Had to refund a buyer, can I get Ebay to refund my fees

[GrumpyOldBag]

Sold a designer item recently for £30. Buyer obviously didn't like it & claimed it was not in the condition it was described. I always go to a lot of trouble to describe things thoroughly & accurately but there were microscopic marks not included in the description which would not have put off someone who liked the item. Anyway, I gave a full refund including the return postage (she sent item back recorded) so I am £8 down on the deal.

Can I get eBay to refund the selling fees & how do I do that? Do I just cancel the transaction? I think I will wait & relist the item nearer the summer as it is a seasonal item.

Did you get her to open a not as described return request with eBay before you refunded? If you did that then your fees would have been automatically refunded back to you.

If not then yes you have to go in and manually cancel the transaction.

No, I didn't know you had to do that. Will manually cancel. Thanks for the advice.

Always get them to do it by the book. It keeps everything official / recorded so your back is covered in case of any problems, means you get your fees back and gives you the chance to purchase a £2.99 tracked returns label so saves you money and hassle.

Thanks Lottie, i'll remember that for next time.

If you put the return through the ebay managed return process, it also allows them to track which buyers have unusually high return rates. In the meantime your best option is a manual cancellation with the buyer.