Call ebay to close return early?

[peter32123]

Somebody wanted a return 15 days ago, froze my paypal funds and all that,  I accepted and he hasn't replied to any messages or initiated any steps, I understand that it's supposed to auto close in 30 days but I also read I can call and just get it closed early, is 15 days enough? Also will ebay contact him? I'd prefer they didn't if that's the case and just let it close on its own.

[momcqueen]

How many days past is the buyer on returning the item and uploading tracking? I might wait another week from now to be safe.

[peter32123]

He requested return Apr 30, I accepted May 3, but no activity at all on his end, I think he changed his mind on the return but I don't want to poke him or have ebay poke him in case he gets motivated to go through with it again 

[momcqueen · Accepted solution]

I think the buyer would have had until May 8 to ship with tracking and upload that data. Maybe wait until at least ten business days past May 8 to call and 'escalate' in order to close the return. The freeze on paypal funds when an item hasn't even been shipped back is a sore point for me as well. I think ti should be tried to return tracking as opposed to a return merely being opened because many of those remorse returns simply never materialize. 

[peter32123]

ok sounds good thanks, hate the instant freeze for sure.

[momcqueen]

Yes, in my opinion, the instant freeze is an insult when it's done to accommodate a Remorse return. I understand and agree with the freeze in principle, it's to protect buyers from sellers who list and sell items that are Significantly Not as Described and then drain their accounts and head for the hills, but when it's a remorse return? Nah. Freeze the funds at the point the buyer demonstrates that they have actually mailed an item back to the seller. Tie that paypal funds freeze to return tracking, I say. The acceptance scan.

That way, ebay doesn't unfairly penalize sellers for buyer's remorse return requests that are opened and then just never fulfilled. As does happen on a fairly regular basis. Returns are a butt-pain for buyer and seller alike, but especially for the buyer once they discover the cost of return postage plus inertia. 

There's a whole other argument abound Free 30-day Returns but that edict hasn't made its way here to ebay Canada yet. That's a discussion for another day.