Buyer provided wrong personalisation info and now ask for refund

[sarayah]

Hi.  I sell personalised decals. A buyer provided wrong names and after posting them. They now request a return and refund. I send them a message with a photo as a proof of the names they provided and that nothing was wrong from my side. Can I refuse their request? Or what should I do?

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

In this situation, I would first contact eBay via a contact for and explain that this is not your fault.

Here is a Link to the form, (telling the help pages you are trying to contact them about an account suspension is the only way to be able to send them an email)

eBay tends to side with the buyer, so if claim gets escalated by the buyer and the item cost is less than £10, I would say the outcome will be that the buyer gets refunded by eBay - not you - and you will still get to keep the funds.

[barry.110]

Has the buyer opened a Not As Described case? Or is it just a return request where they would pay return postage?

I don't know about the legalities of refusing but I know most of the time personalised items can't be returned but this is EBay we are talking about and if you refuse EBay might force a refund.

Depending how much the order was for you could always just refund them and tell them you will refund them this time as a good gesture. I'm saying this because you want to think about your feedback, you don't want for them to leave negative feedback. Though don't mention feedback to them because that would be seen as feedback extortion if they think the refund is dependent on giving good feedback.

[sarayah]

I contacted ebay and they said to accept the return and once the item is received I can contact them back and provide proof that it was the buyer's fault and they will keep my funds. Does it make sence? 

[crg_music]

Im pretty sure that usually anything personalised like this would be excluded from distance selling rules so legally you could decline but if its a low value item i'd probably take the hit. Most buyers in this situation would accept that they made the mistake and just lump it but it seems you got a difficult buyer here.

I think what ebay are saying is that if the buyer opens the claim they will hold the funds but if you get the item back and speak to them they might refund the buyer at no loss to you. 

If it was me i'd be half inclined to just refund it now and move on.

[*vyolla*]

I agree with @crg_music , for a couple of pounds I'd have that built into my business model as wastage and would just apologise (through gritted teeth) and would issue a full refund.

I'd also add that buyer to your blocked buyers list so they can't buy from you again.