What to do when buyer doesn't send return back by date?

[s.ahmed]

I have a international buyer who purchased a mobile-phone from me with eBay GSP and claimed it was faulty and wanted to return it. The buyer didn't respond to any messages. So I purchased a DPD label for them to drop off to parcel shop. I accepted return and uploaded the PDF labels to ebay. The very next day the buyer marked it in their account as shipped. But it's now approaching the deadline date that ebay set the buyer needs to have sent item back by. The DPD status shows they are expecting the parcel but have not received it yet. It seems like a scam and that the buyer has no intention of sending it back. I want to prevent ebay from automatically giving the buyer a refund even though I have not received the item back. What happens on the deadline date? Do I ask ebay to step in? You can clearly see the DPD status saying that parcel hasn't been received yet.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[rusticrye]

I see no scam. The current parcel status is perfectly normal - and may not update any further until actually delivered, due to Covid staff shortages.

The buyer will not be refunded until and unless tracking proves delivery or attempted delivery back to you.  Obviously.  So do nothing. The return request or case will simply auto-close in your favour after a set timeframe (normally 30 days, but Ebay will probably allow extra time due to Covid-related delivery delays, especially with international returns). That's how the system works.  Just let it run its course, and c h i l l.... 🙂

@s.ahmed 

[s.ahmed]

OK so, even though ebay say I can ask them to step in tomorrow, I should just let the automatic system auto-close it after 30 days? The reason I say it's a scam is because this buyer has 0 feedback and created the account a week before buying my mobile. The address that ebay showed for them doesn't exist on DPD or any courier website. The original GSP tracking shows that they collected it from a ParcelShop. Then on the same day of receiving they said item is defective because it doesnt work with their sim card. I attempted to ask them many times to try another sim card but they continously ignored my messages. I think they were hoping the 8 days would pass and ebay will automatically refund them. So then I contacted ebay who said to accept return and provide a return label. Now the problem is being another country it isn't straight forward provding a label. So I asked ebay what I should do. They said to ask the buyer to post it and reimburse them. But the buyer did not respond to any of that and didn't seem to have any intention on replying. And I needed a trackable label. So eventually I found one of those websites that lets u arrange DPD drop off for that country. I did that and uploaded the DPD label. The very next day surprise surprise the buyer marks it as shipped on their account. So it does seem very fishy and that they want ebay to give them a refund and keep my phone. I have checked with DPD and they say that the parcel has not been received since the day I created the label which was 06/07/20

So now the ebay deadline for buyer to send it back is tomorrow, and I'm not sure if asking ebay to step in will make things worse or if i should let it time-out. The status on ebay delivery tracking is "We've received your order details, and we're expecting your parcel shortly"

[s.ahmed]

@rusticrye unfortunately you were wrong because this morning the buyer opened a case for ebay to step in and somehow provided some sort of information saying it was delivered but the original label i uploaded to ebay shows the item has not been received by DPD. eBay seem to be facilitating a lot of these scams. And surprise surprise ebay believe them and automatically issue a refund. My tracking details show this has not been dropped off let alone delivered.