Buyer refusing to send back a SNAD

an9i77

I sold a lipstick on ebay recently. There was nothing wrong with it when I sent it, it was completely unused etc but I got a message from the buyer saying it was used and she wanted a refund.
I said I would refund it if she returned it, she then said she couldn't afford to do this as it would cost her too much and that I should refund. I made it clear I wouldn't refund without getting it back (as for all I know she could have used it herself, and wanted to keep it and get the money back) and she then said she'd open a claim.

When the claim came she wanted a partial refund for the cost of the product (£11) not including the original postage costs of £4. I refused this and said I'd refund the whole £15 if she sent it back.

She then said she cannot do this as it will cost £10 to send it tracked (from Finland) and she's not prepared to pay this

What will happen now, will ebay find in my favour if she refuses to send it back? or just refund her anyway, as they usually side with buyer.

obv they've held the £15 from my account now whilst this is pending.

I've made it clear on the case comms that I'm happy to refund but she's turned into a raving loony and started saying all sorts of things (like the box the product came in is wrong) to strengthen her case as she is clearly very p'd off.

I know she'll neg me to the extreme but I'd rather take the neg than give her the product and the refund, as she has very possibly used the item herself and then said it was used as it was brand new when I sent it!

Flyonthewall

Ebay will tell her to return it for a refund and if she doesn't give a tracking number then ebay should find in your favour as there is no proof she sent it back for a refund.

They should also remove any negative feedback if you win the case.

theonlywayisup

Flyonthewall wrote: »

Ebay will tell her to return it for a refund and if she doesn't give a tracking number then ebay should find in your favour as there is no proof she sent it back for a refund.

They should also remove any negative feedback if you win the case.

eBay will find in favour of the buyer and tell her to send it back tracked. They make the decision in a case apropos whether or not the buyer has grounds for a refund, not whether they send it or not. So the case will be ruled before anything is sent (or not sent as the case may be).

If the buyer doesn't send it the case times out. They can still leave feedback.

If the buyer returns the item, the case is marked on the seller dashboard as being 'case without resolution' but, it the seller appeals as perhaps the item isn't in the same state as when it was initially sent (ie it is clear the item is now used) then the appeal should go in the sellers favour, only then will the dashboard mark and any feedback be removed.

Flyonthewall

There seems to be two threads with very a similar situation - SNAD case open and buyer stating untrue reasons to get refund - yet the advice being given appears to be different.

Ebay may automatically refund, they may lose if they escalate the case with no tracking info, ebay may do a no fault return. The buyer can leave feedback but it can be removed if you win the case.

theonlywayisup

Flyonthewall wrote: »

There seems to be two threads with very a similar situation - SNAD case open and buyer stating untrue reasons to get refund - yet the advice being given appears to be different.

Ebay may automatically refund, they may lose if they escalate the case with no tracking info, ebay may do a no fault return. The buyer can leave feedback but it can be removed if you win the case.

Yes two similar threads. I didn't cloud the post I made with no fault refunds only because they are not policy and aren't to be relied on.

I was just about to add this to my post above, but will do it below to avoid confusion.

As a seller, you should accept a return before day 8 on the case resolution dashboard. If the buyer still escalates, when the item is returned you can ring eBay and manually appeal the dashboard mark. The pinks(blues) say this will be adhered to if you show you did all you could to reach out to the buyer.

theonlywayisup

Flyonthewall wrote: »

There seems to be two threads with very a similar situation - SNAD case open and buyer stating untrue reasons to get refund - yet the advice being given appears to be different.

Ebay may automatically refund, they may lose if they escalate the case with no tracking info, ebay may do a no fault return. The buyer can leave feedback but it can be removed if you win the case.

Sorry I meant to highlight this.

Escalation is NOTHING to do with tracking.

The case is escalated for eBay to tell the buyer to return, that's when you get the message as a buyer that it has been ruled in your favour, then you must return.

Which is why, as a seller, your best bet is to accept the return first.

Flyonthewall

theonlywayisup wrote: »

Sorry I meant to highlight this.

Escalation is NOTHING to do with tracking.

The case is escalated for eBay to tell the buyer to return, that's when you get the message as a buyer that it has been ruled in your favour, then you must return.

Which is why, as a seller, your best bet is to accept the return first.

First of all the points were from the advice on the other thread. Second, I didn't say escalating is anything to do with tracking. It's summing up the escalating process - so escalating and not giving tracking info could mean they lose as you escalate, are told to return via a tracked method, give tracking, item received and buyer refunded.

Flyonthewall

theonlywayisup wrote: »

Yes two similar threads. I didn't cloud the post I made with no fault refunds only because they are not policy and aren't to be relied on.

No fault refunds may not be policy but as a possibility it's still worth mentioning. As I said in the last post though, that was based on the info in the other thread.

theonlywayisup

Flyonthewall wrote: »

Second, I didn't say escalating is anything to do with tracking.

Did I misunderstand this?

Flyonthewall wrote: »

Ebay may automatically refund, they may lose if they escalate the case with no tracking info, ebay may do a no fault return. The buyer can leave feedback but it can be removed if you win the case.

A buyer can escalate at any time after day 8 and the ruling will be made. The case will be ruled in the seller or buyers favour. Tracking only comes into it when the refund is made, but that doesn't change the decision on how the case was ruled by eBay.

Flyonthewall

theonlywayisup wrote: »

Did I misunderstand this?

Well I perhaps didn't word it great but I didn't mean it to sound like the escalating it is based on tracking.

A buyer can escalate at any time after day 8 and the ruling will be made. The case will be ruled in the seller or buyers favour. Tracking only comes into it when the refund is made, but that doesn't change the decision on how the case was ruled by eBay.

I agree up until the tracking as I always thought once posted back buyers were supposed to supply a tracking number. There have been those on here who haven't sent tracked and ebay haven't refunded them and the sellers claim to not have it and won't refund, as well as those who have sent tracked and only been given a refund after providing the number.

I don't want to argue about it though. Despite having a system it seems ebay do handle things in various ways. OP at least has an idea of the different outcomes. As you say, they have the option to appeal if they do not win the case.

an9i77

So the conclusion is that anything could happen? They could refund the buyer and let her keep it, even though I've offered to do a refund when returned but she is refusing to play ball?
When does the case time out?
thanks