Buyer reports issue with shipping address days after shipping

[itsd-75]

Hi!

I recently sold an item and shipped it to the address eBay provided. There is no tracking on this item.

The buyer contacted me to say that the shipping address is not correct, and I am uncertain of what will happen next.

If the item comes back to me, I will refund the buyer, simple!

If the item does not get returned to me, I am assuming eBay usually sides with buyers, and I will lose the item and purchase price.

Is that about right?

How would you approach this sitation, communication wise? I am not sure of how to respond to the buyer's message.

[ricarmic]

I have had this exact situation, untracked item as well. Their address was 3180 instead of 3190 they realized this when a number of packages were not arriving.

Personally I treated it just like a normal INR which it really was, just I knew why this time. The buyer was positive during the conversation, waited as long as was possible, and I refunded them for the missing item. We'd agreed that if it showed up there, or back here I'd rebill them for it. (It never did, at least not yet)

Because they'd been positive and supportive during the process I didn't block them which I normally do for an INR situation.

This was a good decision because they successfully bought a bunch more stuff from me, much more than my cost of what was lost so it was a good business decision in the end.

My suggestion in your situation is to see how patient the buyer will be awaiting it either miraculously making it to them or getting returned to you. In my experience the return path is LONG so the pair of you will probably have to decide what to do before it actually gets back to you.

You are 100% correct that all the buyer has to do is open a case and you lose 100%. This is the "price" we pay for shipping untracked. Hopefully you have enough in your wee "cookie jar" insurance fund to make up for it. 

As I mentioned this isn't really any different from a "normal" INR with the exception that you know the reason why this time. If one thinks of it that way it might make it more "palatable" in our brain....

[reallynicestamps]

EBay does not require you to do anything if the item is Undeliverable.

Even if the shipment comes back to you, you do not have to refund.

Ethically, of course, you should refund at least the purchase price less shipping, your taxes,and your fees.

But eBay will not force you.

https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?...
 
This is the part I'm referring to
 
Exclusions and special coverage when the buyer doesn't receive an item


tems collected by a third party on behalf of the buyer
Not covered


The buyer arranged their own shipping method, such as a courier pickup
Not covered


The buyer provided an invalid or incorrect address at checkout
Not covered

 
An ethical seller would refund the payment, less shipping costs, eBay fees, and international payment processing fees.
But it's my belief that eBay will not require any refund.
 
Hi @femmefan1946! You're correct in that a refused package is on the buyer and not the sellers responsibility to refund. As long as tracking shows the package was refused, then we would side with a seller if the buyer opened an Item Not Received claim. 
 
I agree that I would not withhold all the money, but it is up to the seller if they would like to withhold shipping, refund the buyer entirely, or keep it all. If the seller is okay with refunding the buyer entirely and being out the shipping costs, then they can cancel the transaction using the buyer requested option since in essence, they did by refusing the package. If the seller wants to retain the shipping costs, then they can message the buyer a heads up (not a requirement but a nice thing to do) and then refund them partially through this flow here. 
Velvet,


[reallynicestamps]

Thank being said since you did not use a tracked service, I think  an eBay dispute would end with the buyer winning.

Which makes acting ethically easier.

And you will get the package back eventually. At which time you may already have a proven customer for it.

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

You're at the mercy of the buyer because without tracking the buyer can automatically win an item not received (INR) case. 

I would politely tell them that because the item has already shipped, you cannot change the address. I would offer to re-ship it to them if it rejected by the person at the address they provided and returned to you by Canada Post.

Let them know that it isn't guaranteed that it gets returned to sender since that entirely depends on whether the person currently living at address they provided returns it to Canada Post.

Let them know that if the item is returned to sender, it can usually take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to get back to you. 

Usually you shouldn't ship to a different address than the one provided at checkout since you are only covered by eBay's seller protection when you ship to the same address provided at checkout. Because you do not have seller protection through shipping untracked, this concern is moot. I wouldn't cancel the transaction and make them checkout again. Simply apply the new address (if) it arrives back.

The buyer can technically open an INR case. If they do this, you will have to refund them. Because you have a message from them that came after the item was marked as shipped stating that they provided the wrong address, you might have some luck contacting eBay if they open an INR case. I doubt eBay will close the INR, but they might offer to cover the refund. At the very least, if the buyer does open an INR case you should contact eBay and have them walk you through reporting the buyer since the buyer is acting in bad faith.

Most buyers are reasonable enough that if they realize it was their mistake, they and you offer to re-send it when it's returned to you, they will accept that it was their fault.

[reallynicestamps]

At the very least, if the buyer does open an INR case you should contact eBay and have them walk you through reporting the buyer since the buyer is acting in bad faith.

And use these links to actual eBay employees, not the subcontracted phone 'reps'.




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