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?

[Whac-A-Mole]

I just reread your thread,you said his return address on the package is illegible,as it has been bounced around Europe and US for a month,but thats irelevant,it did arrive at your address,the fact it has bounced around does not matter.

This is not case of Ebay buyer protection,it is a case of return-you agree to return and yet you refuse the package.

now it is up to Paypal to decide what to do when seller refused a return package.

dont forget he could file chargeback with his cc issuer,he speaks Russian,you do not.

[Whac-A-Mole]

In US,if a merchant refuses a return,he lose the chargeback case.

But will Paypal robot follow the same rule??

[MCgruff232]

I only agreed to the return since it was shipped within the US (I assumed he was within the US). If I had known it was going to be shipped back from half-way across the world I would not have accepted the return, or perhaps I would have inquired with the customer first to see if they could wait and ship it back from the original location. I inquired with the customer as soon as the tracking was uploaded about why it was coming from Russia (I did not say I wasn't going to refund him at this point). He replied back somewhat belligerently and demanded a refund and that this was unacceptable (I didn't say I wasn't going to at this point). Which leads me to assume he has done this sorta thing before. After this I told him he should intercept the package but he refused and insisted he should be given a full refund. It was an expensive item (CPU/Processor) so it makes me even more suspicious a fast one is getting pulled on me.

"This is not case of eBay buyer protection,it is a case of return-you agree to return and yet you refuse the package."

Uh yes it is. eBay buyer protection explicitly states this. It is there to protect sellers from third party resellers shipping things overseas and there is a lot of fraud associated with these types of transactions. I don't ship internationally so that is also breach of eBay's rules as well. If protection only applies to eBay and not PayPal then that is just completely ridiculous. There may as well be no protection address shipping protection within eBay then.

Also eBay did not deliberate on the case. They basically just let the case sit and did nothing about it. It only closed because the buyer opened a PayPal dispute.

[Whac-A-Mole]

your argument that return address should be a valid US address so no one or anyone can return anything,everything from anywhere in the world only makes sense after you open the package and examine it and then conclude it is not the original item,and add that it is not even coming from the same buyer or the address you shipped to.

but you did not accept the package,you refused the package,you never find out what is inside.

It is also Ebay rule ,if a seller refused return,he automatically loses his seller protection.

so this is the same as US credit card rule,we shall see what Paypal robot does,knowing how Paypal robot is programmed,it would take his tracking number and look up the status,which is refused,then what does ROBOT do,if it is programmed correctly,

[MCgruff232]

"It is also eBay rule ,if a seller refused return,he automatically loses his seller protection."

This is definitely not true as the case was not closed in favor of the buyer.

Taken from the eBay Money Back Guarantee page:

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

If it comes from somewhere else, especially from an entirely different country it was originally shipped to, it is no longer under buyer protection. Go look at the eBay Money Back Guarantee page.

[MCgruff232]

To add to this I created a thread on the eBay Returns help forum one month ago. The responses I got there were unanimous and in agreement. The buyer is not covered under eBay protection policy and I have zero obligation to refund the customer even if it was shipped back and I accepted the return.

[Whac-A-Mole]

it does not matter what Ebay said,it is now a Paypal case.

your buyer seems to be familiar with buying on Ebay and paying with Paypal.lets hope he does not go to his cc issuer and file a chargeback.

[Whac-A-Mole]

The problem of accepting credit card via PAYPAL versus having our own merchant account is that we dont get to find out what the other party told his cc issuer and Paypal does not really fight for us,although it claims it does.

chargeback can come in within 180 days,with overseas transaction,.longer.