eBay

sweet.things.4u · ‎08-29-2014

A buyer contacted me to ask me when her item would be arriving. I sent her an email 12 days ago confirming shipping and transit time. 12 days later she has yet to receive it. It was sent small package therefore there is no tracking. Value was 35$ and light so there was no way to justfy a high shipping cost so I opted to keep the shipping down and send it this way. I have asked her to wait a few more days but if she does not receive it I realize I will have to refund as I have no tracking to prove otherwise. My question is there a way to avoid a defect? There are so many different takes on defects...some say refund before it is escalated, or cancel etc. etc. Anyone have any advice on how to avoid this defect. Makes me cringe thinking we are being penalized for postal mishaps. : (

mr.elmwood · ‎08-29-2014

Well, the PO is your agent, an extension of you. If you fully refund, that will trigger a defect as the customer did not receive their purchase. Just no way around that.

You can wait and hope for the best that it will be delivered.

Where is the customer located?

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sweet.things.4u · ‎08-29-2014

Thank you mr.elmwood....is what I suspected. I agree the customer has to be made whole. Just disagree that if a refund is given due to something that was out of your power (postal) that one would recieve a defect even when refunding the customer. : ( The customer is in the state of New York...which is the closest state to me...

pierrelebel · ‎08-29-2014

I would contact the buyer and advise:

"I am sorry the (item) has not arrived yet. It should have been there already. A full refund (including shipping charge) will be processed to your account through PayPal next Friday, September 5th, if not received by then. Sorry for the inconvenience caused by the delay in the postal service."

It buys you a week and the buyer still feels good about it!

sweet.things.4u · ‎08-29-2014

Hi Pierre! I already replied asking her if she could wait till the end of next week. There is always the possibility of it being stuck at customs. I did not though mention the refund in the same manner as you phrased it. She buys alot and also sells so am certain she knows that I will refund. My issue was more for the defect...since I would be making her whole it is upsetting that I would recieve a defect regardless.

tobyshitzu · ‎08-29-2014

There is a way without a defect if you refund without the buyer opening a case. Refund and send a cancel using "other reason", and ask the buyer to agree.

dinomitesales · ‎08-29-2014

This is what confuses me. I've never actually done this, so correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't these two separate steps?

Once you refund the buyer in full I would imagine the defect is then automatically applied to your account. Are you saying that if a cancellation request is made after that refund, it will cancel out the defect? Or do you still need to call and speak to someone to get the defect removed, assuming the buyer agrees to the cancellation?

tobyshitzu · ‎08-29-2014

Yes the refund will add an instant defect, then come off later if you cancel with a reason that doesn't cause a defect & buyer agrees

gillian1023 · ‎09-01-2014

That didn't work with me, Toby. I tried to cancel the transaction after I had refunded a buyer, who had opened an INR claim, but the next day he received it and repaid. I contacted him and he agreed to cancel the transaction so I went to the "Cancel a Transaction" form and put in the item number, but it wouldn't allow it. It said I had refunded the buyer and the case was closed.

I copy/paste.... "You can't cancel this transaction because the buyer opened a case about it in the Resolution Centre, the case was closed, and you've already issued the buyer a refund." 😞