Chargeback BS! I lost the money and the item

[RichO]

ebay buyer did a chargeback on a $375 item claiming it was not as described.  I provided all of the information needed of my communications with this buyer to prove that he never claimed it was not as described when he wanted to return it after 3 weeks because it did not fit.

PayPal did not fight for me, and I lost the money and the buyer was not required to return the $375 vest.  This is FRAUD.

Anyways, is there another form of payment I can accept through ebay where customer service would actually give me a chance in a case like this?  Using PayPal is too risky because there is NO SELLER PROTECTION - NONE!

[DPCreations]

This was likely a dispute the buyer filed with a credit card bank.  PayPal is the merchant account and can't do much more than pass on information you provide; you won't know the exact details from the buyer.  The credit card bank, not PayPal, makes the decision about which party is telling the truth and it's more likely to side with the buyer.  At that point PayPal can do more and the seller has no seller protection with payPal for a not as described case.   You can read about this in PayPal polciies.

For a claim of non-delivery and you had PayPal seller protection, then PayPal would refund funds to you even if the credit card bank initially took the funds.

Selling on the internet is risky, no matter what site you use.  It will will always be buyer agains seller; the payment processor has no direct information about the item or the package.

[RichO]

Seems I just need to open a merchant account to accept credit cards directly.  That way in a case like this I can at least speak directly to the bank and tell my side of the story.

I filed a dispute throgh my credit card about an online purchase several years ago and I was required to return the item in order to get my refund.  Seems "not fitting" is a legitimate reason for his bank to say "here's your money and go ahead and keep the item too".  Fraud happens because banks like this enable it!

[DPCreations]

From reading many posts here it seem that credit card banks do not require product return.

With a a merchant account you would be providing your explanation directly the the intermediary, but that doesn't guarantee you would win a case.  I think, though, you would at least have access to more detail about the case.

I have a merchant account with FirstData, but it is for retail sales, not online sales.  You would need a web site set up to use a merchant account.

[Whac-A-Mole]

if y ou have a no return policy,then cc issuer would assume you dont want the item back,thats why buyer does not  have to return the item.

ebay works that way too.

best is to accept return ,

[RichO]

That would be a fooish assumption on the part of the credit card company.  "No returns" or "all sales final" does not translate to "you can keep the merchandise and the money" anywhere in this universe, especially on an expensive item.

[DPCreations]

Add a "no return" policy is to prevent a return but it won't prevent a dispute.  When seller is not willing to work with a buyer when there is a problem, the buyer resorts to resolution through payment processor.  At that point seller has no say in the matter and doesn't get the item back since the seller doesn't want returns.

Sellers often don't realize that it is better to resolve issues directly with buyers.  The cost of the resolution is generally less than the cost of the resolution determined by the payment processor.

Seller will often defend their position to be right and then lose all.  It's not a good business position to take.  Each situation should be evaluated on its own merits.

[RichO]

It's common sense for a seller to not want to accept a return of something that was sold brand new and comes back used.  This buyer wanted the vest in a hurry and then took 3 weeks to tell me it didn't fit.  The problem is that it's not common knowledge that if you deny a return on ebay you are likely to lose everything through an escalated claim.  It's an extremely costly way to learn how easy it is for someone to get free merchanside over the internet by taking the right steps.

The company that I originally purchased this vest from attaches a plastic tag to the garment and their policy is the item can't be returned if the tag has been removed.  In hindsight I could have gotten it for free in the first place by removing the tag, being denied a return, and the filing a chargeback on my credit card.  That's how easy it is apparently. 

[DPCreations]

The problem with small sellers and small businesses is that they don't have the clout to deny returns and, therfore, must succomb to the policies of the payment provider.

 All you can do is manage your business so you have a reserve fund set up for these problems.