Question
If you make a mistake with an Auction ebay will no longer refund you when you cancel the item immediately!
This afternoon I listed an auction on ebay for a single customer. No big deal except that after I hit the submit button I realized that the auction had been used as a $19.95 Feature Plus auction. I go into the auction and attempt to edit it to remove that feature. Guess what? It will not allow me to remove the feature from the auction.
Now this item is a loss leader for me but I don't want to spend the money to advertise a 3 day auction listed with only one preapproved bidder......she saw the item at the lowest price I offer it at but couldn't buy.....long story......so to complete the sale I was offering her one at that price.
So I figure no problem! I go to the auction and cancel it immediately. Go into power seller support and type up a nice little note regarding the problem auction and ask for a refund since I closed it immediately and their system would not allow me to fix it. Here is the reply that I received:
Hello
Thank you for writing. I appreciate the opportunity to help.
As a reminder, listing fees are non-refundable.
I'm happy to inform you that as a special one-time courtesy, the credit
you requested has been approved and posted on your account.
Now since when is this?
Inquiring minds...
Or did ya'll know this and I am just behind the times?
Dee
Answer
Its been that way for as long as I can remember. I will sometimes use the gallery option in error, and there is no way to get credit once listed that I know of. I relist the item without the gallery, then go back and change everything on the original listing with the gallery photo to a new listing where I planned to use a gallery photo. Lots of work, but eBay is not getting an extra 25 cents from me.
Answer
I know it USED to be that if you cancelled right after listing or within a time frame(can't remember what) that ebay would refund the money if you emailed them with an explanation since it was an error. Of course that might have been in a different time when ebay actually cared(more or less) about their users that didn't have a Disney or Sears or some such label
Answer
MGC:
Closed the auction and emailed them within 5 minutes of posting.
That is exactly the advise I would have given someone too.....that is what disturbs me. About six months ago I signed up for selling manager pro and used their relist function. Well, somehow in trying to edit the hand full of items that I relisted I actually kept resubmitting them.....ended up with 40 auctions that I didn't have product for; nor could I afford to just let all those auctions ride. Believe me I was horrified when I went into email and saw all the listing confirmations. I closed them all and requested an immediate refund.
That is likely the only time that I have ever had occasion to request that time of refund in the past. The refunds were processed quickly along with a nice email thanking me for letting them know right away.
That is why I was so surprised at this response.
Oh, well.....the times they are a changin.....daily.
Just wanted to give others a heads up.
Dee
Answer
It's been about 2 years since I had to cancel one quickly and redo, then request a credit for the first one. However, even two years ago I received that exact same e-mail saying they didn't have to do it but as a courtesy they would. So, I don't think it's anything new. So, as long as they will still do it we're ok. I suspect they state it that way to give themselves an out just incase they ever decide not to or if they feel an individual is taking advantage too often.
Answer
Dee
What I actually think they are doing is trying to discourage us from asking (or pretending to be nice ). About a month ago, I made similar mistakes on two different auctions within one week.
Both times they refunded my listing fees and both times I got the same email you got saying they were doing it as "a special one-time courtesy".
Answer
yep same emial here
now if I have to cancel a high end one, I edit it back to cheapo price get the fees back that way then cancel it, that way if they ever deny me, at least I got the majority back
I request a refund on something about once per month, never been turned down........... even after letting one run 6 days once, I expected to be denied that one. I actually only applied for the credit to see how they would re-act, I never expected a refund.