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Hello all,
So maybe I’m totally in the wrong here, I really don’t know, but I would like to know who pays in the end for return shipping when a seller sells something and has free 30 day returns in the event that the buyer just simply didn’t like the item. It was my understanding that if I could prove it was not an INAD that I could get reimbursed for the shipping? Is that not the case? I’m fine if it’s not, I just want to understand the rule.
I went a long time with no returns, and recently I got 4, all for different reasons.
1. I sent a big item to a buyer and it was damaged in shipping. At first I asked them not to send it back, we’ll do a claim through the post office. I asked them to give me pictures. He was having a difficult time taking a pic and sending it to me (don’t know why). I then told him he could do a claim at the post office (my bad), and he never followed through with that. But he did start the claim process, which means I could not. I then gave him a return label to send the thing back to me – and then I was going to go through ebay to be reimbursed but he never mailed it back so case closed. That was a mess. I felt bad – I kept the money – the buyer was out the money – but he never gave me a good way to help him. I did pay for the return shipping label.
2. I received a brand new blender in the mail – never opened it at all – and then just sold it and sent it to a buyer. The blender was broke in the box, I feel before I sold it but I don’t know. I sent him a return label – he never returned to me – case closed. He did not get his money back. But I feel I paid for the return shipping label
3. I sold a computer power supply to a person. When he got that he said it didn’t work. I took his word for it – told him not to send it back – and refunded him right away. He sent it back anyway as ebay generated a label for him. So I’m out that shipping (sigh). That was on me totally – I didn’t have a way to test it and I thought it worked. My bad
4. I sold a purse that was light pink/rose. The buyer for some reason thought it was ivory (even though the pictures show it’s pink, and the title says it’s pink). The buyer returned it – I paid for shipping back. It’s resisted – looks exactly as it did when I first listed it. I’m out return shipping.
Those are probably the first 4 returns I’ve had in over a year, so I had a good run. I totally messed up on that one that was damaged in shipping, but that buyer was just not savvy enough to help me on his end. Maybe he got his claim money from the post office, I don’t know.
In all of these cases labels were made and printed. In two cases, they were never used. Will I get reimbursed for those? I understand that the 3rd case will be paid by me as the buyer sent it back even though I told him not to – as I knew the item was not as described (my fault). In the purse case, she sent it back, but item was as described. Do I get that back too???
I’m just trying to figure this out. Sorry so long. I’ve called eBay twice and they really haven’t been that helpful. But I feel part is because I’m not asking the right question and so they don’t understand what I want. My last call to eBay I just focused on the purse (not the other things) and asked why I don’t get reimbursed. They told me that because I offer free returns that I will pay for shipping. I thought that was the incentive for having free returns. I’m honest on what I list, it is what I say it is, and so if they return then I should be compensated.
Thanks so much for the forum and podcast. It’s awesome.
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I assume that your return labels were from the post office. When a buyer never sends the item, I get my money back after about a month. You should receive that money back. If you use FedEx, you don’t pay for it until the label is used.
I don’t do free returns, but I think you pay for the returns no matter what. If you also have free shipping, then you pay for that as well. If you don’t have free shipping, but do have free returns, then you should not have to reimburse for the initial shipping. However, if a buyer uses a INAD to get the initial shipping back, and you feel the reason was false, you can reimburse for everything but the initial shipping. You can’t get the return shipping back (assuming the buyer sent it to you) because of free returns.
That’s how I understand it.
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That helps, thanks. I didn’t think to not reimburse them for initial shipping, though that doesn’t seem fair either. For some reason I had it in my head that in cases that are not INAD eBay would reimburse the seller. I saw that as a way to make sellers better at descriptions and selling things as described. But if that’s not the case, no worries, now I know. I’m fine paying for shipping then just dealing with it – it’s part of the business expense and one that really isn’t that much in the long run.
Thanks
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If you’re in the Free Returns program, here’s the deal:
–The buyer can return the item for any reason, seller pays for shipping back (ie Free Returns). Buyer pays for the original shipping to them.
–If the buyer says the item is not as described (INAD), then seller refund item and pays for shipping both ways.Since you’e in Free Return program, eBay lets you dispute the INAD return and not refund original shipping. Buyer can then dispute your dispute. eBay will make a final decision if it gets to that point.
When a buyer requests to return because of INAD, we always ask for photos.
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Thanks Jay, that helps. I did have the option to not give the buyer their original shipping, but I didn’t know that was what I was supposed to do. So I refunded them fully. My bad. It was truly my first return in a very long time, so it’s fine, I needed to learn and then figure it out.
I know you all have said, but if you don’t refund the buyer that shipping, then they complain that you didn’t, is that when eBay steps in and helps you? A big light is starting to go off and I’m slowly piecing all of this together. I think I was worried that the buyer would be upset at me not refunding their initial shipping fee.
I appreciate the detail there. Thanks again.
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Yes, some buyers dispute our not giving them shipping back. But because we do Free Returns, eBay seems very lenient. Its always good to ask buyers for photos of they say an item is INAD.
Mostly though, buyers dont dispute because they know there was nothing wrong with the item.
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I have never had a buyer expect a refund on original shipping for a standard return and I’ve never had a single complaint when I don’t refund original shipping.
The only exception where I refund original shipping is when I sold something with “free shipping”. It would not be right to withhold the actual shipping cost.
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I think I just didn’t understand the process. When it came time to process the refund, the default was to just return the item price, not original shipping, to the buyer. Not knowing any better, I of course hit the toggle and also returned the original shipping. It was not an INAD issue, so I did have a choice. No worries, now I know so all is good. Thank you all for the help. I really don’t do these often, and just suddenly got a barrage of them and truthfully learned from every one so we’re good now. I’m curious what new thing I’ll learn from the next one. Can’t wait 😉
Take care
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You have 30 days to cancel a label that you create. It is just tough to track return labels you create then cancel right before the 30 days if not returned.
I think many buyers have learned if they complain they can get a partial or full refund without return, easy money for a few minutes work and they don’t really see the harm (we are all rich businesses you know). I believe some of the return requests that are never received back are due to this.
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