How to refund and not get a defect?

[triber]

Can anyone help with this please?

[jt-libra]

After you send the refund, open a mutual cancellation, indicating the reason as being the buyer changed his/her mind.  I can't remember the exact wording but I believe it's the first in the list of options.

I like to send a note to the buyer advising her that she will be receiving the mutual cancellation e-mail from eBay and explaining what it means .... simply that you can get your eBay fees returned.  They will either agree, or not reply at all.  In both instances, you will get your FVF back and avoid a defect.  If they say no, then they didn't understand what was being asked of them.

[pjcdn2005]

If the buyer opened an inr case you will receive a defect.

If the buyer didn't open a case and you refund without cancelling, you will get a defect.

If the buyer didn't open a case and you refund and cancel the transaction the way that jt suggests, you shouldn't get a defect. However, I'm not sure if that particular choice is available once the item has been shipped. Things change too often to be sure of anything these days.

[jt-libra]

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

If the buyer opened an inr case you will receive a defect.

You're right, of course.  For some reason, I assumed that the buyer had contacted the seller first.

If the buyer didn't open a case and you refund without cancelling, you will get a defect.

Right again   Happened to me not long ago.

If the buyer didn't open a case and you refund and cancel the transaction the way that jt suggests, you shouldn't get a defect. However, I'm not sure if that particular choice is available once the item has been shipped. Things change too often to be sure of anything these days.

It was .... as of two weeks ago.

---

[pjcdn2005]

That's good to know. Thanks!

[triber]

I seem to remember that if you don't refund the whole amount, say all except 50 cents, you won't get a defect, does anyone know if that's true? I am willing for forgo the refund of fees, but I don't want another defect.

I don't see how I can ask the seller to say that she has changed her mind or purchased by mistake when she hasn't done that.

[jt-libra]

---

@triber wrote:

I seem to remember that if you don't refund the whole amount, say all except 50 cents, you won't get a defect, does anyone know if that's true? I am willing for forgo the refund of fees, but I don't want another defect.

I've refunded a portion of the shipping cost when multiple purchases were made and never received a defect.  I'm not sure how the system could know whether it was a refund less, say, 50 cents, or a refund of shipping costs.  You got me there.

I don't see how I can ask the seller to say that she has changed her mind or purchased by mistake when she hasn't done that.

Someone more knowledgeable than me can confirm this, but I'm sure someone posted recently that when the buyer receives the request for cancellation, they don't see the reason selected.

---

[decal-fx]

No Idea if this will work or not, but could you just use Paypal's "send  money " for the full amount to their Paypal email, & not use the refund option from the original transaction. I know I'm going to try this on my next refund scenario.  

[kcgwynne · Accepted solution]

As long as the customer didn't open a case I have personally just refunded the whole purchase through PayPal and haven't received a defect yet.

[triber]

Thank you for the replies. No, she didn't open a case, just  did it through "ask a question". I guess I am getting paranoid about undeserved defects, but they keep adding up. I will just refund. I don't know if I want to risk getting my fees refunded.

[triber]

Well, I send the refund directly to her email address and STILL got a defect. No case was opened.

[pjcdn2005]

No, she didn't open a case, just  did it through "ask a question"

What topic did she pick when she asked the question? If she used the topic about not receiving the item yet, a case was automatically opened.  If there is no case and you used the send money function, its odd that you received a defect.

[triber]

The question was about tracking, it went lettermail, so there was no tracking. It didn't mention an opened case.

[finedigital]

So the marked answer is not true. You did get a defect after you refund with paypal?

[vintagenorth]

Triber, did you refund her through your original transaction in PayPal or did you refund through PayPal's "send money" feature? Would like to know, possibly have one coming up for not received in time.

[pjcdn2005]

---

@finedigital wrote:

So the marked answer is not true. You did get a defect after you refund with paypal?

---

If you refund through the refund link in Paypal and do not cancel the sale through ebay using the reason as 'buyer changed mind/problem with address) you will usually receive a defect as ebay will assume that there was a problem with the transaction.  Now that they have the new MBG system set up on ebay I don't know if you can refund directly through paypal and then still ask for a cancellation through ebay. You  might be able to but I haven't tried it myself lately.

[t.w.mooner]

It is a sad state that we have to figure which hoops we are suppose to jump through to give a refund without receiving a defect.When and how did giving a refund become something wrong to do?This is ridiculous that sellers are penalized for giving refunds at all .In what commerce world is giving goodcustomer service become something to penalize someone for EBAY and EBAY ONLY

[mcrlmn]

I gave a full refund through PayPal 2 weeks ago.
The buyer messaged requesting he return a coin; stating it was lighter in tone than pictured.

When it arrived I refunded him in full.
PayPay returned their fee to me.
I swallowed eBay's fee.
No defect.

[maxwar82]

The current defect system is so flawed and unfair that it is kind of funny.

Of course if you are a horrible seller with terrible service you will get lots of defects.

But for good sellers doing their best, there is still still a good amount of defect coming simply from bad luck. The type of item being sold also has a big impact. I sell consumer electronics and video game related items mostly. 

At the rate this has been going lately I may soon lose my TRS status simply because of DOA electronics that are still factory sealed when they are shipped. I refund them but still have a defect. 

That and buyers who do not know how to use the stuff I sell them and open a case before asking me for technical support.

This is pretty depressing.