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You'll notice that returns, exchanges, damaged items, defective items and item not received cases are commonplace on your eBay dropshipping business.
Configure your tracking and use Aquiline & Replace Tracking Carrier for TBA/AMZL
This will not work on orders you place manually or orders before you enabled this.
Here's a video
Some tips to consider.
Check your return policy in your business policies, if the return is after your stated return policy, eBay will close the case in your favor; unless it's defective then eBay enforces their 30 days return policy.
After 30 days you're covered on defective/damaged items unless you offer some ridiculous 60 day policy.
If the buyer is outside the policy, you can't "bait" the buyer into opening a return request and then call eBay to have it removed. Ebay will hold you to the fact that you invited the buyer to open a return. So you might try to communicate this in a very special way. I have found the following sentence to work:
Hi, I'm sorry that your item is defective, eBay gives you the option to open a return request in your purchase history. Did you try to open a return request? Again, I'm very sorry about the complication.
This isn't an invitation but usually they'll open a return request after this. Then you call eBay and close it.
If you ever say something like "I'll do whatever I can to fix this for you" then eBay can hold you to those words too and make you refund them.
If you call eBay and they won't close a return in your favor and it truly seems unreasonable, you can call back and get another agent. However, eBay calls this "agent fishing" and they don't like it I have been told.
Item not received
If they message you that they haven't received the item yet, go check the order status and see if it has been delivered. If it has been delivered then say this to them:
Go to "my eBay" in the top right, and then click "purchase history". Find your item and then you can open an item not received case.
Item not received
1.a Check the order status and see if the item shows delivered.
2.a. If it shows delivered via FedEx, UPS, USPS or some other trackable carrier call eBay to close the case.
2.b. Ebay will close the case in your favor and the buyer cannot leave you feedback or your seller ratings.
3.a. It shows delivered but it was an Amazon TBA or other unacceptable form of tracking like OnTrac
3.b.i. If you used AO for this order, then watch this video about how to handle this.
3.b.ii. Here's 1 of several testimonials from our members who have successfully used our Aquiline Tracking site to help with this.
3.c. If you didn't use AO for this, you can give eBay the link you got from Amazon and they might accept it
4.a. If you are successful and eBay closes the case, then congrats, now they can't leave you bad feedback.
4.b. You'll need to decide if you still want to call the source market and ask for a replacement.
5. If you aren't successful then you can try calling the source market and tell them that it wasn't received and they'll usually ship out another one.