The OP had a somewhat similar problem last year when she didn't attempt to file a return with ebay until after the 30 day time limit.  She was advised to file the return through pay pal.  She then said she "wouldn't mind paying return shipping as long as she got a refund" of her $200.00+.  If she wouldn't mind paying return shipping then, why not pay 3 bucks now?  Because she already has her refund so no need to return.  I bet if she had to return to get refunded now she would be more than happy to pay the return shipping~~as she was last year.

[kattinsanity]

If I may ask again~~doesn't the return label have to be issued through the same carrier as the original shipper?

[adamsapple-3]

It's a scam of opportunity, the Op had the chance and took it.

[missjen831]

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@kattinsanity wrote:

If I may ask again~~doesn't the return label have to be issued through the same carrier as the original shipper?

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No. It doesn’t. And it was originally shipped fedex SmartPost and she received a fedex label. All she needs to do is put the package in a fedex drop box. But for some reason is has been easier to discuss back and forth here than stick the package in the Dropbox.

[kattinsanity]

I find it interesting that the buyer is in Freeport PA. AND 5 miles from Freeport via Freeport Road is a Goin' Postal ship center in the Highlands Mall in Natrona Heights PA..  They ship USPS,  FedEx and even DHL International.   I sure wouldn't think that 5 miles could inconvenience the  OP  that much.

I think if they really want to return the ring they should take that LOOOONG  inconvenient 5 mile drive tomorrow and ship it with the sellers supplied shipping label.  If they consider driving 5 miles a hardship I guess I get the clear "picture"

[berserkerplanet]

Neither FedEx Ground not Smartpost can be "legally" put in a FedEx Express dropbox. And I've never seen a FedEx Ground dropbox.

A Ground package dumped in an express dropbox stands a chance of "accidentally getting lost" if the driver or someone at FedEx can't be bothered to move it from the express side to the ground side (they are separate companies)