handling a return after ebay case closed

[boletuscc]

I got an issue here. I sold out a high-end camera two months ago, for $1950. The buyer is in Korea, and I'm sure that he was using a forwarder. He opened an  ebay case near the end of the 30 days protection. He said the camera screen doesn't work, but I'm sure it worked very well when I sent it out. Anyway, I accepted his request, but he failed to return it on time. Then, ebay closed the case.

After two weeks the ebay case being closed, my buyer told me the package has been sent to me. I looked up the tracking, and it says USPS return service. So, I buess, he used the label I provided. He hasn't opened a a Paypal case yet.

I don't want to try to keep both the camera and the money. So, if the camera is returned with no obvious damaged and abused, I would issue him a refund. Now, I have several questions here:

1. Since the ebay case has been closed, I guess I have to send a refund by paypal. So, after issuing him a refund, am I able to get my final value fee back?

2. The parcel will be held in a USPS office. So, I'll open it in front of an USPS staff. Am I able to open it before signing the package? If not, what should I do if he returned some junk or an empty box? Can I ask USPS staff to provide a written statement?

3. If I can check the parcel before signing it, is it possible to reject the parcel when I find it's junk or empty?

4. Just to double check, even if he is using a forwarder, his paypal buyer protection is vaild, right?

Thank you all!

Thank you!  

[ga-8370]

The return is closed; the buyer is not due a refund.

You cannot get an FVF credit, which is substantial, if you refund. If you partially refund, your buyer could chargeback for the remainder of the refund, plus a chargeback penalty fee.

There's no need to care what's inside the box: You can lose on so many levels. Just mark it Return to sender. There's also a chance you may never receive a box, but the tracking number will be delivered. eBay cannot force you to refund even if the tracking number is delivered now.

If your buyer wants to pursue a PayPal dispute, let them start over with the Returned to Sender box. You'll be contacting PayPal to point out that the buyer already missed the deadline and lost the eBay case.

[dtexley3]

@boletuscc I replied in the original thread.

@ga-8370 The seller needs to be careful here as eBay has been re-opening cases when the buyer complains that they did return the item.  You can no longer trust that a closed case will protect you from a late "return".

[boletuscc]

What do you think about it?

Shall I try to reject the package?

Thank you!

[dtexley3]

No, you should not reject the package.

[boletuscc]

@dtexley3 

So, regardless of eBay decision, he is able to file a dispute in PayPal anyway, right? Thanks.

[pjcdn2005]

Yes regardless of an ebay decision, a buyer can open a claim in Paypal and/or with their credit card.

I  definitely would not refuse the return.

[nh7235]

eBay only reopens a closed return @boletuscc when a buyer proves with tracking that the return was on its way before the deadline, and then eBay closed the return. Read the recent posts reporting why eBay reopens a closed return.

In your case, your buyer didn't even use your no-longer-valid return label until 2 weeks after the return closed, so it will be difficult to claim that the return was already on its way ahead of the deadline. And your buyer is overseas, and considering your buyer's evasiveness, it's unlikely that it's even your item inside the return package.

So now, even if tracking shows that the return is delivered, eBay does not have that basis to reopen the return and force a refund. You know that eBay considers the return invalid because

1. you never got billed for the return label,

2. the held funds were returned to your account, and

3. the FVF awaits your payment for a completed transaction.

It's best to align with eBay and also consider the return invalid and reject the return package if it arrives. The negatives are greater; there is no positive:

1. It's not your item:

You pay the substantial FVF and a full refund, else it becomes a PayPal case.

2. It's your item, damaged:

You pay the substantial FVF and a full refund, else it becomes a PayPal case.

3. It's delivered somewhere in your zip code:

You pay the substantial FVF and a full refund, else it becomes a PayPal case.

And it's not unusual to Return To Sender an eBay Return Service labeled package. Here's one returned for insufficient postage:

So if you reject the return package, your buyer has to start over. If that happens, you now have the time to:

1. Explain to PayPal that the buyer already missed the deadline at eBay.

2. Explain to PayPal that the buyer already missed the deadline at eBay.

3. The USPS provided proof that something was delivered somewhere else.

It's a leg-up.