Need some advice re a return

I sold a Sterling silver (was marked 925) bracelet last month. Yesterday i got an item not received notice from eBay. When i checked it was for this bracelet & there was a message from the buyer saying she was disappointed as when she polished it, it showed through copper & it was advertised as Sterling 925 not silverplated. Obviously she had received it so not sure why she opened an item not received claim. The bracelet was definitely marked 925 & was tarnished when I bought it. I used a silver cleaning cloth & polished it up nice & shiny silver, no copper. If the bracelet has somehow been ruined I don't  want to pay return postage so I emailed politely last nite & asked if she could send me a picture showing what had happened to the bracelet when she polished it.

i am not really sure how to handle this.  It should have been a return request. The item was as advertised so should not have been INAD either, should have been a return request.

i have not as yet heard back from her but wondering how others would handle this. Appreciate hearing from other sellers out there.

Message 1 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

Did you ship with insurance?

Message 2 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

AS I am sure you are aware just because it is stamped .925 does not always mean it is sterling silver. I would sit still until you hear back from the buyer. did you have tracking? because you will need it for the case that has been opened..if the seller responds and still wants to return it, i would ask her to close the item not received case and then open an item as not described case. then just do what you would normally do. accept the return.. and move on..

Message 3 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

No as tracked packet is so expensive in Canada & I sell mostly smaller ticket items i rarely use tracked/insured.

Message 4 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

No third party insurance either?

Message 5 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

Either your buyer made a mistake, or is clever as a fox.

 

I suspect that it's easier for her to get a full refund without return if she accidentally opened an INR instead of an SNAD because you shipped without tracking, as the bots who monitor these cases will look simply for the word Delivery and refund the buyer in full  automatically if nothing is found.

 

If this happened to me, I'd call ebay Customer Service and speak to a rep.

 

Assuming you want this back item to check what has happened to it, it should be handled as a Return for SNAD. Unfortunately, this means you pay for postage return with tracking. If you tell the buyer to ship without tracking and you get nothing back, you have no recourse.

 

Did the messages come from the buyer via ebay Messages? You will need to cite them as you speak to Customer Service.

 

Don't automatically expect defeat there, the CSR I spoke to last seems well aware that buyers sometimes (whether accidentally or on purpose) open cases within the Resolution Centre for the wrong reasons.  

 

Let us know how it goes.

 

Message 6 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

How much did you sell the item for and what do you consider replacement value to be?

 

IMO, in these cases it's best to put aside issues of "right" and "wrong" and just assess the situation according to your cost and to spend as little time on it as possible.

Message 7 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

Thanks MJ. I have not heard from her yet so yes I agree could be a genuine mistake or clever as a fox. The message from her actually shows up,when I look at the case so easy to prove to eBay the item was received.

The item sold for $24.99 USD. It was marked 925 and the fact that I polished to remove a lot of tarnish when I got it & never saw any copper showing through does make me wonder what is going on. Personally I think,she just should have requested a return but of course she would have to pay the shipping then. If the bracelet is ruined no sense in me requesting it back but  I am of course between a rock & a hard place. I am hoping she will respond but if I don't hear from her tomorrow I will phone eBay as per your suggestion.

Is she required to return before I have to refund?

Message 8 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return


@katlover1952 wrote:

..... Is she required to return before I have to refund?


With a Remorse Return request she would be required to return the item before you'd be expected to issue a refund. With a SNAD Return, if you demanded its return and paid for tracking, she'd have to send it back in order to get her refund. She wouldn't be required to return a SNAD for refund if you decided it wasn't worth the time and trouble of getting it back.

 

Do you always send a packing slip with your orders? Is it possible she mixed up your item with another that she ordered because there was no tracking with it? Can someone actually wreck silver by using the wrong polish? Maybe she's trying to switch something of hers that was ruined with yours. Or confusing it with another. Is your buyer a consistent jewelry buyer from their Feedback Received? 

 

The tricky part of the INR is that if it were to be decided by a bot on escalation, all they would look for it that word Delivered on tracking. With no tracking, you are in a bit of a pickle which is the reason I think you need to call and put your side of the story first. 

Message 9 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return


@katlover1952 wrote:

..... If the bracelet is ruined no sense in me requesting it back...


Attempting to return an item after breaking it due to ineptitude is Returns fraud. That's not Remorse or SNAD. If I bought an open stock dinner plate at _____ and then dropped it on my driveway when I got home, I wouldn't expect to take it back to _____ and get my money back. My butterfingers is not their problem. Neither is it ebay's problem, or yours. Proving that point becomes the difficult part. 

Message 10 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

One area where they is a lot of grey is when, in the buyer-and-seller-discussion stage, a seller asks the buyer for photographic evidence of the damage and none of forthcoming, and that goes to escalation, does ebay side with the buyer for not getting a quick no-questions-asked refund, or does ebay side with the seller for the buyer failing to provide evidence of damage?

 

That's one thing I would ask the CSR if I were you.

 

As a seller, I would expect the buyer be required to provide photographic evidence of any claims of damage before I would or could proceed with refunding the buyer, but I don't know what the 'rules' are here. As a buyer too, obviously, if I claimed I got something wrecked on arrival, I'd expect to provide evidence of that but who knows how these things are actually decided.

 

Unlike sylviebee, I spend much time tilting at windmills.

 

 

 

Message 11 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

Some very good points MJ. Some of which I have been thinking about. Someone in the first post said even though it is marked 925 does not always mean it is. If I had not polished it a fair bit myself with no issues I might be thinking differently. I think it is likely possible to ruin Sterling but not really sure that is what has happened either. Is it worth it for me to pay to get it back - that is the question.

 

does anyone know if Canadians can purchase labels for the US postal system & forward them to a buyer? I honestly have only had 1 other return & that was before Shippo.

Message 12 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

It really isn't a grey area eBay does not require that the buyer send proof of damage when the seller requests so they would not side with the seller if the buyer did not provide pictures of the damage.   eBay is not going to look at a picture and try to figure out how damage was caused anyway.

Message 13 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

In my experience with purse frames etc., when a silver item is stamped 925 no one questions that it's Sterling.  However, the bottom line is that you have a buyer who's unhappy with the item for one reason or another.

 

Since you sold the item for About $25 you paid much less for it and possibly just a few dollars would replace it.   Situations like this can get dragged out and rarely worth stressing over and dragging things out rarely improves the outcome and often just makes things worse. 

 

Just my two cents worth.

Message 14 of 18
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Re: Need some advice re a return

You are probably right sylviebee but I guess the real problem I am having is that there were no issues when I polished it but now there is & I have trouble letting things go. So I messaged her tonight &  as per earlier advice from someone asked her to close the INR case as she did in fact have the item & to either open a "item not as described"or a return request. I told her once she had done this I would be able to properly deal with the return & refund. If I don't hear tomorrow from her I will contact eBay.

 

i do find it a little frustrating that a buyer can just say something is wrong & we sellers are expected to deal with it (always in the buyer's favor iof course). While I do not expect eBay to make a judgement call as to whether the item was as described or not I do feel a seller should have the right to insist that a buyer send a picture showing the damage so a seller can a least make the call as to whether to pay for a return or just do a refund. Only seems fair to me. But then selling on eBay hasn't been fair for awhile.

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Re: Need some advice re a return

Well I called eBay this morning and was pleasantly surprised that they closed the case in my favor (without a fight even). They said it was obvious from the comments (which it was), that the item had been received. They did warn me that she could still request a return (they did not say INAD case) if she wished. Which if she does so be it. I really did want to look at that bracelet and she simply did not respond at all.

I actually was surprised as when I had another "item not received" case opened early this year, the buyer left me negative feedback with the comment "item never received" then closed the case later as "item received". Tried in vain to get the FB removed but they would not. I guess it all depends on the rep you end up speaking with.

Anyhow thanks for the suggestion MJ - appreciate everyone who took the time to respond.

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Re: Need some advice re a return

I'm glad you took my advice to call, and thankful you received satisfactory service from eBay Customer Service. I believe the eBay HQ has realized seller support had been somewhat deficienct in this respect. Your comments mirror my own experience with a rather odd SNAD case I'm waiting to play out on my end. I called CSR right away, expecting a big fight on my hands, but received only empathy and good advice. That was an extremely pleasant surprise.
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Re: Need some advice re a return

They did warn me that she could still request a return

 

I suppose she could, on her own dime for return shipping, either as a courtesy (I did that recently-- but never got the returned item , so no refund made) or as a Paypal Dispute, which would require tracked shipping.

Tracked shipping would, as we all know be pricey internationally.

 

does anyone know if Canadians can purchase labels for the US postal system & forward them to a buyer?

 

Hijacking the thread to draw attention to this question.

There has been some discussion about this being possible with Shippo.

Perhaps a seller who uses USPS can help?

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