topic Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one? in Buying

Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

sven5696 — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 18:30:05 GMT

i have opened a cas with ebay about parts missing after getting nbowhere with the seller and got the following response

We are really sorry for that issue. We deside to send another full set to you after double check with our warehouse. However, there is a problem here, our system is unable to process a replacement order if a dispute case remains open. It recognizes your payment as uncleared (because PayPal is now holding the money) and it cannot go ahead to release this new order. Hope you can understand the situation. Therefore,would you please close this dispute case in advance so that we can proceed to send the order to you again? You can rest assured that I will keep my promise and a replacement will be shipped to you immediately when this dispute case is closed. Thank you. Sincerely, Tean Customer Service Representative"

I am wanting to know if i close the case can they renig and i am left with an incomplete proiduct....or does ebay back me

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

maranock — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 19:17:52 GMT

Do not close the case or you will never see your replacement and they know it. You can message the seller and explain that due to buyer protection rules you cannot close the case until you get the replacements. The seller can't refuse to deal unless you close.

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

padi*0409 — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 23:36:48 GMT

maranock, you have to wonder how many (possibly Asian) sellers get away with this blatant lie - and others along similar lines - and rip unsuspecting buyers off ?

IMO they should be dealt with by T & S severely to put a stop to it.

As if.............................................

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

kopenhagen5 — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 00:34:46 GMT

The seller is giving you a load of BS.

DO NOT close the case until you have a refund or replacement item in your hands.

Once a case is closed you have no further recourse.

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

lyndal1838 — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 00:54:13 GMT

I can't help wondering how a buyer would get on if they did close an ebay dispute and did not get the promised item.....could they then open a paypal dispute? After all, paypal is the go to option if an ebay dispute fails.

Has anyone ever heard of this scenario?

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

digital*ghost — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 01:03:21 GMT

I'm going to preface this post by saying that i agree with the others about not closing the case without having a refund or replacement.

But, I also wanted to say that as a seller, I will also refuse to send out a replacement if an eBay case is open. This has nothing to do with the payment being on hold, as - at least for me - that does not prevent me in any way from being able to post an item, and has everything to do with the shortcomings of eBay's dispute system. They do not provide an official option to send out a replacement, where this can be recorded in the resolution centre and extend the time available to sellers to resolve an issue and allow for delivery of the new shipment.

By which I mean, if I send out a replacement and it doesn't arrive within 5 days (i.e. the date the case can be escalated), the risk to me is too great (I not only could lose the original and subsequent shipment, as well as any money paid for the item, but I'd get a defect known as 'case closed without seller resolution' - a seller is allowed a maximum of 2, or just 0.3%, of these, before eBay can take action against them, causing selling restrictions or even indefinite account suspension). I would never ask someone to close an open case, though, just explain that I'm only able to provide limited options to the buyer.

I do recommend that if people want replacements, it's more likely if they don't open any kind of case (keep an eye on time limits of course, the last thing I want is for people to forego protection, I'm more trying to let people know that they can effectively eliminate some options via opening a case).

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

lyndal1838 — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 02:25:43 GMT

As a matter of interest Digi....how many of your customers agree to negotiate with you without opening a dispute?

If you read the boards there seems to be so much distrust between buyers and sellers that no-one wants to believe anthing the other party says without the backup of a dispute in ebay or paypal.

The reason for the distrust is another story but is an amicable resolution even possible in ebay without the backup of ebay's big stick?

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

digital*ghost — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 04:27:06 GMT

Perhaps surprisingly, I get more people contacting me directly than opening disputes (a lot of people who do open cases don't realise that's what's happening, as they just follow the prompts to communicate with the seller). I think part of the reason I get more direct messages though, is because often it's about missing items from an order, which some people might not view as 'not received' or 'not as describe', but something different so eBay's steps don't appear to cover this (not 100% sure, as it's been a while since I've had a look at what comes up when people go to contact a seller about a transaction issue). I do want to say, though, that in my case, more than half of the "missing item" messages I get are - shall we say - suspect.

I actually had a particularly unique case just recently, where the buyer opened a not received request. The package had tracking so they had first attempted to query things with Aus Post, but as there was only a 'lodged' event and nothing further (for a few weeks), the case could only be deferred to me.

When I replied to the case, I explained what I was able to do and happened to mention that although I could get in touch with AP, I can really only offer a refund because I don't have the option to send a replacement, and have limited time before I need to action it, which is not enough time for an AP investigation.

I then got an email to advise the buyer had closed the request (this was not requested at all, nor did I say anything like "I can send a replacement if you close the request"). They sent a message saying they closed it so that there would be enough time for the AP investigation - long story short, I told them that since it had been so long since originally posting the item, I would rather they didn't have to wait for their purchase any longer and sent a replacement via express post the same day, requesting that if the original did turn up, to please mark it as RTS unopened.

I do feel like I'm being blackmailed (by eBay, not the buyers) into taking certain, specific actions when a request is open, though, which is bad from a customer service perspective as it means I basically have to deny the customer's needs or preferences in favour of protecting myself from eBay, so as much as I am aware that it's mostly just a way for buyers to communicate an issue to sellers, and the dispute is a side-effect, it still significantly reduces my options and I can't help but find it an abrasive (for lack of a better word) action, and always prefer that cases not be opened (this would largely be mitigated if A) I could trust eBay to take my evidence into account where applicable, and B) they provided an option to send replacements).

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

pacotrading — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 04:55:53 GMT

Yes agree with that Digi, is system is to rigid, should be more flexable ie partial refunds, and replacements allowed.

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

lyndal1838 — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 05:40:27 GMT

Thanks for the very detailed reply Digi.

Knowing what you sell it seems to me that your customers are more likely to respond to a reasoned reply from you than some other sellers.

As a buyer only I find the ebay site very confrontational...as soon as I buy an item I am faced with a list of options but the one that hits me in the face is Return this Item. Ebay does not even try to encourage buyers to be happy with their choices...or take any responsibility for them.

All too often I see buyers coming to the boards asking how to get their money back even before they have received the items.

It is all rather depressing for me as a buyer....I hate to think how sellers feel about it all.

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

maranock — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 05:41:39 GMT

The very few times I have had a problem with a seller, even Asian sellers, it is usually fixed with a prompt replacement or refund without going to a dispute. I usually try to get a problem fixed and only go to a dispute if time is running out.

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

pacotrading — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 06:08:54 GMT

Not wrong there lyndal, as soon as you hit the pay button, large Bold Text "Return this Item" smacks you in the face, no wonder most buyers hit that without contacting the seller first.

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

digital*ghost — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 07:19:18 GMT

@lyndal1838 wrote:
Thanks for the very detailed reply Digi.
Knowing what you sell it seems to me that your customers are more likely to respond to a reasoned reply from you than some other sellers.

As a buyer only I find the ebay site very confrontational...as soon as I buy an item I am faced with a list of options but the one that hits me in the face is Return this Item. Ebay does not even try to encourage buyers to be happy with their choices...or take any responsibility for them.

All too often I see buyers coming to the boards asking how to get their money back even before they have received the items.
It is all rather depressing for me as a buyer....I hate to think how sellers feel about it all.

I do have some advantages. The jewellery buyers are less likely to become regulars, but it's nearly all handcrafted so I suspect that this conveys I care about what I do, and - by virtue - my buyers (a fair and correct assumption ). The supply buyers on the other hand, will often be repeat buyers, so I get the opportunity to establish a higher level of trust with them as well.

As a seller, I am not a fan of undermining a buyer's purchase, which is what eBay seems deadset upon doing with their campaiging of the MBG site-wide, and (what amounts to) the in-your-face "GOT A PROBLEM WITH YOUR PURCHASE?" stuff. I feel things like offering change of mind returns, and fast, appropriate solutions to transactions issues, is important and I wouldn't neglect those aspects myself even if I could, but I like to be much more subtle about things like that because it's difficult to create a positive experience for someone if you're consistently reminding them their purchase could be problematic. (I will only mention that I offer COM returns to buyers if they indicate they're interested in buying, but can't be 100% sure if the item is going to be what they want, so in that case it's a positive thing - I actually prefer to send samples [where possible] than have them buy to try, though, but I digress... ).

As jensmanchester would often say here, "the best protection a buyer can get, is a good seller", and similarly, the best buyer a seller can get is a (respectfully ) communicative one, the main issue stems from eBay "simplifying" communication down to buttons to press, which has the opposite effect of what I would prefer as a seller - I'd like to see eBay encouraging open communication and spending less effort on smacking people in the face with reminders about transaction problems, but more effort on highlighting the many good sellers they've got on site.

Not to mention security industries (of which PayPal is technically a part of) boom when people are fearful, and it's not like that fear can't be justified, TBH - even the very best of sellers can encounter unforseen issues so things like feedback and long-term trading history with a seller isn't rock-solid protection against something dodgy happening. If I were not the kind of seller I am, I could have completely abondoned the buyer I mentioned above as soon as they closed the request, since I had proof of post, so - to bring this kinda back on topic - my buyer was more trusting with me than I would have personally recommended they be if I was advising them here in the forum, which was really nice and enabled me to provide the best solution possible, but unless you can be 100% definite about the outcome, availing yourself of (or keeping) protection on the off-chance it's needed is better than giving someone the benefit of the doubt and losing it all.

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

*tippy*toes* — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 12:37:44 GMT

I always use the ask about my item or ask seller a question option when sending a message to a seller, regardless of the reason. I know that option isn't going to open a dispute. I think that one took over from the old "other" option. I don't recall ever having opened a dispute. Any issues I've had have been easily resolved with the seller via messages. Maybe I've just been lucky!

I've only ever had one dispute open against me and that was last year for an INR, which the tracking showed as delivered to her small rural town (according to her postmaster they must have put it in the wrong PO box, which I find hard to believe given the town looks like it would have less than 100 people in it!). The few other minor issues, the buyers have contacted me using the same option I do and it's been sorted amicably. My categories don't tend to attract scammers which makes life a bit easier.

I offer change of mind returns. I'd rather the buyer say it's not what they want and send it back, rather than damage it and claim NAD. I can resell it if it comes back intact. I think I've only had 2 COM returns.

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

sven5696 — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 20:04:55 GMT

appreciate the advice, I hovered over the key to cancel....because the offer to send a new one straight away after going backwards forwards after opening a dispute was attractive

Re: Seller has asked me close this dispute case in advance so they can send a new one?

sven5696 — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 20:12:49 GMT

totally agree with you...I did try and work it out with the seller as I have previously done with other sellers.

Though this was going round in circles with silly offers of a $10 refund when the unit is was purchased for $39.....it just smelled