checking for withdrawn feedback,refunds?.

amazamum

Hi,I sold an item last week and have now recieved an email from the buyer saying although there is no problem with the item,they no longer need it so could they return it and have a refund.
I have no problem with them returning it and giving a refund,but it would of course be minus the postal charges and they would have to pay for returned postage,postage was £5 to get it to them so would be the same back and the refund would be them items price of £7.50.
How do you think I should word my reply as I have 100% feedback and don't want to lose it due to somebody changing their mind.
Also how do I check on ebay to see if they have any withdrawn bids on their account.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.:T

soolin

Withdrawn bids can be seen on their feedback page, although how that will help I'm not sure. Feedback though might give you a clue as to whether they are a serial returner.

If item is faulty or not as described you will need to refund in full, including the original post and packing. If buyer has just changed their mind then it is up to you how you handle it.

Soo

nightswimmer

amazamum wrote:

How do you think I should word my reply as I have 100% feedback and don't want to lose it due to somebody changing their mind.

Just be honest. Say that you are more than willing to refund the purchase price but are unable to refund the cost of postage.

Personally, I would also not send the refund until you have received the item back. Be aware that there are some people out there who try to pull scams such as wearing clothes and then returning them, swapping an electrical item for a stolen version of the same model, etc. So it's better to be safe than sorry as this will give you a chance to double check everything is ok with the item.

Also how do I check on ebay to see if they have any withdrawn bids on their account.

Like Soolin says, the withdrawn bids info is available on the feedback page, under the "Recent Ratings" table at the top.

Also, an easy way to check their feedback for neutrals, negatives, and mutually withdrawn feedback, is to use this site:

http://toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negsis

Baby_J_2

If it were me, I wouldn't refund just because they no longer need the item. I would understand if it were faulty etc but you're not dealing with Tesco, you're dealing with eBay. You wouldn't buy something from a car boot and then the following week return it because you no longer need it.

jasmineswhiskers

And as well as the postage what about the ebay fees and paypal fees you'll lose.

Avoriaz

Why are you considering allowing them to return it and get a refund? I wouldn’t unless I really wanted to establish good will with a possible repeat buyer and even then I would think hard about it. Who wants a buyer who changes their mind and asks for their money back? Ebay is not M&S or Tesco.

If he/she has changed their mind and no longer want it, they can resell it on ebay themselves rather than returning it to you to resell.

Why should you have the hassle? Even if you recover the postage costs. You have lost your listing fee and maybe FVF.

Don’t worry about your 100% feedback and don’t allow that to affect your decision. If you get a negative just add a polite and brief response.

Sugar_Coated_Owl

Did you actually state on your listing that you would accept returns?

amazamum

Thanks everyone for your imput.
I don't have a returns policy listed on my ebay account,I was just worried about my feedback as I have 100% and have just become a powerseller.
The lady actually sent me an email this morning saying "I have a problem,not with the item" saying she bought it for a friend but as she has a bad back the doctor has told her not to use the item(excercise equiptment).
so the item is not faulty,she has just no use for it.
Could she claim back her money as she paid through paypal and get her money back and not send me back the item,if you see what I mean.
Thanks for any advice.:T

frivolous_fay

She won't be able to claim money back through paypal unless she can prove it was sent back (ie. trackable delivery)

nightswimmer

amazamum wrote:

I was just worried about my feedback as I have 100% and have just become a powerseller.

Don't worry about your feedback. I know it is hard to not want to keep that 100% record, but if you get too fixated on it, buyers can hold you over a barrel.

Could she claim back her money as she paid through paypal and get her money back and not send me back the item,if you see what I mean.
Thanks for any advice.:T

Did she win it in an auction, or did she buy it as a BIN or from your eBay shop?

If she won it in an auction, then she has no 'right' to return it simply because she no longer wants it. If she won it using BIN or from your eBay shop (if you have one), then the sale falls under the distance selling regulations and she has the right to return it as long as she notifies you within 7 days.

As for Paypal, she wouldn't be able to win a PayPal dispute on the grounds of no longer wanting it. She could say that that she never received it, but if you used a trackable delivery method that is accepted by PayPal (see here) and given that you also have the e-mail from her stating that she received it, she wouldn't win that. She could say that it is not as described, but again, you have the e-mail from her saying there is no problem with the item, and on top of that, in order to win, she still would have to send the item back to you using a trackable method. So as far as Paypal is concerned, you should be safe.

Baby_J_2

So she wants you to refund her and she wants to keep the item? Is that what you are saying? If so, definately to tell her to sod off!