Gave buyer refund prematurely

[sarahcrouchsarah]

I issued a refund immediately when buyer said that they never received their book.  Opened up a claim with the post office and found out scanned and delivered to a neighbour next door. 

What can I do?

[4_bathrooms]

You will need to ask the buyer to confirm they have now received the book and pay via PayPal (for example) and hope they're honest. Unfortunately, as you have voluntarily refunded the buyer there is nothing eBay can or will do.

[johnwash1 · Accepted solution]

For the future, if such an experience happens again, you can check tracking on

https://www.royalmail.com/track-your-item#/

And you could have told the buyer that they need to raise an INR (Item Not Received) case through ebay, for you to refund them.  You would have ensured the tracking info was entered into ebay, so ebay's systems would have detected the delivery and denied the claim.

[sarahcrouchsarah]

Well they didn't really want to pay much for the book, offered so little, so i guess he got his own back on me.  He won't pay.  I knew he was scamming, and a prominent lawyer!

[sarahcrouchsarah]

I had no idea that they did scan, 2nd class mail.  I have never entered the tracking ever, for this reason.  Absolutely gutted.  He is a prominent lawyer, should I leave negative feedback for the customer?

[sml192]

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@sarahcrouchsarah wrote:

I had no idea that they did scan, 2nd class mail.  I have never entered the tracking ever, for this reason.  Absolutely gutted.  He is a prominent lawyer, should I leave negative feedback for the customer?

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No, definitely do not leave negative feedback for the buyer.  Sellers can't leave negative feedback for buyers and aren't allowed to leave a negative comment on a positive dot (false positive).  It is a serious breach of feedback policy to do so and really achieves nothing other than to maybe make you feel better. 

[sarahcrouchsarah]

Great advice.  I am desperately trying to let this go.  

[clearingmyshelves2025]

As you know his address, send a hand written invoice.

Unless someone thinks that's a bad idea...

[martmarg41]

Lesson learnt I'm afraid.

Always use tracked post and add the tracking number to your orders as soon as posted.

Never give a refund unless thro' eBay claims - Item not received (INR) or Item not as Described (INAD).

Read up on the eBay rules on Selling and Refunding Buyer.

Buyers are under no obligation to respond once a refund has been issued, don't expect them to have morals.

[jonatjonatjonat]

playing devils advocate to the negative feedback - it is entirely possible that given the order was delivered to a neighbour that this neighbour never passed the parcel on, assuming maybe that the customer received notification they had the parcel, but perhaps they didn't. So from the buyers point of view - they never received it. If you had supplied the tracking - they may have then been able to collect the parcel - so its very much lesson learnt for the future here.

[m25jet]

In the event that this ever happens to you again, make sure that you put a trace on the item using the tracking details, then once you know the location of the item respond to the buyer via the case (or via eBay Messages if the buyer has not opened an Item Not Received case at that point) and explain that you have checked the tracking information, then state exactly where the item is currently located.  In the example that resulted in you starting this thread in the first place if you had put a trace on the item after reading the buyer's message in the Item Not Received case you could have replied with something along the lines of "The tracking shows that the item has been delivered to your next door neighbour at number [insert number here], so perhaps it would be worth checking with them."  Most of the time once a scammer realises that the seller isn't going to fall for the scam they lose their nerve and back off, as they know that they'll lose the case.  In such a scenario eBay would close the case in your favour once they check the tracking details and see proof that the item has been delivered.

[4_bathrooms]

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@sarahcrouchsarah wrote:

I had no idea that they did scan, 2nd class mail.  I have never entered the tracking ever, for this reason.  

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2nd Class Letters aren't currently scanned but 2nd Class Large Letter and 2nd Class parcels do receive a scan on delivery (at least, that's the general idea). Provided you pay for the postage online or at a Post Office counter you can enter the reference number into Royal Mail's tracking page and upload it to an eBay order or case.

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@sarahcrouchsarah wrote:

He is a prominent lawyer

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Says who? The buyer? I actually thought it was a typo when you first mentioned they were a "prominent lawyer". In the UK "lawyer" has no defined meaning so absolutely anyone can call themself a "lawyer". A licensed legal professional will usually state their actual legal profession such as "solicitor" or "barrister". I suspect your buyer is a "prominent liar" which is what I thought you meant in the first place.

[4_bathrooms]

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@johnwash1 wrote:

You would have ensured the tracking info was entered into ebay, so ebay's systems would have detected the delivery and denied the claim.

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The only problem being Royal Mail's tracking apparently indicated the item had been delivered to a neighbour. A seller is only protected if the "tracking" shows a status of delivered (or an attempted delivery) to the address provided in the order details. It would likely depend upon what Royal Mail's online tracking actually stated.

[sarahcrouchsarah]

This is brilliant information.  So, he probably knows this and has it set up this way, no ?  I find it hard to believe as he wanted to pay so little for the "like new" book in the beginning.  I find it hard to believe that he never received the card from the postal worker and that his neighbour  didn't mention anything.   Then he writes a message 20 days later, to ask me to send the book  or refund him after I had already marked it as dispatched the day he bought it.   

[sarahcrouchsarah]

 I recognised his name.   Very unusual name.   I'd seen him on a  you tube video.    He  is a  lawyer.     If he received the item he would  be  in breach of his code of conduct.   

[sarahcrouchsarah]

They have opened an investigation, would not tell my why.  I assume he  does this all of the time.   F that !    If you're a  lawyer you have  a code of conduct to abide to.   Ebay has also said that because the  Post  Office has given me the  neighbour's address I am free to contact them.    

[hodge61]

Yes I find Ebay I all about protecting the buyer nowadays ,and bugger the seller as long as the get there commission  ,and are very quick to make you refund the buyer when they complaint cause you didn't dit the eyes and cross the T's,but never insure the buyer returns the item.

[sarahcrouchsarah]

I am finding they have been very helpful with this.  They have opened an investigation into the buyer.  Yes, I won't  get the money back, but have learnt lots.  

[johnwash1]

I've not seen RM tracking that's sufficient to distinguish between a house and its immediate neighbour.  I'd like to learn more about that.

[4_bathrooms]

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@johnwash1 wrote:

I've not seen RM tracking that's sufficient to distinguish between a house and its immediate neighbour.  I'd like to learn more about that.

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I believe it tells you if the item was delivered to a neighbour or a "safe place". I hardly use Royal Mail at all any more but from memory standard 1st Class and 2nd Class services typically show something like "Delivered by <area> DO" where "DO" is the delivery office involved. However, if a card was pushed through the letterbox RM's online tracking will reflect whatever box the postie ticked on the card.