Courier unable to deliver - item returned to me - refund minus postage?

sham63

Bit of advice please - I sold an expensive item (£240) on Ebay - sent by UPS (using Interparcel at £12.99 insured). Sent buyer a message to tell him item on its way & provided tracking info - no reply.

After 3 attempted deliveries UPS held item at their depot for 5 days and now it's on its way back to me (all shown on the online tracking report).

I cannot get a response from the buyer via email or on the phone.

When I get the item back should I refund minus postage without being asked (seems the fair / logical solution)?

Or should I wait and see if he raises an INR dispute?

If I refund up front minus postage will that cause complications if he then raises an INR dispute?

If I part-refund, I take it that I can't open a non-paying bidder dispute to get my fees back - I'd have to go for a mutual?

Thanks!

Crowqueen

Opening an NPB dispute is not the thing to do as you could be had up for abusing the FVF credit system - the buyer paid and can probably prove they did.

You would definitely have to go for a cancel transaction dispute. The good news is that these expire in your favour if the buyer doesn't respond in 7 days, so you get your fees back in time if the buyer does not actually decline it.

Buyer could do an INR for the full amount since the tracking does not state the item was delivered, so I would warn against not refunding in full if asked to. I would refund in full and take the hit, but I've never been in this situation so I don't know how I'd feel about this at the time.

sham63

Good point about an NBP dispute - thanks.

If I issued a refund minus postage and they later opened an INR - I take it that PayPal would only expect a refund of the balance eg just the postage element?

Crowqueen

Yes, that's correct.

I think refunding unilaterally would be a good thing - the whole payment - then the item is yours to do what you want to do with. If they're just not responding, it might be simpler to do that rather than hang on getting more fractious and at risk of a dispute and neg if the buyer finds out you have his money and his item. The goodwill might be worth the hit you would take on postage, unfortunately.

madison-nyc

I'd refund minus the postage , seems fair enough , why should you lose out on the courier charge when you've done nothing wrong?

Crowqueen

madison-nyc wrote: »

I'd refund minus the postage , seems fair enough , why should you lose out on the courier charge when you've done nothing wrong?

Even though the seller is not at fault, they are still responsible for safe delivery of the item and they are liable for the whole amount if the buyer goes through Paypal. It's a shame, but it is often a cost of doing business, and if they have the item back safely in their hands there is nothing to stop them being able to recoup the original amount paid out through re-selling it.

macfly

Your best bet is to do nothing for now. Something drastic has happened here, an item worth that amount would not be ignored by a normal punter. They have either changed thier mind, and hidden when the courier called, or got run over. Hang on and hope for the latter.

[Deleted User]

try and call him using his phone number or open a cancel transaction

sham63

macfly wrote: »

Your best bet is to do nothing for now. Something drastic has happened here, an item worth that amount would not be ignored by a normal punter. They have either changed thier mind, and hidden when the courier called, or got run over. Hang on and hope for the latter.

Yes it's very odd behaviour - I've checked their bidding history on Goofbay and they've won a number of high value items in the last week or so - so I don't think they've been run over!

I think I will refund minus postage and hope that they are reasonable about it.

sunnysea83

I have had this happen, i refund minus postage explain situation to buyer and let them know if they want it they can have it but will have to pay postage again. never heard from any of the buyers