Forum Discussion

marutien_56's avatar
marutien_56
Community Member
28-04-2026

Regarding Error in Seller Fault Unfulfilled

Respected Team

 

                                          We are writing here regarding one Seller Fault Unfulfilled case on our eBay store. Allow me to explain you the reason and details in brief of this Seller Fault Unfulfilled case. This case is filled against our eBay store due to one of our order which we had booked in FedEx on 25 FEB 2026 was requested for cancellation by the buyer because the parcel was picked up from our premises and has reached India customs Mumbai but it was not moving any further and was kept on hold at Indian customs for more than 12 days. So during this time of 12 days when parcel is still hold on Indian Customs for Clearance we contacted FedEx team India many times while keeping the buyer also in our email conversation with FedEx team India regarding the escalation in customs clearance procedure because its already too much delayed in moving further to buyer destination country but the FedEx Team India was not able to provide us the deadline date on which this parcel will be release from Customs and move further. So after this long wait of more than 12 days buyer was not ready to wait longer and he requested order cancellation. Hence we accepted buyer's cancellation request and give him the full refund. Now the thing is that buyer said and accepted that he has received the full refund provided by us but there is certain amount of 500 USD which was collected by FedEx team in name of Taxes or Import duties which buyer hasn't received it yet. So due to this 500 USD refund which he hasn't received from FedEx team he has raised the dispute which means its clearly not a Fault from our side which buyer also agrees then why this case is shown on our CBT Seller Dashboard as Seller Fault Unfulfilled case as if its our fault. We also tried to contact the person  who is in charge of eBay Global Shipping but he is also not responding to our query at all. For your  Convenience and as proof we have attached some screenshots of our chat with buyer and FedEx Team. Hope we will get some proper solution regarding this matter. 

BBE
Disputes
Performance

3 Replies

  • wonder_deal's avatar
    wonder_deal
    Community Member
    28-04-2026

    Thank you for sharing this. This appears to reflect a broader issue affecting India-based international sellers where shipment delays occur after timely carrier handover, particularly due to customs retention and corridor-side logistics congestion.

     

    While the major flight disruption period was most severe during Dec 2025 to early Feb 2026, residual congestion and clearance delays at major hubs such as Mumbai continued to impact shipment movement beyond seller control. 

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_IndiGo_scheduling_crisis

     

    In my own case as well, orders dispatched on time entered customs retention during a similar disruption window, yet support responses did not adequately address the seller-control vs external-delay distinction.

     

    It would be helpful if the team could clarify what safeguards apply where delays arise solely after carrier acceptance due to customs or logistics-side congestion.

     

  • issac@ebay's avatar
    issac@ebay
    eBay Employee
    01-05-2026

    Hello marutien_56​ 

     

    Thank you for sharing the details of your concern.

     

    Based on the eBay Service Standard policy (BBER 2025), a Seller Fault Unfulfilled case is generally recorded when a transaction is cancelled and the buyer receives a refund, regardless of the underlying reason for the cancellation.

     

    This means that in some scenarios, even if the cancellation was influenced by external factors (such as carrier delays, customs holds, or logistics issues beyond the seller’s control), the system may still classify the transaction under Seller Fault Unfulfilled as part of automated performance tracking.

     

    However, eBay also recognizes that there are situations where defects or performance impacts may occur due to circumstances outside the seller’s control (for example, carrier disruptions or customs delays). In such cases, these may be eligible for review and potential removal following a manual assessment.

     

    Given this, we would encourage you to contact eBay.com > Help & Contact > Email Us / Call Us / Chat with Us to request an appeal. There are instances where Seller Fault Unfulfilled cases may be system-generated and require a policy review for manual evaluation to determine if any adjustments can be made.

     

    Our support team will be able to review the transaction details, verify the circumstances, and guide you further based on your specific case.

     

    Regards,

    eBay Team

     

  • wonder_deal's avatar
    wonder_deal
    Community Member
    01-05-2026

    Thank you for the clarification.

     

    This is helpful in understanding that system-generated classifications may still be reviewed in cases involving external factors such as customs delays or carrier disruptions.

     

    My question is whether a similar principle applies at the account-level BBE evaluation, where INR cases arising from system-generated EDD timelines and external disruptions may still contribute to account restrictions despite full seller compliance.

     

    Are there equivalent safeguards or review mechanisms available at the account level in such scenarios?