What is the best way to cancel an order without getting a defect?

[lindaloug624]

I had an order get lost in the mail.  I refunded the buyer, bu t now I would like to get a credit for my EBay fees.  What is the best way to do this without getting a defect?  Do you go through cancel an order or do you use resolve a case - note that a case was not opened for this.

[femmefan1946 · Accepted solution]

I had an order get lost in the mail.

Really?

I am old and cynical. But actually very little is lost in the mail. Even internationally. Delayed, yes. Lost, very rare.

However.

Go to the Resolution Centre and choose 'The buyer and I agreed to cancel". The buyer may be contacted for his agreement. If he does agree, both of you are released from the transaction immediately and you get your fees back (eventually).

If he ignores you, the cancellation will take effect in about 10 days and you will get your fees back. 

Be ready to show that the PP payment was refunded. I hope you did this through the same PP transaction. It is so much simpler.

[carnation_girl]

Yes I agree, order was not likely lost, perhaps a little late, but not lost.  I believe the buyer did receive the order, as other orders that I had that were  "lost" have eventually come back "return to sender".  However without tracking, I had to take a loss on the order and refund it as she said that she would leave negative feedback if I didn't refund. 

Thanks for the assistance.

[lindaloug624 · Accepted solution]

Thanks, just checked my dashboard and no defect after canceling order.

[velvetfinch]

I used to believe that things didn't get 'lost' in mail, until these past couple months - I have had 12 items go missing/stolen and have had to give refunds!  Something bad is happening at Canada Post.  Be aware.

[reallynicestamps]

I had to take a loss on the order and refund it as she said that she would leave negative feedback if I didn't refund. 

You could and should Report that message to eBay as 'feedback extortion'.  When you do, ask eBay for a courtesy refund of your refund to the (undoubtedly) scamming buyer. You might get it. More important, it will put the scammer on eBay's radar.

I have had 12 items go missing/stolen and have had to give refunds!  Something bad is happening at Canada Post.

Since this seems to be a local situation (I rarely used tracking and have 'lost' nothing in the past year), I hope you have taken the advice of other posters and reported this both to the Postmaster at your local Post Office and to the local police station.

[velvetfinch]

Yup, we are in the process of taking it higher and I have just located another person in my neighborhood who is also experiencing the same problem.  I have a feeling that this may have been going on for a lot longer than I realized as compared to those who post here, I have had quite a high number of items go missing all along.

[momcqueen]

It rarely makes the news but Canada Post does occasionally have to acknowledge incidents where a carrier or driver is caught hoarding mail, or outright swiping it for resale. (Google Canada Post Theft of Mail for a sampling.) As a corporate entity, I understand their need to keep it hushed but as an ebay seller, it does no one any good to pretend it doesn't happen. 

As far as my 'lost packages' are concerned: I had a few lower-value items go missing in UK with cryptic messages from the buyers who also happened to be selling the EXACT SAME ITEM that was reported lost at the time. Refund and report. It's the cost of doing business here. Untracked business. Buyer blocked, moving on. It does tend to chafe, however, no matter how much time passes.

Another 'lost' parcel went to a guy in the States who bought an item from me and then two days later won the same item for a fraction of the price at an auction from another seller, that one located in the USA. And then mine (untraced) never arrived or so he said. Refunded and reported. Also, this took place back in the day when you could see from feedback exactly what other members had been buying from other sellers. No more.

I had one item lost domestically in three years. Last year. 

I had another untraced parcel delayed inexplicably more than three weeks so that it arrived after the buyer had been refunded. She repaid me. We were friends. 

But my 'lost items' claims all-but stopped when (a) I stopped leaving them in mailboxes and took every single one into the authorized postal dealer and handed it to the person behind the counter while giving them a look (b) barcodes on small packets were introduced because the buyer KNOWS it has been scanned along the way and (c) my feedback numbers grew high enough that I didn't appear brand new to selling anymore. 

I have been fortunate this year with no lost items. So far. Knock on wood. Also, I opt for tracked services now more often than in the past simply because Tracked Packet is available to more places.