Opened a Return - Seller Never Accepted Return - eBay Asked To Step In (Return Is Now Closed)

[retroman_studios]

So I'm not new to eBay, but I wanted to post this and tag tyler@ebay regarding this.

So, I bought a refurbished phone, and it had issues and the screen had some discoloration not mentioned in the description, so I opened a return. Seller does a boiler plate message and wants a tonne of photos with SN/IMEI, so I upload those, but seller provided a photo of a return label but has not accepted the return. 

So I escelate to eBay, as normally, seller accepts return and that in turn will get eBay to show a time indicating action is required on part of buyer (me) and when I mail the item, I can mark it as mailed and eBay will track it. This helps because now eBay can track it and if there is an issue, eBay can step in.

But when I escelated it, eBay said return is now closed. Now I understand it's under review, but perhps you can think of better wording? It seriously freaked me out when in big bold letters it says "This return is now closed". 

[byto253]

Did you click on details?   I had to call recently when a seller sent me an invalid return label and the case was put on hold on hold with the seller having 5 days to fix it.  When I click on the link for return status it says "This return is closed" but when I click on details it says:

eBay Customer Service has placed the case on hold until Mar. xx to allow time to provide additional documentation.

If your issue is resolved, you can close this case without waiting for a response from Customer Service.

So it is a bit of a mixed message.  If you are not seeing that at least, best to call in or contact eBay through their facebook page to verify the status.

[reallynicestamps]

but seller provided a photo of a return label but has not accepted the return.

You mean he sent you a pdf of the label that you could print out, stick on a parcel and ship to him?
I think that is accepting the return, whether he says so or not.

[retroman_studios]

So eBay updated the case and has accepted the return on behalf of the seller, it now shows I have until March 25 to ship the item back.

I prefer to have it this way as some sellers could play cat and mouse and reneg on a refund. This way, eBay is in the loop!

[reallynicestamps]

Some sellers on the dotCOM Boards are terrified that ANY case opened -even those they win- will count against their selling accounts.

tyler@ebay  I understood that if the seller wins  or settles the dispute, there is no blowback on her account.

If a buyer opened a  Not As Described dispute, and I immediately refunded OR if the Dispute were Not As Described and I immediately sent return shipping, refunding on delivery, is the Dispute still a black mark on my record?

While most Disputes are either a difference of opinion or an actual problem, there will be the occasional sketchey dispute- a correctly described red sweater two buttons Sz M returned as NAD even though it is a red sweater with two buttons and the manufacturer's size is M, for example, which properly should be Buyer Remorse.  Would the seller be penalized for paying for the return and refunded promptly?

[pjcdn2005]

There is no unresolved case defect for a not as described request as long as the seller deals with it and ebay does not have to be asked to step in. But a seller still receives a ding on their service metrics for any NAD request even if it is resolved or if it was really a buyers remorse return.  Once the buyer opens a return request using a not as described reason, it affects a seller's service metrics.

https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-performance-policy/service-metrics-policy?...

In the op's case it sounds as if they had to ask ebay to step in so a unresolved case would be given to the seller.

[tyler@ebay]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

Some sellers on the dotCOM Boards are terrified that ANY case opened -even those they win- will count against their selling accounts.

tyler@ebay  I understood that if the seller wins  or settles the dispute, there is no blowback on her account.

If a buyer opened a  Not As Described dispute, and I immediately refunded OR if the Dispute were Not As Described and I immediately sent return shipping, refunding on delivery, is the Dispute still a black mark on my record?

While most Disputes are either a difference of opinion or an actual problem, there will be the occasional sketchey dispute- a correctly described red sweater two buttons Sz M returned as NAD even though it is a red sweater with two buttons and the manufacturer's size is M, for example, which properly should be Buyer Remorse.  Would the seller be penalized for paying for the return and refunded promptly?

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Hi @reallynicestamps - @pjcdn2005 is spot on with the impacts a return would have on a member's account from a metrics perspective. 

With regards to your question, it comes down to the buyer's return reason. If they state it is not as described we would ask you to work with them. If we are asked to step in on such a return it is likely we would ask you to accept the return and provide a means of return shipment. 

[tyler@ebay]

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@retroman_studios wrote:

So I'm not new to eBay, but I wanted to post this and tag tyler@ebay regarding this.

So, I bought a refurbished phone, and it had issues and the screen had some discoloration not mentioned in the description, so I opened a return. Seller does a boiler plate message and wants a tonne of photos with SN/IMEI, so I upload those, but seller provided a photo of a return label but has not accepted the return. 

So I escelate to eBay, as normally, seller accepts return and that in turn will get eBay to show a time indicating action is required on part of buyer (me) and when I mail the item, I can mark it as mailed and eBay will track it. This helps because now eBay can track it and if there is an issue, eBay can step in.

But when I escelated it, eBay said return is now closed. Now I understand it's under review, but perhps you can think of better wording? It seriously freaked me out when in big bold letters it says "This return is now closed". 

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@retroman_studios - good point, that would be jarring for sure! 

I think this is a case of 'eBay terminology' clashing with 'reasonable interpretation'. From an eBay perspective a return request is opened just between you and the seller. When you ask eBay to step in and help it is no longer a return request from an eBay view, it is now an escalated request. So eBay considers that original requst 'closed'. 

Changing that terminology could help a lot I think, even if it's just a matter of changing that 'This return is now closed' to 'eBay has been asked to step into this return, it is under review'. 

I'll get a suggestion made to the powers that be!