defect removal

[cosmosmusic2011]

I shipped out a record. It arrived damaged. I refunded the full value of the record including the shipping thru paypal.The buyer was very satisfied and posted postive feedback on my professionalism and would buy from me again.

Ebay in their wisdom considered that as cancelling a transaction and gave me a defect on my selller dashboard.

When I contacted ebay to remove the defect because I did not personally cancel the transaction, they told me that because I did not use the ebay messages and went thru my personal email, they will not remove the defect. So I get hit four times- I'm out my record;I'm out my shipping costs; I'm out the final ebay fees;i 'm hit with a defect.

It's time ebay starts supporting sellers.

My advice to you is that if you are going to give  a refund on an item, just send them the money and not refund them directly thru their payment thru paypal.

[katlover1952]

That is ridiculous - will they not accept copies of your personal emails as proof of what happened?

I am in a similar situation right now and have posted a question re accepting returns in this venue. It is not a case of INAD but the gal asked to return a bracelet as it did not fit the friend she had bought it for. I do say in my listing that there are no returns but we all know how that can work if a buyer is unhappy so agreed to do it  and refund the full purchase price but not the shipping. I thought that was fair as the bracelet is exactly as described including the measurement in the listing so why should I have to be out the shipping. I wanted to see how to do this and get my FVF back as well as no defect - maybe the only way is to deal directly with the buyer and eat the FVF - sure does not seem fair to me!!

But then lots of things are not fair on eBay anymore .... at least for the sellers!

[cosmosmusic2011]

I was willing to send all the emails. They told me they cannot accept them because both I and the buyer may have concocted them and they have no proof that they are legitimate. My feedback is at 100% and seller dashboard almost 5 stars on all counts.
It's impossible as a seller to have an ebay representative agree with you and make a decision in your favor

[cosmosmusic2011]

If you deal directly with the buyer without Big Brother ebay seeing the emails and give a full refund to the buyer they will interpret that as cancelling a transaction and you're going to get hit with a defect. Ebay has put sellers in a catch 22 situation-damned if you do,damned if you don't.

[pocomocomputing]

Call eBay customer support back back and offer them copies of the email with email headers in the copy. The headers are how the email was sent and is difficult to fake this "fingerprint".

Read this topic

community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/buyer-return-fraud/m-p/302002/highlight/true

post #31 from raphael@ebay.com has info on how to do headers.

You might also want to contact raphael@ebay.com (by email, not eBay messages) on your problem. He can't do much but could get the case reopened for further review.

[pjcdn2005]

When I contacted ebay to remove the defect because I did not personally cancel the transaction, they told me that because I did not use the ebay messages and went thru my personal email, they will not remove the defect. So I get hit four times- I'm out my record;I'm out my shipping costs; I'm out the final ebay fees;i 'm hit with a defect.

Even if all of the communication was through ebay messages, it is unlikely that they would remove a defect in this situation so I don't understand why they told you that.  It sounds as if the buyer didn't open a not as described case but if a full refund is given because the item was not as described, regardless of whether or not it was the 'seller's' fault, a defect is given because ebay does not consider this as a positive transaction. You can certainly try by showing ebay the emails with the headers but is there information in there that proves it wasn't a defect based on ebay's defect standards and defect removal policy?

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/policies/defect-removal.html

[cosmosmusic2011]

There was nothing wrong with them item. It arrived broken. The buyer noted that it was properly packed. I have no control over how the post office handles packages. In fact the buyer was extremely satisfied with this transaction and how I handed it and considered it a positive transaction. Just because you give the buyer a full refund does not automatically make it a negative transaction. Hopefully none of the ebay customer reps become judges. By their way of thinking, a person would automatically be guilty, regardless of the circumstances .

[pjcdn2005]

It's not the individual ebay rep that is making a judgement in a situation like this, it is ebay policy. If a buyer does not receive an item in the condition that it was described, ebay does not consider the transaction to be a positive one regardless of how the situation was handled.  I'm not agreeing with the way they have the defect system set up, just trying to explain it.

[73rhc]

I know that this situation sucks. And I sympathize. In the future, may I suggest that if you come to an understanding with the buyer. That you not cancel the transaction. You can refund through Paypal using "send funds to friends and family". This way there are no PayPal fees to the buyer. And everyone is happy, happy, happy...(sorry for the Duck Dynasty humour)

[reallynicestamps]

The buyer noted that it was properly packed. I have no control over how the post office handles packages.

Yeah, the problem is that eBay (and Standard Business Practice) considers the package to be your responsibility until delivered.

You sub-contracted the delivery to Canada Post who are responsible to you. (Was there insurance and have you tried to claim it? Use a phone call, in my experience it works better than email or filing at the local post office.)

The buyer claims from you.

You claim from your sub-contactor.

Back in Real Life however.....

[73rhc]

Doesn't Canada Post only insure for lost mail and not for damaged?

[pjcdn2005]

They do provide damage insurance for some items. 

shipments which are subject to liability coverage and which contain glass, ceramic, or perishable/temperature sensitive items are covered only for loss, not damage. Coverage for loss or damage is NOT available for the following items: cash, stocks, bonds, lottery tickets, negotiable premium coupons, traveller's cheques and trading stamps, non-mailable items or improperly packaged items, etc.

https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/Cst/terms-e.asp

[73rhc]

I stand corrected. However, it is dependent on the method used. They may also try this one, in this instance:

"Canada Post shall have no liability for damage of shipments containing Fragile Items."