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Three defects for a single transaction
Summary: paddwood expresses frustration with eBay's handling of a transaction where a buyer purchased three items, resulting in eBay marking it as three separate defects when the items, sent to Chile, were delayed due to local postal issues. paddwood followed community advice by allowing eBay to handle the refund, even though they knew about the delay, hoping that eBay would adjust if the packages arrived later. The concern is that these defects affect their account unfairly since there's no appeal option for this type of situation. tobiasd4 advises that it’s always better to refund personally to avoid eBay's decision, suggesting that it is then a matter between the seller and buyer to resolve if the items arrive after a refund.
Hey all. Why do Ebay do these sort of things?
I sent a package to Chile. I now know that they're having terrible delays with their post of up to 3 months - I've since added Chile to my exclusion list.
Anyway, the buyer bought 3 items, paid for in one transaction, all sent in one packing woth shipping combined.
Item never arrived, so buyer opened a case without contacting me first. After researching Chile's delivery service I advised that their postal service was suffering these severe delays, asked him to wait a few more days and to contact his local delivery office to see if they could locate the package.
The community advice was to allow Ebay's process to take its course as if I instigated a refund and the item was later delivered, I'd need to rely on Ebay's goodwill to get my money back. As Chile was suffering delays, I was hopeful that it would turn up.
Case was closed and refund issued. That doesn't bother me as I can claim this back from Royal Mail.
What does bother me is that Ebay have recorded this as 3 separate defects, counting it as 3 separate transactions rather than 1. As I don't sell much overseas, this makes my defect percentage look awful for global sales and I've got the inevitable threats of account restrictions. Ebay CS are either think or deliberately obtuse, telling me to appeal the defect, but there's no function for this type of appeal, only an appeal on the refund. This is the only defect on my whole account.
Any advice?
tobiasd4
Mentor3 months agoDid you refund or allow buyer to escalate to ebay to refund.
If you let ebay do it, you get 3 defects, better to refund if you can't prove delivery.
See here about appeal.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/sr?query=How+do+I+appeal+a+closed+case+as+a+seller&origin=5&aiSummary=true
paddwood
OP3 months agoI let Ebay do it as that's what the community advised, otherwise when or if the package did arrive, there's no guarantee that I'll get the payment from the buyer. Allowing Ebay to make the decision puts that onto Ebay and they would need to refund me. Royal Mail wouldn't refund me if they see the item did get delivered a week after I refunded.
tobiasd4
Mentor3 months agoNone of us Mentors would ever advise letting buyer escalate case to ebay, you will always lose.
If you refund and item arrives later, it is between you and buyer to get them to repay.
Why can't you claim from RM for late delivery, if that's what happened?
paddwood
OP3 months agoYes, I have made a claim, but I had to wait 25 working days after expected delivery date. It was due to be delivered on 16/05. Case was opened on 18/05 and closed on 24/05, if I recall. If I'd refunded on 18/05, then it was delivered before I could make a RM claim, I've lost both the item and the money. Reports say deliveries to Chile are taking up to 3 months due to them not coping with a new tax system that's been put in place.
My gripe is that Ebay count this as 3 defects when it was 1 transaction. What if the seller had bought 20 of my items, that would end up as 20 defects for 1 lost package.