Seller Not Refunding Shipping After Item Didn't Arrive?

[lhh]

I can’t find an answer to this specific situation.

An overseas Ebay seller’s package had some kind of issue trying to reach my address, so it automatically returned to them.

It was supposed to arrive around July 8th, it’s last tracking information was on July 23rd, and on August 21st I just received a message from the seller that the package returned to them.

Now they don’t want to refund the shipping even though I never got the package and I did not make any mistakes to cause the failed shipment. While the cost isn’t crazy, it’s a lot more than domestic.

What is the proper outcome for this situation?

Never experienced this situation before with an overseas seller.

[Coop13]

If you provided accurate shipping information the proper outcome is you get all your money back. If you want to extend an olive branch you could offer to split the shipping cost and only ask for half back, but you shouldn’t be on the hook for failed shipping.

[stagecoach]

My hope as a buyer is that if something went wrong I would get a full refund, including shipping. But with international where the cost was higher, I don’t always treat it as a given. I think there’s sometimes different cultural custom too. I’ve had lots of experiences where the international seller didn’t refund the cost of shipping, likely holding the belief that they didn’t do anything wrong either. To them this is what’s fair. I don’t usually object even though I’m usually disappointed.

[Coop13]

@stagecoach

My hope as a buyer is that if something went wrong I would get a full refund, including shipping. But with international where the cost was higher, I don’t always treat it as a given. I think there’s sometimes different cultural custom too. I’ve had lots of experiences where the international seller didn’t refund the cost of shipping, likely holding the belief that they didn’t do anything wrong either. To them this is what’s fair. I don’t usually object even though I’m usually disappointed.

If no one did anything wrong, why does the buyer lose in this situation? At a minimum any incurred costs should be split.

[stagecoach]

@Coop13

@stagecoach

My hope as a buyer is that if something went wrong I would get a full refund, including shipping. But with international where the cost was higher, I don’t always treat it as a given. I think there’s sometimes different cultural custom too. I’ve had lots of experiences where the international seller didn’t refund the cost of shipping, likely holding the belief that they didn’t do anything wrong either. To them this is what’s fair. I don’t usually object even though I’m usually disappointed.

If no one did anything wrong, why does the buyer lose in this situation? At a minimum any incurred costs should be split.

I mean, you don’t have to convince me personally. I think the buyer should get a refund and the seller should cover the whole cost. But I’ve just noticed that most of my international transactions that ended with a refund do not refund the shipping. I can’t think of a single refund from a Japanese seller for example that also included the shipping. I don’t know why that is. Maybe bad luck on my part. Or maybe there’s just a different expectation for this sort of thing internationally.

I’ve just learned not to expect it. Not that I’m pleased with that, but it is what it is.

[dilbert]

@stagecoach

@Coop13

If no one did anything wrong, why does the buyer lose in this situation? At a minimum any incurred costs should be split.

I mean, you don’t have to convince me personally. I think the buyer should get a refund and the seller should cover the whole cost. But I’ve just noticed that most of my international transactions that ended with a refund do not refund the shipping. I can’t think of a single refund from a Japanese seller for example that also included the shipping. I don’t know why that is. Maybe bad luck on my part. Or maybe there’s just a different expectation for this sort of thing internationally.

I’ve just learned not to expect it. Not that I’m pleased with that, but it is what it is.

Were you not able to just open a case for a full refund? or was it ebay not refunding the shipping?

[lhh]

@shadowrex , thanks for the feedback. Logically I felt that reasoning made the most sense, I just wanted another opinion. I’ll offer them to refund only half of the shipping.

[stagecoach]

@dilbert

@stagecoach

I mean, you don’t have to convince me personally. I think the buyer should get a refund and the seller should cover the whole cost. But I’ve just noticed that most of my international transactions that ended with a refund do not refund the shipping. I can’t think of a single refund from a Japanese seller for example that also included the shipping. I don’t know why that is. Maybe bad luck on my part. Or maybe there’s just a different expectation for this sort of thing internationally.

I’ve just learned not to expect it. Not that I’m pleased with that, but it is what it is.

Were you not able to just open a case for a full refund? or was it ebay not refunding the shipping?

I never pursued the case. I accepted the circumstances.

[yz2428]

@lhh

@shadowrex , thanks for the feedback. Logically I felt that reasoning made the most sense, I just wanted another opinion. I’ll offer them to refund only half of the shipping.

just curious, how much was the shipping?

[lhh]

@yz2428, something like $30 USD for just a few cards. If the cards arrived it would have been fine. Anyway, the seller agreed that I wasn’t at fault and accepted splitting the shipping cost. According to tracking it got all the way to the city next to me…and then travelled all the way back from California to the UK lol. Mail can be weird sometimes.

[wobafett]

@Coop13

If no one did anything wrong, why does the buyer lose in this situation? At a minimum any incurred costs should be split.

My opinion is the buyer should not lose a penny. It is on the seller to deliver the product. Whatever method they use for shipping is their responsibility.