How to get FVF back on a return

[katlover1952]

Sold a couple pair of earrings on Oct 4th. Buyer contacts my today says the stone on one of the pair arrived cracked &  the other pair didn't dangle like she thought they would. She said she didn't have a good enough camera to take a picture that shows the damage. She wants to return for a refund. Of course I will be stuck paying return shipping as she can say it is INAD. Kinda funny that she didn't contact me as soon as they arrived as I am sure they would have gotten to her before the end of Oct but what's a seller to do. I do pack carefully but in an effort to try & drum up some sales added "free shipping" to many of my items so am using light packet air. Using a padded envelope with extra bubble wrap so don't know if I am being taken advantage of or if they really did get damaged in transit. Sales have just not rebounded for me since closing my store during the postal fiasco so this us needless to say frustrating. 

I plan to refund & let her keep them as it is not worth my while to pay return shipping as well as refund her the purchase price. I also toyed with the idea of offering a generous partial refund if she wanted to keep them?Just wondering do I need her to open a Case in order to get my eBay fees back?  It's not a huge amount but as this is turning into a total loss thought I'd try to at least recouperate my fees anyway. If any of you have any other suggestions on how this should be handled please advise.

[ypdc_dennis]

Here's what the ebay help says:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/credits.html

[recped]

Just have the buyer open a return request and then follow the process. When the item is returned and the refund is issued your fees will be automatically credited.

If a buyer returns an item or reports that they didn't receive it, you must refund the buyer in full, including any shipping charges. Then we'll automatically issue your final value fee credit within 48 hours. The insertion fee for listing the item on eBay isn't refundable.

We don't issue a final value fee credit in any of the following situations:

• You issue a partial refund
• You refund the buyer outside of eBay, such as using PayPal's Send Money
• The buyer asks eBay to step in and help and the case is decided in the buyer's favour

[reallynicestamps]

Is the buyer in Canada?

If so , you should be able to send her a Return Shipping Label,whether eBay gets involved or not.

And I would counsel you not to get eBay involved.

How much is the FVF you are worrying about? Since you are willing to refund and not demand a return, I'm thinking it is not very much actual money. Fifty cents? Two dollars?

If the buyer is not in Canada, return shipping gets fraught, and your plan to refund without return becomes a reasonable choice.

The other pair of earrings is okay, I take it?

[pjcdn2005]

If it had been less than 30 days since purchase you would be able to go to the transaction and click on cancel order using buyer requested cancellation as the reason. The buyer would be refunded and your fvf would be credited.  There would be no defect.   You can still try to do it that way but it might not let you as it has been so long.  

You could also ask the buyer to open a return request which would give you the option of refunding upon return or refunding now without requiring a return, FVF will be credited once you've refunded.

You can also refund the full or partial amount through PP.  You would have to phone eBay though to try and recover your fvf,

[ricarmic]

My thinking is that if you are considering letting the buyer keep them and fully refund, the partial refund option is a better way to go. 

(although you only get the PAYPAL fees back from that)

You've probably seen my thread on situations like this:

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/Neutral-Negative-ratings-or-threats-thereof-the-form-lett...

(feel free to use any parts that work for you)

I leave it up to the buyer to decide the amount of the refund. If they pick an unfair amount (in my eyes) I "happily" refund that amount and block them*. If they pick a reasonable amount I do not block them. This leaves "control" in their hands and it tends to make the remainder of the resolution process more positive, although possibly more expensive (but not when compared to a full refund).

(I actually had to do this yesterday, the first time in quite a while and it worked out AOK)

*My mantra "burn me once shame on you, burn me twice shame on me".