EBay Seller Questions

botanical

It's best to refund the buyer fully then claim compensation from RM to minimise threat of a case being taken out which would impact on your sellers account.
Partial refunds negate buyer and seller protection on eBay and are not a good idea.
Ignore whether she 'had to purchase the item locally' that's not the issue for you as a seller.
You suggest you think she's got the item? But have you got her messages?
If you do, then if she opens a case then simply cut & paste all her messages into the 'reply' section in the case in the resolution centre. They will speak loudly against her. Also forward them to eBay customer support.

ALSO if you have saved her message about threatening bad feedback, you should report this to eBay as feedback extortion.

In the case of a buyer not budging, best to write something letting them know what eBay rules are. She cannot dictate them.

Something like 'I am sorry your item has not arrived. Because I initially received a return request from you but then you opened a delivery dispute, I have sought advice from eBay. They have advised me to offer you a full refund only on return of the item to me'.

flimsier

terra_ferma wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Since when writing a proper sentence to explain a point has become 'nerdy'?
it's not about being pedantic, the OP came here asking for help and you gave wrong and confusing information, you may know it all in your head but nobody can read your mind here

It wasn't wrong; it was incomplete. Since the seller can no longer send it recorded it seems unnecessarily patronising to go through all the steps they might take. My post was agreeing that they should offer a refund.

I understand that's not quite good enough for a self-appointed ebay expert, but it was sufficient regarding their query. You didn't contradict it; you just took the opportunity to try and show others how superior you are. And if I may say so, in the process made yourself look a bit of an idiot.

likelyfran

vicki1986 wrote: »

Hi.
I am an EBay business seller.

I sold an item 02/03/2011, disptached 03/03/2011 and had 6-8 working days for delivery(the 14th being 8 working days). My buyer contacted me on the 7th stating that the delivery hadn't arrived, she has had to go and purchase the item locally (which isn't actually possible) and she wants an immediate refund with her giving a promise to post the item 'if' it arrives (in buyers words).

I refused refund until today and have now offered partial refund as item is still not delivered (didn't send it recorded so this is based on buyers word). Am I wrong to offer only a partial refund until the Royal Mails 15 working days delivery window?
More so considering she originally contacted us wanting to return the item and now it has changed to a delivery dispute?!

The buyer is threatening low feedback and keeps saying she will open a case against us unless I fully refund and will not negotiate whatsoever but I cannot see how it can be fair for the buyer to receive a full refund when there is no guarantee that they will return the item when she receives it(if she hasn't already!)

Sorry if it is confusing!!

Thanks for any help given.

I think it depends how much the item is worth. For a low cost item of, say, a fiver or less, I would issue an immediate refund. I probably would say just keep the item if it ever turns up. It's not worth hassle/getting a bad feedback over a low cost item and it's good customer service to keep the buyer happy. Yes, you might get the very odd person who lies or takes the p and they've really got the item but I think that is relatively rare. As a buyer, I gave a neg recently for terrible customer service over a totally wrong item sent. This seller had quite a few negs as she was obviously all about her money and not about keeping her customers happy. She could have avoided most of those negs with a better attitude.

Sounds like the item must be pricey though if you're wondering what to do?

botanical

This is very good advice from likelyfran and a great eBay attitude, especially 'It's not worth hassle/getting a bad feedback over a low cost item and it's good customer service to keep the buyer happy'.

Is it a low cost item?

However I'd be inclined with this particular customer to watch very carefully where I was treading and take precautions to cover my back a little, see post 13, concerning any feedback extortion in messages etc.
Remember if her case opens and closes without the item turning up and there's no tracking number, your buyer will be refunded, you'll be out of pocket and it will affect your account.
So all you will have is her messages threatening low feedback, which eBay do take very seriously.

terra_ferma

flimsier wrote: »

It wasn't wrong; it was incomplete. Since the seller can no longer send it recorded it seems unnecessarily patronising to go through all the steps they might take. My post was agreeing that they should offer a refund.

I understand that's not quite good enough for a self-appointed ebay expert, but it was sufficient regarding their query. You didn't contradict it; you just took the opportunity to try and show others how superior you are. And if I may say so, in the process made yourself look a bit of an idiot.

You can dress it up any way you like, and insult me as much as you like, but the fact that you could not even be bothered to write a proper reply will not change.
I don't need to prove anything to anyone, just yesterday I wrote a couple of posts that did not make any sense, but I was the first one to notice and my ego did not prevent me from admitting that publicly.

If someone has to resort to insulting me to win an argument I take that as a compliment

theonlywayisup

terra_ferma wrote: »

Is that what you got when you claimed?
A couple of people posted about receiving the full amount. I've been following this particular issue very closely so if you have a different experience it would be useful to know.

As a business seller the claim is for the item purchase price less VAT, regardless of your VAT status.

Before I was VAT registered I tried to argue this but got nowhere.

I am also quite sure that they will remove the VAT aspect of airmail postage to EU in a claim in the future.

soolin

theonlywayisup wrote: »

As a business seller the claim is for the item purchase price less VAT, regardless of your VAT status.

Before I was VAT registered I tried to argue this but got nowhere.

I am also quite sure that they will remove the VAT aspect of airmail postage to EU in a claim in the future.

Strangely enough both claims i have made this year paid me out the ebay price, not the original item cost. I think RM make it up as they go along.

theonlywayisup

soolin wrote: »

Strangely enough both claims i have made this year paid me out the ebay price, not the original item cost. I think RM make it up as they go along.

That wouldn't surprise me.

We do ours online via a bulk claim, not that we have many.

terra_ferma

soolin wrote: »

Strangely enough both claims i have made this year paid me out the ebay price, not the original item cost. I think RM make it up as they go along.

Thanks, I could not remember who it was who got the selling price back.
It's difficult to choose the right postage method, as I'm about to post something airmail that cost me about £17, but sold for £50, and I'm not going to pay £7.45 extra to get higher compensation. If it's a lot over £41 I do, but the jump for extra compo is very high.
I've still got to put though some claims, so not looking forward to that!

lovinituk

soolin wrote: »

Strangely enough both claims i have made this year paid me out the ebay price, not the original item cost. I think RM make it up as they go along.

They must make it up! I've got a claim in at the moment and they asked for proof of cost to me which was annoying as we buy several components and make the final product ourselves. I think I over estimated on 'manufacturing/labour' costs a little! Still waiting for a final response.