invoicing/refunds

[momsgot4]

I sold an item to an International buyer (Japan) and they paid right away (the wrong amount) before I could invoice them. So I refunded the amount they paid (item price plus wrong shipping price) thinking I could issue them a proper invoice for the proper total.

They sent me an email saying the eBay site wasn't letting them pay. It let me send a new invoice from my end. A few hours later they send me another message saying that they has an invoice that I sent them for a very large random amount ( which I didn't send) asking why I was charging so much. I assured them that I did not send that amount and I sent another invoice for the correct amount and have not hear anything further.

My question is, once a 'refund' is issued, is there a way for the buyer to now pay through Paypal again? How do I go about getting proper payment so I can ship out the item and resolve this quickly for both of us before it becomes a negative experience for the buyer?

Thank you!

[momcqueen]

I'm not certain there is any way to salvage this experience for your buyer. When he or she paid, wrong shipping amount or not, you were obligated to dispatch the item to them. By issuing a refund, you have probably incurred one of the dreaded defects that ebay issues automatically for transactions that fail to complete unless requested as such by the buyer. My best advice is that you call ebay for further instructions on how they would like you to proceed from here. Good luck as you carry forward.

[momsgot4]

Thanks for your advice! Do you happen to know the phone number for eBay? I was looking last night for it but couldn't find it. This is the second time this same buyer has done this. They bought from me a few weeks ago and because the shipping they paid didn't nearly cover the cost, it had to go by surface mail which I was told was going to take 4-5 weeks. Of course they haven't received the first order yet so I was trying to ensure that they paid the proper amount this time so I could send this latest purchase by a faster shipping service.
Thank again.

[momcqueen]

You're welcome. Try calling to see if that might connect you with someone who can properly help.

[reallynicestamps]

Just a question or two on the original transaction.

Did you have the correct shipping to Japan listed? This is an option in CHoose Custom

Destination.

If you did, the customer would automatically have been billed with the correct amount.

DId the customer give you a US address and pay US shipping even though she was actually in Japan?

Many Asian buyers (and Caribbean and South Amcerican ) use 'trans-shipping' companies. These companies collect online purchases for over sesas buyers and send then on.

This is not a problem for the seller. Once the item is shown to arrive at the trans-shipper, the seller's responsibility for delivery is over.

[momcqueen]

I made an error in giving you a number to call. It has been removed; the moderator let me know that. The best way for you to get ahold of who you need to talk to at EBAY is to go to a desktop website browser and look for Help & Contact at the top of the page. Then the tab to Contact ebay to Selling to Getting Paid. The select Contact Us at the right.

That's where i would start.