What is the correct procedure if Buyer Requests a Return, but Never Ships Item back to the Seller?

[mangorunner]

I am a Seller with a Return Policy of 60-day returns; return shipping paid by the Buyer.  This is a recent return situation I am experiencing:

• Aug 4 - Buyer purchased item

• Aug 8 - Item delivered to Buyer

• Aug 15 - Buyer requested to return item ("too big").  eBay automatically approved and asked the Buyer to send the item back.  eBay messaged me, saying to wait until item received, inspect it, and then have two days to issue refund.

The Return Details page shows that there is a tracking number on the item.  I presume eBay issued a shipping label for the Buyer and that created the tracking number (?).  Today is August 20 and the tracking number still has a status of "Pre-Shipment. USPS awaits item"  so the Buyer has still not shipped the item.

In the Returns Details, eBay states, "The buyer has until Aug 22 to ship the item."

I have not contacted the Buyer about it as the return was already approved by eBay.

Here are my questions:

1.  Would you send a message to the Buyer (and remind them to ship)?  What exactly would you say?

2.  What happens if the Buyer doesn't ship the item by August 22?  I presume "didn't ship" is determined by the lack of USPS tracking scan and we all know those scans get missed occasionally.  Does anything happen automatically within the eBay system on August 23?

3.  If nothing happens automatically within eBay's system, what steps should I take on August 23?

4.  Why does eBay impose a return shipping deadline if the Seller allows 60 days returns?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[pburn · Accepted solution]

---

@mangorunner wrote:

1.  Would you send a message to the Buyer (and remind them to ship)?  What exactly would you say?

I would not send a message to the buyer. The buyer opened the return request and should be responsible for fulfilling the requirements to do so.

---

2.  What happens if the Buyer doesn't ship the item by August 22?  I presume "didn't ship" is determined by the lack of USPS tracking scan and we all know those scans get missed occasionally.  Does anything happen automatically within the eBay system on August 23?

---

You may (or may not) receive a notification from eBay concerning the fact that the buyer has not shipped the item in a timely fashion.

---

3.  If nothing happens automatically within eBay's system, what steps should I take on August 23?

---

 Whether you receive a message or not, you should check the status of the request/case on August 23 and, if available, report that the buyer has not shipped the item. eBay may or may not give the buyer more time to ship.

---

4.  Why does eBay impose a return shipping deadline if the Seller allows 60 days returns?

---

A 60-day return policy means the buyer has 60 days to file a request for a return. It does not mean the buyer has 60 days to return an item once they've filed a request. Once a buyer files the request, the deadlines and time frames for any and all returns is applicable.

[mangorunner]

---

@pburn wrote:

---

@mangorunner wrote:

1.  Would you send a message to the Buyer (and remind them to ship)?  What exactly would you say?

I would not send a message to the buyer. The buyer opened the return request and should be responsible for fulfilling the requirements to do so.

---

2.  What happens if the Buyer doesn't ship the item by August 22?  I presume "didn't ship" is determined by the lack of USPS tracking scan and we all know those scans get missed occasionally.  Does anything happen automatically within the eBay system on August 23?

---

You may (or may not) receive a notification from eBay concerning the fact that the buyer has not shipped the item in a timely fashion.

---

3.  If nothing happens automatically within eBay's system, what steps should I take on August 23?

---

 Whether you receive a message or not, you should check the status of the request/case on August 23 and, if available, report that the buyer has not shipped the item. eBay may or may not give the buyer more time to ship.

---

4.  Why does eBay impose a return shipping deadline if the Seller allows 60 days returns?

---

A 60-day return policy means the buyer has 60 days to file a request for a return. It does not mean the buyer has 60 days to return an item once they've filed a request. Once a buyer files the request, the deadlines and time frames for any and all returns is applicable.

---

Thanks so much for a terrific, complete response!  I appreciate both your time and knowledge. 

For the benefit of others, I will update here after a few days when more has transpired.

[uniwarehousewares]

when buyer not return the item within one week or specified time frame by ebay, very next day you can call ebay and can close the return in your favor, because buyer failed to return the item within time frame, and also report the buyer , some buyers play cheap shots to get partial refund after opening return and when seller do not reply they do not ship the item back, its a very common fishy scam.
i am waiting badly oct 1st so seller could have little more protection else some bad buyers will keep eating from seller plate free of cost.

[mangorunner]

---

@uniwarehousewares wrote:
when buyer not return the item within one week or specified time frame by ebay, very next day you can call ebay and can close the return in your favor, because buyer failed to return the item within time frame, and also report the buyer , some buyers play cheap shots to get partial refund after opening return and when seller do not reply they do not ship the item back, its a very common fishy scam.
i am waiting badly oct 1st so seller could have little more protection else some bad buyers will keep eating from seller plate free of cost.

---

Thank you for the information.  I love your analogy of bad buyers eating from the seller's plate, free of cost.  That's beautiful!

Yes, I agree, I hope the October 1 Seller Protection changes help.  It sure sounds like positive change.  (For anyone interested, read more here and here.)

[mangorunner]

Today is August 23.  When I checked the status of the item this morning, there were no changes:

• Nothing had happened automatically on the item's Return Request within the eBay system after the passage of the August 22 deadline.

• The USPS tracking of the item still shows it in "pre-shipment" status and not received by USPS.

• I have no messages from eBay notifying me of the Buyer's failure to ship the item.

I called eBay Customer Service and requested that the Return Request be closed out.  The Representative opened and then closed a case in my favor (as supported by subsequent eBay messages).  There was no mention by either me or the eBay agent of giving the Buyer more time to return the item.  Here's the case outcome from the case resolution screen:

"The buyer did not return the item to you within the required timeframe. This case will not affect your seller performance. Any feedback left for this transaction will be removed.

Final decision:
This case was found in your favor

Transaction information:
Any remaining funds from this PayPal transaction are available."

I will be monitoring my feedback to make sure that if any negative feedback is left, it is removed.  I will also block this Buyer.

Thanks, everyone, for the help!  This forum is such a wonderful support system!

[leadgard9]

---

@uniwarehousewares wrote:
when buyer not return the item within one week or specified time frame by ebay, very next day you can call ebay and can close the return in your favor, because buyer failed to return the item within time frame, and also report the buyer , some buyers play cheap shots to get partial refund after opening return and when seller do not reply they do not ship the item back, its a very common fishy scam.
i am waiting badly oct 1st so seller could have little more protection else some bad buyers will keep eating from seller plate free of cost.

---

If you want more protection, do free returns. I was super against it before, until I realized just how much it benefits sellers. Feedback protection, AND you get to charge up to 50%. Even if it's a SNAD... which I think is weird... but with how many fake snads I've gotten, I'm ok with it. But some sellers can send you literal garbage, and still charge you 50% AND be protected from neg....

[leadgard9]

---

@mangorunner wrote:

Today is August 23.  When I checked the status of the item this morning, there were no changes:

• Nothing had happened automatically on the item's Return Request within the eBay system after the passage of the August 22 deadline.

• The USPS tracking of the item still shows it in "pre-shipment" status and not received by USPS.

• I have no messages from eBay notifying me of the Buyer's failure to ship the item.

I called eBay Customer Service and requested that the Return Request be closed out.  The Representative opened and then closed a case in my favor (as supported by subsequent eBay messages).  There was no mention by either me or the eBay agent of giving the Buyer more time to return the item.  Here's the case outcome from the case resolution screen:

"The buyer did not return the item to you within the required timeframe. This case will not affect your seller performance. Any feedback left for this transaction will be removed.

Final decision:
This case was found in your favor

Transaction information:
Any remaining funds from this PayPal transaction are available."

I will be monitoring my feedback to make sure that if any negative feedback is left, it is removed.  I will also block this Buyer.

Thanks, everyone, for the help!  This forum is such a wonderful support system!

---

They will not remove negative feedback if it's left. That is not a reason to have it removed, that ebay agrees with.

Also, be-careful, because the buyer can still open a paypal return, and if he loses that, can then open a charge back assuming they used a card.

[mangorunner]

---

@leadgard9 wrote:

---

---

They will not remove negative feedback if it's left. That is not a reason to have it removed, that ebay agrees with.

---

Interesting and confusing, if you are right.  Both the case resolution page and an eBay message state, verbatim: "Any feedback left for this transaction will be removed. "

---

@leadgard9 wrote:

---

Also, be-careful, because the buyer can still open a paypal return, and if he loses that, can then open a charge back assuming they used a card.

---

Oh, wow, that's right.  Thanks for the reminder about that.  I knew it but it slipped my mind.

[fa_8305]

---

@mangorunner wrote:

---

@leadgard9 wrote:

---

---

They will not remove negative feedback if it's left. That is not a reason to have it removed, that ebay agrees with.

---

Interesting and confusing, if you are right.  Both the case resolution page and an eBay message state, verbatim: "Any feedback left for this transaction will be removed. "

---

Unfortunately, @leadgard9 is not quite correct (bluespeak for absolutely wrong). When a return is closed in order to open a case, and then that case is closed in favor of the seller, feedback is blocked / removed if already left.

---

@mangorunner wrote:

@leadgard9 wrote:Also, be-careful, because the buyer can still open a paypal return, and if he loses that, can then open a charge back assuming they used a card.

---

Oh, wow, that's right.  Thanks for the reminder about that.  I knew it but it slipped my mind.

---

Your buyer can still mail the return for a PayPal or credit card dispute using the label you issued for the closed eBay dispute; USPS will still honor that label. Can you come back @mangorunner with an update if that happens, and check if eBay bills you on your monthly invoice for that label?

[mangorunner]

---

@fa_8305 wrote:

---

---

Unfortunately, @leadgard9 is not quite correct (bluespeak for absolutely wrong). When a return is closed in order to open a case, and then that case is closed in favor of the seller, feedback is blocked / removed if already left.

Thanks for the correct info.  Too funny, the bluespeak.  Thanks for the laugh!

---

@fa_8305 wrote:

---

Your buyer can still mail the return for a PayPal or credit card dispute using the label you issued for the closed eBay dispute; USPS will still honor that label. Can you come back @mangorunner with an update if that happens, and check if eBay bills you on your monthly invoice for that label?

---

Just a technicality, but eBay issued the label (not me).  If a Seller's Return Policy is to accept returns, eBay approves the Return Request automatically and issues the return label to the Buyer.  I found the tracking number in the Returns Request details.

Yes, I will absolutely post an update if there is any further activity with regard to this item.

Thanks again, everyone, for all the good info!

[mangorunner]

---

@fa_8305 wrote:

---

Your buyer can still mail the return for a PayPal or credit card dispute using the label you issued for the closed eBay dispute; USPS will still honor that label. Can you come back @mangorunner with an update if that happens, and check if eBay bills you on your monthly invoice for that label?

---

I just re-read your post.  How/why would eBay bill me for the return shipping label when my Return Policy is "Returns are accepted within 60-Day returns; return shipping will be paid by the Buyer"?   How, at this point, could eBay possibly decide it is proper to bill me for the return shipping label?!