Is it still possible to change an order to personal delivery/collection and refund the postage?

[a9brs]

Hi, a customer has ordered two books from me and paid for them separately with postage on each one. As the customer lives less than half a mile from me it would be easier and cheaper for me to hand deliver the books and refund whatever they have paid for postage (which seems a mystery as different figures appear). Failing that can I send the books in one parcel? But then who refunds the balance of the postage? And will eBay think that I have not sent one of the books and refuse to pay me? If this is simple postage God help us if they introduce a complicated system.....

[**peaseblossom**]

Unused postage labels are automatically refunded to the buyer in 30 days.   You could parcel them together but you wouldn't have proof of delivery for one of them.   You would still receive the payment though in 14 days.

Similarly no proof of delivery if you took them yourself.   Would be the same as buyer collection so you could cancel/refund and relist as collection for the buyer to buy again.   This time they will have to collection code to give to you to prove they have the items.

[a9brs]

Hi, Thanks for your prompt reply. However if I only use one parcel label on the package containing two books, will the postage on that label be enough or will the customer have to pay the difference? I don't want that to happen.

I don't understand your second paragraph - what an I cancelling? Both sales? It sounds a very complicated way to get round an unnecessary problem. I am really at the end of my tether with eBay, but thank you for your help.

[marco@ebay]

Hi a9brs, thanks for your post.

This would be a tricky one, if the buyer placed both orders already, and you decide to bring the items yourself, you will eventually get your funds after 14 days. However, you will be exposed for an item not received claim. This is because if the buyer decides to file a case, you won't have a tracking number to back yourself up, so you would run the risk of losing the case. 

We always encourage to follow the correct policies and procedures, so in this particular case, I would suggest sending the items individually with the labels with a tracking number so you can be covered, and you will also receive your funds faster. Alternatively, you can talk to the buyer and cancel the transaction, and list both items in the same listing and get the buyer to select collection (you will need to ensure that your listing has collection enabled).

Hope this helps, but if you have any questions, please feel free to let us know.

Thank you,

Marco

[a9brs]

Hi Marco,

Thanks for your reply. I'm sorry to say that everything is tricky about
'simple' delivery. The previous system worked perfectly well, and in the
words of the old adage 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. But it seems you
chose to do so and the result is chaos, I'm afraid. Everyone I speak to
about it describe it as some variation on the theme of 'a nightmare'. Many
are giving up on eBay.

In the circumstances that I outlined I would previously have been able to
contact the buyer, suggest that I deliver the books, and then refund them
the postage that they had paid. This was always much appreciated by local
customers who had overlooked the personal collection option. Now it seems I
would have to somehow ask them to cancel the purchases and then re-buy
them, choosing personal collection. What a rigmarole.

Then there is the problem of sending two books in separate parcels just to
comply with your ill-thought out rules. This makes me look like a fool.
Buyers will wonder why on earth I didn't combine them in one parcel. I have
to include a note of apology and an explanation in the parcels, and I'm
sure they think your rules are ridiculous, as do I.

Do any of the people who devised this supposedly 'simple' system actually
use eBay themselves? I think not, otherwise it might have been much better
thought out.

But thank you for your interest.

Brian

[brainuk]

Hi Brian,
If the buyer is paying for postage and buys two books that could go in one parcel then do the following:
Print off both prepaid labels.
Fix one to the parcel.
Go to https://www.ebay.co.uk/claims/simple-delivery/refund/seller<>
Type in the ORDER NUMBER (not item number) of the book you are NOT using the label for.
This will get the postage for that label refunded to the buyer within 14 days.
Once you have printed off the label you are NOT going to use, go to the View Order Details page and go to Tracking. Go to Add Tracking and put in the number from the label you are using.
This way, both tracking numbers on the two books are the same.

[a9brs]

Hi brainuk,

Many thanks for your reply and your explanation. However to a computer
dunce like me that does seem a ridiculously complex workaround for
something that could have been achieved quite easily with the previous
system i.e. I would have been able to contact the buyer, suggest that I
deliver the books, and then immediately refund them the postage that they
had paid. This was always much appreciated by local customers who had
perhaps overlooked the personal collection/delivery option and was in fact
'simple' to operate.

I do wonder if any of the eBay people who presumably devised this
supposedly 'simple' new system actually use eBay themselves? I think not,
otherwise it might have been much better thought out. And they should
remember that not all eBay users are computer experts.

But as I say, many thanks for taking an interest.

Regards,

Brian

[sml192]

---

@brainuk wrote:
Hi Brian,
If the buyer is paying for postage and buys two books that could go in one parcel then do the following:
Print off both prepaid labels.
Fix one to the parcel.
Go to https://www.ebay.co.uk/claims/simple-delivery/refund/seller<>
Type in the ORDER NUMBER (not item number) of the book you are NOT using the label for.
This will get the postage for that label refunded to the buyer within 14 days. 

---

The link you have provided only applies when the seller is paying for the postage, i.e. offering free postage.  If the buyer is paying for the postage, as in the OP's case, then the buyer will be refunded automatically for any unused labels within 30 days, so no need for the seller to do anything other than advise the buyer that they will be receiving a refund.  There is also no need to print the unrequired label.