returning items by post

[michellebartley]

What is the correct protocol to return an item. Mark it return to sender at post office or rewrap it and then pay for postage yourself. Dont some sellers have a return permit which they issue to you?

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

seeing as these are eBay discussion boards we can assume that the OP is asking about an eBay related item when they ask "What is the correct protocol to return an item".

What reasons are there that an item might need to be returned to the seller . . . . . . item is broken, counterfeit, incomplete, wrong item or any of the many other reasons that would make an item Not As Described.

To know that the item fits any of these reasons for return then one would think that the parcel/package would need to be opened.

[thecatspjs]

Yes one might assume it would be opened.

And a seller is also not obligated to pay post return costs for an opened parcel - unless they subscribe to a post return service (such as that available through e-parcel) or they have offered to cover return posts to buyer in the listing or via messages to buyer.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@thecatspjs wrote:
. . . . or they have offered to cover return posts to buyer in the listing or via messages to buyer.

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in which case the OP would have no need to ask the question here because they would have the answer already (unless there was some other motive for posting).

Merry Christmas cats, have a Happy New Year too.  I'm offline for the Christmas period soon so the same message to all the regulars, readers and new posters.

[thecatspjs]

lol re the OP .... 

Merry Christmas to you too Slr Sales ... hope you have a lovely break 

[chameleon54]

I have only ever had one parcel marked "return to sender" sent back to me by a customer who had taken it home and opened it. In that case I had to pay the return postage plus an extra $8.00 fee on top of post cost to recieve it back. It was part of a paypal claim in which the buyer was being a little bit "smart" as I had already offered a full refund if he returned the item.  In the end paypal deducted all of these post costs from the buyers account, so I would not reccomend this method.

[thecatspjs]

Paypal deducted return post costs you paid from a buyers account ?

I don't believe it, sorry. 

A discretionary payment perhaps ... even that sounds like a random thing for paypal to do.

An $8 fee on top of a further post charge to return  ... interesting also ... way outside of the terms and conditions of regular services.  

[chameleon54]

I suspect the reason Paypal made the deduction was because the buyer was being a little bit unreasonable. I had to first open a non payment dispute as he informed me he simply wasnt going to pay. He then opened an item not as described case as soon as he recieved the item. I offered to refund his payment and initial post cost if he paid the return post ( I was getting a bit tired of the nasty emails so didnt offer to pay return postage ) . He decided to be smart and post it return to sender with the added costs to me. I phoned paypal and explained the situation. They obviously had access to his records ( may have been some history ?? ) and made the decision. All true, hand on heart.

[thecatspjs]

"Return to sender" of an opened parcel does not have any additional post charges, other than the actual post charge. 

How could the buyer even demonstrate to paypal they had returned a parcel from them addressed to you? 

[chameleon54]

Exterior of parcel had been opened and resealed, interior packing appeared to have been un-opened. Looked to me like he took it home started to unwrap it and did the "not as described" before completing the unwrapping of clearish bubble wrap. ( probably checked out what it was ) May have simply taped it back up and mailed it in a post box. Thats my best guess but dont really know. As for no tracking, he couldnt prove anything. This guy was not the brightest spark in the fire, but I try to be honest, even with * bleep* customers like this guy, so did all of the right things and refunded in full. Contacted paypal and had the postage costs refunded. Was it a discretionary payment ? Maybe ? The guy on the phone said the buyer was responsible for return post cost and he would look at taking the funds from his account. Took a few days, and where the money came from ( buyers account or papal discretionary ) I,m not privy too.  Cant really tell you any more than this sorry.