Who would win this dispute?

I have a buyer who is not happy with my product and has immediately left a neatral and opened a returned case.

 

I accepted the offer but as stated in my listing they would have to pay for postage. Now because this is posting from the US to Australia, the buyer is not happy with paying for the return labels and has threatened to go with eBay showing them how it is not described or what ever and looks completely different from the photos shown in the listing so that I have to pay for the return label.

 

Should I just escalate it to eBay and will eBay tell them to pay for the return or will I have to?

 

 

Message 1 of 11
Latest reply
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Who would win this dispute?


@ourphonecase wrote:

I've already accepted the return for a refund, what I'm actually wondering is do I have to pay for postage for the buyer? 

 


That would depend on the reason she selected for requesting a return, which she has to do when she sends the message as far as I know - if it's for not as described, you'll automatically be responsible for return postage and eBay will bill you once the buyer processes the postage label (I think).

 

If she is having to pay for postage herself, I suspect she might have chosen a change of mind type of reason, and if so you shouldn't be obliged (by eBay etc) to pay for the return postage. If the neutral is about the cost of return postage and it was a change of mind return, you may be able to get eBay to remove it. 

View solution in original post

Message 6 of 11
Latest reply
10 REPLIES 10

Who would win this dispute?

At this stage ebay won't be able to do anything - their money back rubbish only starts Nov 1.  It is a Paypal issue assuming you used Paypal.  Paypal will almost certainly issue them a refund but require them to return the item registered post at the buyer's expense.  Is the item worth a lot of money?  Might it not make more sense just to let them keep it?  Sometimes I offer to let them keep it if they wear the postage cost - this is a particularly useful strategy if you know they are talking rubbish and there is nothing really wrong with the item. 

Message 2 of 11
Latest reply

Who would win this dispute?

As the buyer is in the US, eBay's Money Back Guarantee will be in effect as that's been available to US buyers for quite some time.

 

If the buyer's messages can show that the real reason for return is change of mind, you should be able to win the case (not guaranteed, of course), if their messages consistently indicate (even vaguely) that the issue is to do with the phone case and not whether they like it etc, I suspect your chances would be very slim (keep in mind that if you lose an escalated case, it becomes a case closed without seller resolution, of which you're allowed 2 or 0.3% in any given evaluation period before you're relegated to "below standard" and account sanctions will likely apply). 

 

If the request is escalated to a case, I honestly don't know at this stage what eBay require from the buyer - it might be worthwhile asking on the US forums, as sellers there would likely have a lot more experience dealing with eBay's MBG cases. 

Message 3 of 11
Latest reply

Who would win this dispute?

Im afraid you won't win, I had a very similar case, whereby a Buyer purchased an item from me, had it a couple of weeks then decided she didnt want it, so immediately left horrible negative feedback, then got onto Paypal asking for an immediate refund, because the item was in such a state etc etc: - no matter how many emails I wrote to Ebay, calls to Paypal, (who assured me they would look into it thoroughly) - Paypal granted her a full refund, stipulating that she mail the garment back to me, which she did, but when I received it, it REALLY was in bad condition,,- kind like she had dragged it around the yard - I immediately phoned Paypal - end of story, the Buyer won, I lost, and now have item back, very much the worse for wear.

So, back to your problem, I suggest you just accept it, seems whether you are right or wrong, you will lose in the long run 😞

Message 4 of 11
Latest reply

Who would win this dispute?

I've already accepted the return for a refund, what I'm actually wondering is do I have to pay for postage for the buyer? The buyer has already left the neatral. I'm fine with it and want to move on. I just don't want to pay for the return postage which the buyer is now messaging me demanding me to pay. (she will have to pay more postage than the item cost if she pays for return postage).

 

 

Message 5 of 11
Latest reply

Who would win this dispute?


@ourphonecase wrote:

I've already accepted the return for a refund, what I'm actually wondering is do I have to pay for postage for the buyer? 

 


That would depend on the reason she selected for requesting a return, which she has to do when she sends the message as far as I know - if it's for not as described, you'll automatically be responsible for return postage and eBay will bill you once the buyer processes the postage label (I think).

 

If she is having to pay for postage herself, I suspect she might have chosen a change of mind type of reason, and if so you shouldn't be obliged (by eBay etc) to pay for the return postage. If the neutral is about the cost of return postage and it was a change of mind return, you may be able to get eBay to remove it. 

Message 6 of 11
Latest reply

Who would win this dispute?

Digital*ghost is correct I would have to pay for return cost as well. I didn't read my initial return request properly.


Surprisingly when I told the buyer I would have to pay for the return postage automatically and I told her not to worry about it and gave her a full refund on the spot without returning, she actually suddenly became more nicer and sincere and even asked me to request her to change the feedback from neatral to positive.

 

It goes to show that even if there is an irate buyer you can change the situation when you just simply just speak in a calm professional manner.

 

 

Message 7 of 11
Latest reply

Who would win this dispute?

I hope you sent her a Feedback Revision Request so that the defect you received for the neutral will then be removed.
Message 8 of 11
Latest reply

Who would win this dispute?

cq_tech - revising feedback does not remove the defect.

 

The defect remains when a buyer revises non positive feedback to positive.

Message 9 of 11
Latest reply

Who would win this dispute?

Are you serious? If that's true, then there's absolutely no point in revising the feedback in the first place, given that only one defect per transaction is counted. How fair is that? It's bad enough that a neutral now counts as a defect but for the defect to remain when the neutral is removed is completely unconscionable IMO.
Message 10 of 11
Latest reply