Returns: a small rant.

[Betweenshades]

Returns happen. It's part of selling in the retail world and I don't let it get to me.

I DO, however take issue with people like this person I'm about to complain about. See, I ship out every board wrapped in either an anti-static bag or anti-static bubble wrap and neatly tuck it into a box with a metric crapton of packaging material to keep it from moving.

This person sent back a 100% working part in regular, and very dirty and well-used bubble wrap wrapped in newspaper in a mailer that had been used at least 3 other times. Now, I don't expect everyone to know that pink bubble wrap is anti-static, but WTH do you people do with the packaging you get with the product?? There was nothing of my original packaging present! If I order something, I keep the shipping box until I know it works. And this isn't the first time!

I took this part out of the mess of newspaper and was literally shocked by the bubble wrap multiple times. Which means I'm going to have to retest this board before I list it since I don't know if this board was shocked all the way back to my shop from Arizona. GRR!

So, seriously- ship it like I shipped it to you.

[Sheldonrs]

Maybe this is how the that customer gets his free good bubble wrap supplies.

[Hawaiian Eskimo]

If it's broke because the guy shipped it back improperly, can you withhold the refund or something?

[RetailKate]

If it's broke because the guy shipped it back improperly, can you withhold the refund or something?

I'm actually wondering the same thing myself. If it's static fried can you claim that he was responsible and thus has to cover costs now?

[Captain Trips]

... If I order something, I keep the shipping box until I know it works....

I'm worse -- if you look in my garage, you'll see shipping boxes and packaging from stuff that's so old it's already been junked. (But I still have the box!)

[AccountingDrone]

I'm worse -- if you look in my garage, you'll see shipping boxes and packaging from stuff that's so old it's already been junked. (But I still have the box!)

/me blushes and tries to hide her stash of shipping packages under a blanket

[Stryker One]

So, how many assloads in a crapton?

[EricKei]

So, how many assloads in a crapton?

Five assloads to a shiltload, and ten shitloads to a crapton...So, fifty.

[wolfie]

This person sent back a 100% working part in regular, and very dirty and well-used bubble wrap wrapped in newspaper in a mailer that had been used at least 3 other times. Now, I don't expect everyone to know that pink bubble wrap is anti-static, but WTH do you people do with the packaging you get with the product?? There was nothing of my original packaging present! If I order something, I keep the shipping box until I know it works. And this isn't the first time!

I took this part out of the mess of newspaper and was literally shocked by the bubble wrap multiple times. Which means I'm going to have to retest this board before I list it since I don't know if this board was shocked all the way back to my shop from Arizona. GRR!

So, seriously- ship it like I shipped it to you.

If you don't already, you need to add an item to your terms: All items are shipped using anti-static packing material. Returns MUST use the original packing material - no refund will be given for returns which fail to use the original packing material.

[Betweenshades]

If it's broke because the guy shipped it back improperly, can you withhold the refund or something?

With eBay, it gets challenging because they can be very blindly pro-customer. Which, to a certain extent isn't a bad thing. It just gets annoying when the buyer is dead effing wrong and we, the seller, has to fight 10 times more to get protected.

In this case, especially since we have feedback to keep in mind, we'll give her the refund. I don't always like it, but it's not worth the drama.

If you don't already, you need to add an item to your terms: All items are shipped using anti-static packing material. Returns MUST use the original packing material - no refund will be given for returns which fail to use the original packing material.

I have something along those lines, along with a lot of other stuff that I get asked about all the time. :P

[Mystic]

I mainly keep all packing materials for years after I buy a product, but sometimes things come in the post so mangled that there is no point keeping them.

In the situation of returns though, you need to have a clause stating to ship back in original packaging if you want to pin the cost of damaged products on them for improper packaging.