Item not received claim

[hagy_3554]

Hi guys. So I recently sold a camera for £650. I'd been hesitant to sell such a high ticketed item but I saw them going for a good price on eBay, so thought I'd give it a go.

Within days someone bought it for the full asking price. Buyer had 8 positive reviews within the last year, so everything looked above board.

I sent the item with yodel, tracked delivery, marked with the seller's name and address. Yesterday the item was marked as delivered by the delivery company (yodel), and shortly after I receive a message from the buyer, saying that they hadn't received the item, and asking me for the courier's contact details. I explained that I didn't have said details, but said that they should contact yodel. The next day the buyer opens a return request.

I have uploaded photos of the package before delivery, tracking details and shipping details; but I can't  find any other way to respond to this request, other than arranging a full / parcial refund, which I'm obviously not going to do! Is there anything else I can do to protect myself at this stage? 

Would really appreciate any advice on this, based on your previous experience. 

Cheers all!

[tressygirl · Accepted solution]

I think you may have missed my answer to your other post on this question.

If you have tracking to show delivery, enter this into the case details,  and if it shows delivery, the case will close in your favour, no need to refund.  It matters not that the buyer has a photos of a different doorstep delivery,  it's the tracking number that counts for eBay.

If you haven't done so already , enter the tracking number where you marked the item as dispatched.

@hagy_3554 

[*vyolla*]

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@hagy_3554 wrote:

The next day the buyer opens a return request.

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If your buyer has opened an eBay returns request you need to accept it.

Can you just confirm that this is what they've done?

[*vyolla*]

I'm assuming that this is now a return case. There should be a button you can use there to issue a returns label.

Buyers have 30 days to return an item that they consider is not as described under eBay's Money Back Guarantee, and if your buyer has already opened or opens an eBay item not as described return, they'll be required to send it back to you for a full refund of their original payment, and you'll need to provide them with a pre-paid returns label (if you don't provide a label, the buyer can escalate the dispute and get one from eBay, who will re-charge you for it on your next invoice).

You will get a defect against your selling account if you don’t accept the return (or issue a refund if you don't want your item back) and the buyer escalates the dispute to ask eBay to step in, which they can do after 3 days.

Once you get your item back, if you feel that your buyer has misused eBay’s Money Back Guarantee you can use the Report Buyer link next to the item in your My eBay. This won't affect the outcome of the return case though.

Guidance for responding to a return request can be found on this eBay page:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/handle-return-request-seller?id=4115&st...

[hagy_3554]

Hey. Thanks very much for the advice! So I uploaded photos of the shipping details to the case, including delivery address, tracking number and the confirmed delivery from yodel. Someone on this thread said I must accept the returns request and issue a shipping label, but this feels so wrong, like I'm playing into the scammer's hands. Not sure what to do now. 

[hagy_3554]

Hey. Thanks for your help. I can confirm this is what they've done. So you're saying I must accept the returns request and issue a shipping label? 

[tressygirl]

Think there is a misunderstanding here.

Your buyer messaged you that they haven't received the item?  Then, they open a ' return request' ?  

So, have they received the item, now claiming it's not as desscribed ?

Or,  are they claiming the item has not been received , but they seem then,  to have opened the wrong case?

@hagy_3554 

[*vyolla*]

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@hagy_3554 wrote:

Hey. Thanks for your help. I can confirm this is what they've done. So you're saying I must accept the returns request and issue a shipping label? 

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Yes.

[hagy_3554]

Hey. Yes, it's the latter. Sorry I explained this badly. So they are claiming the item has not been received, and they've opened a return request for 'received wrong item'. 

[tressygirl]

Aah  ok so something was received but they're saying it's the wrong item.

Then,  @*vyolla*  is correct you do have to accept the case within 3 days and supply a return label , then only refund when the item is back with you.

Accept it within 3 days or the buyer can escalate and eBay will force the refund.  On return of the item you ave 48 hours to refund.

Stick within those timelines and your seller performance will not bbe affected.

@hagy_3554 

[*guinevere*]

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@hagy_3554 wrote:

Hey. Yes, it's the latter. Sorry I explained this badly. So they are claiming the item has not been received, and they've opened a return request for 'received wrong item'. 

Then they will need  to return the item in question. What on earth are they going to return?

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[hagy_3554]

No so they've said that nothing was received, then they've opened a case for wrong item received. Within the case they've said that no item has been received but the type of case is 'wrong item received'. Surely I can't accept this, as they're not gonna send anything back. Where would the case go from there? 

[*guinevere*]

If they've opened an item not as described case you will need to send them a tracked return label through the case and the idea is that you refund on return.

But in this case the buyer has said they haven't received the camera so it's anyone's guess what they are going to return, if anything.

No return, no refund.

[*vyolla*]

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@hagy_3554 wrote:

No so they've said that nothing was received, then they've opened a case for wrong item received. Within the case they've said that no item has been received but the type of case is 'wrong item received'. Surely I can't accept this, as they're not gonna send anything back. Where would the case go from there? 

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If tracking shows as delivered then they can't open an eBay item not received claim and expect to win it.

If they've opened a not as described return (and from what you're saying, they have), then you need to accept the return and issue a label, and the buyer needs to return whatever they claim to have received from Yodel.

If they don't return anything, the return case will close in your favour and the money will be released to you.

If they return a different item then it's a whole new ball game and you'll need to come back here for advice on how to proceed.

[m25jet]

In addition to the advice already given on this thread, if you have not already done so add the buyer's User ID to your Blocked Bidders List so as to prevent him/her from purchasing anything else from you in the future and causing you any further aggravation.

With regards to your comment "Buyer had 8 positive reviews within the last year, so everything looked above board", there is a flaw in eBay's feedback system that prevents bad buyers from being exposed by sellers.  Unlike sellers, who can receive positive, neutral or negative feedback, eBay forbid sellers from leaving anything other than positive feedback for buyers.  The result of this is that it creates the illusion that a problematic buyer is actually the complete opposite, as there is no evidence to the contrary in the buyer's feedback history.  Because of this the first indication that sellers receive that the buyer is a troublemaker is when they experience problems with him or her themselves.

In the event that a seller has a problematic transaction with a buyer and leaves feedback to make clear that the transaction went badly so as to warn other sellers the buyer can contact eBay Customer Services, ask them to remove the seller's comment and eBay will do so.  As a result the negative comment on the buyer's feedback history will vanish without trace and the seller will end up with a defect for breaching eBay's rules as to what can and cannot be said in feedback.  Therefore the best option is to keep quiet and refuse to leave any feedback whatsoever for the buyer.

[tranceenthusiast]

Sounds like they are going to send you back a brick mate.  

[tranceenthusiast]

This is so bad, it's obvious what this guys buyer is doing. Why should he have to just accept it? What if they send back a completely different item ( I mean it's obvious that they will Because they are literally saying they received a different item ) How would ebay prove this? It's all open to interpretation. EBay really need to protect sellers more.

[tranceenthusiast]

Jesus I'm never selling on eBay again. Just reading what you've wrote. That is absolutely mental... 

So someone can buy an item, claim it's incorrect and send back a bag of dog mess and get the money back lol *bleep*! 

[tranceenthusiast]

I'm pretty sure that I am about to get an attempted scam buy a buyer who redirected a parcel to their local post office. They have seller neg FB, but their buyer FB ( low count ) checked out. Now I know I'll be getting contacted by them for sure when they fail to collect the package tomorrow. That's my last sale on eBay, after reading this thread I am officially out. 

[tressygirl]

When you say he redirected the item to his PO is this the address eBay gave you to post to?  You must only post to the name and address eBay provide for you on the order details for the item, and this is given to you after the buyer pays.

If you have tracking or that 16 digit number at the bottom of your proof of postage that shows delivery to that address provided by eBay, then delivery or attempted delivery is all that you need to prove.  If it does, then entering those numbers into any case for item not received the buyer may open will close the case in your favour,  no need to refund.

If a different item or one that is not in the same condition as sent out , is received back to  the seller,  a seller can appeal a decision for the refund.  eBay then view all evidence,  there may even be a history from the buyer of doing this, so you can appeal any decision for a refund you feel unfair.

When we explain you ' Have to accept a case  ' this is only because cases are all automated,  no human contact, therefor you accept a case and then your next steps depend on if , and when an item is received back.

Please understand reading these forums you will see only the ' bad' side of selling,  peeps come here when things go wrong, but the good outweighs the bad,  and you can have a long history of selling and not come across any issues.

@tranceenthusiast