eBay case escalated to PayPal. Buyer returning item from different address (different country)

[MCgruff232]

I sold an item in August to an address within the US on eBay (I only ship within the US & with the eBay Global Shipping Program). The customer opened a case almost two months later claiming it does not work (which it 100% was working). I accepted the return without any issues but immediately noticed after the tracking was uploaded that it was an international shipment coming from near Russia (not where I originally shipped the item to). As per eBay's rules I have no obligation to refund this person as they have violated the buyer protection rules. I refused the package and had USPS mark it as "Return to Sender". Also the return address appears to be invalid as the package has just been bouncing around the U.S. and Europe for over a month.

The eBay case and been closed now due to it being escalated to a PayPal case. My question is what is PayPal's policy regarding a situation like this? I've done some searching and can't find any answers regarding PayPal policy on returns coming from a different address. If I escalate the case will it be automatically resolved in favor of the buyer?

[kernowlass]

@MCgruff232

Why did the buyer break Ebay rules?

As long as they returned the item back to you and provided trackable proof then what difference does it make where they posted it from?

I went on holiday for 6 weeks with a new camera that was faulty the minute i started to use it, filed an Ebay request for return and returned it from the country that i was in, which was not my paypal registered address, however i got a full refund.

As long as the seller got the item back why would buyers location make any difference?

[MCgruff232]

The shipping address is used as verification that the item being shipped back from the person who you originally shipped it to. Otherwise anyone could just ship a return back from anywhere/anyone and may not be the same item you shipped out. Also the address I originally shipped it to is heavily associated with scamming. Look up "dilokoi7789tersssaa899-0" on badbuyerlist there are tons of negative comments about scams coming from this place.

[kernowlass]

@MCgruff232

I am not saying they are not scammers, I merely said that i don't see the address for buyers returning an item is relevant.....i may be wrong, if you can give me a link where it says that a buyer has to then i would appreciate it.

Secondly even if its from the correct address buyer have and do ship alternate items back or even broken ones so again i can't see that the addy is relevant.

Anyway hope it works out for you but i am a tad doubtful on that.

[MCgruff232]

It has literally always been the case that an item needs to be shipped back from the original address on eBay. If a seller refunded a package from you from a different address it wasn't particularly smart on their part. They could have easily refused the package/refund.

Taken from the eBay Money Back Guarantee page:

Not Covered: Items shipped to another address after original delivery.

Meaning if a package comes from a different address after the original delivery address it is not covered by eBay protection and a seller is not obligated to refund.

[kernowlass]

@MCgruff232

Fair enough and thanks for that info, but that only applies to Ebays buyer protection and not Paypals?

So if your buyer filed a Paypal dispute it may not apply?

[MCgruff232]

I have no idea which is why I created this thread hoping someone else would know the asnwer. I searched around couldn't find any direct answer. I should probably just call PayPal.

[MCgruff232]

I found this looking through PayPal Buyer Protection policy.

6.4 Buyer Protection offered either by PayPal or eBay

PayPal will refuse a Claim under PayPal Buyer Protection in case the Buyer has already been granted a payout in relation to the same purchase in the scope of the eBay Buyer Protection program. Further, you may not file a Claim with PayPal Buyer Protection, if in relation to the same purchase you have already filed a Claim with an eBay Buyer Protection program.

The section in bold. Does this mean that a person is not allowed to open a PayPal case if the transaction was an eBay case that was already closed?

[kernowlass]

@MCgruff232

It means a buyer can't file a claim if they have already been awarded a refund via Ebay.

They also can't open a paypal dispute AT THE SAME TIME as an ebay dispute is ongoing.

A buyer is allowed to open a paypal dispute AFTER an ebay dispute is closed.

[Whac-A-Mole]

Ebay does have a policy,if the shipment has been redirected to another location,the buyer doe snot qualify for Ebay  buyer  protection.

But this is not the case here,this is about  return,seller agreed to return so the buyer returned from a different location-Russia/

Also there is no way to tell if the package has been redirected,this guy could have travelled t o Russia and decide if it doe snot work,he will return the item and you allow him to do so.

just because the return address is Russia,it is no proof it has been redirected .

You said the case is now closed on EBay.so who won?

obvious he must have lost so he open a case with Paypal,how did he lose the Ebay case?

If he loses Paypal case,he could go to his credit card issuer claiming you sold him a defective item and you refused his return,then you wil lose and socked with $20 chargebcak fee,but then Russian may have different rules on credit card chargeback.

you should have accepted the return.