Postage Refunds - Why does it take so long?

[justkidzbiz]

On occasions I have had to cancel the postage paid through Ebay, either because I couldn't print the label within 24 hrs due to printer problems or had to change the postage paid, and cannot understand why a refund takes 25 days, or for that matter longer. In some cases I have had to wait 6 weeks. This is ridiculous. In all cases it means I have to pay twice for shipping as the refund, actually the credit, because it is not refunded only credited, is not processed before I am invoiced for the month, thus making me actually pay twice then wait to get credited. I have now been waiting 27 days for a credit. Think I'll go back to using Click and Send, it costs slightly more but any issues are promptly fixed within 5 days including refunds.

[davewil1964]

Get it right in the first place?

Or use Firefox, which downloads the label, which you can then print at your leisure (which doesn't fix the ones that are wrong, but why would you pay for an incorrect label in the first place?)

And maybe look for a new printer - they are fairly cheap these days.

[sueken4812]

When they introduced it, I decided to wait and see what was going to happen.  By the number of comments from unhapy users, and the system not working, I still don't use them.  Stuck with Click and Send, yes it's a little dearer, but it works. Perhaps once it's been going for 12 months or so, and the glitches have been fine tuned, I may consider using it then.  Why create more headaches for yourself.

[curraone]

contact ebay if you feel you have waited too long - by using the ebay labels you accept the following conditions:

If your cancellation request is approved, you'll receive a credit for postage and related charges within 25 days. The credit will be shown on your Seller Account, and on the following eBay monthly invoice.

otherwise, it's their game, their rules.    I don't think it means that you pay twice however, I don't follow that bit of your post.

[pennyforum14]

It takes that long because they have to wait to ensure the label isn't used after all.  They have only your word for it that you are not going to use the label, and if they refund your money immediately, and you then go ahead and send a parcel using that tracking number they are out of pocket.  The cancellation process to void the tracking number probably takes a day or so, and in the meantime if the label is used, it may well slip through the system.   Besides, you are not actually paying out the money immediately, it is simply being added to your Ebay account and isn't due and payable till the next monthly billing anyway, so in many cases, the refund can arrive before you have to pay.

[pennyforum14]

I've been using it since June and have had no issues, thought I'd switch to C&S when the 500gm discount died but as it was extended I am still using it.  Have had to cancel three or four times and most of the refunds are credited quicker than the 25 days, and often before the monthly bill is due.  My only complaint, if you can call it that, is that you can't rearrange the labels when you print, I use A4 label sheets and would prefer to be able to print more than one to a page or at least position the label so that I can reuse the rest of the sheet for the next label, but the interface doesn't cooperate on this point.

[justkidzbiz]

First time my ink had run out on the printer (thanks kids for not telling me), and my new cartridge didn't arrive for a couple of days, therefore had to cancel the original postage and buy another one. The next one, I had to reprint a label that was lost. As it was past the 24hrs to reprint I had to cancel that original postage and then purchase another label. So have paid for 4 lots of postage in one billing cycle and the credits weren't put through until the next billing cycle, so even though the credits come through I still actually paid double in the first invoice. Third one, whole transaction was cancelled, requested a credit on postage, was told 25 days, took 6 weeks.

As for the 25 days to wait, surely if you reprint a label to the same address for the same item number they should be able to cancel it within a more reasonable time frame as.you can't use it for anything else, which is why I don't see that it takes that long.

After making a query with eBay I was told I was already credited and to check my account. Low and behold, no credit. Then I have to contact them again stating this and they tell they have put in a request but this will take up to 25 days. I'd already waited 3 weeks and I'm suppose to wait up to another 25 days,

[lane-ends]

Save as pdf in a folder as soon as label is generated. Then not only can you reprint if anything goes wrong, you can reprint it as proof of processing it later.