eBay

cabinboy15 · ‎02-02-2023

Purchased a lighter from the States. It appears the shipment was refused (border security issue?) and is supposedly being returned to the seller. After a few days I reached out for a refund but was advised it would be sent when he gets the item back.

Is this normal eBay protocol? Why am I waiting when it's a shipping problem & what if it never arrives back with the seller?

femmefan1946 · ‎02-02-2023

Yes. Neither the seller nor the buyer can have BOTH money and item.

At the moment, the seller does have your money (unless it has been Held, but that's another story) but does not have his item.

You don't have the item either.

Once it is delivered (can you see tracking?) the Seller will be much happier about refunding you.

It will be interesting to learn why the lighter was refused, and perhaps helpful for future purchases. Keeping in touch with the seller and staying polite would be useful here.

pjcdn2005 · ‎02-02-2023

If the lighter was shipped through one of ebays shipping programs they probably refused to ship the lighter in case there was lighter fluid in it at one time. Even if the seller doesn't receive it back you should still be refunded. The fact that the lighter is being returned to him is out of your control so if it were me, I would have refunded you right away. Perhaps he feels 'safer' waiting until he gets it back.

If you end up having to file an item not received claim after it has been delivered to him the bots might think that since it was delivered, that you must have it. They may not notice the delivery location. So if you do have to open a claim, you might want to contact customer service first so that you don't end up having to appeal. But if the seller is smart, they will refund you before you can file a claim so you probably don't have to worry about it.

cabinboy15 · ‎02-02-2023

I guess a lighter needs to marked hazardous.

If I returned it, I would understand the hesitancy to refund me but it was an issue with either the postal service or border security. Either way, I wasn't involved with the shipping so wondering if I should be waiting according to eBay rules.

He did say it could take a while which (to me) means no refund if the item doesn't make it's way back to him.... which I have no control over.

marnotom! · ‎02-02-2023

What shipping method is stated on the listing page?

cabinboy15 · ‎02-02-2023

I've never been in this position before.... is filing a claim my next step? It's a small ticket item but don't need it dragging on for months.

His only communication so far has been 'waiting for item prior to refund.... could take a while'. If it's tied up at customs, who knows if/when it will be returned in a timely manner.

Tracking stated:

The item is being returned to the seller.

We'll update you as soon as more info is available.

coral-223 · ‎02-02-2023

He did say it could take a while which (to me) means no refund if the item doesn't make it's way back to him.... which I have no control over.

Maybe he's worried that before the package gets back into his hands, the delivery people will change their minds and decide to deliver it to you after all. 😂 Some sellers are paranoid like that.

It appears the shipment was refused (border security issue?) and is supposedly being returned to the seller.

Your wording conveys uncertainty, but you're right to be uncertain. In my experience, tracking updates sometimes can convey ambiguous/misleading information, so I can understand why the seller would want the item back into his hands rather than put his full trust on the tracking updates.

pjcdn2005 · ‎02-02-2023

There really aren't any rules to cover this situation. The general rule is that if you can file an item not received claim the day after the estimated delivery date.
Do you know how it was shipped and where was the last stop before you got the message about it being sent back?

cabinboy15 · ‎02-03-2023

Showing as....

US $13.95 (approx C $18.56) USPS First Class Mail International / First Class Package International Service.

International shipment of items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.

The seller will not accept returns for this item.

*I suppose the fact he doesn't accept returns is making things problomatic getting my refund in a timely manner

cabinboy15 · ‎02-03-2023

The item was originally shipped from Portland, OR & ended up at a consolidation center in Redondo Beach, CA (Jan 16)..... nowhere close to the border.

Only states it was shipped through 'eBay delivery services' and is currently 'in transit'. No updates since then so the updates have discontinued or the item has been sitting there for a couple weeks now.

marnotom! · ‎02-03-2023

@cabinboy15 wrote:

Showing as....

US $13.95 (approx C $18.56) USPS First Class Mail International / First Class Package International Service.
International shipment of items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.
The seller will not accept returns for this item.

*I suppose the fact he doesn't accept returns is making things problomatic getting my refund in a timely manner

I don't think it's that. The "no returns" condition is only for cases of buyer remorse, i.e. if the buyer changes their mind about the purchase. All other conditions for a return, i.e. damage, item not matching description, etc., are supported by eBay's Money Back Guarantee. No returns doesn't mean no refunds. Some sellers aren't aware of this, unfortunately.

I'm not sure who you "reached out to" for your refund, but if it's the seller, they may be a bit clueless. This may be the first time they've used some sort of eBay consolidation service to ship out of the country and they may not realize it really doesn't matter when they issue the refund as you've got some pretty solid buyer protection for this sale. Dealing with customer service with the online chat option or through Facebook or Google may get you a different answer. If you did get this answer from customer service, I'd say it only makes sense to wait until the last estimated delivery date has passed before claiming a refund if nothing appears to be in the pipeline.

reallynicestamps · ‎02-04-2023

The phone reps do not work for eBay so don't bother with them. They work for a subcontractor out of Utah.
  https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.
 https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en

 https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.  
The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.
And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.

Most sellers will not send a refund until they have the item back. But they will refund once it is in their hands.

Keep the communication polite, and, for once, watch the tracking as best you can. Returned items are not a priority for any shipper, they are a money loser, so the seller was right to warn you that it may be a while before he gets it back.

pjcdn2005 · ‎02-04-2023

It sounds like it was sent through eBay international standard as they do have a consolidation center in California. I've also heard of them sendin back items to the seller if they thought that they are hazardous or illegal to ship to another country. If the seller never does get their item back, they should be able to claim up to $100 in insurance that this service automatically includes.

As @marnotom! explained this wouldn't have anything to do with the sellers return policy. That would only come into play if you had actually received the item and then wanted to return it because you changed your mind or found one cheaper. The seller is going to have to refund you unless the tracking shows that you received the package.

cabinboy15 · ‎02-08-2023

The seller has finally reached out and offered a refund... sort of (see below).

Does eBay offer refunds from their pocket while the item sits in their consolidation center?

So far I did not receive the returned item. The tracking shows it stuck somewhere in the returning process. As a buyer, you are entitled for a full refund in this case. I believe eBay will issue the refund to you in a few days. I am not sure whether eBay will reimburse my loss in this case (according to eBay's seller protection policy), hopefully they will. Again, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this. If you have further questions, please let me know. Thanks!

pjcdn2005 · ‎02-09-2023

If eBay said they are sending the item back to the seller I would be surprised if eBay will refund you as they are likely expecting the seller to do so. It's possible that they told him something else and I'm wrong but he doesn't sound definitive about that in the message. IMO the seller should be refunding you and then if they don't get the item back, they can deal with eBay. It's wrong that you are waiting for a refund when all if this is not within your control. I understand that the seller wants to be cautious but it's been about a week now and if eBay was going to refund you they would have done so by now.

You will end up being refunded but it may take longer than expected. Your estimated delivery date is soon? You can open an item not received claim the day after that. I'm the meantime, I don't know if customer service will speed things up. You could try contacting eBay customer service on Facebook or Twitter. (The info is in post 12.). It's possible that they will be able to help you get a faster refund.

reallynicestamps · ‎02-09-2023

IMO the seller should be refunding you and then if they don't get the item back,

I agree that it is the seller who should be refunding, but I disagree that the seller should refund before receiving his lighter back.

No one should have both the item and the money.

If eBay refunds the buyer, eBay should keep the lighter.

If the seller refunds the buyer, they should not have to do so before they have the item back.

Both of these leave the buyer waiting impatiently, so from a customer satisfaction perspective, it would be best if eBay did the refunding and kept the lighter, reselling it as they have been known to do.

cabinboy15 · ‎02-09-2023

This...

"I agree that it is the seller who should be refunding, but I disagree that the seller should refund before receiving his lighter back."

... is the reason I reached out to the community here. The seller wanted me to wait until things were sorted out at his end and advised me I may have to wait a while. The problem with this arrangement is I'm out a refund if he never receives the item back from the consolidation centre.

reallynicestamps · ‎02-09-2023

devon@ebay

Who reimburses the buyer when a situation like this comes up?

Is the shipment considered Undeliverable, because the buyer is supposed to know that the item cannot be imported?

Is the Seller required to refund without receiving his (saleable but not exportable) item back?

@cabinboy15

Sometimes a specific problem like yours opens a new series of questions. Thanks for being patient with us posters, who are members like you.

devon@ebay · ‎02-09-2023

@reallynicestamps wrote:

devon@ebay

Who reimburses the buyer when a situation like this comes up?

Is the shipment considered Undeliverable, because the buyer is supposed to know that the item cannot be imported?

Is the Seller required to refund without receiving his (saleable but not exportable) item back?

@cabinboy15

Sometimes a specific problem like yours opens a new series of questions. Thanks for being patient with us posters, who are members like you.

Hi @reallynicestamps! Depending on if this item went through GSP would dictate on who is responsible for the refund. In the case that it did not, then this would be a normal return case to be opened by the buyer as "Item not received" and the seller would be responsible (assuming eBay would not need to step in) for the refund. If the item was shipped through GSP, then eBay would refund the buyer and try to facilitate the return of the item back to the seller.

cabinboy15 · ‎02-16-2023

Note from seller after refunding....

"I am glad you receive the full refund. I end up lost $33 in this transaction. It seems eBay will not cover my lost. Anyway, that is the doing business."