A seller wrote in today with a disturbing tale of working with eBay's Hassle Free Returns program. "I discovered a hassle-free returns snafu. A buyer started a return on 9/24 and didn't ship it until 10/9... well beyond the 5 business days stated on eBay's hassle-free returns faqs/info page."



The seller contacted eBay customer service, whereupon an eBay rep told them that as long as buyers start the process within the correct time frame, tracking can be uploaded for up to 29 days before the return automatically closes.



"So buyers can basically ship the return whenever they feel like it, the 5 business days is just a suggestion. Nowhere is this info stated," the seller said.



eBay's website directly contradicts what the customer service rep told this seller:



What happens if I started a return request but didn't ship the item in time?

We ask that you ship back the item to the seller within 5 business days. If 6 business days have passed since you started a return for a refund, and you haven't sent the item yet, contact the seller to see if they're still willing to accept your return. Use Messages in My eBay when contacting the seller to keep a record of your conversation.



So is the rep wrong, or is eBay's website wrong?

