What happens when a buyer sends back something you didn't send them?

[momcqueen]

Remorse return.

Arrived today, opened box. It's not what I sent them. It's beat-up and there's hair stuck to the tape and they kept their 'gift with purchase' which is the least of my concerns. 

I guess I have to call Customer Service.

Groooooooan. 

After so many many months of problem-free transactions, now I'm looking at two in short order and both a result of buyers from Quebec which I find odd.

[momcqueen]

[momcqueen]

Also, it's been opened. This is not what I sent them. If it was, they wrecked the box before they sent it back, I'm not going to be able to sell it like this.

[momcqueen]

I reported it Received Back in a Different Condition than was sent.

Worth noting is that I could only access the part of the Return I needed to do that by going to the Message on it, that part of the workflow was inaccessible through Manage Returns. So I wrote my piece detailing the reasons I don't think this is even my item or, if it is, it's in such awful shape now that I don't recognize it, and added photos to support my assertions as evidence. And now ebay will take 48 hours to review it.

Hopefully, all my frustration and angst won't end with: (a) losing a case and (b) getting a defect plus (c) negative feedback and (d) being out my monies as well as the item.

Sigh.

This is really the ugly side of selling on ebay.  First time I've had to deal with Returns Fraud, right after a first time time false SNAD on the grounds something was missing when it wasn't. Instead, I should be counting myself lucky, I guess. 

[momcqueen]

And it's taken me almost two hours already to process this fraudulent Return today from opening the parcel to find this unpleasant surprise, talk to Customer Service, photograph and document the evidence, and open the case. 

It's no wonder the mass-market sellers don't bother fighting Returns fraud. They cannot be bothered to pay people to do it, it's a losing proposition. 

[pjcdn2005]

I hope that it works out for you but based on other seller's stories, ebay doesn't often rule in a sellers favour.  It's possible that they will give the buyer a courtesy refund rather than having you refund.  That isn't ideal as the buyer is basically rewarded for being dishonest but it is better than losing the money and getting a defect.

[momcqueen]

Thank you. I realize that is probably the best outcome that I can hope for. A ‘smart’ seller would probably take the loss and block the buyer. And move on. But then this is me.

We’ll see. It may be a case that I was so upset by this occurring that I chose the high road when the low road would have been smarter and easier. I suppose I’ll know in 48 hours.

I really have to think that if this wasn’t MY money — like if I were a mega-seller — it really would not be worth the time and effort and worry that it takes to fight it.

Very disheartening.

[ricarmic]

It is so very hard not to personalize this stuff for us all.

One has to compartmentalize stuff like this, which is so very hard when it is "our" stuff it is happening to. It would be easier if it was someone else's stuff, ie you're at the return counter of a store and its the stores stuff that is being returned, it's still a pain in that situation but it is easier not to personalize it. 

There are knobs and criminals out there, if one sells enough stuff one will encounter them no matter how good a seller one is. We each have to find our own way of dealing with/compartmentalizing this stuff and not letting it consume us/too much of our time.

At least we are fortunate that we don't have to stand face to face with the knobs/criminals as happens in B&M situations. Can you imagine? (I have lots of non-personal stories in that dept but not enough time to write some here)

Hopefully you won't get any further practice on your compartmentalizing skills.......

[lucitabby]

I have only had 1 case of the item returned was not what I had sent out.
Ebay was very little help.
Paypal was quite helpful but they took my money - I did have to contact the police and have a case opened. Once they had the police report they gave me back my money. I don't know what happened with the buyer but he is no longer on ebay, at least under the same id.
It is messy and a stressful situation. For me, it was worth the fight as the item was approx $2000.00 - an old family piece - but I then vowed never to sell anything of that value on ebay again. my situation took about a month and my hair turned white, lol.

[2nd-time-around-jewelry]

Problem is buyers know they can get away with almost anything on eBay as they will side with the buyer most of the time. EBay keeps flashing their money back guarantee in the buyers face, saying if you don't like it for ANY reason, even if you damaged it, just ship it back at the seller's expense. We will cover you.  Ebay has become a haunt for thieves & dishonest people because they can get away with it.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Sorry Momsqueen. Unable to give you 5 thumbs up for that post. Discussion room rules. Extremely sad, but true!!!

-CM

[silverpinups]

Sorry for your dilemma... This happened to me 2-3 years ago. A buyer in Ontario opened a INAD claim (saying the photo was a reprint.. it wasn't) so instead of arguing with him I asked him to return the photograph for a refund.

The item was sent with Tracking and arrived the following week.

When I opened the package there was part of the Friday edition of the Toronto Sun Newspaper (Sports section) with one piece of flimsy cardboard that wasn't even the size of the photograph I sent him. 

The package was mailed out on Friday afternoon according to the Postage sticker on the envelope, so he read his morning paper with breakfast and mailed out part of that newspaper, keeping the photograph.

I scanned everything and sent him a detailed message and attached the photos of what I received. 

I contacted eBay and talked with the Fraud Dept. and they opened an investigation and reviewed the message I sent the buyer. 

The buyer responded later that evening saying he sent back the photograph.

In a professional tone I sent him a message stating that I would refund him as so as he sent back the photograph.

Immediately after the message he left me Negative Feedback saying the Seller doesn't Refund.

I phoned eBay and chatted with a Feedback Specialist... It was a verbal battle and in the end the Feedback Specialist would only remove the feedback if I refunded the buyer. She walked me through the process because the refund had to be handled a specific way in order for her to remove the feedback.

Unfortunately, I had to refund the buyer in order to get the feedback removed. 

I'm thankful that this is the only fraudulent transaction I've had on eBay.... Good Luck!!

[momcqueen]

That's an unfortunate situation that you've described. Yikes. Talk about adding insult to injury.

I realize, I really do, that I should consider myself lucky that this is the first time in six years of selling on ebay that this has happened to me as a seller but I cannot help but feel twitchy. In the 90 minutes I was away from my desk, another order was placed and paid and instead of feeling gratified by another sale to dispatch, I'm twitchy at wondering how this one might hit the skids.

But ric has the right of it, if I'm going to be robbed, I guess I'd rather it be by someone 2241 km away than a guy holding a knife to my face!

[momcqueen]

In a best care scenario, it may be that the buyer ordered two identical items from two different sellers and accidentally sent me back the wrong one, the one he didn't want to keep because it was wrecked but cheaper than the one that wasn't so the Return was lodged with me.

Uh oh. Angry message coming in. Give me strength. 

[momcqueen]

Well, there's nothing I can say right now to that message. I'll think it over and try to concoct a polite reply. Or not. The buyer is probably writing negative feedback as I type. 

[momcqueen]

No, he's writing a second angry message. 

Says if the box was damaged then it happened in transit, he kept the free gift because he felt it was his due for having to pay return postage as a remorse return and that the hair stuck in the tape cannot be his own because he's a brunette. 

Should I ask him if he owns a black dog? Just kidding. 

There doesn't seem to be anyway to add his angry words to the case itself, do you think the people and/or bots who decide these things will take the time to read angry messages?

Is it smarter to reply? Or allow the buyer to vent unhindered?

[silverpinups]

My advice is always be professional but fight it as best you can... don't let them off the hook that easy....

I also replied to his Negative Feedback saying, "Fraudulent Buyer, Sends back a Newspaper, Keeps the Photo... Avoid!"  (this was prior to the feedback being removed)

I hope that buyer I dealt with had a sense of nervousness and worry over the next few days. 

To this day I still have all the eBay messages printed off including the newspaper, cardboard and envelope... lol!  

[ricarmic]

Once problems begin IMO here are your goals:

Minimize communication, keep it professional.

Minimize time spent on the resolution.

Resolve in the most economical way $$$ and your time wise.

Don't get caught up in it, 99.7% of the time it does not make a positive difference once something has reached this point.

[momcqueen]

In all of the righteous indignation, nowhere does the buyer deny opening the box which alone is enough to render this item not resalable as New. Just that it must have gotten banged up on the way back and that the hair stuck into the seal isn't his.

[momcqueen]

Good advice, I'm merely stoking the flames of my own drama now, I'll leave the messages unanswered. Even making valid points would no count prove pointless if the buyer is this irate to  be called on their shenanigans. I'll pack my other order and set this out of my mind for the time-being.