Buyer Disappeared no Return Item

katepham2411 · #1 09-05-2015

Hello,

I gave a buyer a free return shipping label via his Paypal email (at my own will, I don't have to) even though his reason for return was because he no longer needs the item. Buyer claimed that I did not mail the shipping label to his address and left me a negative review?!! I have refunded the buyer and also told him to keep my merchandise if he could update his negative review, which he agreed to do.

Sadly, now the buyer has vanished into thin air and I cannot contact him in any way. I'm stuck with a negative review and a lost merchandise. What should I do now?...

BigCJ · #2 09-05-2015

Sadly, there is nothing more you can really do at this point :(

You never agree to do anything with the buyer unless they do it first.
Ex: agree to a refund after you get the item.

It also sounds like the buyer knows what you did. Basically feedback extortion, which is how ebay would see it and most likely not take the negative away or action against the buyer.

Hopefully, it wasnt very expensive?

meriscope · #3 09-05-2015

Can you file a claim to ebay and report this seller? if you have enough evidence...

Shekibi · #4 09-06-2015

You can try to get eBay to remove it but I doubt they would.
Alternatively you can wait for the buyer to come back somehow(hopefully he will), maybe he's on holiday or something.

james13v · #5 09-06-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCJ

Sadly, there is nothing more you can really do at this point :(

You never agree to do anything with the buyer unless they do it first.
Ex: agree to a refund after you get the item.

It also sounds like the buyer knows what you did. Basically feedback extortion, which is how ebay would see it and most likely not take the negative away or action against the buyer.

Hopefully, it wasnt very expensive?

how is that feedback extortion? Where is the extortion? Where is the " if you don't do this, I will, etc"? He gave the guy the refund, and went above and beyond, to offer him the item for free, in exchange for getting something in return.

So again, where is the extortion going on? If the buyer said " I'll retract the feedback if you let me keep it", THAT would be feedback extortion

rsot · #6 09-06-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by meriscope

Can you file a claim to ebay and report this seller? if you have enough evidence...

What seller? This is about a buyer...

BigCJ · #7 09-06-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by james13v

how is that feedback extortion? Where is the extortion? Where is the " if you don't do this, I will, etc"? He gave the guy the refund, and went above and beyond, to offer him the item for free, in exchange for getting something in return.

So again, where is the extortion going on? If the buyer said " I'll retract the feedback if you let me keep it", THAT would be feedback extortion

It still a form of extortion on the SELLERS point that ebay will see because Ive had it happen to me before.

ill let you keep the item and the refund if you just remove the neg. Did the refund,they kept the item, I lose out. I called, the rep said that I wasnt allowed to extort the buyer into removing the feedback.

I guess now its called 'good customer service', but you're still trying to bribe the buyer to get the outcome you want.

Been there, done that.

katepham2411 · #8 09-06-2015

Thank you guys for your replies. I don't know if this sounds like feedback extortion to you but this is his exact message to me:

"I will retract my negative review are you when you send my label are you going to refund my paypal account so I can get me a cage and the only way that I'm going to retract my negative review is if everything goes fine by the by the next few days"

He demanded that I send him a free shipping label by mail again. I knew he was trouble so I went ahead to refund him and gift him my item. Technically, I'm not obliged to send him any shipping label, he was just mad at me because: "I don't have a printer I told ebay to send you a email to send me one through the mail" (these are his words, he wanted me to mail him a free shipping label)

Would Ebay view his review as an unreasonable feedback for me?

xxrange · #9 09-06-2015

Dont return/refund until you and the buyer are on the same terms

jeffweico · #10 09-06-2015

You can get a wireless laser printer for $40...

Pantum P2502W 1200 x 1200 dpi USB/Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer - Newegg.com

katepham2411 · #11 09-06-2015

@xxrange: I was stupid and naive; I gave in too easily :(
@jeffweico: He was the one who made me mail him because he has no printer. Supposedly he should pay for the shipping label himself. Not only did he not pay, he also "told Ebay" to make me send a printed label to his address...

vogeltron · #12 09-08-2015

You live and you learn. Unfortunately sometimes this is a cost of doing business. I get burned in semi similar situations a few times a year. Nothing you can really do about it. Definitely report it to eBay, these type of people usually make a habit of it.

Depending on how bad its you can use their name and address to try to find info and mess up their lives. Had one scammer a few years ago who pissed me off so much and they were dumb enough leave me enough info to find out who they were and their employer. I called up the employer asked them if this person was an employee, told them I am a small businessman from xxxx and your employee has been running scams on eBay to steal items from sellers. He told me we have had some suspicious about this individual can we take your info as we need for just cause in firing the person. Guy worked at a machine shop probably making decent money.

hAve · #13 09-08-2015

Not best scenario, but worth it if there is nothing else to do:

You could lie to eBay and say that buyer contacted you over email and asked for few £ to agree with feedback review and change it to positive,

there is some kind of form you need to print and fill in and send it to eBay over email.

Attach couple of ⊗⊗⊗⊗ screenshots containing email from buyer.

That's it, they will at least remove feedback. Worked once for me.

james13v · #14 09-11-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by katepham2411

Thank you guys for your replies. I don't know if this sounds like feedback extortion to you but this is his exact message to me:

"I will retract my negative review are you when you send my label are you going to refund my paypal account so I can get me a cage and the only way that I'm going to retract my negative review is if everything goes fine by the by the next few days"

He demanded that I send him a free shipping label by mail again. I knew he was trouble so I went ahead to refund him and gift him my item. Technically, I'm not obliged to send him any shipping label, he was just mad at me because: "I don't have a printer I told ebay to send you a email to send me one through the mail" (these are his words, he wanted me to mail him a free shipping label)

Would Ebay view his review as an unreasonable feedback for me?

THAT sounds more like feedback extortion.