Item I sold through Global Shipping Program has not been delivered - eBay put a hold on my funds?!

[tomn1994]

Hi,

Last month I sold an item through the global shipping program to Japan. The buyer paid promptly and I packaged securely and sent my local ebay hub using the postage label I bought through ebay. The item was delivered to the ebay hub and is recorded through the tracking so ebay took receipt of the item.

It was sent to Japan and arrived on 1st Feb, since then there has been no movement. The buyer, understandably, has now raised a claim as having not received the item. I completely sympathise with this, as the item seems either stuck at Japanese customs, or lost. The item is recorded as arriving in Japan, but nothing since for over 2 weeks now.

What is frustrating me intensely is that ebay has decided to put a hold on my payouts until this is resolved! Excuse me but I thought selling via the GSP my obligation is to ensure the item arrives at the ebay distribution hub. Which I did several weeks ago, and has been recorded as arriving there.

How can eBay put a hold on my payouts? Is it not their responsibility to ensure the item gets from the hub to the buyer. I thought that was a large benefit of using the GSP. For what it is worth I have sold a few times through the GSP with no problems.

I want eBay to take responsibility and either refund the buyer themselves, or tell the buyer to wait up until a certain date, and if it doesn't arrive by then, then they will refund the buyer. My obligation of packaging the item immaculately and getting it to the eBay hub in a timely manner has been fulfilled with the uptmost diligence.

If I got it to the hub, then it becomes their responsibility, as I have no control over it at that point. 

I want to get the payout hold removed and I want eBay to find a resolution for the buyer, whom I completely sympathise with, it must be very annoying to spend for an item and not receive it after waiting patiently for multiple weeks. I do not want this to reflect negatively on my eBay profile.

Can anyone offer any help to me please? 

Thank you so much.

[rjwilmsi · Accepted solution]

You are correct that Item Not Received cases on the international leg of GSP sales aren't your problem.

However, GSP isn't fully integrated to eBay's processes, so if the buyer opens a case it will behave as default and put a hold on your funds.

Personally I would just leave the case as-is. If the buyer escalates the case after 3 days then eBay will step in. They might put the case on hold to allow longer for delivery, or might decide to refund the buyer at which point the hold on your funds will be released. In my view if you ask eBay to intervene earlier then there's a risk that the Customer Services agent does the wrong thing (in their desperation to get you off the phone).

GSP has been replaced on eBay US with EIS, which seems to be a better service from seller perspective, so hopefully that will come to eBay UK soon.

[tomn1994]

Thank you so much for the reply.

I did however contact customer service before seeing your reply, perhaps I should show a little more patience, I'm not sure what the "wrong thing" would refer to in your message.

The agent informed me that he will issue a refund to the buyer from eBay directly, and that the payout hold will be dropped within the next 48 hours maximum. 

Does this sound right? And should I take any more action or just leave alone now?

Thank you very much for the support!

[tomn1994]

I just got an email.

"The case is now closed

Hi,

We've reviewed the case and have decided to issue the buyer a refund of £x without any impact to you.

The case is now closed. You aren't required to reimburse the buyer or eBay and this case will not be counted in your seller performance evaluation.

You can view the details of the case in the Resolution Centre.

"

Seems like a positive resolution from my end, does that sound okay?

[rjwilmsi]

That's fine, the eBay CS rep has done the right thing, that is the resolution you needed. If the item does eventually turn up then the buyer keeps it for free. It could be stuck in customs so might get released in the next couple of weeks, or it might be that customs have intercepted it (there are so many weird and specific rules that vary by country that there is scope for things to be seized and/or eBay to put the wrong categorization on the customs form so a permitted item becomes forbidden etc.). If intercepted by customs it may eventually be returned to eBay UK, so don't be surprised if in a few weeks you see it for sale on eBay UK (for UK delivery only).

"Wrong thing": sometimes if you ask eBay CS to intervene in cases earlier they can misunderstand and for example issue the refund from seller's funds rather than eBay's. So my advice now is that it's normally best to wait and let eBay's normal processes apply.

[tomn1994]

Excellent informatioin, you have been wonderfully helpful.

I am curious though, you say the item can be returned, I'm assuming they will return to the eBay hub rather than myself, which is fine, I just wonder why would it be listed for sale by eBay UK, is that something they normally do? To try and recoup losses? They won't try to return the item to me will they, and want me to refund them or something?

I never knew eBay UK would sell things directly, seems like not a good idea for them?! So I'm curious about this, could you explain a little more please. Thank you.

[rjwilmsi]

There is an arrangement between eBay and a third party that recovered items etc. will be resold on eBay UK.  Yes it's to recover some of eBay's losses. Typical scenario would be for an item that is prohibited at the customs of one country - eBay won't have all the customs rules factored in so may allow a sale that customs would block. Or the GSP hub identify it would be blocked so refund buyer and pass on for resale in UK.

If eBay UK get the item back it's not your problem, they don't contact you. Effectively eBay UK have now purchased the item from you so it's legally theirs, so if they recover it they can sell to third party for resale if they think it worthwhile (I think other items are donated/dumped on a charity shop chain).

[tomn1994]

Makes sense, thank you.