I have an issue on eBay that I've not dealt with in all the years that I've been active on the site. What would you guys do in this case?
I sold a $60 item and shipped it across the country last Sat. It has not arrived and the customer is asking me to give him a full refund and refund his shipping. WTH? I never guaranteed that it would arrive on time. I don't really want to eat $30+ Below are the details...
Dec 02 Item sold
Dec 03 Shipped USPS Priority at the post office (less than 24 hrs after payment rec'd)
(Ship cost was over $30 because it was an oversize item, weighs 5lbs, and it was going all the way to the other coast.)
Dec 06 USPS delivery ETA
Currently USPS tracking shows: "Moving Through Network - In Transit, Arriving Late"
Last update on Dec 07.
Dec 08 -- buyer sent a message stating it hadn't arrived and it's late. He said he needs the item and wants it delivered. I apologized for the delay and explained that I can't control the postal service.
Dec 09 -- buyer said item must be lost and he wants me to recall it from USPS and he is expecting a full refund including shipping. Received a 2nd message from him stating "Please recall your item and refund the complete payment including shipping"
Not sure what I should do about an overdue USPS item that's a couple days late. I mean it is the holiday season after all.
I try to do my best and go above and beyond for my customers.
I have 100% and over 780 feedback on eBay. I always try to ship next day (or even same day). I even refund some of the shipping cost if eBay calculates too much for a transaction. Which I did in this case, giving him $5 back.
And I always send a message to each buyer thanking them for the purchase and let them know what time their package was handed off at the post office (or FedEx) counter and provide them the tracking number.
cant be held accountable for what usps does. i ran into this years ago with a guy in Germany, was a few days late and he reported me. I called ebay/paypal and they took care of it for me. just watch the tracking and ignore him for a few more days. i mean, its been 7 days. if it was that important he would have requested overnight guaranteed. sounds like he trying to back out for another reason. fuck him.
The USPS taking longer than folks expect is just how it is now. The tracking number is still saying in transit, so I would not issue a refund. It's not like you can tell USPS to bring it back. It will eventually show up at the buyers address and you'll be out the cost of the item and shipping. I would think USPS has some sort of process for determining when an item is truly lost. Until that happens, no refund.
Only times I have got a refund after the delivery estimate had passed was if the tracking showed an issue or had clearly not moved for a long time.
It gets better. He now says that because it didn't arrive on 12/06 he wants to cancel the transaction and he wants a FULL refund. He said he purchased a similar one from another source.
• I never promised on time arrival. Neither did the post office.
• He never asked me if it would arrive on time, or if I guaranteed on time delivery.
• He purchased on Friday 12/02 and the listing clearly stated that the seller has a Handling Time of "3-business days" before shipping. Meaning that it would not have arrived by Tues 12/06 in the first place.
• The listing clearly states: "Returns Not accepted. (Unless item does not match the listing description)"
I tried to file a Missing Mail inquiry with USPS but I got a message stating that not enough days have passed and the item is still moving through the system. Please retry at a later date.
From the start I've felt like telling him to pound sand. I'm still leaning that way but trying to be polite about it.
Some people are just idiots! And there seems to be many more around these days.
Some people just want to try get stuff for free.
Did he message you direct or file a claim for a refund through ebay?
Yeah, pound sand is the right answer, until USPS gives up on it. He's just trying to get you to 'be a good guy' and cancel the order betting it'll show up in a day or two after he gets his money back. Or he's just a stupid jerk.
Quote from: rodneya on December 09, 2022, 07:56:16 PM
Some people just want to try get stuff for free.
Did he message you direct or file a claim for a refund through ebay?
He messaged me direct. So it's clear he's trying to work the system and get something free.
I'm getting really sick of idiot buyers on eBay. It's almost not worth it anymore. And eBay now takes 12.9% off the top.
I have another sale that's still pending because the buyer in India has not paid yet after a week and 4 invoice requests for payment. Tomorrow I will cancel that transaction. I'm averaging about 1-2 deadbeat buyers a month. :bang:
I hate to say it, but stop selling stuff on eBay. They basically have a 100% rate of buyer protection. That's great right up until you sell something perfectly fine then the buyer decides to screw you on it. It happens. I sold a processor, the dude said it didn't work (it worked fine), he got a refund and a return. Cool, I would have tested it and just resold. He sent me a block of wood (an actual block of wood) and kept the processor. eBay refused to do anything about it.
Get your stuff back, even if it costs you. Sell it or keep it. Leave eBay for good unless you want to buy. That is just the nature of the game these days. Facebook Marketplace has been pretty good for me. I set up the deal on marketplace, then I do most of my trading/sales in person at the local 7-11. I grab a beer at the local brewery after. It works well.
Facebook? :rolleyes: No thanks! That would entail joining FB which opens up a whole other list of negatives.
When Facebook first started you had to be a university student to join, and in fact, my university was one of the first 7 to get it as sort of a beta test. So I have been a member since 2004.
Facebook is awful in many ways , but it's not that bad if you use it the right way. And marketplace is way better than Craigslist because there is at least some accountability.
I quit selling on Ebay about a year or so ago.
I only use it for purchases. Too many people scamming sellers and Ebay will absolutely not protect you.
FB Marketplace was good for a while but now that the gubernate has put that $600 tax reporting I'm done. Ain't paying them tax for stuff I already probably paid on.
So Craigslist or word of mouth and cash only!
Yell the buy to fuck off is my advice and wait to see if it shows up.
Like SavOr said, quit selling on E-bay. I buy lots of parts on E-bay but the hassles and the costs don't make a great deal.
A year or two ago I sold a set of Mikuni 29mm smoothbores on E-bay for around $1,000. No problem with shipping but the charges between E-bay and Paypal were nearly $200.
eBay doesn't always protect buyers. I got screwed on a $250 RD dash that was twisted, and broken. Wasn't disclosed as such in the listing. Was just "as is". Guy refused even a partial refund then blocked me from buying through him, or communicating to him either. Machivmotors in Wisconsin sucks ass, just an FYI.
I send my buyers a pic of the shipping label, the package on the "pre-paid" desk at the post office, and of the receipt with tracking number.
What happens after that ain't my problem.
... in a perfect world. But like you, Russ, I bend over backwards to make sure my buyers feel taken care of. Unfortunately tho, sometimes shit goes sideways and it's damage control after that.
You know the package is gonna arrive just as soon as you issue a refund.
I would reply that when USPS acknowledges the loss of the package and refunds you that he will be reimbursed. That is fair - but unreasonable people don't understand fair.
I have big problems with Ebay too. I love the sellers that just drop ship from Amazon after a markup or the China based ones that hide that fact. I sold a device that programs a circuit control card and I'm sure the buyer used it, and then returned it with all the shipping costs on me claiming it was described wrong on the listing. You can go to the post office with that tracking number and they can see a much more detailed track history and maybe tell you more about what's up. It will show every bin it was in and where.
Up until yesterday the tracking still displayed that the "Item is moving through system, delivery date unknown". So I filed a Missing Mail Search Request. We'll see what happens from that.
Thanks for the tip. I may go over to the post office and inquire about it, but my post office is a freaking zoo. It's a LONG wait to get help at the counter and parking is a nightmare. It's almost as bad as going to the DMV.
UPDATE: The package last location has now been noted on the tracking so I don't think I need to venture over to the post office. Current status now displayed on tracking in eBay:
It's on the way to the buyer. We'll update you as soon as more info is available.
Last Location: Atlanta, GA
In one of my many conversations with the buyer he admitted that he purchased the item with the assumption that it would arrive on Tue Dec 06, and because it didn't arrive by that date he wanted to return it. He admitted he assumed incorrectly, and I have that in writing now. There's no way it would have arrived for sure on Dec 06 since he purchased it in the afternoon of Fri Dec 02 and the listing had a handling time of "3 business days" plus the shipping duration. The handling time alone would have put it later than his deadline. And the listing also clearly stated that the "seller does not accept returns" unless there is an issue with the item itself such as damage or defect.
What a hassle. I've been on eBay 25+ years and had better than average luck, it seems, but I joined FB earlier this year just to access marketplace. I still buy on eBay, but my selling days there are almost over, mostly due to the cost. They got greedy, and it just isn't fun anymore.
The buyer is a complete scheming tool. He sent me a message yesterday stating that I have not communicated with him and that I have not given him a status update. And he said his item is no where to be found and must be lost so he wants a full refund. I told him that he is now making false accusations and sent him a copy of the message sent Monday along with a comment that I have communicated with him every business day since he contacted me Dec 8. I explained that there are processes that must be followed, both with USPS and eBay. And I mentioned that the package is insured and that there will be no refund made until after the package has been officially declared lost by USPS.
He's actually making me want to tell him to F-off! Some people are just idiots! :clownshoes:
SoCal, sorry to hear about your troubles with that buyer. That sucks.
A little off topic if you don't mind. It sounds like you sell quite a bit of stuff on eBay.
Do you get a 1099 from eBay or PayPal for anything over $600 in sales?
I have a bunch of stuff to sell but don't need another 1099. If it is considered taxable income I need to use some other method.
I appreciate the response.
All income is taxable. It doesn't matter where it comes from. You were always supposed to report it. The IRS cracked down and that is why the 1099 on eBay sales is a thing now. I do all my sales through PayPal and they would report anything over 10k, which was their policy for anybody doing that volume, but also all banks effectively would report large sums of money that were transferred or gained.
Luckily (ha) most of us don't make enough to be worthy of an investigation. I don't recommend cheating on your taxes, it's a 1 out of 2, a real bad time should you get investigated. That said, I am not an accountant, I am just an ape on the internet. You should reach out to an expert if you are worried.
I have the phone number to Ebay Stored in my phone.
Yes, was able to get a phone number.
And they actually answer.
I can post it here:
866-540-3229
Always got to talk to someone, and they then note it to your account.
As long as you stated "No Returns", Ebay will pay them back.
Not sure how Ebay puts in the Guaranteed Delivery Date, unless its a selection for the seller when posting
As far as the 1099.
You can always sell the item for pennies, and charge $100+ for shipping & handling, but explain that in the listing