eBay

sylviebee · ‎10-29-2016

I have an item which I want to return to the UK. Item cost was $60ish and the return label cost is about $43.

Since eBay continues to alter the way they do over-the border returns I'm posting here to see if anyone has had a recent experience with an International return.

I've received two emails from eBay but the seller is keeping silent. The first one told me that the seller has agreed to the return and seconds later I received an email that basically said (not the exact words):

""The seller told us that she can't buy a return label for you. She is still responsible for return shipping costs, so contact her to arrange return shipping."""

Does anyone know what comes next?

I've had returns in the past but every time I have a return the process is different.

I have ZERO confidence that the seller will re-pay me if I buy the label and ship the item back, but the seller must have me on ignore.

I don't want to have to start calling eBay UK if I don't have to but what happens if I just wait to see if the seller responds to me and time runs out?

marnotom! · ‎10-29-2016

My understanding is that an eBay seller in the UK (or anywhere else other than Canada) cannot generate a Canada Post return label for an eBay return. The seller would have to pay you for your shipping.

I can't remember how that's accomplished (apart from the seller's goodwill) but this has been discussed elsewhere so with luck someone will have gone through this themselves or will have remembered reading about this process and post here.

pjcdn2005 · ‎10-29-2016

Basically eBay is saying that the seller should send you money ahead of time so thst you can purchase the label. If the seller refuses to do that you can ask eBay to step in explaining that the seller will not pay for return shipping. Since the seller did accept the return, I would probably phone eBay as soon as I asked them to step in just in case the bot closes the case thinking that you changed your mind about the return. You shouldn't have to contact eBay UK unless you bought it while signed into that site. The MBG is based on the buyers site, not where the item is listed.

Or, when it's time to ask them to step in, phone and e plain what is going on and ask them to escalate it on the phone.

Dont buy the label on your own if you don't think the seller will reimburse you as eBay can't make the seller pay if you purchase the label on your own.

sylviebee · ‎10-29-2016

That's probably the way it will play out, but the last time I had a return I was specifically instructed to pay for return shipping myself and the seller would reimburse me after the package arrived.

Just posted here to check it that's the latest development and applies to all returns or only my last return.

pjcdn2005 · ‎10-29-2016

@sylviebee wrote:
That's probably the way it will play out, but the last time I had a return I was specifically instructed to pay for return shipping myself and the seller would reimburse me after the package arrived.

Just posted here to check it that's the latest development and applies to all returns or only my last return.

Other posters were told that too but were unable to get reimbursed later on so I think cs wrong in suggesting that.

What happened in your case? Did you buy postage and did the seller pay you back?

momcqueen · ‎10-29-2016

I cannot imagine why a seller would want to be difficult in a case like this. It can only backfire. We all know you cannot just send a Return Label to an international customer, there should be a system to do just that.

The seller doesn't want to advance the funds because they're scared the buyer will take it as a partial refund instead and just keep the money and the item. The buyer doesn't want to advance-pay the Return label because they're afraid the seller won't ever pay them back. Those are legitimate fears. Ebay needs to figure this out. Why can't Paypal Shipping offer this? The labels are all printed through Pitney Bowes, they have a finger in every pot. It shouldn't be impossible to do.

The seller should be able to go right into their transaction on paypal and hit a button that says: 'Print Return label' which uses all the data (weight, size, value, addresses) contained from the original label and reverse it.

Easy and done. You're welcome, ebay: I solved all your problems for free.

sylviebee · ‎10-29-2016

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
@sylviebee wrote:
That's probably the way it will play out, but the last time I had a return I was specifically instructed to pay for return shipping myself and the seller would reimburse me after the package arrived.

Just posted here to check it that's the latest development and applies to all returns or only my last return.

Other posters were told that too but were unable to get reimbursed later on so I think cs wrong in suggesting that.

What happened in your case? Did you buy postage and did the seller pay you back?

I think that when other buyers were told to buy the label and they would be reimbursed when the item arrived it was the seller telling them to do that.

In my case eBay instructed me to buy the label.

In any case, I decided it was too much of a PITA and just kept the item.

I had a return to the UK a while ago and always had to deal with eBay.UK even though I bought on .com.

It was toll free but always a pain because of the time difference involved.

In that case the seller actually closed her store so she wouldn't have to deal with me. I'm pretty sure that eBay and not the seller eventually reimbursed me.