Buyer initiates a return as coat does not fit.

[luv4orphans]

I have a buyer that wants to return an item as she says it does not fit her. I am not in the habit of accepting returns for obvious reasons.

I try to describe my items as much as I can so this doesn't happen.

Coat is XS, all measurements are in the pictures. Buyer says the coat is way too large for her. She weighs the same thing as I do and coat is snug on me. I understand different body build so she could be legit. I had another prospective buyer from another site but closer to home try this coat and had same weight and same height as me but muscular built and coat was way too small, she couldn't even zip it up. So wondering if its buyer's remorse.

Just wondering on what I should do here. And who pays shipping costs in a case like this.

[luv4orphans]

My understanding of that is the one receiving the item back needs to pay for return shipping before the post office will release it. How it works with ebay though I am not sure. I think they would need to file that they are returning the item no? I sent something overseas once and the item never made it (it took 4 months) and that's what the post office told me. That was a few years ago so maybe they changed things since then..

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Turns out it was a recent shipment to a newbie buyer who did not include their suite number in the address so because I did not include the suite number they want a return and full refund.

-Lotz

[luv4orphans]

Did you print the label from paypal or shippo. Suite number should have been in her address no. If you did and it wasn't there its not your fault. A good one.
Or a newbie and she forgot to include that in her postal address? How do you miss putting that into your address. Let me know how that one goes.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

I just confirmed the address in Google. It is an apartment. Printed in Shippo. It was their error but they are slow to respond to messages. I've confirmed addresses in the past. This time the address looked okay so I did not question. It was definitely their error. Will pick up tomorrow and find out the costs. I let them know I would reship and that I could bill them for the postage costs. They did not like that idea.

-Lotz

[reallynicestamps]

Since the customer put the wrong address in their Paypal account, I believe you could cancel the entire mess transaction as Problem with Address and be free of it with no Defect.

I believe the customer could leave Feedback. You could if you wished leave a Response to FB "Did not give apartment number Returned by PO." for example, if you wished.

[pjcdn2005]

If they don't want to pay for you to send it again and they haven't opened an inr, you can refund them through paypal and hold back the original shipping cost and postage (if any) you had to pay to pick up the package. I think but I'm not sure that you might be able to cancel the transaction at that point but I doubt that you would get an fvf credit since it wasn't a full refund.   eBay might give you a partial fvf credit if you phoned and asked for one. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

tyler@ebay 

Just picked up the parcel with postage owing. Item was marked incomplete address(fault of buyer - eBay/Paypal match). It is an apartment complex. The office should have been able to match to the owner without too much difficulty. In the meantime, the customer has opened an INR so canceling transaction would be most likely be off the table. The most economical solution would have been re-shipping with customer picking up the tab but they don't want to go that route.

-Lotz

[retroman_studios]

tyler@ebay 

Best option is provide tracking in the resolution center and call eBay or go on Social Media to talk with an agent. They should be able to see both the supplied address and the tracking showing it bounced back.

[tyler@ebay]

Thanks for the tag @retroman_studios !

Hi @lotzofuniquegoodies - just to make sure I'm on the same page:

Your customer purchased the item and you sent it, but it was returned as insufficient address.

If that's the case, as long as you have tracking to prove that the item was returned for such a reason you would win an Item Not Received case if it were escalated. Ethically, in my opinion, the proper thing to do would be to issue a refund of the purchase price (less shipping) as you have both the item and the buyer's money currently. 

Many buyers are willing to pay to have the item shipped again, definitely consider messaging them. 

If there is no tracking on this item you would potentially lose an escalated Not Received case, and would be better off issuing a refund through the request that is currently open.

If I missed the mark let me know, it's been a doozy of a Monday so I may have overlooked something. 🙂

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

tyler@eBay

How do you give a partial refund if the item was ALREADY returned because of the incorrect address? Do you need to somehow make arrangements for the item to be approved to be returned before you get to that step? Fallen in another loop and can't get out.

-Lotz

[pjcdn2005]

---

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

tyler@eBay

How do you give a partial refund if the item was ALREADY returned because of the incorrect address? Do you need to somehow make arrangements for the item to be approved to be returned before you get to that step? Fallen in another loop and can't get out.

-Lotz

---

An INR as been opened so you have to deal with that, its not considered a return as the buyer never received it.  As Tyler said, you have to enter the tracking number in the case to get the case closed first. But I would also phone ebay and ask them to close the case showing them that the item was unable to be delivered to the buyer because the address was incorrect.  Once the case is closed you would do the refund less shipping through Paypal. 

If you are willing to refund in full instead, you would just refund now through the inr.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

I would like to send a partial receipt due to the fact it was entirely the customer's error. The problem displays its ugly head because of the order that things happened causing the system not to let me send the partial refund. I am still going to be out the return shipping. If the customer had checked the transaction and clicked on tracking it would have shown them that their item was at the apartment managers office the day after I mailed it. It was going Calgary to Edmonton. My past brief history with INR's and NAD's in 9 out of 10 cases nothing went as planned due to the fact that customers either didn't follow procedure, clicked randomly on a incorrect reason(Impossible to fix after the fact) or did not read the listing in its entirety.

It's still my belief that most honest situations can be corrected with direct contact which is now almost impossible.

-Lotz

PS. The tracking was there as soon as the postage was created in Shippo.

[femmefan1946]

You use Paypal's Send Money service for the partial refund.

Put the eBay transaction number in the PP text box.

Tell eBay that you have refunded and give the PP transaction number.

Paypal handled all the money so that is how you correct a money problem.

[pjcdn2005]

I would likely only give a partial refund as well.  

You’re saying that when you go  the transaction in PayPal it won’t let you do the partial refund?  Have you gotten the inr closed yet?  If not, that could be the problem.  

[retroman_studios]

You have to deal with the eBay case first before you can refund via PayPal. PayPal locks the transaction as long as the dispute is open. Once the dispute is closed, you will be able to refund via PayPal on the original transaction page showing the original payment.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Basically what I found out when I tried. Will make a pot of coffee and call the helpline tomorrow. Maybe 10 or 30 Tylenol handy also.

-Lotz

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

FYI for anyone if this situation were to happen to you.

In calling eBay this morning, they said the best way, in this case, would be for eBay to close the original case and then re-open it under my name. When a decision has been made by eBay, then I would have the option to give a partial refund.

-Lotz

tyler@eBay