Hello there, thanks for posting, but my question was directed to inknook.
Because you replied to my question I initially thought that you and inknook were the same person with two posting IDs, but that can't be the case as you replied to inknook with a link to the refund request page!
The reason I was asking inknook if they used a tracked or untracked service is because the refund request page lists four conditions that need to be fulfilled in order to receive a refund for the unused (paid by seller) SD label. One of these conditions is that a tracked service was used to send the item.
So, on the face of it, it looks like eBay will reject the request if an untracked service was used. However, as far as I'm aware, nobody has yet reported on the boards that they arranged their own postage for an SD-eligible item (listed as 'Seller pays postage'), used an untracked service, requested a refund for the unused SD label, and had the request accepted or rejected - so this is untested.
It could be that eBay would issue the refund in the above scenario, despite the tracked service condition stated on the request page - after all, they aren't always consistent, even when it comes to their own policies.
It could be that the only negative consequence in the above scenario would be the seller having to wait longer for payment, but the fact that using a tracked service is given as a specific condition on the refund request page certainly gives the unavoidable impression that it is indeed a requirement (if you want the refund) - otherwise, why mention it?
So, if inknook used an untracked service, I was going to ask them if they would kindly return to this thread to let us know whether eBay accepted or refused the refund request.
I have a personal interest in this due to having loads of stamps that I want to use to post items. If a tracked service is indeed a requirement for the SD label refund, then I still can't use them even if I 'bypass' SD (unless I'm prepared to lose out on the SD label fee). The only possible exception might be if stamps are used for RM 1st/2nd Class Signed For (not standard 1st/2nd) - a poster intriguingly suggested on another thread that eBay's system might accept the number/code that comes with this service as a tracking number - but again, there seems to be no precedent for this. And even this is far from straightforward: even if this number/code could be entered to over-write the auto-applied SD tracking number, eBay could still say that RM 1st/2nd Class Signed For is not, strictly speaking, a tracked service, and refuse the refund on that basis.
This is just one aspect of SD that raises my shackles, the fact (at least it appears to be a fact) ) that even if sellers can 'bypass' SD on SD-eligible items, they are still effectively forced into using a tracked service (because, if they don't, then eBay will not refund the unused label fee).
I'd like to seek clarification on all this in the weekly chat, but frustratingly, haven't had an opportunity yet (and I won't be able to ask next Wednesday either). Even if I could, previous chat sessions don't give me much confidence that I would get a clear, correct and definitive answer. In the meantime, I'm keeping a close eye on the forums to see if anyone reports on getting a refund (in the specific circumstances detailed above).
