ITEM STUCK IN U.S. CUSTOMS

[winner188]

My package is stuck in U.S. customs for several days now, customer is not happy, demanding a refund.

Item is a auto part, customer sold car and no longer needs part. Messaged me April 22 saying car is sold and demanding refund.

Demanding refund again because item hasn't arrived by expected delivery.

Shipped APRIL 11 same day payment received (expedited USA).

Case has been opened by buyer in EBay.
Customer wants full refund including shipping and once money is received he wants more money to ship item back to me.

what do I do here?

[winner188]

Thanks everyone, you guys are awesome.
It's hard to stay focused on listing items on Ebay when a claim is opened against you and you know you are in the right.

[momcqueen]

I don't blame you for feeling stressed. This type of behaviour by another member would bother me plenty. Hang in there. Knowing you are in the right is helpful, you just have to trust that the powers-that-be will agree.

[ricarmic]

I think the biggest challenge most, if not all of us have, is keeping stuff like this from being/feeling personal instead of business.

The more one sells, the more likely one will encounter problem buyers, its a simple fact of doing business.

Once one gets a problem buyer, minimizing time, cost and stress are key.

One thing I've done is pre-write many form letters which I fall back on when I get problem buyers, it keeps me from writing what I feel like writing.....

As long as I know I've done my best to fix/correct the situation, I've become able to compartmentalize it as just business and  then I'm more easily able to follow the process to fix it...

But we all have to find our own ways. Hang in there, keep in mind the many 100s of happy customers you've had before this, and the many 100s of happy customers to come!!!

[winner188]

Buyer has closed case for item not received but opened a case as Not As Described.
Here is the Buyers message in the open case request, reason for not as described - "the item i received arrived late and i want to return it for a full refund. that makes the item not as described."

Item was shipped April 11 Expedited USA
Delivered April 30
There was a delay at customs.
Should I let this case be resolved by Ebay.
Buyer also demanded I pay for return shipping.
I have offered refund if buyer pays return shipping but buyer wants a full refund and I also pay return shipping.

Is this even considered late shipping if I shipped on the same day of item sale.
Thank you in advance.

[momcqueen]

I'll start by answering your last question first. 

No, it's not considered a late delivery if you shipped with tracking as long as you gained your acceptance scan within your stated handling time.

Yes, escalate the case. The buyer does not have grounds to claim Not as Described because it was held in Customs. What date did he tell you he sold the truck? Two days before it was even due to arrive?

He can have his full refund WHEN he sends it back to you with tracking at his cost like any other case of Buyer's Remorse.

Your key pieces of evidence in your defence:

(a) you shipped on time

(b) he told you he didn't want it before it was even due to arrive because the vehicle was sold

(c) he sent you 30+ messages in 30 minutes one night

You will have to speak to Customer Service about this and also get their reassurance that you need to allow it to escalate. Or that YOU escalate it. I must stress this the most. You cannot allow the case to be reviewed by a bot. Find out now what you need to do in order to have a fair hearing.

Good luck.

[momcqueen]

It's buyers like this one who behave SO badly that sellers get all wound up and think every buyer is a crook and a scam artist, and that ebay is a den of thieves and pile of jerks. 

[winner188]

Thanks for the excellent advice

[esclyons]

YES, you will be required to speak top a customer rep.. and explain in detail what has happened, if you get the right person, they may be able to close the case for you , when you are on the phone,.. that is what you want to ask for..  please close it as the buyer is now asking for a refund plus shipping,  that is close to extortion, as you have fulfilled your side of the deal..  best of luck to you..

[momcqueen]

I wish you luck. It's very clear what has transpired here, it would be sticking if ebay read it wrong and tried to hold you accountable. Calling and speaking to someone is very important to your defence in this.  Stick to the facts and the script in your reply to the buyer, remain polite. If I was in your shoes, I would reply with something like this:

'We would be pleased to accept your return and issue a full refund when you send this item back with tracking. It is our understanding and position that this is not, in fact, a Not as Described case, therefore you as the buyer are responsible to fund the cost of Return postage. If you review the details of this case you will see that you paid April 11, and we shipped April 11. While it is true that the Estimated Date of Delivery given by ebay was April 24, the item was unfortunately (beyond our control) delayed for inspection at Customs as is possible with any order that crosses international borders. Be that as it may, you had informed us on on April 22 which was two days prior to the Estimated Date of Delivery that you had already sold the vehicle for which this replacement part was intended and therefore did not want the item delivered. After you opened the Item Not Received case which was the Resolution Centre case for this item which preceded this case, you also sent us 30+ messages within 30 minutes in the early morning hours of April 28 demanding a full refund. I can therefore assure you that the full refund you request will be sent to you promptly once the item is returned to us. Have a good day.'

[marnotom!]

Given that this buyer appears to be a complete Froot Loop, I'd probably just keep the response short and sweet until otherwise advised by eBay customer service.  There's a chance that the buyer might misconstrue the seller's message and/or completely fly off the handle and ensure that the seller gets a damaged vehicle part back.

"Since delivery dates are calculated by eBay and not the seller, I will be contacting eBay customer service for advice on how to handle your claim."

[momcqueen]

Good point. 

[momcqueen]

Although damaged returns are another story. If that were to occur, the OP would be able to assert the part was wrecked on return and, given the history of this case, I don't think ebay would doubt them.

But, yes, you're right. Keeping it simple might be the best way to proceed. My impetus for the long-winded reply that covers all the bases is that if an unmotivated Customer Service rep gets the case in review on escalation, it's all there for them to see in the Return messages. 

[tyler@ebay]

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@winner188 wrote:
My package is stuck in U.S. customs for several days now, customer is not happy, demanding a refund.

Item is a auto part, customer sold car and no longer needs part. Messaged me April 22 saying car is sold and demanding refund.

Demanding refund again because item hasn't arrived by expected delivery.

Shipped APRIL 11 same day payment received (expedited USA).

Case has been opened by buyer in EBay.
Customer wants full refund including shipping and once money is received he wants more money to ship item back to me.

what do I do here?

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Hi @winner188 - I'm sorry this transaction has been so nasty. If you offered returns on this item, we'd expect you to honor that. 

If we are asked to step in on a return request we will look to the buyer's reason for requesting the return when looking to make the best decision for all parties involved. Since the buyer is in possession of the item, they are the best equipped to let us know what condition it is in and why they wish to reverse the transaction. If you have any concerns about the buyer you are welcome to report this to us through the site for our records. I encourage you to address any customer concerns based on the reason for the return unless they have indicated something in messages that removes them from eligibility such as having the item repaired or forwarded without your consent.

Thanks for the tag @momcqueen!