WHO SHOULD PAY FOR RETURN POST WHEN AN ITEM IS BROKEN IN POST

[cherry*135]

Was the item packaged properly by the seller?

Is the item totally unusable/useless now?

[pennyforum14]

If it was me, I would pay postage as the seller IF I deemed the item worth getting back.  Ask the buyer to send a photo of the damaged item and the packaging to determine whether the packaging was at fault (although this is largely a moot point as AP will always claim it was insufficiently packed and refuse a claim).  This will also help to determine if the buyer is genuine (mind you if they are a repeat customer I would dispense wiht this step as I would be inclined to trust them more).  If the item is unusable I would simply refund, purchase price and postage.  If I wanted it back, I would ask the buyer to pay initially (to save time) and include the return postage in the refund once I have the item back and can determine that it was not deliberate damage.

[2011.narelle]

Seller does as they are responsible for packing well enough that the item isn't broken at all.

If you have paid insurance with the postage then you can make a claim with Australia Post.

[beach_and_home]

As a seller, I do not ask for broken items to be returned. What is the point? I can't re-sell it.

Instead I ask for a photo so I can verify the damage and then I either refund the buyer or send a replacment, depending on what they want.

[van_werkhoven]

Don't bother returning unless it has value in its broken state

Seller pays, as they were responsible for packaging properly and safely

[i-love-my-sheep]

I had an item broken en route last week. I refunded the buyer, she gave me a glowing positive feedback, 5 stars for everything except item description, which she gave me 4 stars. I said she didn't have to send it back, but she wanted to, so I refunded her the return postage cost as well (a whopping $1.40). If she doesn't end up posting it back, I'm not worried. I didn't ask for a photo. She had quite a few hundred feedback left for others and no mention of refunds or breakages or anything to suggest she was scamming, so I believed her. Besides, it was only $10.

[kustomizer99]

The seller should pay for return postage, packing and insurance. If the problem is genuine, it's generally the seller's fault for not packing properly. The seller can take it up with the post office if the damage is in spite of good original packaging. And I say this as a buyer AND a seller.

[i-love-my-sheep]

I had no problem paying for the return postage, as both a buyer and seller, I think that's the correct procedure. I received my returned item back today. The buyer said it had a big crack through the middle of it. Given it was posted in a padded bag, I figured something must have been dropped on it, although being a fossil (ammonite), it must have been something heavy as those things are like concrete. 

I went over it with a magnifying glass and can't see any evidence of a crack or any breakage whatsoever. What I did see what light glare, so maybe she saw the light reflection and throught it was cracked. No harm done, I can relist it. All I lost was the $1.40 return postage and the eBay fees (which weren't much).

She might have changed her mind, or it wasn't what she thought it was when she saw it and didn't want to say it was a change of mind. I got good feedback and good DSR's, so I'm really not worried. I would do the same again if it happened.

[dylan11235813]

Australia Post