Do I need to provide tracking for return?

I want to return an item I bought and the seller wants me to ship using economy shipping, which doesn't come with a tracking number. Is that even a good idea? I worry that the seller can just claim that they never received the package back and won't refund me...

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Do I need to provide tracking for return?

marnotom!
Community Member
Your concerns are valid ones. Don’t agree to shipping your return untracked if you don’t know the seller reasonably well.
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Do I need to provide tracking for return?

[Possibly controversial opinion:] If the seller has been on eBay for a while (is an established seller, lots of feedback, high feedback number, lots of items for sale, etc.) then it's reasonably safe to send a return without tracking - they understand that shipping costs are high and are just trying to either (a) help you out by saving you money on return shipping if you're the one paying for it; or (b) trying to reduce their loss on the return if they're the ones reimbursing you for the return shipping.

As long as the address on the untracked item is correct, and it has enough postage, it should get back to the seller just fine (don't forget to include your return address!). And an honest seller will just process the return once they get it and send you you're refund.

Just make sure that you are aware of the potential risks associated with it. Without tracking, there is no proof that the return was sent back, so if the seller is dishonest they could just lie, saying they never received it, and you will never get a refund. There's also a chance that the untracked item could go missing while in transit (unlikely, but a small percentage of mail does go missing for various reasons unfortunately), and without tracking you're out of luck as Canada Post will have no way to investigate and try and find it.

If the item in question is of higher value (what constitutes "higher value" is up to you) then it's probably best to send it back with tracking just so you're 100% sure the item won't go missing and you'll get a full refund. Just note that if you're the one paying for the return shipping, you're probably looking at a minimum of $20 to ship it back through Canada Post (depending on the size/weight/distance of travel, of course).

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Do I need to provide tracking for return?


@coral-223 wrote:

I want to return an item I bought and the seller wants me to ship using economy shipping, which doesn't come with a tracking number. Is that even a good idea? I worry that the seller can just claim that they never received the package back and won't refund me...


@coral-223 

Are the goods being returned going to USA/Internationally? If so the package will need proper custom documention. (US/Intl goods returning) If this is required and not included it will cause delays in customs processing/delivery. There are economical options for returning to the USA. Not so much for anything within Canada.

-Lotz

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Do I need to provide tracking for return?

Yes. You may need to prove delivery.

With the exception of "Buyer Remorse" returns the seller is usually required to pay for return shipping. We sellers resent this.

So, why are you returning the item?

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/information/app/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1

You can reduce your cost for shipping slightly by getting a Solutions for Small Business card. You don't have to be a business.

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/business/small-business.page?

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Do I need to provide tracking for return?

Who is paying for the return shipping, you or the seller?  Where is the seller located?  What do you mean by 'economy shipping', would you sending it lettermail?

If the seller is responsible for return shipping and they are overseas, I probably would not ship it without tracking. That might depend on the value.  However, you "might" be protected if the seller is supposed to pay and wants you to use a non trackable method.

If the party responsible for return shipping does not use a tracked service that meets these requirements, a case may be decided against them if the returned item doesn't arrive.    https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?...

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