Large Order to Denmark, Buyer Refused Delivery & Opened Returns Case

TKPeters

Never had this before in 14 years of selling on eBay, any advice welcome.....

We sent a Large / Heavy order to Denmark on Friday [eBay Business sale] with Priority [Air Express] Shipping, as requested by the buyer.


Buyer has opened a Return Case [Better Price Found] after refusing the delivery with the courier tonight.


27 Jan 2016 19:23 Kopenhagen Unable to Deliver, Refused by Recipient
27 Jan 2016 19:23 Kopenhagen Unable to Deliver
26 Jan 2016 12:46 Kopenhagen Recipient Absent on Delivery Attempt
26 Jan 2016 12:46 Kopenhagen Unable to Deliver
26 Jan 2016 10:26 Kopenhagen Out for Delivery



Spoken to the Courier & its going to cost us nearly £100 to get it back.

Messaged the Buyer, to see what the problem is & he has just message us "Understand the buy and sell rules and accept it. Instead of talking to us."


The Shipping Cost both ways is 20% of the total price paid & technically we have to provide a full refund through eBay, as a case is open.

I don't see why we should have to pay the upgraded shipping costs & the return shipping costs, eBay Returns case states the Buyer Pays, even though "he" cannot return it when he has refused the delivery.

ballisticbrian

I actually blocked all of Norway for a certain product when this happened to me.


I guess as it's outside the UK, it's not distance selling regs you are talking about but the eBay rules? Maybe worth calling them if the upgraded the shipping? How did they do this, was it offered in the ad or amended invoice?

TKPeters

We added it to the eBay Listing, as an extra shipping option, as per their request via eBay Messaging, as all eBay items are Immediate Payment Required.

eBay Policy...........DSR's do not apply anymore & Consumer Regulations came into force in 2014, which require the buyer to return it within 14 days [which he cannot do as it been refused]

F&L

The buyer is only entitled to a refund of the basic shipping cost and is responsible for returning the item to you. I've only had something similar happen on Amazon, where they allow a seller to refund less than the full amount paid which I did. The shipping costs were no where near yours though and the buyer did not challenge the fact I'd deducted the courier's return charge when they refused delivery.

Didn't someone mention in another post that you can make a partial refund on Ebay Ireland? The buyer though will undoubtedly dispute any partial refund with ebay.

soolin

F&L wrote: »

The buyer is only entitled to a refund of the basic shipping cost and is responsible for returning the item to you. I've only had something similar happen on Amazon, where they allow a seller to refund less than the full amount paid which I did. The shipping costs were no where near yours though and the buyer did not challenge the fact I'd deducted the courier's return charge when they refused delivery.

Didn't someone mention in another post that you can make a partial refund on Ebay Ireland? The buyer though will undoubtedly dispute any partial refund with ebay.

Unfortunately once a case is open on ebay seller either has to prove delivery or refund in full.

OP, I can't offer any helpful advice, but you have my sympathy, this is a nightmare scenario.

theonlywayisup

Have I misunderstood? If the buyer has opened a returns case for 'better price found', then he has to show tracking to you. As he can't do that, he won't get his refund (or at least he won't get it from you).

The fact the tracking doesn't show delivery to him would have allowed him an INR, but, by virtue of the fact he has opened a returns case, I would argue an INR if he found he could backtrack.

soolin

theonlywayisup wrote: »

Have I misunderstood? If the buyer has opened a returns case for 'better price found', then he has to show tracking to you. As he can't do that, he won't get his refund (or at least he won't get it from you).

The fact the tracking doesn't show delivery to him would have allowed him an INR, but, by virtue of the fact he has opened a returns case, I would argue an INR if he found he could backtrack.

That's a good point.

However, I wonder if refused delivery is the same as returning it, as many online sites allow you to refuse and be refunded instead of accepting the goods and having them shipped back.

I can see ebay thinking through this as 'buyer has refused goods and they are being returned to sender- therefore the return is in place'. For a return legally (although this applies to UK law) a buyer does not have to show delivery back to the seller- only that goods have been returned and can be shown as such.

This is a nightmare scenario

pinkshoes

soolin wrote: »

That's a good point.

However, I wonder if refused delivery is the same as returning it, as many online sites allow you to refuse and be refunded instead of accepting the goods and having them shipped back.

I can see ebay thinking through this as 'buyer has refused goods and they are being returned to sender- therefore the return is in place'. For a return legally (although this applies to UK law) a buyer does not have to show delivery back to the seller- only that goods have been returned and can be shown as such.

This is a nightmare scenario

But as there is a £100 fee to have it returned by the courier, then surely just rejecting it is not actually returning it in this case?

I assume if the OP does not pay the £100, then he will not get the item back?

soolin

pinkshoes wrote: »

But as there is a £100 fee to have it returned by the courier, then surely just rejecting it is not actually returning it in this case?

I assume if the OP does not pay the £100, then he will not get the item back?

Yep, absolute nightmare.

Brooker_Dave

I've had this quite a few times, you'll just have to take the hit.

This is why I now insist on bank transfer for payment on orders like this.

Pierre_De_Grenoble

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

I've had this quite a few times, you'll just have to take the hit.

This is why I now insist on bank transfer for payment on orders like this.

IMHO. The saying is "sauce for the goose" if I was ever forced to take a hit like this I'd be looking for the gander..