No partial refunds possible for returns | Technical Questions | eBay Germany

No partial refunds possible for returns | Technical Questions | eBay Germany

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No partial refunds possible for returns

Summary: jamandoo-ecommerce reports that for several months it has no longer been possible to issue partial refunds for returned items on eBay. Despite having used this function multiple times in the past, the option is no longer visible. perfect-sally doubts that this is generally possible and suspects that it cannot be done easily. jamandoo-ecommerce, however, insists that this function has been used multiple times and calls for clarification from eBay. verena@ebay, an eBay employee, offers to look into the issue internally, while other participants suggest alternative ways to handle such return situations.

Dear eBay community,

for about 2-3 months now, it has no longer been possible (at least for me) to issue partial refunds, no matter what return reason is given.
As an example, I recently got back a used Philips Sonicare, with the reason that it was defective, which was not the case. In addition, my withdrawal policy also states
that returns of opened hygiene items are not permitted.
The same problem occurred with a return of used headphones and other items.
Unfortunately, eBay support has not really been able to help me so far either. They did explain to me how to issue a partial refund, etc., and that my eBay account is not restricted,
but they did not address the actual problem.

To describe it precisely:

For a long time, it was possible for me to issue a partial refund for returns that had been received and checked, but this button / knob ``partial refund´´
is no longer available. Unfortunately, I only have the option to issue a full refund. So the question is: is there a technical fault with my account, or have
I missed something else (for example, a change on eBay's part)? The eBay team has so far ruled out that my account is restricted.

Maybe you can help me with the problem.

Wishing you a nice weekend!

jamandoo-ecommerce

1346 View listings

Posted 1 week ago · Edited 1 week ago·Last reply 2 days ago

16 comments

samantha@ebay

·1 week ago

Hello @jamandoo-ecommerce

Thanks for sending over the numbers.

Are there also any open returns where you're having trouble?

Best regards

Samantha

jamandoo-ecommerce

OP1 week ago

Hello @samantha@ebay ,

thanks for the feedback. At the moment I don’t have any open returns , but I’d therefore like to leave the thread open and, as soon as I get another return/ have such a case, post it directly here.

Best regards

Marek

jamandoo-ecommerce

OP2 days ago

Hello @samantha@ebay ,

I currently have a return that has been received.

Return No.: 5326143175

Everything is fine with the return though, meaning a full refund will be issued. This is just an example now. I’m also attaching a screenshot.

There should also be an option for a partial refund in this view, which is not the case.

Best regards

Marek

bixtron

·1 week ago

Hello,

For "not as described" it's a bit different - there you have to "open a case" or "involve eBay". There you can then give as the reason that the hygiene item was opened etc. - You can also make a deduction there.

jamandoo-ecommerce

OP1 week ago

Hey bixteon,

Thanks for the reply! I'll keep this in mind in the future too.

verena@ebay

·1 week ago

Hello @jamandoo-ecommerce ,

Thank you very much for your post.

We’d be happy to have this checked internally. Could you please send us a few return or order numbers as examples?

Thanks for the tag, @perfect-sally !

Best regards

Verena

jamandoo-ecommerce

OP1 week ago

Hello Verena,

Thanks for the feedback.

I’m happy to send over a few order numbers and return numbers. Give me a little time to look some up.

In the meantime, can you understand the issue I mentioned?

Best regards

Marek

jamandoo-ecommerce

OP1 week ago · Edited

Here I have specifically 2 returns that were hygiene items:

Philips Sonicare toothbrush
Order 07-14748-18687
Return number: 5324389576

Sennheiser in-ear headphones
Order 27-14676-85951
Return number: 5321296692
PS: For this return I also asked eBay for help or opened a case because the headphones were used. Also described this with pictures etc. But unfortunately nothing was done about it and the full refund went to the buyer.

Logically, I already had to initiate a refund since I only had 2 days to do so.
But maybe you'll find something.

Furthermore, @karalalz2 kindly sent me something, which says:

What should you do if an item is returned used or damaged?

After the item has arrived with you, you must issue a refund to the buyer. However, if the item is returned used, altered, or damaged, you may be entitled to withhold a certain portion of the buyer's refund amount to cover the item's loss in value.

If you are entitled to do so, you will see the option to deduct a specific amount or percentage when you issue a refund to the buyer through the return request. After you send the refund, the return request remains open for up to 10 days so that we can help the buyer if they want to involve eBay. However, you do not need to do anything further, as you are protected.

This is the problem I have. The option to partially refund is missing for me in these cases.
@verena@ebay maybe I am restricted on eBay after all, I just don't know it, or something else is going on..

And maybe you can explain the sentence ``If you are entitled to do so´´ to me in more detail.

But first, thanks again to everyone for the help!
Regards

jamandoo-ecommerce

OP1 week ago

Hey,

Were you able to find something on the topic?

Regards

perfect-sally

·1 week ago

What you're describing here, I can't understand at all! If you already have the item back again in the context of a complaint, you could never refund only part of it.

You can offer a partial refund if the buyer complains and a return label has already been opened, but not after the item has already been received back.

jamandoo-ecommerce

OP1 week ago · Edited

Hey perfect-sally,
thanks for the quick feedback!
I can’t confirm that. For me, a partial refund was also still possible after I had already received back the item I’d complained about. I used this feature several times. Maybe the process has since changed, but “that was never possible” definitely isn’t true. I found eBay’s option very accommodating, since there were often false return reasons, or ones that didn’t match. Especially with damaged or used items, that was very helpful.
Regards

perfect-sally

·1 week ago

I don't think that can be right. Because then the buyer would be more or less at the mercy of the seller, and eBay certainly wouldn't allow a seller to just issue a partial refund at their own discretion.

On eBay, only buyer protection is made a big deal of, and if you've been able to make any partial refunds up to now, then certainly not just like that.

jamandoo-ecommerce

OP1 week ago

That did not happen simply “at random.” eBay expressly provided this function when an item was damaged, used, or returned not in its original condition. The buyer could then have the decision reviewed by eBay if they did not agree with the withheld amount. I have used exactly this function multiple times for returns that had already been received – that is what I am referring to here.

I don’t understand why there has to be so much discussion; I just want help with my problem.

perfect-sally

·1 week ago

Well, that's how it is when nobody else knows this feature and questions it first.

And as suspected, it wasn't that easy without a lot of back and forth.

To maybe be able to answer your question definitively, we'll simply ask an eBay employee. She'll get back here.

@verena@ebay could you take a look please? Thanks

jamandoo-ecommerce

OP1 week ago

Before you again portray my account as implausible: my colleague has been active on eBay for a lot longer than I have and still has access to this feature. That clearly disproves your assumption. Just because a feature is not known to you does not mean it does not exist. That is exactly why I asked eBay for an informed response.

Thanks for getting in touch.

Regards

perfect-sally

·1 week ago

Where did I write anything about being unbelievable? And we're not ebay here, but a community with other users.

We're not an all-knowing dumping ground either, but writing us off as unbelievable right away is a bit over the top!

And if I or others don't know such functions/options, it's simply because we've never needed them and act more in the buyers' interests. 😏