Anyone got any experience with “return requested” after you sold something?
Been trying to find info on ebay help about if ebay/paypal fees get refunded and if I can state how much to refund them (sell price – P&P) they don’t mention fees etc

So I sold some new knee pads (after they put in a low offer and it inc P&P) and the buyer would like to return them, (even thou it says no returns) I am ok with them sending them back and me refunding them how much they paid minus the fees and P&P (£7.07 less in total + their cost of postage) and they seem happy with this.

So when clicking through from the “return requested” email, the top option is
Accept return and refund when received the item.
So my question is if I choose this does it automatically refund the FULL amount that they paid for it. and I get my fees back but loose of the cost of postage?
Or can I choose how much to send back?
Just could not find any proper info on the subject!

I have told them I prob choose the “reject return request” they send the pads back and I refund via paypal when I get them. think that seems the best way for both of us?

Thanks

I would have just said no you can’t return them.

(even thou it says no returns)

Seems fairly cut & dried to me, then.

There’s nothing stopping the buyer from relisting them if they don’t want them.

yeah I did suggest prob be better for them to keep them try selling them for what they paid for them, but no they still want to return them, maybe I should be a bit more sod them.

Have they given a reason, out of interest?

Why does he want to return them? Wrong size, faulty, change of mind, other..??

Unless they are faulty or damaged theyd be told to jog on

You can tell him to jog on…but eBay are complete ****s and will just refund him anyway in the end. So you might as well accept the return and re-sell them yourself. Otherwise you might end up refunding him, and him keeping the pads. This sort of crap happens all the time. eBay and PayPal don’t give a rats ass about sellers.

To answer your question, this suggests that if you accept the return through the eBay process you have no choice other than a full refund including the initial postage (with the option to cover the return shipping).

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/handle-return-request-seller?id=4115

Yep, you have to return the full amount. However the buyer needs to give a valid reason for returning (i.e not as listed or faulty/damaged). They can’t just return because they changed their mind as you are not a retailer with distance selling rules etc,.

There’s a slight trap in this- if you combine price and postage into a single lump sum and call it “free postage” then that’s exactly what ebay count it as- so if you make a refund, they normally expect you to refund the full amount, since the postage was “free”. (I get bitten by this every so often, it’s just a price you pay for hte simplicity and advantages of “free postage”)

But I can’t see why you couldn’t agree up front with the buyer that as an exceptional thing, you’ll accept a return without accepting any fault, and you’ll refund the price less the original postage cost, and also require them to pay the return postage. So essentially refunding so that you are not out of pocket for their change of mind. You do have the option of making a partial refund. It could get messy if the buyer’s an arse.

Having said all that, if the buyer’s coming back to you politely and requesting a return, you can probably assume that they’re not an arse- because if they were an arse they’d just abuse “not as described” or break it and return it as “damaged”.

The buyer can claim a refund of the return postage from Paypal. So that doesn’t cost the seller any extra.

To answer your question, this suggests that if you accept the return through the eBay process you have no choice other than a full refund including the initial postage (with the option to cover the return shipping).

Yep, just had to do the exact thing, which was annoying slightly as the buyer was happy not to get the postage costs back.

Thanks Toby, must of been asleep and missed that link half way down when looking!

Northwind I hear you!
Ebay pushes “free” postage to help sell items then screws seller out of cost if something goes wrong so to speak. Ebay/paypal do tend to be on the buyers side even when buyer is wrong/taking the piss.

They sent a message (late PM) saying the pads are to big and like to send them back. and before I could answer they put in a return request! (this morning)
They seemed OK and not been a asshole, they put the reason as to big and not damaged or anything like that, so told them I reject the return, but sent them back and I refund minus the fees and postage. they happy with that, so prob less hassle in the long run.
Why I keep using ebay I do not know, lol.
anyway Thanks for all the help, handy to know for next time

MTB Rob

Member

Ebay pushes “free” postage to help sell items then screws seller out of cost if something goes wrong so to speak.

A bit. But tbh since I shifted to free postage my sales went way up and I was able to put my prices up too, it seems most people genuinely don’t use the “price + P&P” option to search even though it’s literally the only good way to do it. So for me at least, there’s no doubt it’s worth it.

Why I keep using ebay I do not know, lol.

Just use it properly. The buyer cannot return an item because it is too big – you are not a retailer with distance selling regs. Explain that to them, close the case.

I still charge full Royal Mail prices for everything I sell and my stuff always sells for the price I want.