Wrong Address used by buyer, address did not exist. What do I do?

[flythewshop]

I sold an item on March 28, shipped it the next day, today I saw on eBay and confirmed through USPS that the address the buyer used did not exist. So the package has been marked as return to sender.

What do I do as a seller now?

[orangehound]

1. Wait to receive the item back.
2. Contact the seller and inform them that the package was returned due to the postal service claiming the address is incorrect ... ask the buyer to verify the address.
3. If the buyer claims the address is correct, contact the destination post office and verify.  Sometimes an inexperienced carrier simply rejects the address ... you can then work with your local USPS branch and get the package reshipped for free due to carrier error.
4. If the address is incorrect, then either (a) you reship at your own expense, or (b) you inform the buyer that you will reship if they provide additional postage for a reship due to their error.
5. If 4(b) is refused or ignored by the buyer, then (a) block the buyer, (b) cancel the transaction due to problem with buyer address, and (c) relist.

[te_1556]

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@flythewshop wrote:

I sold an item on March 28, shipped it the next day, today I saw on eBay and confirmed through USPS that the address the buyer used did not exist. So the package has been marked as return to sender.

What do I do as a seller now?

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eBay treats all delivery failures as successfully delivered:

For now, don't poke the sleeping bear. Come back here if your buyer opens a case.

[flythewshop]

Thank you for taking the time to reply and help me out!

If the buyer would like the item reshipped back to him, how would I A) request the money for the postage? and B) print out a new label for him through eBay?

[tracdea1]

Refund the buyer as soon as the item is back in your possession, then block that buyer!

[tracdea1]

You don't really want to re-ship the item. For one, the buyer already used a fake address (RED FLAG). And for two, you will receive a late shipment mark for re-shipping it after the handling date. Just refund when you get it back, because it will show on tracking as "delivered", and if you owe the person no money, they can't even open a case on you.

[ga-8370]

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@tracdea1 wrote:
Just refund when you get it back, because it will show on tracking as "delivered", and if you owe the person no money, they can't even open a case on you.

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This is correct @flythewshop because eBay software is so stupid

it thinks "Delivered to Original Sender"

after it comes back from e.g. "Alert: No Such Number"

is actually "Status: Delivered" to the buyer, who then cannot open a case.

PayPal and credit card issuers OTOH are smarter.