Refund

[lda.lin.rv8pfvn]

If you have to return a damaged item, who pays for the return shipping?

[love2shoppe4me]

Usually all return costs are the responsibility of the purchaser, unless it states in the sellers listing that they will pay for returns. Was it damaged in transit or was sent to you damaged?

[reallynicestamps]

The buyer pays for return shipping. Just as the buyer pays bus fare to take an unwanted item back to WalMart for refund or exchange.

[pierrelebel]

The rules are changing.

Effective September 14th for purchases made on eBay.com:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/money-back-guarantee.html

For items found to be substantially not as described:

When an item is returned to the seller

• The buyer must return the item in the same condition in which it was received.

• The seller is required to accept the return at the same location specified in the listing.

• The cost of return shipping is the seller's responsibility. For return of items with a total cost of $750 or more, we require signature confirmation.

• The seller pays for any customs charges on the returned item.

Either we generate a return shipping label or the seller can provide a label. We add the cost of an eBay-generated label to the seller's monthly eBay invoice.

When a return shipping label is made available to the buyer and/or the buyer chooses to purchase a separate label, the buyer won't be refunded by eBay for the cost of the label.

After confirming that the item was returned to the seller, we refund the full cost of the item and original shipping via PayPal. We require the seller to reimburse us for the amount. When the buyer arranges shipping or picks up the item, we may not refund the cost of original shipping or pickup.

The new policy has yet to be announced for purchases made on eBay.ca

[greenmangoes]

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The buyer pays for return shipping. Just as the buyer pays bus fare to take an unwanted item back to WalMart for refund or exchange.

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Agree.... This is why I don't understand why ebay wants sellers to pay for return shipping 😞

[pierrelebel]

"This is why I don't understand why ebay wants sellers to pay for return shipping"

eBay is trying to make its site more "buyer friendly".

I am sure you have seen these ads on TV offering a 60 or 90 days double or triple guarantee.

If you are not satisfied, return the item within 60 (or 90) days and

1) we will refund your purchase price

2) we will refund the original shipping charge

3) we will even refund the return postage.

This, folks, is the trend in direct marketing (mail order).  It is the way of the future.  We all better get used to it.

[pierrelebel]

Look at it another way.  Read the original post by a new eBay buyer.

Is it fair for that buyer to have to pay postage to return a broken item?  Will that buyer come back?  If not, we all suffer.

[greenmangoes]

I get what you're saying pierrelebel... But I fear the buyers remorse syndrome may get out of control.

[mater721]

"Is it fair for that buyer to have to pay postage to return a broken item?  Will that buyer come back?  If not, we all suffer."

As a buyer I agree with pierrelebel.  If buyers had to pay for return shipping, which can often equal (or exceed) the cost of the item, many buyers will just write that off, then stay away. Hopefully few sellers actually used that as part of their business model. A comparison between paying return shipping for a bad item vs returning to walmart is really not on the same scale for many people.

[pierrelebel]

"But I fear the buyers remorse syndrome may get out of control."

I agree with you.

It is a bold move of the part of eBay.  Time will tell what problems are created by buyers abusing the new policy.

[reallynicestamps]

I am sure you have seen these ads on TV offering a 60 or 90 days double or triple guarantee.

If you are not satisfied, return the item within 60 (or 90) days and

1) we will refund your purchase price

2) we will refund the original shipping charge

3) we will even refund the return postage.

This, folks, is the trend in direct marketing (mail order).  It is the way of the future.  We all better get used to it.

Except that those guys vastly overcharge on shipping. That's why they can offer to  add in all kinds of 'extra items' for the same price and double the offer for a minimal amount as long as the customer pays another shipping charge.

Most customers won't bother to return the items. The few that do may get a shock when they learn how low the actual shipping cost was compared to what they paid, but hey they weren't going to be repeat customers anyway.

It sounds good, but compare the prices on some of those products plus shipping to the same products (or similar) sold in regular retail stores (Including the As Seen On TV shops I've seen in malls) and it becomes apparent that the profits are from the shipping.

[glass_i_]

I would most certainly like to find out why it is that a Buyer is no longer able to complain about a blatantly fraudulant item that they have recieved,  without being accused of having Buyers remorse. Finally leaving Negative feedback, Ebay removing it ! Then being placed on some buyers remorse list . Threatened and bullied buy a sellers Messges!I  I was a Seller of anything Vintage for many years and remember vividly, the day I recieved 4 Negative feedbacks on four Perfect Spode C&Saucers. Why? because be buyer read the Painters marks as seconds marks!! Frustrating? You bet, but part of doing business. Because of the Negative FB, I did not offer anything, but otherwise I would have taked them back. But now, as a Buyer I am way too old for this **bleep** and as Ebay has not helped me at all, just tried to pass the buck to PP- all over $20.00!! I believe my best bet is maybe to close my account and spend my money on Amazon and BTR!! At least I get a refund if the item is wrong!!

[jean-philippe.vert]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

The buyer pays for return shipping. Just as the buyer pays bus fare to take an unwanted item back to WalMart for refund or exchange.

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If you order a washing machine from Sears or Costco and get a DOA/broken one, do you really want to pay the shipping back?

[holdmygold2]

While the new policy is for sellers to pay return shipping for items not as described, eBay has also made it much more difficult for buyers to return items.

That is, the onus now seems to be on buyers to prove that items are are not as described and that can be very difficult for a buyer.

Try proving that an item described as Sterling is not sterling.

Try to show that damage described as minor by the seller is actually far beyond what the listing stated.

The new policy isn't just that sellers pay return shipping, hand in hand with that it seems that if it comes to escalated cases eBay no longer automatically favours buyers.

Sellers will have to balance that with the new "defect" system.

A VERY complicated game this is becoming.

Juggling all the possibilities will leave a lot of sellers dizzy.

[lda.lin.rv8pfvn]

I am going to assume that it was damaged in transit judging by the condition of the box it was in.  And I was told that I would not get a refund unless I shipped it back with an online tracking.  So I had to send it back.  I still stand to the fact that it is not fair or right that I am out $121.99 for something that was not my fault.