Should I decline a return request?

[gapru85]

A buyer just asked for a refund and sent photos of a broken item which isn't even similar to the item I shipped. Apparently, he's trying to get the item I shipped free. I contacted the buyer and sent him a photo of the item I shipped and haven't heard back from him. Meanwhile, eBay commenced a return process for which I apparently can't reverse. I'd appreciate any advice or experience anyone has had in this area.

[sam9876]

Accept the return.

[mycarolinavintage]

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@gapru85 wrote:

A buyer just asked for a refund and sent photos of a broken item which isn't even similar to the item I shipped. Apparently, he's trying to get the item I shipped free. I contacted the buyer and sent him a photo of the item I shipped and haven't heard back from him. Meanwhile, eBay commenced a return process for which I apparently can't reverse. I'd appreciate any advice or experience anyone has had in this area.

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I suggest you call eBay ASAP and explain. Hopefully your communications with this buyer are through your ebay messages and not emails. Ebay can easily access the messages and verify your account of the transaction and the photos. They will consider the "evidence".  Don't assume you can not win this case. Good luck.

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Energy surely flows where attention goes.

[orangehound]

If a buyer claims that an item is not as described, you are mostly powerless to defend against the return ... eBay's new process is that they automatically accept the return, and they provide a return shipping label for the product.

The only thing you can do now is wait.  If the buyer doesn't ship within five business days, you can call eBay and ask them to close the return because the buyer didn't ship it back.

If the buyer does send it back, and you want to object to the return, you can do this by calling eBay ... but, over the last 6 months they have rarely sided with sellers, and if you escalate things you could find yourself not only refunding the money but losing your rebate of eBay and Pay Pal feels and getting a seller defect.

[mam98031]

Ebay did NOT "commence a return process", your buyer did.  

You really don't have a lot of choice at this point.  Accept the return and issue the buyer a return label.  If after 5 business days your buyer doesn't ship it back, on day 6 call Ebay and have them close the request.  

Just leave the buyer alone, chances are they won't ship anything back since they aren't responding you to.  Just accept the return, issue the label and then wait.