Buyer says it costs 140 USD$ to return item

[vip-marketplace]

So I have a US buyer who's having trouble using a 500$ item I sold to him and wants to return it.

I paid ~30 CAD$ with UPS to ship the item to him.

He says he went to UPS and it costs 140 USD$ to have the item send back to me...

I told him not to use UPS and use USPS instead - 15 minutes later he says it costs 80 USD$ to send it here.

Any idea what he's doing wrong to get those rates?

[ypdc_dennis]

What's the weight?

The USPS makes it more difficult to find the cheaper services.

[vip-marketplace]

Hi!

The buyer just got back to me with the dimensions:

18"x 22"x 9", 6kg

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Has he packaged it up in the same box you sent it to him in or has he used an over-sized box? Larger package dimensions will affect the final shipping rate. 

-CM

[femmefan1946]

https://postcalc.usps.com/?country=10440

Play with this a bit and choose your service.

Be sure to follow the Shape and Size icon and scroll to the bottom of that page, to find the (delivery confirmed) First Class International Service.

If you are paying for return shipping, you can print a USPS label using Shippo. No discounts though.

Remember, NO REFUNDS WITHOUT RETURN.

Buyer Remorse means the buyer pays return shipping if it goes to an eBay or Paypal dispute.

[vip-marketplace]

The buyer claims it's defective - I have my doubts but will have to take his word.

So I can purchase a USPS return label from Shippo even though I'm in Canada?

Could I purchase one from UPS instead? I have a commercial account with them.

[pjcdn2005]

Supposedly you can get a USPS label through Shippo but I haven't tried to do it yet so I don't how easy it is.  As far as UPS,  it would be best to check with them. You may only be able to use the account if you have a US UPS account.

[pjcdn2005]

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@vip-marketplacewrote:

Hi!

The buyer just got back to me with the dimensions:

18"x 22"x 9", 6kg

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I don't know where the buyer is but from Philadelphia to Quebec City Priority International would be $67.   Priority International Express would be $110.  That price is for 6kg. If you meant to write 6 lbs (since measurements are in imperial) the cost would be about $46 and $70ish for Express.

If they can print their label from paypal.com/shipnow it may be less expensive.

[rosscd57]

If he wants to return it - it's his problem. He is supposed to return it using the same service as he received it - the mail - so USPS. I send a lot of packages down there at about the same cost as you spent. It will him cost more but not as much as he is telling you - he must be looking a a more expensive service. He should be able to send it you using USPS Expedited International with tracking for just over $40.0 Canadian. Easy to check out the cost on the USPS website since you have the packing info.

So it's really not your problem unless it is being returned as Significantly Not As Described. Then you have to pay for it. I had one and informed them I could not buy a USPS label from Canada and told them to ship it and I would compensate them - which I did. I have also had one like that that I never heard from again, cause International Shipping from the States is expensive.

One last piece of advice - don't do a lot of messaging back and forth. Give him the info and stop - it's his choice and not your problem. Not yet anyway.

[femmefan1946]

I did it-- the buyer claimed NAD and wanted a discount.

Homie don't play that game.

No problem making USPS label. As a registered technodolt I printed it out, made a copy and emailed it to him.

He has not used it yet.

My question is how to get my payment to Shippo back if he doesn't. Which I suspect he won't.

UPS was apparently available, but I don't use it so didn't pay any attention.

I suppose you would need some sort of UPS identification?

Try it yourself , OP, and let us know.

[vip-marketplace]

You think it's not my problem?

I'd like that especially since the rates he's telling me are not making sens and I highly doubt the item is defective as he claims.

He only contacted me by phone and personal e-mail. Never through eBay. Which is also a bit weird.

Regardless, I don't see how I could not pay for his return shipping, so I have to care about what he's doing with shipping since that's pretty much my money he's messing with.

I don't want him to go with his wacky 140 USD$ UPS shipping, write 500 USD$ value on the custom label and not mention this is a return for "defective" merchandise. I'll end up having to pay 180$ in taxes on top of that.

[vip-marketplace]

He lives in Arkansas and yep it's really 6kg.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@femmefan1946wrote:

.... No problem making USPS label. As a registered technodolt I printed it out, made a copy and emailed it to him.

He has not used it yet.

My question is how to get my payment to Shippo back if he doesn't.

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According to the Shippo help files:

For USPS labels, Shippo will automatically reimburse you for any unused labels 30 days after it's creation.

[momcqueen]

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@vip-marketplacewrote:

You think it's not my problem?

I'd like that especially since the rates he's telling me are not making sens and I highly doubt the item is defective as he claims.

He only contacted me by phone and personal e-mail. Never through eBay. Which is also a bit weird.

Regardless, I don't see how I could not pay for his return shipping, so I have to care about what he's doing with shipping since that's pretty much my money he's messing with.

I don't want him to go with his wacky 140 USD$ UPS shipping, write 500 USD$ value on the custom label and not mention this is a return for "defective" merchandise. I'll end up having to pay 180$ in taxes on top of that.

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Don't do anything until he opens an ebay Return request.

Then send him a Return Postage label using Shippo. He is obligated to use the packaging sent to him, and mark it Return Merchandise so that you don't get taxed on import. 

More importantly, make him open an Ebay Return. Even a Paypal case. Don't be dealing with this on the side. That stinks like there's something rotten in the State of Denmark. Tell him to open his ebay Return Request and take it from there. 

[vintagenorth]

I thought that eBay said you don’t have to pay more for a return shipment than you paid to get the item to the buyer. I could be wrong, but you might want to check into that, or maybe that was just an eBay myth.

[rosscd57]

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@vip-marketplacewrote:

You think it's not my problem?

I'd like that especially since the rates he's telling me are not making sens and I highly doubt the item is defective as he claims.

He only contacted me by phone and personal e-mail. Never through eBay. Which is also a bit weird.

Regardless, I don't see how I could not pay for his return shipping, so I have to care about what he's doing with shipping since that's pretty much my money he's messing with.

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If he keeps contacting you outside of eBay - keep everything - specially the personal emails outside of eBay and the phone calls are a big signal that this could be a scam or he is trying to fillch money. This is starting to smell. From now on only use the eBay messaging system and only if you have to. If he calls again - don't interact with him, If he phones tell him get on the eBay messaging system. 

Snoop around his feedback - specially his feed back left for others and see if you can sniff something out.

Might even be worth a phone call to eBay to get them to get this stuff all notated on a file for this listing - I would. Just be polite and give them all the facts.

[rosscd57]

You have never mentioned if he has opened a case with you yet. If not, given what has happened I don't think you should have any interaction with him at all.

[pjcdn2005]

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@femmefan1946wrote:

I did it-- the buyer claimed NAD and wanted a discount.

Homie don't play that game.

No problem making USPS label. As a registered technodolt I printed it out, made a copy and emailed it to him.

He has not used it yet.

My question is how to get my payment to Shippo back if he doesn't. Which I suspect he won't.

I had a quick look once and had no idea where to start to process a USPS label so I guess I’ll have to sit down and try to figure out how to do it.🙂

lol at the Homie comment.

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[pjcdn2005]

I totally missed the comment about him not contacting you through eBay.  I would definitely tell him to open a return request through eBay if he hasn’t already so that you are able to get your fvf back.  Some buyers think it is bad for the seller if they do it that way but some may want to stay off of eBays radar so they won’t want to open a request.  If he doesn’t want to open one, I would be a bit wary of him.

[pjcdn2005]

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@vintagenorthwrote:

I thought that eBay said you don’t have to pay more for a return shipment than you paid to get the item to the buyer. I could be wrong, but you might want to check into that, or maybe that was just an eBay myth.

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That was only for sellers in the managed returns which was for US  domestic transactions only. Also the original label had to printed through eBay which we can’t do in Canada.