eBay returns - how do I get their decision reversed??

[chabra.aus]

Hi,

Apologies in advance if this turns into a rant but I am steaming mad at the moment!!

A customer (feedback score of 2, so v inexperienced) purchased a hammock from my eBay store.  The listing states every single dimension that a buyer could need - fabric size, total hammock length including ropes, width of spreader bars etc.

She bought it to go on a hammock stand (that she purchased elsewhere), but it doesn't fit.  She emailed me and asked for a refund, to which I told her that we don't refund on a 'change on mind' basis.  She tells me that she didnt change her mind, the hammock just doesn't fit her stand.  To which I told her that she should have measured it before purchasing.  If she had had a little patience, I probably would have made an exception and refunded her if she sent it back - at her expense.

Anyway, now she has opened an ebay dispute which they have 'investigated very thoroughly' (!!), and found that the item description was indeed incorrect!!!  WHAT THE..??

So now, I have to pay HER return postage AND original postage, plus the cost of the hammock because she CANNOT MEASURE!!,

Oh, and if I don't send her an return address label, she just gets to keep it together with her refund.

Why does eBay allow us to write in our listings 'BUYER PAYS FOR RETURN POSTAGE' if they are going to override it??

I run 3 eBay stores, with thousands of positive feedbacks, yet this newbie chump gets to walk all over me.

Where do I go from here?  How do I get this decision reversed?  I'm seriously considering closing my eBay stores because theres no point, and absolutely no back up for the seller from eBay.  They might want to remember where they make their money from.  I can only imagine that the returns issues are going to get worse and worse for the sellers.

Thanks for listening!!

Chabra.aus.

[i-love-my-sheep]

First up, RING eBay and request to speak to a supervisor. Or, you could request that one call you back if none are available. I believe they are pretty good at getting back to you pretty quickly. Explain what you have written here, in regards to measurements etc. Get them to open your listing to check it and also get them to check the messages between you and this numpty, which they can do. With a bit of persistance (it might take a few calls), hopefully they will reverse the decision and the turnip will have to pay the return postage.

This is absolutely outrageous and shows just how ridiculous this new MBG is. Please keep us updated on what happens because a lot of people either have been in, or will find themselves in the same situation sooner or later.

Good luck!

[horizon1907]

chabra, I feel for you.  For the life of me, I still cant fathom why ebay insist on this Ridiculous Rule. Surely, with the measurements that were given in the description, ebay, in all their Glorious Wisdom, would have to rule in your favour. But alas, they didn't and it seems they never will support the Sellers.  This is a Typical example of  Buyer was not / or couldn't read the description.  What chances to Sellers have ??? 

[cherry*135]

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That's terrible. As suggested above call ebay. Make sure they understand you did not sell the buyer the frame.

[i-love-my-sheep]

I just had a look at some of your listings for different hammocks and they ALL had measurements, so I would be fighting this to the death. If the numpty buyer couldn't get a tape measure out BEFORE jumping on the BIN button, that's HER problem, not yours.

Call eBay first thing tomorrow and start the ball rolling. I have read somewhere on here where the decision was reversed and the seller was refunded the full amount that eBay had given the buyer, so it can be done.

[lyndal1838]

Unfortunately if ebay has already given the money to the buyer and they reverse the decision the seller will get their money from ebay and the stoopid buyer will go along merrily doing it again because they have their refund.

[cherry*135]

In that scenario at least the seller isn't out of pocket. 

If buyers put in excessive claims that will be noticed by Ebay. I think the buyer gets told when they are getting a discretionary refund, rather than an (ebay forced) seller refund.

[clarry100]

There are similar stoopid policies in both ebay and paypal.

I had a case just recently where a buyer raised an unauthorised use case against us with paypal. Not a bank chargeback case.

PayPal put a hold on all her transactions that had occurred at around that time, including mine.

When I got the notice from paypal I contacted the buyer with a please explain question.

She responded quickly and very friendly to apologise and to say that she had made a mistake and that there was no unauthorised use after all.

She said she had contacted paypal but the hold on my money remained. So I contacted paypal myself about it.

Their first question was tell us your tracking number.

I said there is none as we use regular mail, but that this is not the issue the buyer has received her item and has acknowledged that.

But because I could not provide a tracking number they were unable to close the case in my favour.

So they had to close it NO FAULT.

Now this means I got my money (only $4.00) released but the buyer was also issued a refund of the $4.00.

I contacted the buyer with this info and she was gob-smacked. And re-iterated that this was not the issue. And it had nothing to do with my transaction at all.

She called paypal again and they said this case was finalised.

According to the buyer the other sellers apparaently were treated in the same way as me.

So each seller got their money back (as did we) and the buyer was given a refund in each and every case as well.

Not a bad way to get multiple items for free.

[lane-ends]

This is as much Ebays fault as the buyers. Ebay push the idea that it is easy to return your item if its not right for any reason.

Ultimately it is too easy for buyers to get around the no refund for change of mind policies by sellers. Ultimately it will cause many to change to allow change of mind returns to deflect some of these not as described claims that will also cost you shipping.

[ausbargainbasement]

Actually they dont have the refund yet , Paypal removes it from your account and puts somewhere else, untill the dispute is sorted and then will go to either the buyer or the seller, yes agree the new return system sucks, since it has been in place getting more returns than ever, as soon as the buyer has a problem, preceived or not, they hit the return this item tab, which now smacks you in the face on any purchase you make, contact seller is semi hidden, so once they hit the return item button, the payment is automaticaly removed from your account untill the dispute is sorted, so now heavily weighted towards the buyer, not us sellers.

Where as previously at least we were given a chance to sort the problem before a dispute was raised,