eBay

sylviebee · ‎10-09-2015

I have to return a $300 item. 100% the seller's fault and she's admitted that and is paying return shipping.

Since we can no longer use paypal shipping for returns I have new choices to make and thought I'd post here for input.

1). I could sabotage a different paypal payment (I'm shipping that item with stamps) and change the address to hers to get the paypal discount, but I'm not sure how that would work as far as tracking her item in concerned.

This is really what I'm wondering about. Does anyone know how that would work? I could call paypal but I already know that explaining all this to them will be a headache. (These are unique Canadian issues.)

2.) I could ship from the PO via tracking for about $17 or via Expedited with insurance for about $22. Is there any point to insuring an item that's a return?

ricarmic · ‎10-09-2015

Hi Sylvie! Regarding insurance, if the item is lost on the return, it is your problem (you are the "shipper").

If it does not arrive back to the seller, you won't get the money back from them, your only recourse is to recover the $$$ from the PO. (which would prove interesting likely)

So if you want to protect your $$ you should insure.

sylviebee · ‎10-09-2015

Thank You. I did insure and went to the PO to ship.

The cost all told was just over $27.

If online shipping had been available to me I would have been able to ship for just over $20.

Big Difference!

Removing that service likely hurts (US) sellers the most because returns are much more difficult now.

reallynicestamps · ‎10-09-2015

Your US seller can't send you a shipping label, because you are in Canada and use Canada Post.

This is not a change from before the split.

It is a foolish promise on eBay's part, that buyers can get their return shipping labels paid when this is impossible under the Universal Postal Union.

If your seller sent you a one penny payment, you could print out a shipping label, by the way. I am not sure about the discount however.

And remember that tracking is not insurance and insurance is not tracking.

sylviebee · ‎10-09-2015

@reallynicestamps wrote:

If your seller sent you a one penny payment, you could print out a shipping label, by the way.

I thought of that: Asking her to send a payment of a few cents for goods.

The problem with that is that the tracking would show that I shipped her an item worth pennies and not $300.

Sounds too risky.

lady.stark · ‎10-09-2015

@sylviebee wrote:
The problem with that is that the tracking would show that I shipped her an item worth pennies and not $300.

Not really. You can change the value on the label and insure it for the amount you want.

sylviebee · ‎10-09-2015

@lady.stark wrote:
@sylviebee wrote:
The problem with that is that the tracking would show that I shipped her an item worth pennies and not $300.

Not really. You can change the value on the label and insure it for the amount you want.

But trying to collect on that insurance would be very difficult because the payment would show pennies and not $300.

You can put anything on the label but it won't count for anything without a receipt.

I'd like to think it would work but it's a little twisted and full of loop holes.

femmefan1946 · ‎10-09-2015

Still you seem to be in a trusting transaction with the seller.

The main point is to prove the return of something and to get the discrounted return shipping label through PP.

Is the discount a greater or lesser value than the trust?

My, we are getting philosophical here aren't we?

sylviebee · ‎10-09-2015

@femmefan1946 wrote:
Still you seem to be in a trusting transaction with the seller.
The main point is to prove the return of something and to get the discrounted return shipping label through PP.

Is the discount a greater or lesser value than the trust?

My, we are getting philosophical here aren't we?

Yes, but my concerns are not about trust. I do trust this seller and want to keep her expenses down, but my concerns are practical.

If something goes wrong I don't think there would be any coverage. I wouldn't be concerned over a $50 item but this was about $300 - $400 item.

I think that the system of getting a payment of a few cents would be perfect for items under $100, and even up to $200, but after that a trip to the PO might make sense.