unfair refunds
Please can any fellow sufferer explain to me in language which shows that a) they actually understood the question and b) they can reply usefully in terms which make sense?
I sell books, not many any more, so it matters. If I send a book out in good faith, properly packed etc, and get only 2.80 for postage (less fees) from Amazon when the actual cost is almost always more than that, sometimes but several pounds, can a customer really just return it and get a refund as well as making me pay for the return postage which seems randomly to be Royal Mail even if I sent it by courier? In one instance, the bloke bought a text book, kept it 3 weeks then sent it back as no longer required. It was new, came back with very minor dents as not as well packed, and I only recently realised he had actually marked some chapters in ink. So my suspicions were right, he had free use of the book for 3 weeks and it cost me the sale and the extra postage to get what is no longer a new book back. Just now a customer ordered a hefty music book, Mozart sonatinas. She has now, without contacting me at all, had a refund and is sending it back and yet again I am paying for her to do so apparently, and her reason is "no longer required" and her comment "far too difficult!". Must be a crap musician then if she wouldn't have realised that before she ordered it.
I get no sense out of seller support whose English never quite assures me they fully understood, let alone helped me. I don't want pointing to pages of policy and stuff, I want a simple answer - can we do anything to stop refunds however unfair they are? and can we refuse to pay the postage when the customer is at fault? If so, how please?? all I got back this time was some reference to Safe T or somesuch which made no sense to me or how it might apply. This kind of stuff matters to small sellers, I wouldn't accept a refund plus return postage from my own customers without considering their motives first!
unfair refunds
Please can any fellow sufferer explain to me in language which shows that a) they actually understood the question and b) they can reply usefully in terms which make sense?
I sell books, not many any more, so it matters. If I send a book out in good faith, properly packed etc, and get only 2.80 for postage (less fees) from Amazon when the actual cost is almost always more than that, sometimes but several pounds, can a customer really just return it and get a refund as well as making me pay for the return postage which seems randomly to be Royal Mail even if I sent it by courier? In one instance, the bloke bought a text book, kept it 3 weeks then sent it back as no longer required. It was new, came back with very minor dents as not as well packed, and I only recently realised he had actually marked some chapters in ink. So my suspicions were right, he had free use of the book for 3 weeks and it cost me the sale and the extra postage to get what is no longer a new book back. Just now a customer ordered a hefty music book, Mozart sonatinas. She has now, without contacting me at all, had a refund and is sending it back and yet again I am paying for her to do so apparently, and her reason is "no longer required" and her comment "far too difficult!". Must be a crap musician then if she wouldn't have realised that before she ordered it.
I get no sense out of seller support whose English never quite assures me they fully understood, let alone helped me. I don't want pointing to pages of policy and stuff, I want a simple answer - can we do anything to stop refunds however unfair they are? and can we refuse to pay the postage when the customer is at fault? If so, how please?? all I got back this time was some reference to Safe T or somesuch which made no sense to me or how it might apply. This kind of stuff matters to small sellers, I wouldn't accept a refund plus return postage from my own customers without considering their motives first!
0 replies
Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh
Assuming that Refund at First Scan and Prepaid Returns is taking place...
- In most cases, distances selling laws dictates you would need to refund the outgoing postage.
- For the returns, you should be charged for ALL return labels provided via Prepaid Return Labels. The charge occurs at the point the label is first scanned. However, depending on the return reason, you will either be liable for the return costs (eg damaged) or in hte case of Change of Mind - the cost of the return label should be deducted from the refund at first scan.
- Finally, if you are getting back damaged goods, or beleive the customer has selected a false return reason - you can open a Safe-T claim for a refund of the return postage label, or a partial refund (normally the estimated cost of the product to you)
Seller_HMxMRdomHkjHi
I also sell books and have them returned occasionally, when I receive a return request with reason no longer required I email the buyer and inform them that the return postage will be deducted from their refund. More often than not they do not bother to return.
Seller_sg54Fq7GfBZzn
We ended certain lines on Amazon for this exact reason, someone would buy an item use it, then return it weeks later.
The law states people have the right to return items, absolutely no issues. But it doesnt say they can get the item, use it repeatedly and then send it back.
We had one this week just gone, a set of sunglasses, ordered, returned around four weeks later, clearly they have taken them on holiday, used them for two weeks and returned them.
They had sun cream all over them and get this, even the customers sons name on tag stuck to the arm.
But sadly there is no way to report them for any meaningful result.
But can you imagine trying to walk into a store and hand something back like that ? you would be barred
Seller_CLmNsySJDC75g
We have the same issue, although not with books but somethings with as little as £3.49 and customers return it under wrong return reasons all the time, they get their money back and it costs £3.35 for the prepaid return label.
I check returns every day, throughout the day. I will always message to try and stop someone returning if an item is faulty, so I can offer a replacement instead.
If not, I will message the same as @Seller_HMxMRdomHkjHi. Sometimes this works, other times it does not.
However with pre-paid return label, if its "no longer needed" return, you refund once the order has been delivered. Sometimes it gives you the option to charge for the pre-paid label, sometimes it doesn't. I honestly think they just make it up as they go along.
Its incredibly frustrating!
Now whenever I get a return that is not genuine, I open safe-t claims. I tend to have to do this most weeks and let them know the buyer used an incorect return reason. Giving proof of whether it be delivery dates, condition of item it was returned in etc.
You need to take photos of the parcel, contents of parcel and any other evidence, but for me this works 9 times out of 10. Its just annoying we have to do it in the first place.
We offer free delivery with everything, so a low value item is sometimes less than the cost of the pre-paid item!
Seller_B1ACPItaAiHWQ
i sold a fire door closer and it was returned " damaged" the buyer had packed ther old one into a differant box refunded it i requested the item come back to me as i have the recipts for them it turned up it was ..20 years old with 8 coats of yellowing gloss painted all over it. i asked for my item back amazon said after much arguing thay would refund me the cost but i refused i wanted my item back and thay just sent me £5 i have the ladys name and address if i was 1% more stubborn i was going to take her to small claims court for fraud. just recently had a return on some oven cable saying it was " damaged" and i requested it back its just arrived this morning unused still inside its packet completly undamaged, if thay had just said " refund no longer needed" it would of just gone back into stock to be resold customers are royaly taking liberties at our cost ! i would look into a small claims court send out some emails start taking these people to court probly make more money then selling
