eBay refunds buyers without protecting sellers | Rules and safety | eBay Italy

eBay refunds buyers without protecting sellers | Rules and safety | eBay Italy

Rules and safety

eBay refunds buyers without protecting sellers

Summary: The discussion addresses concerns about eBay's refund policies, specifically the perceived lack of protection for sellers when a buyer receives a refund. Several participants exchange opinions, although the specific content of their dialogue is not detailed. It appears to be an active discussion, as there are multiple replies and back-and-forth exchanges among some of the authors.

Good morning,

on the date

05 / 08 /2025 I SELL ITEM NO. 357411458290

11/08/2025 he receives the item and opens a claim saying that the grilles are broken and that it is scratched and needs repainting

11/08/2025 I REPLY TO THE BUYER THAT IN THE DESCRIPTION IT IS CLEARLY WRITTEN THAT THE BUMPER NEEDS TO BE REPAINTED AND THE GRILLES ARE TO BE CONSIDERED AS A FREE GIFT BECAUSE THEY ARE BROKEN

12/08/2025 I APPROVE THE RETURN WITH SHIPPING AT THE BUYER'S EXPENSE BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS WRITTEN THERE AND I SENT THE ITEM FROM THE PHOTO!!!

ON 16/08/2025 THE BUYER OPENS A DISPUTE BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO PAY THE SHIPPING COSTS

ON 17/08/2025 ABDEL FROM THE EBAY STAFF TELLS ME THAT HE REVIEWED EVERYTHING AND CONFIRMED MY REASONS, SAYING THAT IT IS THE BUYER WHO HAS TO PAY THE SHIPPING COSTS AND HAS TO SHIP IT WITHIN 10 WORKING DAYS!!!

20/08/2025 I ASK THE BUYER IF HE HAS SENT THE PRODUCT, HE TELLS ME HE WANTS TO KEEP IT

20/08/2025 I WROTE AN EMAIL ASKING IF THEY COULD CLOSE THE DISPUTE GIVEN THAT THE BUYER WANTS TO KEEP THE PRODUCT AND SEND ME THE MONEY

21/08/2025 I RECEIVE AN EMAIL FROM YOU SAYING THAT THE DISPUTE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR 4 DAYS AND I HAVE TO SEND THE RETURN SHIPPING LABEL TO THE BUYER

21/08/2025 I WRITE TO YOU ASKING FOR INFORMATION GIVEN THAT A FEW DAYS EARLIER YOU TOLD ME THE OPPOSITE!!!!

22/08/2025 I FIND A MESSAGE SAYING THAT THE DISPUTE HAS BEEN RESOLVED IN THE BUYER'S FAVOR AND THEY TOOK THE AMOUNT OF € 313,60 FROM MY BALANCE

NOW WHO IS RIGHT ?????? I WILL KEEP GOING TO GET MY MONEY BACK, EVEN THROUGH LEGAL ACTION IF YOU DON'T SEND IT TO ME RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS MADE MYSELF AVAILABLE BOTH TO THE CUSTOMER AND TO EBAY !!!

autolab24_it

207 View listings

Posted 10 months ago·Last reply 10 months ago

17 comments

autolab24_it

OP10 months ago

So who’s right now, given that the dispute was suspended for 4 DAYS ON AUGUST 21, but ON AUGUST 22 THEY ISSUED A REFUND? NOT TO MENTION THAT BEFORE THAT eBay CLEARLY WROTE TO ME, AS IN THE FIRST PHOTO, THAT THE SHIPPING COSTS WERE THE BUYER’S RESPONSIBILITY?

heavenwelkin

·10 months ago

@autolab24_it wrote:
So who is right now, given that the dispute had been suspended for 4 DAYS ON AUGUST 21 but ON AUGUST 22 THEY REFUNDED ? NOT TO MENTION THAT BEFORE THAT EBAY HAD WRITTEN CLEARLY TO ME AS IN THE FIRST PHOTO THAT THE SHIPPING COSTS WERE THE BUYER'S RESPONSIBILITY ?

Since you had the persistence to get this far, there are a few more things that should be said.

1) Italian eBay support is a structure meant to assist inexperienced customers, but it has no decision-making power over most of the issues that "matter".

2) The dispute was almost certainly (as often happens) closed automatically without any human operator having read the messages that support sent you.

3) eBay support can make mistakes, where it says that shipping costs are the buyer's responsibility (it was a mistake made by support).

The next time a buyer opens a dispute for an item not as described, also consider the possibility of offering a discount on the price, bearing in mind that if it is returned you will have to provide a return label at your own expense and when the goods come back to you you will still have lost the outbound and return shipping, so sometimes it is better to offer a price discount.

Best regards

autolab24_it

OP10 months ago

You didn’t understand, the eBay assistant had written to me that they had checked and had written to the buyer to make the return at their own expense within 10 days because they opened an invalid dispute, because it was clearly written that the grilles were broken and the bumper needed repainting just as the photos showed, but above all then on August 21 I received the email saying I had 4 days to provide them with the return label and the next day they closed it in their favor!!!! EBAY GAVE ME 4 DAYS AND THE NEXT DAY IT CLOSED IT AUTOMATICALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW I AM TAKING ACTION AGAINST BOTH EBAY AND THE BUYER FOR FRAUD!! BECAUSE THIS IS A HUGE TAKE THE PISS, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT I PAY 60/70 EUROS IN SELLING FEES FOR EACH LISTING, I EVEN RECEIVED TOP RATED AND DESPITE THIS NO ONE WAS ABLE TO HELP ME ON EBAY!!

orangefisherman

·10 months ago

It would be greatly appreciated if you could keep us informed about how the legal dispute goes. Thanks so much

heavenwelkin

·10 months ago

@orangefisherman wrote:
It would be much appreciated if you could keep us updated on how the legal dispute goes. Thanks a lot

It will take years, with legal costs higher than the financial loss (we’re talking about 265.70 for the bumper and 27.90 for shipping).

Then he’d need to hire a lawyer experienced in e-commerce.........

Money, time, and health wasted in my humble opinion.

The seller should have taken care of getting the item back without making a huge fuss with whichever phone operator was on duty, avoiding having ebay get involved.

heavenwelkin

·10 months ago

@autolab24_it wrote:
You didn’t understand, the eBay assistant had written to me saying that it had checked and had written to the buyer to make the return at his own expense within 10 days because he opened an invalid dispute, because it clearly said that the grilles were broken and the bumper needed repainting, just as the photos showed, but above all then on August 21 I received the email saying I had 4 days to provide the return label and the next day they closed it in their favor!!!! EBAY GAVE ME 4 DAYS AND THE NEXT DAY IT CLOSED IT AUTOMATICALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW I AM PROCEEDING AGAINST BOTH EBAY AND THE BUYER FOR FRAUD!! BECAUSE THIS IS A HUGE JOKE, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING I PAY 60/70 EUROS IN SALES FOR EACH LISTING, I EVEN RECEIVED TOP RATED STATUS AND DESPITE THIS NO ONE AT EBAY WAS ABLE TO HELP ME!!

I went to look at auction number 357411458290

And in the description it says:

"THE GRILLS ARE BROKEN SO THEY ARE TO BE CONSIDERED A FREE BONUS"

You wrote FRIGLIE instead of GRIGLIE

Before filing complaints, I advise you to check the descriptions of your items because if you write FRIGLIE and the buyer receives a bumper with broken grilles, he’s not entirely wrong to complain that the item does not match the description.

Best regards

autolab24_it

OP10 months ago

second photo

autolab24_it

OP10 months ago

And above all, check EBAY’s timing

marioelegio

·10 months ago

If the return procedure was opened for this reason…..

……
11/08/2025 receives the item and opens a complaint saying that the grills are broken and it is scratched and needs repainting
…..

…… there is no possibility that the return is at his expense. You cannot change the return procedure by changing the party that is supposed to bear these costs.

So if you did not provide the label within the set time, you forced eBay to step in and eBay refunded without worrying about the return.

I am the one saying that with the refund the item returned to your property and therefore if the buyer does not want to return it, at your expense, you can report him for embezzlement.
The problem is that for amounts like these it is not worth involving a lawyer, so the complaint is unlikely to go anywhere.

bye

mario

autolab24_it

OP10 months ago

Why don't you read everything? and only read part of it? It CLEARLY SAYS THE GRILLES ARE TO BE CONSIDERED FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THEY ARE BROKEN, THE BUMPER NEEDS TO BE REPAINTED!!! in fact initially eBay ruled in my favor!!!!!

heavenwelkin

·10 months ago

@autolab24_it wrote:
I’M GOING TO KEEP PUSHING TO GET MY MONEY BACK, EVEN THROUGH LEGAL MEANS IF YOU DON’T SEND IT TO ME RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS MADE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO BOTH THE CUSTOMER AND EBAY !!!

You should be a PROFESSIONAL seller, but you don’t know eBay’s rules.

If the buyer disputes the non-conformity of an item, real or presumed, once you receive the dispute for item not as described, you must provide a shipping label for the return.

If then the buyer changes their mind and wants to keep it, you get the label refunded and the case is closed.

By not knowing the rules, you made procedural mistakes during the dispute and ended up without the item and without the money.

Now I doubt the buyer is honest enough to get back in touch with you to sort things out.

Try contacting the buyer and tell them that, having gotten the money back, you will provide them with a shipping label at your expense so they can send the item back to you.

I strongly doubt the buyer will show up, but trying doesn’t hurt.

Regards

autolab24_it

OP10 months ago

But did you read what I wrote? THE EBAY ASSISTANT, AFTER VERIFYING THAT EVERYTHING WAS CLEARLY WRITTEN, TOLD THE BUYER TO SHIP THE PRODUCT AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE WITHIN 10 WORKING DAYS!!! THEN AGAIN ON AUGUST 21 EBAY SUSPENDED THE DISPUTE FOR 4 DAYS TO GIVE ME TIME TO SEND THEM THE RETURN LABEL, WHILE THE FOLLOWING DAY IT CLOSED THE DISPUTE IN FAVOR OF THE BUYER WITHOUT RESPECTING THE 4-DAY SUSPENSION AND WITHOUT GIVING ME THE TIME TO SEND THEM A LABEL!!! IS THAT + CLEAR? MAYBE YOU DIDN'T READ EVERYTHING I WROTE... AND YOU ONLY FOCUSED ON THE INITIAL PART!!

heavenwelkin

·10 months ago

@autolab24_it wrote:
But did you read what I wrote? THE EBAY ASSISTANT, AFTER VERIFYING THAT EVERYTHING WAS CLEARLY WRITTEN, TOLD THE BUYER TO SHIP THE PRODUCT AT HIS OWN EXPENSE WITHIN 10 WORKING DAYS!!! THEN ON AUGUST 21 EBAY ONCE AGAIN SUSPENDED THE DISPUTE FOR 4 DAYS TO GIVE ME TIME TO SEND THEM THE RETURN LABEL, WHILE THE NEXT DAY IT CLOSED THE DISPUTE IN THE BUYER'S FAVOR WITHOUT RESPECTING THE 4-DAY SUSPENSION AND WITHOUT GIVING ME THE TIME TO SEND THEM A LABEL!!! IS THAT CLEARER NOW? MAYBE YOU DIDN'T READ EVERYTHING I WROTE... AND YOU ONLY FOCUSED ON THE INITIAL PART!!

Don't get worked up because when a buyer opens a dispute for an item not as described, as a PROFESSIONAL seller you must avoid involving eBay for simple returns due to item nonconformity.

Because if in the meantime you haven't provided the return label and eBay INTERVENES, it's usually too late for you to fix the damage.

I don't make the rules, I'm simply telling you where the procedural error was made.

If the buyer had opened a simple return procedure, then the shipping costs would have been on them.

Best regards.

autolab24_it

OP10 months ago

There is no procedural error because EBAY then CONFIRMED TO ME THAT IT WAS THE BUYER WHO HAD TO PAY FOR THE RETURN LABEL, BECAUSE THE PRODUCT WAS IN THE CONDITIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PHOTO AND THE DESCRIPTION. FROM THIS IT IS CLEAR THAT ONCE THE DISPUTE IS OPENED EBAY CHECKS NOTHING, VERIFIES NOTHING. BUT ABOVE ALL EBAY ITSELF TOLD ME IT IS THE BUYER WHO HAS TO PAY FOR THE RETURN LABEL !!!!

autolab24_it

OP10 months ago

the photo speaks for itself !!!

heavenwelkin

·10 months ago

@autolab24_it wrote:
IS IT + CLEAR NOW ?

Now getting your item back becomes a PROBLEM because there was no direct purchase/payment between you and the buyer, but everything took place on the eBay platform, which acted as an intermediary between you.

The buyer bought on eBay and not directly from you.

The seller sold on eBay and not directly to the buyer.

Having made mistakes during the dispute phase, according to eBay rules you HAVE GIVEN UP getting the item back.

Here you can read when the shipping costs are on you or on the buyer:

https://www.ebay.it/help/buying/returns-refunds/start-return/return-postage?id=4066

If you report eBay, you will hardly get your money back since you did not provide a return label within the required time frame (before eBay stepped in).

If you report the buyer because he ALSO kept the item, he could say that he did not buy anything directly from you but through the platform, which, when a seller voluntarily gives up the item and also loses the money, does not provide any further specific rules.

In practice, in these cases the buyer usually keeps both the item and the money.

According to the current rules, if you do not provide the return label within the required time, it is as if you gave up getting the item back.

Someone suggests reporting the buyer for embezzlement, but honestly I wouldn't be able to say whether this strategy could bear fruit, as there is no information regarding similar situations.

Best regards.

daxsisko

·10 months ago

@autolab24_it wrote:
Good morning,
on
05 / 08 /2025 I SELL ITEM NO. 357411458290
11/08/2025 receives the item and opens a complaint saying that the grilles are broken and it is scratched to be repainted
11/08/2025 I REPLY TO THE BUYER THAT IN THE DESCRIPTION IT CLEARLY STATES THAT THE BUMPER NEEDS REPAINTING AND THE GRILLES ARE TO BE CONSIDERED FREE OF CHARGE BECAUSE THEY ARE BROKEN
12/08/2025 I APPROVE THE RETURN WITH SHIPPING AT THE BUYER'S EXPENSE BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS WRITTEN OUT AND I SENT THE ITEM IN THE PHOTO !!!
ON 16/08/2025 THE BUYER OPENS A DISPUTE BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO PAY SHIPPING
ON 17/08/2025 ABDEL FROM THE EBAY STAFF TELLS ME THAT HE REVIEWED EVERYTHING AND CONFIRMED MY REASONS, SAYING THAT IT IS THE BUYER WHO HAS TO PAY THE SHIPPING COSTS AND HAS TO SEND IT WITHIN 10 WORKING DAYS!!!
20/08/2025 I ASK THE BUYER IF HE HAS SENT THE PRODUCT, HE TELLS ME THAT HE WANTS TO KEEP IT
20/08/2025 I WRITE AN EMAIL ASKING IF THEY CAN CLOSE THE DISPUTE SINCE THE BUYER WANTS TO KEEP THE PRODUCT AND SEND ME THE MONEY
21/08/2025 I RECEIVE AN EMAIL FROM YOU SAYING THAT THE DISPUTE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FOR 4 DAYS AND I MUST SEND THE RETURN SLIP TO THE BUYER
21/08/2025 I WRITE TO YOU ASKING FOR INFORMATION SINCE A FEW DAYS EARLIER YOU TOLD ME THE OPPOSITE !!!!
22/08/2025 I FIND A MESSAGE SAYING THAT THE DISPUTE HAS BEEN RESOLVED IN FAVOR OF THE BUYER AND THEY TOOK THE AMOUNT OF € 313,60 FROM MY BALANCE
NOW WHO IS RIGHT ?????? I WILL KEEP GOING TO GET MY MONEY BACK, EVEN THROUGH LEGAL ACTION IF YOU DON'T SEND IT TO ME RIGHT AWAY, BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS MADE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO BOTH THE CUSTOMER AND EBAY !!!

long rant...... pointless though to write here on the community USERS ( there'll be a reason why it's called that..... ) where Ebay, obviously, doesn't read / doesn't reply.....