During online shopping, returns and exchanges are inevitable. Once sellers encounter return and exchange disputes, they must handle them promptly and properly to avoid affecting their bad transaction rate and seller performance.
1. Reasons for returns and exchanges
When shopping on eBay, buyers can apply for returns and exchanges within 1 to 60 days after payment. Buyers can choose corresponding reasons as the reasons for returns and exchanges.
Sellers can set up a return and exchange policy, in which they explain to buyers whether returns and exchanges are accepted and who should bear the logistics costs incurred by returns. Therefore, sellers must set up appropriate return and exchange policies and abide by the commitments in the policies.
2. Return and exchange processing
As a seller, after receiving the buyer’s return and exchange request, you must respond to the buyer within the time specified by each site (preferably within 3 working days). Sellers have 5 main response methods to choose from.
1Accept the Return
2Seller Offer Full Refund
Seller Response
3Seller Offer Partial Refund
4Seller Decline Request
5Send Message to Buyer
It should be noted that the “Reject Return” process can only be seen on the seller response page if the reason selected by the buyer is not “the item does not match the description” and the time when the buyer initiates the return application has exceeded the return period promised by the seller and the buyer’s protection period.
Depending on the different responses made by the seller, the return and exchange process will also be different
(1) Seller Accepts Return
“Accept Return” is the default option. The buyer needs to send the goods back to the seller, and then the seller will refund the buyer. On the US site, buyers have the right to choose the exchange function only if the seller indicates “accept returns and exchanges” in the return policy.
If the seller responds to the buyer with “Accept the Retumn”.
(2) Seller Refunds the Full Amount
If the seller chooses to refund the full amount to the buyer and does not require the buyer to return the item.
Generally speaking, after the buyer initiates a return request, if neither the seller nor the buyer takes any follow-up action within 30 working days (33 natural days for the UK and German sites), the return request will expire and be automatically closed.
(3) Seller Partial Refund
For a return application initiated by a buyer, if the seller chooses to refund part of the amount to the buyer and does not require the buyer to return the item, the seller may receive different results: the buyer accepts the seller’s request for a partial refund, the buyer does not accept the seller’s request for a partial refund, and the buyer appeals. The processing procedures vary depending on the situation.
After the buyer receives the seller’s partial refund response, the buyer can decide whether to accept the seller’s response within 10 working days. If the buyer does not respond within 10 working days, the seller may decide whether to accept the seller’s response. If the buyer refuses to respond within 3 working days, the partial refund response will automatically become invalid. If the buyer refuses to accept the seller’s partial refund response, the seller must propose an alternative solution within 3 working days, including a full refund or acceptance of the return. During this period, the buyer can file an appeal. The seller can appeal after 3 working days.
3. Dispute appeal and handling
If the buyer and seller still cannot reach an agreement on the return and exchange dispute after communication, both the seller and the buyer can appeal to eBay customer service and request eBay to intervene. eBay will make a judgment based on the situation.
After eBay announces the judgment, if the seller has any objection to the judgment, the seller can apply for reconsideration within 30 working days after receiving the judgment. After the expiration, no reconsideration is allowed.