I am selling a few items on eBay and I am curious how long the buy has before they can initiate a return. I don't think I noticed this option when I listed these items. Ideally I would like to not accept returns, all items I sell are functional and with accurate description, but we know the reality is people are not always honest and some may change their mind or claim the item is defective when I know it was working or even brand new when I sold it.

EDIT; the one and only item sold so far this year was delivered on Fri, Apr 26. No feedback from the buyer yet. I did leave positive feedback.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2024 12:25PM by special.

The buyer has 30 days after the delivery date to open a return request.

The buyer has 30 calendar days from the date of delivery to initiate a return. The seller then has 3 days to respond. At that point the buyer can ask eBay to step in. My wife sells on eBay and tells me that eBay is pretty much all about the buyer. If an item is listed as "good" or "excellent" or even "poor," those terms might be interpreted differently by the buyer and seller. It's apparently pretty classic to indicate the item was not as described when looking for a return.

My wife gets few returns. She did resist an early return where it seemed clear that the buyer had caused some damage to the edge of an item. Unfortunately she didn't have pre-shipping pictures of that particular place on the item (she's not made that mistake since). EBay told her tough luck so she refunded the item (and paid to have it shipped back just in case the person was trying to get it for free).

EBay did stand up for her when she sold a dress and the buyer tried a refund right at the time limit. The buyer said the dress didn't fit so she took it apart to try to alter it. It still didn't look right so she wanted her money back. Fortunately the buyer said all of that through the eBay communication system and eBay didn't support the buyer.

Also, my wife doesn't often get feedback. Maybe 25% of the time. She leaves feedback regularly for buyers.

Thanks that helps a lot.

I try to sell items in the $20-200 range so it’s not a huge risk if I get scammed. I still want to understand what to expect.

I have 90 feedbacks all positive so far since I started in 1999 but I have not really sold in a very long time.

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PeterW
The buyer has 30 days after the delivery date to open a return request.

To be covered by eBay's guarantee!

It is possible to initiate a return request AFTER 30 days! However, after 30 days, it is at the discretion of the seller (note that buyers can still leave negative feedback at this point).

I recently discovered this (as a buyer). I had one item that I honestly didn't get around to opening and trying until 45 or so days after delivery (my bad) and it was defective out of the box. I noticed I could initiate a return request, so I did so without thinking about it. Seller offered a partial refund which I refused and then the return request was escalated to eBay (by the seller) and closed in the seller's favor. Confused, I chatted with eBay support and was told I was past the 30 day guarantee period. I mentioned it was confusing that I could still initiate a return, and they offered me an eBay credit for the amount I paid, ok, great! It worked out the best for both of us in the end. Seller got to keep their money. I got a credit that I'll use anyway.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2024 02:28PM by Gareth.

Even if you don't allow returns, eBay can allow buyers to request a return anyway. If the buyer claims it is "not as described," then you are pretty much forced to allow the return. And that phrase can be interpreted many ways, most often in the favor of the buyer.

So, since you are forced to honor a de facto return policy anyway, I turned on "Allow returns." Might as well use it as a selling point.

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Acer
Even if you don't allow returns, eBay can allow buyers to request a return anyway. If the buyer claims it is "not as described," then you are pretty much forced to allow the return. And that phrase can be interpreted many ways, most often in the favor of the buyer.

So, since you are forced to honor a de facto return policy anyway, I turned on "Allow returns." Might as well use it as a selling point.

Yep. I don't sell often, but that exact scenario happened to me. Luckily, I was able to get that one neg feedback stricken from my account.

Now I'm very particular about what I sell. Unless I need a larger buyer pool than the NYC area can provide, I avoid ebay as a seller.