Thank you so much for spending your time with us! We would be so grateful if you could take a minute and leave us a review.
Returns are a part of the reselling business and you need to be prepared to address them when they do.
One reason you might get a return request is that a buyer hasn’t received their item and too much time has passed.
But what happens when you’ve refunded the buyer and then they receive the item and accept it? The buyer then has your item and your money.
We’re going to tell you what to do if a buyer has your item and your money after a refund request. It’s not a one-size fits all fix, but there are solutions if you’re willing to problem solve.
So let’s dive in.
Our Recent Refund Request
We went through this experience recently. We sold an item for $700, but it took too long for that item to reach the buyer via freight shipment. We shipped it on time, so it was not our fault, and it was not the buyer’s fault, but he asked for a refund because it took too long to get the item.
That is totally understandable, and we did the right thing by giving him a refund. Three days later he received the item through freight shipment and accepted it, so he then had the refund and the item.
We’re going to walk through the steps we took to correct the situation.
Every Situation Is Unique
Before we dive into the details, it’s good to note that all transactions are different. What works in one instance might not work the next time. If you are willing to problem solve, you will likely be able to come to a solution. Don’t get upset as you try to work through it.
In this case I knew we were going to get the money back one way or the other — either from the freight company because they took to long to deliver it or from eBay.
Don’t Rush Into A Refund
In this situation the buyer opened a case after 20 or 25 days where he had not received the item, which is totally understandable. I shipped it on time when I was supposed to, but the freight company got backed up at one of their terminals and it got stuck at that terminal.
Before the buyer opened the case he had messaged and said “Look, if I don’t get this by Monday, I need a refund because I can’t use this item.”
The item was still a few states away and it was unlikely the buyer was going to receive it, so he waited until Monday, and then he opened the case to eBay that he hadn’t received the item.
After we got the open case we had two or three days to respond. In that timeframe, I actually called up eBay and I said, “Listen, I don’t know what to do. It’s not my fault. And it’s not his fault. It’s actually the freight company’s fault. You guys have a tracking number. We have a tracking number. You can see where it’s sitting. So what do I do in this instance?”
And they said, “Well, you need to really refund the buyer because it has taken too long to get him his item.” So I refunded the buyer his money. But three days later he signed for and received the item. So not only does he have the item, he already got his refund back for the item. So, he got it for free. Originally the buyer said he was going to refuse the item, but he did not.
Get On The Phone
Once we saw the buyer had accepted the item, we got back on the phone with eBay. This is key, don’t just do the chat. You don’t show your emotion in the chat, it’s much better to show that you’re a real person and get on the phone. They can hear your voice, that you want to do the right thing, and that you’re trying to make the best of the situation.
And they want to work with you. Ebay wants to keep sellers around. They want you on the platform making them money, so they do want to make you happy if they can.
I explained the situation, told them I did the right thing by issuing the refund, and asked eBay what should I do from here?
A key point to note is that eBay has many, many representatives and you’ll get some representatives who don’t know how to handle this situation and then you’ll find some that are very, very good and know what to do. The first one that I got was very, very good.
He said “Well, since you did not force eBay to make a decision on this, you actually refunded it without the decision. We don’t have a place to appeal this. We can’t go back and appeal it.” So I said, “Wait a minute, this was the right thing to do and you told me to do it.”
I asked him if I had forced eBay to do it, if we then could’ve appealed even though it was the wrong thing to do for the buyer. He said “Yes, that’s how the whole thing plays out.”
I said, “That’s not acceptable. We’ve got to figure something out here.” And he said he could get his manager from the back office to put in a manual override for a refund, but it could take up to 15 days.
How To Get Them On The Phone
To get eBay on the phone you can go to their website and there should be an option to call the department you need to reach, or you can enter your number and they’ll call you back, which is usually only a few minutes later.
Don’t Take The First No As The Final Answer
If you get a no when you’re trying to solve the problem, you can ask for a supervisor.
If they are not understanding what you’re saying, and you know what you’re doing is the right thing, then ask to speak to a supervisor. Get somebody who’s higher up.
Keep Track Of Who You Talk To
Another important point is to get your customer service rep’s name and/or rep ID number, anything you can use to make notes.
Why? Well, a couple of days later I called back and asked about the status on this situation. I said, “I spoke to Eric a few days ago and he told me this would be reversed.”
The person I talked to the second time said, “Sorry, we can’t do an appeal on this.”
I said, “Listen, I talked to Eric. He told me he couldn’t do an appeal, but a supervisor could override this and I could get my money back.” The rep said he hadn’t heard of that, but did see in the notes that I had talked to Eric, so he put in a personal message to Eric.
Later that day Eric reached out and said he’d got it to a supervisor and they gave me the whole amount (minus eBay’s fees for the transaction). And they said they would have it done within 48 hours, not 15 days,and we did end up getting the money back.
So the moral of the story is eBay is not out to hurt sellers. They want to do the right thing. Sometimes you just have to get to the right representative, but always get them on the phone. Always talk to a representative, maybe even a supervisor, but you have to get them on the phone so you can get to the right result.
Be Polite With The Reps
The biggest thing when you first start out calling is to be polite. It’s okay to tell them you’re frustrated and not trying to take it out on them, you’re just trying to find a solution.
If they’re not the right person to talk to you, it’s okay to ask for a supervisor. I’ve asked, “Do you have the authority to reverse this?” And if they say no, I know I’m talking to the wrong person, and I’ll ask to speak to their supervisor.
Sometimes it’s not the first rep you talk to, and sometimes it’s not the supervisor. You may have to go to the supervisor’s supervisor. The biggest thing is to get them on the phone.
Be Confident That You Deserve Your Money
Know what you want as the outcome of the situation so you can ask for that. And know that it’s the right thing. You’re not asking them to do something wrong or something illegal or something that’s not the right thing. You’re trying to get them to do the right thing.
What Could I Have Done If This Didn’t Work Out With Ebay?
If eBay hadn’t done the right thing, my next step would’ve been to go after the freight company. The whole thing happened because they had the item too long, and I would’ve got the money back from their insurance company because it shouldn’t have taken this long.
Don’t just take no and say you’re never selling on eBay again. Don’t give up. $700 is a big paycheck and worth working on it. If you’re fighting over a smaller amount like $50, maybe it’s worth walking away for your sanity, but for the most part if it’s a high dollar item, definitely find a way to work through the problem. Bounce ideas off of other flippers to see what solutions they might have.
We do that in our Flipper University members group.
Show Notes
Check out our FREE Workshop: https://courses.fleamarketflipper.com/flipper-university-workshop-webinar
FURTHER RESOURCES
Download These 47 Household Items To Resell TODAY!
FREE Workshop How To Turn Your Passion of Flipping Items Into A Profitable Reselling Business
RELATED EPISODES
How This Reseller Makes $1.7K Flipping Mattresses And Vintage Lamps
How This Retiree Makes $1K/Mo Flipping Cooktops And Mattresses Online
Calculated, Flat Rate, Or Free Shipping? Which Should You Be Using On Ebay?
