Damaged Item, Case Opened by Seller, Refund Received...Return Item?

[world_wrestling_federation_ztj]

I purchased an item that arrived damaged and issued a return for the item. The seller then opened a case a couple of days later, and that case has now been decided in my favour. It says "This return was closed because the seller opened a case." and "We're sorry your item arrived damaged. We're issuing you a refund for this case."

Even though it says the return is closed, I'd assume that I still have to ship the item back, since the seller has been forced to refund me for it...Or has that refund come from eBay, not the seller, and I don't have to bother returning it?

I don't mind sending it back, since it doesn't cost me anything through the PayPal return shipping program, but I wouldn't want to send anything back if my refund didn't come from the seller. I also see no option of entering in any return info and have not been provided with the seller's address (the address on the box is from the Global Shipping Program).

Any help with this would be appreciated.

[pjcdn2005]

If it was decided that it was damaged in shipping than the gsp would have refunded you and the seller would not be out any money.  Could the damage have happened during shipping?

[world_wrestling_federation_ztj]

It was a dent in a lunch box, but there was no similar dent in the box, so it seems like it might have been shipped that way, but I couldn't say for sure. I did mention this in the description when I requested a return.

[reallynicestamps]

I'd assume that I still have to ship the item back, since the seller has been forced to refund me for it...

No.

If he wanted it back, he would either send the return shipping or demand that you return it before refunding.

He can demand the return even if he has a "no refunds" policy.

Put it out with the trash, donate it, or fix it and use it.  Up to you.

(the address on the box is from the Global Shipping Program).

The seller is not involved.

We will assume that if it arrived at the GSP plant damaged, it would have been refused, rather than re-shipped.

So the damage happened under the GSP's watch and it was the GSP which refunded you

The GSP never wants the  item back.

What would they do with it?

These refunds are a very occasional business expense and covered by their commercial insurance provider.

[reallynicestamps]

And again, sometimes it is cheaper to accept and pay for damage that was not the business' fault or responsibility than to make the real culprit pay up.

The minimum wage in Kentucky is $7.25 an hour, and this would not be handled by a minimum wage clerk.

How much was the refund and how many man-hours would be needed for a perfectly just outcome?

[vemac0918]

Hi, it sounds to me like eBay funded the refund. You're probably fine to keep it. Rest assured, that eBay would be nagging you if you'd been contractually indigent in some way. 😉