Ebay keep refunding my buyers in the middle of me resolving issues

[edwo3948]

Basically, despite having a 100% customer satisfaction rating, I took a pile of envelopes to the post office and sent them and was greeted a couple of weeks later with four separate people saying that their item had not arrived. Obviously, they went into a pile somewhere and got lost in the post office, because it's never happened before.

Ebay sent me the obligatory message with options such as 'refund your buyer,' and 'message your buyer,' so I messaged each of them saying that I would send another one, as each of the requests said, 'Customer still wants item.' I sent the replacements, and then ebay, clearly not having read any of this correspondence, refunds all of them their money back. 

I then speak to an, as usual, polite, but utterly incapable of grasping basic concepts, customer service representative who kept repeating the phrase, 'But you didn't add tracking.' I know.  I know I didn't. The items were cheap, so tracking was not realistic. It said that it didn't include tracking on the listing. That was not my point at all. My point was that they asked me to communicate with the customer, which I did, and then stepped in anyway, and essentially stole money from me to pay these people, several of which will have now probably received 2 copies of what they ordered.

Eventually the customer service representative said, we're going round in circles, as you can't prove that these items were sent (which I can't because the replacements won't have even arrived yet) and shut me down. They're now telling me to contact all my buyers and ask for the money that they have refunded them. No. That's ridiculous and invasive, and I'm not risking my rating on it.

Why do these big corporations think they are at liberty to dip their hand in my pocket and take money out without so much as even speaking to me or reading correspondence? They made a mistake, and rather than correct it, have just doubled down on it being my fault. I've now lost two of each item, and all the money, for four separate transactions. 

Does anyone know what I can do about this? Who to speak to?

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

not everyone will agree with what I post, but that is okay by me.

Years ago, I read a reply to a similar post of yours by phorumjunkie (or similar member ID).

In it, she advised the poster to add just 10c to every listing.  For those that had postage, this was best done by including it in the Postage and Handling charge.

Adding 10c to every listing was akin to putting 10c into a jar, to be used to refund the odd refund claim.  It is a form of self insurance against refund claims.

Now, eBay has changed a lot since PJ advised this 10c strategy, but the basics of that strategy would still work.  I'd recommend 20c per listing as fees are now charged on postage.

For high volume sellers of low-priced items, the 'jar' would soon be full.

I looked at your feedback and saw just over 200 +ve in just 6 months.  Allowing for not all sales being reflected in that number, your 'jar' would more than cover 4 refunds of low-priced untracked items.

If just 80% of your sales generate feedback, then you would have 250 sales.  250 X 20c would be $50.

For items with postage, include the 20c in the postage.  For Buy-it-Now items with 'free postage', add it to the Buy-Now price.  If you like even dollar prices on your items, then add $1 to every fifth listing.

The aim is to cover the cost of refunds by spreading that cost over hundreds of sales.

I wish you well with your selling.

Cheers

[gutterpunkz05]

You have 3 days to resolve the issue, which is refund or provide tracking/proof of delivery.  All of the unresolved issues are now recorded on your sales metrics, so keep an eye on your percentage or you may finish up paying higher fees.  You may also be charged a dispute resolution fee of $22  for each dispute you failed to resolve.  Saying you have sent a replacement, without any proof is pointless, so ebay have resolved the issues.

[springyzone]

I feel for you but the customer's wish isn't your command.

Each of those customers opened a dispute, by the sounds of it.

They didn't just message you privately, where you could have said you were posting a replacement and to let you know in a week if it had arrived safely or not.

Nope, they opened an official dispute (which is fair enough), but once that happens, you as seller needed to follow the rules.

That would involve giving a refund or providing a tracking number.

Doesn't matter that the customer wants the item. Just message them that you are refunding as the item was obviously lost in the post and if they are still interested, they are welcome to buy again.

All that stuff about ebay asking you to communicate with the customer, I am no longer a seller but I'd take that with a grain of salt. No real human is reading your correspondence, all the system cares about once a claim is made is that you as seller fulfill the requirements in time-refund or proof of postage.

I think it is entirely possible some customers will end up with 2 items plus their refund. If they are low priced items, most will shrug it off. You may get one who offers to refund but for many customers, they won't know how to easily do it anyway, so they won't.

If you just refund people in future, you'll still lose out but only on one item.

And K1ooo is right, up the prices slightly to cover the occasional glitches.

[phantomchris1984]

i take pictures of everything i post and also record a video of putting in post box, send to buyers if possible.

use pre paid stachels if possible, free tracking.

[davewil1964]

AP tracking is always free for parcels.

If using letter postage, the seller is always vulnerable. No proof of delivery ALWAYS means the buyer has the upper hand. You have no proof of postage, much less delivery, if you use an untracked method.

I suggest you be the one to sue eBay for upholding their terms and conditions, which you agree to EVERY time you list an item.

Pictures and videos have no legal standing. Ask your lawyer.

[justkidzbiz]

---

Sending anything with “no tracking” can leave you open to “item not received” disputes and some (a minority) buyers, knowing there is no tracking will open a dispute to get the item for free as your only recourse in a dispute where there is no tracking is to refund. 

My point was that they asked me to communicate with the customer, which I did….

Did you communicate via “messages” or via the dispute? If, via messages, eBay won’t read these. Communication must be via the dispute and you only get 3 days to respond . As the CS rep stated, there is no tracking with the originals or replacements and that is why they would have refunded the buyers.

hopefully the buyers are honest and will pay once the receive the replacements.

I had an issue recently where the parcel I sent (stupidly used Sendle) went missing. I was late sending the item as at first couldn’t find where I had put it and my mum had passed away and had to remove all her belongings from Aged Care which was in the country so I was away. Long story short, I found the item, emailed my buyer with my apologies for delay and also refunded postage as a small token of compensation for the delay.

Dropped the parcel off at the hub location the next day and then it went pear shaped from there.  Parcel couldn’t be scanned in as the label was 28 days (didn’t know Sendle labels expired after 28 days), and 3 weeks later still couldn’t be located nor delivered. Buyer raised a dispute (and I certainly don’t blame her for that) which I immediately refunded.

Over a couple of weeks with emails back and forth with Sendle, they found the parcel and it was delivered to the buyer.

The next day I received an email from the buyer advising that the parcel had been delivered. She then asked me how I would like to be paid for the item. It was an expensive item, over $100. 

My point here is that there are some really kind and honest people around!🙂

---

[chameleon54]

---

@k1ooo-slr-sales wrote:

not everyone will agree with what I post, but that is okay by me.

Years ago, I read a reply to a similar post of yours by phorumjunkie (or similar member ID).

In it, she advised the poster to add just 10c to every listing.  For those that had postage, this was best done by including it in the Postage and Handling charge.

Adding 10c to every listing was akin to putting 10c into a jar, to be used to refund the odd refund claim.  It is a form of self insurance against refund claims.

Now, eBay has changed a lot since PJ advised this 10c strategy, but the basics of that strategy would still work.  I'd recommend 20c per listing as fees are now charged on postage.

For high volume sellers of low-priced items, the 'jar' would soon be full.

I looked at your feedback and saw just over 200 +ve in just 6 months.  Allowing for not all sales being reflected in that number, your 'jar' would more than cover 4 refunds of low-priced untracked items.

If just 80% of your sales generate feedback, then you would have 250 sales.  250 X 20c would be $50.

For items with postage, include the 20c in the postage.  For Buy-it-Now items with 'free postage', add it to the Buy-Now price.  If you like even dollar prices on your items, then add $1 to every fifth listing.

The aim is to cover the cost of refunds by spreading that cost over hundreds of sales.

I wish you well with your selling.

Cheers

---

 

chameleon54

Community Member

(377feedbacks) View listings

Options

on ‎18-07-2017 09:42 PM

@cushioncovers wrote:

Does anyone add extra insurance onto their items?

I've had 2 satchels go missing in the last 3 months (which is really unusual). They literally dropped off the face of the earth.

Both were worth around $70-$80 and the most that Aus Post will reimburse you for is $50 for contents.

Of course I reimburse the buyer, but I'm still out of pocket the difference.

Not sure if it's worth it as 99% of my items get through, but maybe for that 1% it's worth paying for.

EASY - If you only lose 1 % of your items, just add 1% of total sales price, plus postage to your postage cost and self insure. It is much cheaper than taking out AP insurance for every item and much less hassle with " claims".

AP,s insurance is very expensive and would add a fair bit to your postage costs or hammer your profit margins if you absorb the cost. I add around 50 - 80 cents to my postage cost on every item I sell and just pay out, no questions asked when an item goes missing.

Still doing it in 2025 and still works as well now as it did in 2017.