Shipping Problem

[danny2314]

Let's begin with me saying thank you in advance for your interest and or help with this matter; please know that you are appreciated.  I really hope that there is an easy solution to this that's been right in front of me for a few days now.

I have a problem that I can't find an answer to:  I made an international sale (my first, wth) at the end of September and, quick version, the buyer missed the delivery so the item is en route back to me.  By the time the package does get back to me, over 60 days will have passed since I mailed it.   There was a case opened, and eBay made good on the Seller Protection Plan.  The underlying problem is that I want to be fair to the buyer, despite the fact that the buyer tried to get me to pay for 3 missed delivery attempts, and now I have a person that is eager to work this out.  The item is a custom design that was a last second auction win for the buyer; as the artist I am surprisingly compelled to try and see this through.  The rest of me, and all of my wife, is confused as to why.  Silly with scruples.

If the item finds its way back to me undamaged, the logistical problem I am faced with is creating an invoice for the buyer that is only for shipping.  I have made a few attempts to get eBay to help me with this but they are shuffling me through different customer services or linking me to the seller help site.  The sale is over 30 days old and now closed so I do not have invoice options through the original sale.  Can I create a personal invoice, private listing, or anything for this transaction to send to the buyer?  I can figure out the tax and fee markup if I make it to that step.  Thanks again.

[slippinjimmy]

---

@danny2314 wrote:

Thanks for this insight, you just saved me an omission of at least $20. As soon as I started reading about added fees I remembered that eBay charges $20 (it might be $25) just for having a case opened on you, and I believe regardless of outcome. As for covering the shipping cost I am leaning toward creating a new listing that I can tailor to the buyer and bundle in the item with shipping cost, if amenable, or the buyer can leave it be. I have put a ton of effort into this and it wasn’t necessary for a case to be opened before trying to communicate the problem to me. I am getting compensated for services rendered.  I also don’t want to get away from this platform if the buyer is trying to be shady plus the shipping calculator saves me from myself. 

---

This is not accurate. The only time there is a $20 fee is if the buyer opens a claim directly with their credit card company. Claims placed directly with eBay do not have any additional fees unless you fail to resolve and eBay has to do it for you, in that case your original FVF's are not refunded but there is still no $20 charge (which is ONLY for credit card chargebacks).

[team_xtreme_store]

Use eBay's Global Shipping Program and stop messing with international orders.  Let them deal with it.

I've been using GSP since it's inception. It's the ONE thing eBay got right. Except for the occasional knucklehead customer who see it land in Kentucky and sends a nasty email about that without looking to see it still shows en-route and that they have 2 tracking numbers!

[danny2314]

Thanks for the information. I do admit that I have more research to do on this to be sure of everything. My top takeaway, as the eBay articles summarize, is that I need to sit on this until the next billing period so that I have a complete list of fees to work through. I am also seeing a pattern of responders advising me to get away from this buyer. So, I suppose that I should wait 30 days to be sure that the buyer doesn’t appeal the decision when I have already mailed it back? Seems like waiting that long would surely initiate an appeal if the situation was reversed. I am probably reading too much into it. 

[danny2314]

I did, and I don’t plan on not using it again for certain. The tracking data was very detailed once I realized that there were 2 tracking numbers and one reference number. DHL couldn’t be bothered to even try to help me, which sent me all the way down the rabbit hole. Learning things!

[glenvonnie]

I suspect the buyer wanted the item but he wanted it for free, I've had this happen several times with international shipments where the buyer won't pick an item up and opens an INR case.

It didn't work out for him so now he still wants the item, I would send him a refund minus your costs and block him.

This is an old trick.

[danny2314]

Thank you for this; perspective is one of the things I really needed and now I believe that avoiding this buyer is the smart move. I don’t have the money to cover a refund. 

I know I got lucky that the buyer did not do a chargeback through their payment source, but what it means for me is that I have the item and his money and I can’t leave it like that. 

I am still working it out, obviously, but the plan is going to be either refund or send it again, at their expense plus my costs, tax and eBay fees. If I end up getting hosed for trying to do the right thing, then that’s familiar territory.