eBay

doc-holmes · ‎05-08-2021

Hey everyone! I have searched through old posts and sound some answers, but not everything I was looking for. I am now coming to tap into the collective wisdom of the group here.

I sent an item, with tracking to a buyer and they attempted delivery on April 30. I asked the clerk for tracking, i didn't know it would include "signature required". I reached out the buyer to tell them and they said "OK, thanks!" So, no problem there. The buyer was not home for the delivery, so off to the post office it went for pickup.

After about a week of it sitting there I messaged the buyer to remind them it was at the post office. We are now a few days after that, and radio silence. I have tried contacting the post office, but they only have a fax number. I can't find a number to call.

So, just to get ahead of this thing, what do I do if they don't pick it up? Is it automatically returned to me? Will I be charged return shipping? Is it acceptable, when I get the item back, to refund the buyer everything but the shipping charges (I assume this causes them to lose their MBG)? Am I refunded ebay fees on the partial amount I return?

Thanks for hanging in with all of this. Let me know what I should do!

femmefan1946 · ‎05-08-2021

If the buyer does not pick up eventually the PO will return it to you.

EBay will consider it as Undeliverable.

And eBay does not require Undeliverable items to be refunded.

You might be charged return shipping. More importantly this takes a looooooong time.

You might mention that politely to the customer.

doc-holmes · ‎05-08-2021

Thanks! I'll give them a couple more days before I reach out again, but they only have until the 15th. I don't feel right keeping the money, but I'll take the shipping out of the refund. It was "free shipping", so I'm going to have to deduct the original $12 I paid to get it there as well. But do you know if I get refunded the ebay fees for the portion I refund to the buyer?

femmefan1946 · ‎05-08-2021

Do nothing until you get the shipment back.

No refunds without return usually is for NAD disputes, but it still holds.

The shipment could be damaged during return shipping, and at the best of times returns are low priority and slooooooooow.

The situation doesn't come up very often. Even less often are sellers interested in making refunds to vanishing buyers.

doc-holmes · ‎05-08-2021

And wouldn't you know, as soon as I start worrying about it, they went and picked it up. Of course! Thanks for the info, regardless.

ricarmic · ‎05-08-2021

I had one memorable one that sat for more than 2 weeks, when the buyer finally responded they advised that they were away on vacation and set things up with their PO to sit on it till they came back.....all my worrying for nothing.....thats why I really try NOT to watch the tracking 98% of the time it just causes me unnecessary worrying....