Best way to issue buyer refund

Phaedos

Hi,

So I recently sold a bike on ebay, I googled my model and copied over to my advert the specifications listed next to what I thought was my exact bike, but actually my bike is steel, when these specs suggested the bike was aluminium. I put on lots of pictures of the bike, and other details about age and condition. The buyer paid me via paypal for the bike and the £20 for shipping. However now I get a call saying the bike is not as listed and the buyer does not want the bike.

I understand this and am happy to give the guy a refund for the value of the bike, and we've discussed (via telephone) meeting half way for me to get the bike back. What is best way to go about this process?

If I issue a refund in advance via paypal then how can I guarantee he gives me the bike back. If I pay cash on exchange then I have no record of this exchange occuring and the guy could perhaps sting me with a charge back for the paypal original payment etc.

Also I have paid nearly £9 in ebay fees and £3 in paypal fees so far, so down £12 (he is of course down £20 for postage too, so an all round nightmere, plus we'll be both down on petrol costs for next exchange).

Whats the solution?

Jen_Jen1985

Refund through paypal wen you have received the item back, you should return the full payment including postage cost. You listed the bike incorrectly and the buyer should not have to pay for that. You can ask the buyer to do a mutual cancellation after the refund so you get your eBay fees back and if you refund through the original transaction you will also get your paypal fees back.

Phaedos

You can ask the buyer to do a mutual cancellation after the refund so you get your eBay fees back

Any more info on that?

and if you refund through the original transaction you will also get your paypal fees back.

Yes but as I understand it, if I do this then the guy doesn't show with the bike or has damaged the bike I can't cancel the refund and I'm scuppered. I'm thinking instead it will be better to sacrifice the few £ of PP fees and rather than do an 'issue refund' pay via credit card through paypal to the buyer, then if he tries to pull a fast one I am protected and can legitimately do a chargeback..

soolin

Phaedos wrote: »

Any more info on that? ..

What sort of info?

Phaedos wrote: »

Yes but as I understand it, if I do this then the guy doesn't show with the bike or has damaged the bike I can't cancel the refund and I'm scuppered. I'm thinking instead it will be better to sacrifice the few £ of PP fees and rather than do an 'issue refund' pay via credit card through paypal to the buyer, then if he tries to pull a fast one I am protected and can legitimately do a chargeback..

That would be just about the worst thing you could do. It still leaves th eoriginal payment open to be chargebacked and on what basis would you ask your credit card to charge back the payment you had made, you wouldn't be buying goods or anything? Buyer would also pay to receive the refund, so you would need to send them more than they originally paid, plus you will still have had the fees you paid on the original transaction.

This is one time you and the buyer may need to have some trust- all I can really suggest is that one of you take a laptop with you and meet somewhere with free wifi like a McDonalds. Then you log into paypal and refund, and they can check their paypal refund is showing. Even that is not ideal- but I can see no other way of doing it apart from sending half the refund beforehand and half on receipt of the bike.

Phaedos

soolin wrote: »

What sort of info?

How does the process work? where do I go in my account or whatever to initiate that etc? Is there anywhere I can read more? does it need to done only post refund or can it be started now?

That would be just about the worst thing you could do. It still leaves th eoriginal payment open to be chargebacked and on what basis would you ask your credit card to charge back the payment you had made, you wouldn't be buying goods or anything? Buyer would also pay to receive the refund, so you would need to send them more than they originally paid, plus you will still have had the fees you paid on the original transaction.

This is one time you and the buyer may need to have some trust- all I can really suggest is that one of you take a laptop with you and meet somewhere with free wifi like a McDonalds. Then you log into paypal and refund, and they can check their paypal refund is showing. Even that is not ideal- but I can see no other way of doing it apart from sending half the refund beforehand and half on receipt of the bike.

Well yes it would cost more, I dont get the pp fees back, and have to send a little more to refund the buyer, but that isn't a major problem to me if I have more protection via this route. As for that he could do the original chargeback still, that was my point in paying him via cc through paypal so if he pulled something like this or not turning up with the bike I could do a chargeback. As for on what basis I could chargeback, it doesn't seem from the articles I've read about buyers doing this to sellers the credit card companies are particularly hard to convince if you tell them you want to perform chargeback ...I'm effectively buying the bike back off him if you like..

WiFi in McDonalds I guess could work if we can find one near the meeting point, or I guess I could do an 'issue refund' and trust too....I just don't know at the moment.

MyOnlyPost

I would never issue a refund until I had the goods back. I also wouldn't issue it by any other means than as a paypal refund of the original payment as you will be at risk of chargeback.

You can either do as suggested ^^ so everyone leaves the meeting knowing where they stand or issue the buyer with a receipt accepting delivery of the bike, which he can then use as POD if he needed to raise a dispute. Then refund him when you get home.

Right now he has something for his money and motivation to sort it out for the refund. If you refund before meeting he has the bike for free which may lead to even the best intentions going astray as he has no motivation to return it

soolin

MyOnlyPost wrote: »

I would never issue a refund until I had the goods back. I also wouldn't issue it by any other means than as a paypal refund of the original payment as you will be at risk of chargeback.

You can either do as suggested ^^ so everyone leaves the meeting knowing where they stand or issue the buyer with a receipt accepting delivery of the bike, which he can then use as POD if he needed to raise a dispute. Then refund him when you get home.

Right now he has something for his money and motivation to sort it out for the refund. If you refund before meeting he has the bike for free which may lead to even the best intentions going astray as he has no motivation to return it

So if you were the buyer would proof of acceptance would you accept? A pre typed letter signed in your presence by an unknown person at a strange venue with no way of knowing who they were?

You a re a lot more trusting than me.

MyOnlyPost

soolin wrote: »

So if you were the buyer would proof of acceptance would you accept? A pre typed letter signed in your presence by an unknown person at a strange venue with no way of knowing who they were?

You a re a lot more trusting than me.

I wouldn't buy anything this expensive off eBay.

If I were the seller I may have to insist that the buyer follow proper protocol and returns the item to me tracked. I will then issue a refund upon receipt. I was trying to offer a solution to the actual situation where they have agreed to meet as opposed to offer what I would do in a hypothetical situation.

As a seller my first and only concern in this matter would be that I had either the bike or the money. To that end I would not refund before going to this meeting. Any seller who would is asking for trouble.

theonlywayisup

OP, if you are meeting the guy for an exchange of bike and money, why can't you take a mobile with you with internet access. You can let him give you the bike, you can then log into your Paypal and issue the refund there and then.

Phaedos

theonlywayisup wrote: »

OP, if you are meeting the guy for an exchange of bike and money, why can't you take a mobile with you with internet access. You can let him give you the bike, you can then log into your Paypal and issue the refund there and then.

Yeah I was thinking maybe I could do that, just scared in case the unexpected happens like I can't get signal.

I've spoke again to the buyer and he is really insistent on cash, he doesnt sound like a scammer, elderly gent, but of course you never can be too sure, and chargeback always a worry. He is really suspcious of me refunding through paypal for some reason almost like I'm trying to con him, despite saying I will refund the full item amount and postage so I am out of pocket...sigh. Don't know how to convince him paypal refund is the way to go..

theonlywayisup

Phaedos wrote: »

Yeah I was thinking maybe I could do that, just scared in case the unexpected happens like I can't get signal.

I've spoke again to the buyer and he is really insistent on cash, he doesnt sound like a scammer, elderly gent, but of course you never can be too sure, and chargeback always a worry. He is really suspcious of me refunding through paypal for some reason almost like I'm trying to con him, despite saying I will refund the full item amount and postage so I am out of pocket...sigh. Don't know how to convince him paypal refund is the way to go..

You not need to convince him, you are doing the refund, so its paypal or nothing.

If you give him cash, there is NOTHING that will prevent him doing a chargeback on the original paypal transaction up to 180 days from when it was made* has been more - 2 years on one post on here* so you must NOT give a cash refund.

If you need a get out clause, then tell him PayPal have told you it's best to refund that way and act naive.