Already post out parcel but parcel returned due to customer refuse tax

[vintideskaf]

Hi all, 

I need advice. I have one customer that already ordered an item from my shop. I already post out the parcel and reach to the customer country. Unfortunately, after few weeks, i realized the parcel have been returned due to customer refuse to pay tax. But after another checking, the parcel was stranded in some interchange country. I have been messaging the customer, but she didn't reply until after few weeks after. I asked her to open a case since the item also did not come back to me, but after few weeks Etsy still didn't interfere in our conversation. I've been checking with the courier also and the courier mentioned that the item might have been disposed if no one paid for the tax. She asks me for refund but i already post out the parcel, she kept saying the parcel already return to me and she didn't know about the parcel are coming and she's not the one who refused the tax. Any idea how should i liaised with this customer or how to contact Esty to get a win-win solution for both of us?

[CraftyCornishMaids]

looking at the price of your items, it would look like etsy would have collected any tax due, and your customer wouldn't have to pay it

you also say, it was in a country in-between, so there was no way any tax was due, that is only collected by the destination country.

Refund them in full, and claim from your shipper

[CraftyCornishMaids]

wrong place

[Frapperie]

Did the buyer actually open a case or not?  It sounds to me like they haven't because cases are automated and the buyer would have received a refund by now. 

If the buyer contacts you again about a refund simply remind them that they must open a case.  Etsy should cover the refund for you assuming you have all policies in place.  Some sellers will tell you that your 14 day return policy is not ok for EU / UK.  From my understanding, it's fine and Etsy will cover the refund because Etsy accepts 14 day returns as legal for the EU/UK (I won't explain further, it's complicated!). 

In any case, I would at least see what happens if the buyer opens a case. Just so you know however, when a buyer doesn't receive the item, regardless of the reason, if the buyer opens a case, the buyer will be refunded. The only question is who pays, them or you. Hope it works out and Etsy covers this. Please let us know.

PS. However for Etsy to cover the refund, you must ship on time.  You are missing the "ships on time" badge which is why I mention this.  Did you ship this order late or on time?

[CraftyCornishMaids]

@Frapperie 

they don't have legal shop policies either

no gdpr policy, no address and e-mail address in sellers details, and no trader box ticked

they have no ship on time with tracking badge (although they obviously send with tracking) and they have no reviews badge

they sell items under the customs threshold to be charged in most countries (etsy would be charging), so their post about paying customs is an assumption, and probably wrong, especially as it didn't even get to the destination country, for any charge to apply

I seriously doubt etsy will cover it with our fees, and I hope they do not.

They should claim from their shipper  .

[Frapperie]

The way I understood the post is that the item arrived to destination country then was returned for failure to pay customs fees and en route BACK to the seller, the package ended up in another country.  That can happen, the package may have been misdirected or is taking some strange slow cheap route back to seller.  Nothing surprising here.

Equally despite Etsy collecting tax for many countries, some customs departments are still requesting payment, either due to seller error OR due to a customs department error.  So nothing surprising here either if indeed a notice was sent to the buyer and buyer did not receive it. 

Anyway we don't know where the buyer is or enough details in general about the circumstances to do much more than make suggestions without passing judgement. Seller should claim against shipper if possible but if that won't work and the OP did send on time, then they can always their chances with a case on Etsy.  It's not up to me to make a judgement whether Etsy should or should not cover this claim. Etsy offers seller protection, Etsy decides if the seller qualifies. 

[CraftyCornishMaids]

But after another checking, the parcel was stranded in some interchange country

I read they meant not received in the destination country

but who knows, the OP hasn't been back

[JMOldeVintage]

I don't know who you used to ship the package but some shippers such as UPS, FedEx & DHL give the sender the option to say "destroy the package" if it cannot be delivered to the recipient. The sender may not want to pay to have the package returned to them. Did you select this?

[OmasFabricStash]

If the package shipped late Etsy will probably side with the buyer and take the money from your account. From what I have read your shop needs to have all the basics for Etsy to pay, you need policies and they need to be correct legal policies for the countries you ship to, and it probably needs to have tracking. 
I think I read that the package needs to have been insured and you have filed an insurance claim and been denied. 
It isn’t as easy as it sounds to get Etsy to pay for the refund. Some shops make it sound like the package, customer files a complaint through Etsy and Etsy pays the refund not the seller. Many shops have complained because Etsy paid but then takes the money from them.