Return request. advice please?

[van_werkhoven]

I had a return request opened last week, the buyer was wanting to return a top, claiming excessive tearing in the sleeves. I've missed a few things over the past year selling, but I find it hard to believe I missed tearing in the sleeves as serious as she is claiming. It's a top which buttons at the wrist (clearly visible in photo) and, naturally, is split below the button up to a certain point (less visible in photo), i suspect this is the 'tear' she is complaining about. 

I told her I am happy to refund her, but could she please provide photos of the tearing so I can see what I missed, and for my records. After she provides photos I am quite happy to refund, or if the tearing is the split I expect, I could explain this is actually part of the design and guide her to seeing that the 'tear' is properly stitched and hemmed. 

It is now the 'due date' for the refund, and she has not responded at all. What options do I have here? I have no way to close the case or do anything official. I don't want to offer a return, since this is a large letter item but ebay will make me send a satchel label worth nearly as much as the item, so it's refund or nothing. 

If I'm right about the slit being the issue, she may well have not responded because she is just pretending the case doesn't exist now she's realized shes wrong (this has happened in the past, and is the reason I always ask for photos or clarification before refunding, over half of complaining buyers never respond. But I've never done it via an official case before)

I really, really don't want a 'case closed without seller resolution' out of this... do I just need to suck it and refund the money because if it goes to ebay they will rule against me? (I don't have good enough photos of the sleeves to prove a lack of tearing). 

Also, there's no chance of getting rid of the defect this has given me is there... I know the answer, but it's still frustrating me greatly that I have a defect because a buyer doesn't understand what a buttoned sleeve is. There doesn't seem to be any options, whatevsoever, in the return system for 'please provide proof', and no allowance whatsoever so any option other than refunding. Even the wording of the page, with 'refund due date' is just plain wrong.... I digress....

Am I missing anything here? Or am I just going to have to cough up the refund for an item I am fairly sure has no problem at all except buyer ignorance, in order to avoid a 'case closed without seller resolution' mark?

[van_werkhoven]

I guess not... I've refunded them as I received no response here. But still curious for next time. 

[digital*ghost]

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@van_werkhoven wrote:

I really, really don't want a 'case closed without seller resolution' out of this... 

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Sorry, I missed this thread yesterday otherwise I would have replied... But for a case to become 'case closed without seller resolution', the buyer has to escalate it to a claim so that eBay decides the outcome, and then they have to decide in the buyer's favour (which is rare, I know ). If the buyer doesn't escalate, it automatically closes after 30 days, effectively in the seller's favour. 

The buyer isn't able to escalate for 3 days after opening, but I'm not sure what happens if the seller uses one of the options provided by eBay to resolve the issue - by which I mean, if you formally accept the return, I know the buyer can escalate after that if they send the item back and the seller doesn't issue a refund, but I'm not sure if there are prescribed time-frames after that first 3, or if they're prevented from escalating in certain circumstances (somehow I doubt it). So what that basically means is that until the case is officially closed, it still has the potential to be escalated (the only means of guaranteed prevention is by issuing a full refund without return within the first 3 days). 

The defect for an INAD case will remain no matter what you do, as far as I know. In saying that, I have only ever had two cases, and both times I just accepted the return straight away. The buyers sent the items back and I issued a refund then, and the defects remained. Defects from INR requests can be mitigated by issuing an immediate refund, but I suspect the seller will be 'blamed' for a supposed INAD regardless of if they refund immediately without return (which is the closest equivalent).