Help navigating first time return request from buyer probably scamming

[mrsprdave]

I don't consistently sell on Ebay, but occasionally sell some extra stuff. This is the first time I've experienced this so help navigating what I should do would be appreciated!

I sold a new breaker and the buyer has sent a return request:

"Doesn't match description or photos"

"This breaker arrived dirty and chipped and definitely not in NEW condition! I would like a refund please and thank you."

There are no photos or any other information. No feedback has been exchanged. No offer about shipping it back but could be implied I guess.

I'm fairly certain the buyer is scamming in some way. I carefully spent several minutes looking over every mm of the breaker before I sent it and also picked the best looking one out of the box (even though they are all new, but some have a bit of scuffing on the label from the store like normal). The top of my listing says that the new breakers don't come in packaging, because they don't have individual packaging. Literally as if you picked it off the shelf at Home Depot. I packaged it in about 3 layers/box, about 3 times the packaging of breakers I've received myself.

The buyer picked it up from the post office 18 days ago, after being left a notice to pick it up. So I know it wasn't just sitting in their mailbox or something. It's about 4 days from the 30 day timeframe.

All that to say that I know what I sent, and I'm fairly sure the breaker wouldn't have been damaged in transit. But if it was, it would have been obvious on the packaging, but they didn't say anything for nearly 3 weeks?

So how to navigate... my first thought was to ask for photos showing this 'damaged' breaker/packaging. But is that the best, or would that trigger them to do something more nefarious (purposefully damage?).

I realize I probably don't have much choice but to accept refunding... but if there is anything I should be thinking of, that maybe they would back down and/or obtain some evidence of the scamming?

interesting side experience... I sold someone else a breaker before that, and a week later they bought another and messaged me to check how quickly it ship - since they dropped and broke the first one! He was obviously annoyed with himself but thankful I could ship quick saying his loss was my gain lol.

[femmefan1946]

Send the return shipping label.

If they use it, refund on arrival.

If  they don't, no refund, you win the Dispute, and they cannot leave Feedback.

If they return something different, come back here and learn how to appeal the refund.

So how to navigate... my first thought was to ask for photos showing this 'damaged' breaker/packaging. But is that the best, or would that trigger them to do something more nefarious (purposefully damage?).

Hammers exist.

And if you get a good item back, relist and resell.

Is the buyer in the USA?

Some sketchey US buyers don't realize that we can buy USPS shipping labels from here in Canada. When they get the label, their scam (no label, full refund, keep item) is foiled. Mwah hah hah hah haaah.

[femmefan1946]

Don't forget to Block the Buyer if things do not go well.

 

[mrsprdave]

So I clicked to accept the return... and now it shows me pictures!? The pictures show he obviously used it (minor stripping on the terminal screws for one thing).

It gives me options about uploading my own label or not being able to provide a label... but not (so far anyway) for Ebay to provide a label

[femmefan1946]

"Not being able to provide a label" means eBay will do it (usually for overseas returns)because it is difficult to buy a return shipping label from Australia Post.

However, we can buy USPS shipping labels from Shippo, even if our original shipment was not via Shippo.

The interesting thing about this is that some sketchey buyers will open a NAD with a foreign seller, thinking we will not be able to send return shipping. And when we do, the Dispute disappears, because what was wanted was both the item and the refund.

Generally, sellers here report a less than one percent Dispute rate annually. Unfortunately, those disputes that are laid often are early in a new seller's career.

You might want to Search the Boards for Cookie Jar Insurance.

[mrsprdave]

I contacted Ebay and basically since I already clicked accept (even though not completed/confirmed IMO) that there is no choice now except the return.

And once I get it, don't do a refund but instead contact them and they would send an affidavit for me to fill out about the fraudulent buyer (their terms) and go from there depending what I get back. They make it sound like they'd be so helpful, which is not really what I read online.

Waiting to hear back about the label because he seemed lost that it's not showing

[mrsprdave]

I forgot to answer, that we are both (buyer and myself) in Canada

[femmefan1946]

You are overthinking this.

Return for refund is exactly what Timothy Eaton did when he advertised his department store in the 19th century.

"Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Refunded".

What was groundbreaking then, is Standard Practice now.

If what you get back is useable, you relist it and sell it again....

Reportedly, failed transactions will be less than one percent of your annual sales, although there are more problems at the beginning of ones career than later.

Since you state that breakers don't come in individual packages, it is quite possible that the scratches you see happened in transit or between the time you photographed it and the time he photographed it.

BTW, the buyer did not have to photograph anything. That he did argues that he is not scamming but is actually unhappy with the part.

[mrsprdave]

Ya he's scamming, the pictures clearly show that he tried using it. Particularly, the screw heads being stripped with a screwdriver wouldn't have happened in transit, the screws are in a recessed part of the breaker (well short of the post office worker opening it, taking a screwdriver to it and sending it on lol). So yes, it happened between me photographing and him photographing - particular when in his custody... He particularly took pictures of the screws. That he did photograph just means he's trying to fraudulantly prove to 'Ebay', makes sense.

I finally set up for returns on the Canada Post website, was a real headache, took so much time, many errors and glitches and on the phone with them. But got the return label made and uploaded so will see what he does.

Unfortunately it says the buyer has until Nov 1st to ship it back (4 weeks?)... Even Ebay told me 15 business days. Which is the reason I couldn't come up with any other ideas; even if I could buy a label originating from the buyer somehow, CP told me it would expire in 7 days... so doesn't really help if he can just wait for it to expire.

[maximus7001]

How much was the item worth anyways? If it was low value you might just want to refund which will make the issue go away with no further cost to you.

For you to pay for a tracked return label within Canada its going to be around $20 on average out of your pocket unless he is in your city or very close to it.

[zee-chan]

Well, it's free shipping Tuesday today so the OP here could actually "buy" the return shipping label for free... but it looks like OP already bought the label. If you would like to look up how to cancel a printed label, here is info below. But it can only be cancelled if the buyer hasn't used the label to mail the item back, so it might be too confusing and too much of a hassle. 

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/support/kb/sending/general-information/how-to-use-requ...

And for OP, make sure you utilize the free shipping Tuesdays for the rest of the month to help cover the cost of this sale 😉

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/business/shipping/free-shipping-tuesday.page

[mrsprdave]

@maximus7001The new breaker is close to 200, several times the shipping, even though shipping I'm guessing will be low 20's. Also don't care to reward him with a free breaker if I can help it...

@zee-chanThanks for pointing out free shipping tuesday. I did already see it, and was actually able to just sent a package with it to one of the most expensive postal codes I've seen. I also have the RURAL2022 promo that I've been using, but I didn't notice that promo till I had already sent a couple packages during the promo period - so thanks for reminding me as I could have missed it too!

I haven't really bought the return label per se, but it generates the label and I get charged only if it gets used, without a particular time limit. The one problem I referenced above is with buying a label, it expires in a week, and not knowing what the buyer would do, if anything, that potentially wouldn't work. Also even after talking to CP, there doesn't seem to really be a way to purchase a label coming from someone else... I tried asking a couple times on that. (the main benefit would be using the RURAL2022 promo)

Anyway, the buyer has marked it as shipped in the wee hours of the morning, although no tracking update.

[reallynicestamps]

All labels expire fairly quickly, so if sent to an unhappy buyer all labels have to be used quickly or they expire. It's by way of being a Seller Protection, albeit by Canada Post.

Try to think bigger.

If you are using the free labels for anything, then all your cost for shipping this month is that much lower, even if the actual Free Label was used for something else.  (The heavier or more expensive the better.)

[mrsprdave]

@reallynicestampsI'm not sure what you mean by "It's by way of being a Seller Protection, albeit by Canada Post."

Canada Post told me that return labels do not expire. I'd imagine there must be a limit to that, but wasn't like they'd expire in a month. Purchasing a label up front does expire. That was the problem I saw - Ebay gave the buyer until Nov 1st to ship it, meanwhile if I somehow could purchase a label it would have expired Oct. 11, and thus the buyer could have escalated saying I provided a faulty label...

[pjcdn2005]

US to US return labels that can generated by ebay as the seller doesn't pay for the label unless the buyer uses it but Canadians do not have that option which is frustrating. 

[pjcdn2005]

@femmefan1946 

"Not being able to provide a label" means eBay will do it (usually for overseas returns)because it is difficult to buy a return shipping label from Australia Post

_______

I don't recall reading about ebay ever providing a label for us for international returns or for ANY returns.  Please share where you are getting this information.

[mrsprdave]

@pjcdn2005Ya it sure is frustrating, I don't know why Ebay wouldn't readily have return labels when they are basically forcing returns... it's like they are trying to set up failure.

The only way I've found for a true return label (where you don't pay until used) is to set up a return policy on a Canada Post account, which is essentially what I had to do... I'd imagine not everyone can or is willing to go through that much trouble

[mrsprdave]

Minor update. It's been 10 days since providing the label and 9 days since the buyer marked the case as shipped. There is no update to the tracking so the buyer still hasn't actually shipped.

Just checked in with Ebay and they say there is no possible way for him to request a refund without shipping it and the case will expire Oct. 25 if item not shipped by Oct. 18, but so the wait continues.

[maximus7001]

Fingers crossed that he does not ship it then this nonsence will finally be over soon.

[mrsprdave]

Yay selling is fun (not)

I got an item not received request for an item delivered (according to tracking) on Oct 17th. Ebay says to message with the buyer but that also they would close the case in my favour on Oct 26th since I have tracking proof of delivery.

Another package has been stuck on "out for delivery" but also "Item re-routed due to processing error" for 10 days now.

So I have two tickets open with Canada Post... and Ebay cases opened on about 20% of the last 2 months sales.