Lost £400 Due to eBay Staff Advice, Refund Without Return

[sattiine]

I’m a long-time eBay seller and I’ve just lost over £400 after following advice from an eBay support agent and being misled by the return system.

A buyer falsely claimed an item was “not as described.” I contacted eBay support on 24 May, and the agent (Anurag) confirmed I was in the right and told me to:

• Report the buyer for return abuse

• Pay for the return label manually (which would be reimbursed via seller protection)

• And only issue a refund after the item was returned and inspected

He even said: "Once the item is delivered back to you then examine the item then only send the refund."

I followed this advice exactly. But when I went back into the return case to buy a return label as advised, there was no option to do so. The only button available was “confirm refund.”

I clicked that, assuming it was just the next step in the return process — not knowing it would instantly refund the buyer and close the case.

Now I’m being told I voluntarily refunded the buyer. This is completely false. I never intended to refund without the item being returned. I was just trying to follow the process, but the system didn’t give me any other way forward.

The item was never returned. I didn’t upload a label. But the buyer got their money back, and I’ve lost both the item (worth over £400) and the payment.

I have the full chat transcript proving I followed eBay's instructions. I’ve tried calling, emailing, and filing a complaint — but the form gives an error and support won’t escalate me.

This was a system issue and bad advice from eBay staff — not seller error. Please can this be properly escalated? I just want this reviewed fairly.

[*guinevere*]

I'm sorry to say that this is not at all unusual for ebay staff to give out completely the wrong advice, as they have done in your case. 

There isn't any such thing as seller protection.

The only way to deal with a not as described case is to accept it, generate a return label through the case, and wait until the buyer returns the item before refunding.

You should never send your own label because the tracking has to be uploaded into the case, which can only be done by using the ebay label.

You could try appealing the case.

[*vyolla*]

The returns system is largely automated, and it sounds like something got a bit lost in translation there with the eBay CS rep (there shouldn't be a reason to contact them). If a buyer falsely claims an item isn't as described, the process is that the seller accepts the return, issues a label (once the buyer opens a return, the seller has 3 business days to issue a label, after that the buyer can ask eBay to step in ) and then refunds once they have their item back.

If the buyer is abusing eBay's returns system then the seller reports the buyer, this doesn't affect the outcome of the return though unless the buyer has past form of this and has made a habit of it.

If there's any fraud involved then that's a different route, but you haven't mentioned why the buyer is claiming not as described.

[papso22]

If your buyer was in the UK there should have been an issue label option in the case.  The advice to 'pay for the return label manually" makes it sound like there was something unusual about the buyer, or the item.

While I accept that Ebay's communications are not always great, 'confirm refund' should have rung alarm bells.

[sattiine]

Hey, thanks for the reply — I totally get how the system should work, but that’s not what happened here.

The buyer claimed there were missing bits but everything was included that was photoed and described accurately. As this statement was false i was advised by the eBay rep that I could report this so I didn’t have to pay for the return label, which was my initial reason for getting into contact.

I was told by an eBay rep not to refund until I got the item back, and that I’d be covered for the return label. When I went to sort it, the only option I saw was “confirm refund” and not buy postage label — I thought that would take me to the next step, not issue the refund straight away as I was told by the eBay rep to pay for the label and it would be subsided as they agreed that the returns policy was abused. I was simply trying to pay for the return label. 

So I didn’t choose to refund the buyer — I was trying to follow the proper process, but the system didn’t let me. And now I’m out £400 with no item and no way to appeal it. Just want someone to take a proper look at it, that’s all!

[sattiine]

Just to clarify — I actually didn’t generate or send my own label. I was told by the eBay rep to pay for one and that it would be subsidised, but when I went to do that, there was no option to upload or generate anything through the return case.

The only thing available was “confirm refund,” which I assumed would take me to the next step. I never issued a label or got the item back — and the refund went through automatically.

I know better now, but at the time I was just trying to follow what support told me. Super frustrating all around 😔

[sattiine]

Thanks for the info — totally agree it’s frustrating how often support gives bad advice.

Just to clarify though, the rep didn’t tell me to send my own label — they told me to pay for the eBay postage label, and that I’d get a subsidy for it. I was absolutely trying to go through the proper eBay process.

The issue is, when I went into the return to pay for the label, it just gave me “confirm refund” — there was no option to generate or upload anything. I never got to that stage, and the refund went through before I received the item back.

Really appreciate you taking the time to reply though — it’s been a nightmare and I’m just trying to get someone to properly look into it.

[*vyolla*]

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@sattiine wrote:

Hey, thanks for the reply — I totally get how the system should work, but that’s not what happened here.

The buyer claimed there were missing bits but everything was included that was photoed and described accurately. As this statement was false i was advised by the eBay rep that I could report this so I didn’t have to pay for the return label, which was my initial reason for getting into contact.

---

eBay don't see that actual item that the buyer receives, it's the sellers word against the buyers word, so eBay allow buyers to return an item that they consider to be not as described or missing parts. There's no workaround there.

You can only report a buyer for abusing the returns system once you get your item back and have had the opportunity to check it over.

To be honest, I can't see a way forward for you here. If you were told : "Once the item is delivered back to you then examine the item then only send the refund." then that advice should have been adhered to. It's a real shame that you didn't come here first before hitting that refund button.

[sattiine]

Hi, totally get what you’re saying.

That’s actually why I contacted eBay CS in the first place — because the return didn’t seem to be working properly. The rep told me to pay for the eBay label and that I’d get a subsidy, so I went back into the case expecting to do that.

But all I saw was “confirm refund” — no label option at all. And because I’d literally just been told by CS that this was the next step, I thought it would continue the process, not trigger the full refund immediately.

I was genuinely just trying to follow their advice and do it all correctly. 

[sattiine]

The rep told me to report the buyer for a false claim, this was not my idea, and the report went through before I got the item back so “You can only report a buyer for abusing the returns system once you get your item back and have had the opportunity to check it over.” was not the case for me.

The rep said I’d still have to cover the return label but would get a subsidy. I was also clearly told not to refund until the item was returned — which I fully intended to follow.

When I went to sort the return, the only thing the system let me do was click “confirm refund.” There was no way to upload a label or progress normally — and because I’d just been advised this was the route to go down, I assumed that was how to issue the subsidised label or move things forward.

So it wasn’t that I ignored the advice — I was following it exactly, but the system didn’t behave the way it should have. I never received the item back, and now I’ve lost the money and the product. 

I’ve attached a screenshot of the transcript

 

 

.  

[*vyolla*]

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@sattiine wrote:

The rep told me to report the buyer for a false claim, this was not my idea, and the report went through before I got the item back so “You can only report a buyer for abusing the returns system once you get your item back and have had the opportunity to check it over.” was not the case for me.

---

It doesn't prevent you from making a report, it's just a pointless exercise and a seller wouldn't do that at this stage because if the buyer hasn't sent the item back then what can you report them for?  Until the seller has the item back and can check it over they won't know what they're getting back. 

That transcript ends with the advice ""Once the item is delivered back to you then examine the item then only send the refund." , which is correct.

I'm sorry that you've lost out here, but I can't see that the advice from eBay was incorrect there.

[sattiine]

I think you’ve misunderstood, the report wasn’t really the issue — the core problem is what happened after that.

The report was to get the subsidy because I didn’t want to pay for postage for the return label because I didn’t feel it was my fault that it needed to be returned. 

subsidy means that I would get reimbursed for the cost of the label. So it wasn’t a “useless exercise.”

I also stated that I was given the correct information, as you pointed out so kindly “That transcript ends with the advice ""Once the item is delivered back to you then examine the item then only send the refund." , which is correct.” 

I was told by eBay support to pay for the return label through the system, and that I’d get a subsidy. I was also told not to refund until the item was returned, which I agreed with and planned to follow.

But when I went into the return case, I wasn’t given the option to pay for or upload a label — the only thing available was “confirm refund.” I clicked that assuming it would take me to the next stage of the process. I wasn’t choosing to refund the buyer — I thought I was following the path eBay gave me.

So while I agree that the advice at the end of the transcript was correct, the system didn’t allow me to follow it. That’s where everything went wrong — I never got the item back, and I’ve lost the money and the product.

Does this make more sense to you? 

[*guinevere*]

There is no such thing as a subsidised r return label for sellers to send to buyers.

Once your buyer has opened a case the only choice you have is to send a label through the case and wait for your item to be returned, unless your buyer is overseas, or the item is too large/bulky for the standard label selected by ebay.

[sattiine]

I’ve attached a photo with the transcript with the eBay rep where they stated they could offer me a subsidy, I didn’t get the option to send a label through the case at all which is why I think something has gone seriously wrong. The buyer isn’t overseas and the item isn’t too large/bulky as far as I’m aware. 

 

[*vyolla*]

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@sattiine wrote:

I think you’ve misunderstood, the report wasn’t really the issue — the core problem is what happened after that.

The report was to get the subsidy because I didn’t want to pay for postage for the return label because I didn’t feel it was my fault that it needed to be returned. 

subsidy means that I would get reimbursed for the cost of the label. So it wasn’t a “useless exercise.”

I also stated that I was given the correct information, as you pointed out so kindly “That transcript ends with the advice ""Once the item is delivered back to you then examine the item then only send the refund." , which is correct.” 

I was told by eBay support to pay for the return label through the system, and that I’d get a subsidy. I was also told not to refund until the item was returned, which I agreed with and planned to follow.

But when I went into the return case, I wasn’t given the option to pay for or upload a label — the only thing available was “confirm refund.” I clicked that assuming it would take me to the next stage of the process. I wasn’t choosing to refund the buyer — I thought I was following the path eBay gave me.

So while I agree that the advice at the end of the transcript was correct, the system didn’t allow me to follow it. That’s where everything went wrong — I never got the item back, and I’ve lost the money and the product.

Does this make more sense to you? 

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Reporting a buyer doesn't get you a subsidised label though - it looks like the eBay rep was telling you to issue one via the return claim, or add your own. The eBay one may have been cheaper, hence the 'subsidy' comment.

It's just unfortunate that, instead of contacting eBay to let them know that you couldn't see a route there to issue a returns label, you clicked on the 'Refund' link.

Really, the only way forward here is to contact the buyer and let them know that you've refunded them and that you need to make arrangements to get your item back. You may need their email address in order to buy a label from Royal Mail or a courier and send it to them. If it's a QR code version you may be able to photograph the image and attach it to an eBay message for them. Hopefully they'll be compliant.

[red_magpie]

This thread seems to be going around in circles.

Regarding the "subsidy" eBay does occasionally cover the cost of the return postage when a seller complains that the case was an abuse of buyer protection.  Perhaps this is what the rep. was referring to.

eBay's rationale seems to be that once the item is returned and the buyer is refunded both parties are back to where they started from - except for the cost of return postage, which eBay may sometimes repay as goodwill. It's just possible that eBay may credit you with this in your next invoice.

Whether the buyer's claim was true or false eBay will never know, but as it was just your word against theirs eBay would have required you to refund them anyway. These are the rsks of selling here. All you can do is report them for alleged abuse of buyer protection.