How to cancel an EBay return?

[jjb1970]

I've got myself into a bit of a pickle and wonder if anybody could offer advice.

 

I sold a model to a chap in Italy who opened a case and requested a return as something became detached in transit. I accepted the return but in exchanging messages he just wanted £10 off the price to cover buying the replacement part and we both reached an amicable agreement easily and quickly. However because I accepted the return it now only lets me do a full refund and I cannot cancel it. And I can't see anything to help from EBay. The other chap is looking at if he can cancel his request but it seems to be the blind and the blind.

 

Has anybody else faced this problem and can they offer advice please? Thanks.

[hayfield]

I've got myself into a bit of a pickle and wonder if anybody could offer advice.

 

I sold a model to a chap in Italy who opened a case and requested a return as something became detached in transit. I accepted the return but in exchanging messages he just wanted £10 off the price to cover buying the replacement part and we both reached an amicable agreement easily and quickly. However because I accepted the return it now only lets me do a full refund and I cannot cancel it. And I can't see anything to help from EBay. The other chap is looking at if he can cancel his request but it seems to be the blind and the blind.

 

Has anybody else faced this problem and can they offer advice please? Thanks.

 

Phone the ebay help line

[ejstubbs]

I think the buyer has to cancel the return request.  If he goes to his purchase history in "My eBay" it should show his order for the item with the return still outstanding, but with an option to cancel the return.  You and he then just work out the refund between you, presumably via PayPal.  There's no need to get eBay involved in a £10 refund UNLESS you think that the buyer later might pull a fast one and start a "not as described" dispute after you've refunded him the £10.  That could end up with eBay refunding him the full amount that eBay thinks he's paid, so you'd end up even more out of pocket.

 

Even simpler: I think that eBay will just expire the return request if he doesn't send the item back within a certain time - about a month I think, maybe 30 days.  It should indicate the time left to complete the return in the "My eBay"entry for his order for the item.

[jjb1970]

Thanks for that, I'll call EBay. This has made me notice just how bad the EBay contact stuff and help section is.

[mjkerr]

As above, the buyer needs to process the change of the purchase status

They should receive an eMail that action is required, if the dispute matter has been resolved

If no action takes place then the eBay UK / PayPal Buyer Protection then applies

 

Therefore if you have ANY doubt, contact eBay UK and advise them that both parties have resolved the dispute

 

This is one of the reasons I do not sell outside of the UK (there are many other reasons)

Equally, if the item is used and for sale by a private seller then you can set the item so that it cannot be returned

[brianusa]

Just had an occasion to return an item in spite of a No Return policy by the seller.  In this case, it was a Hornby loco that didn't even run.  But the seller accepted it and returned the cost.  No big deal. 

However, how would you rate the seller in Feedback?  Want to give a good rating although the thing didn't work, the seller was professional and was cooperative in a satisfactory resolution to this matter.

 

Brian.

[ejstubbs]

A "no returns" policy does not apply if the item is not as described - which includes not working if the listing didn't indicate that (eg described as "for spares or repair").

 

The policy is mainly there to stop people returning stuff because they decide it's not what they want.  This is enshrined as a right in the Consumer Contracts Regulations but only between a customer and a business.  The regulations don't apply to private sales of any kind, new or used (and eBay doesn't require items sold as new to be returnable either AFAICS), but they do apply to businesses selling used goods.

[Colin_McLeod]

I agree with ejstubbs but unfortunately if a pivate seller sells a lot of stuff ( as I did during a clear out a few years ago) then e bay re categorises you as a "business seller". I'm not sure what legal effect this has on a returns policy.