Buyer with Over 50% return rate Claiming Defects based their Feeback Left for Others

[gadgethound]

I recently sold an expensive high tech item that was returned with the buyer claiming it was defective in multiple ways...it was not. 

No big deal, I offered free returns for any reason and was just surprised they claimed multiple defects.   So, I checked their "Feedback Left for Others"

Of the most recent 25 feedbacks they left, 22 were left for sellers.  Of those, 12 specifically mentioned returning the item and receiving a full refund as the item was either defective or not right for them.  4 More imply either a return or that an accomodation was reached....so 16 out of 22 purchases returned or accomodated.   It is posible more were returned but not mentioned in the feedback.  

The buyer leaves pleasent return feedback....and the high tech item returned to me seems fine/complete.  Still, this return rate seems excessive and it costs money and time.   I know Amazon would shut down customers with this return rate. 

I was surprised there is no way for me  report the buyer for anything except to contest the "defective" claim to remove it from my numbers.     I guess eBay monitors buyer return ratios but their standards must be different than most retailers.

[chapeau-noir]

I wonder if you got a 'bracket buyer' - someone who purchases a bunch of items, decides which he/she wants and sends back the rest. They generally have a very high return rate, and free returns is attractive.

[rileydone]

Be sure and add them to your BBL (blocked buyer list). You don't want them to be a repeat buyer and do another return with you.

[bashort]

Because Amazon sells many items they ban buyers  for to many returns all the time, does ebay ever ban buyers?

[luckythewinner]

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@gadgethound wrote:
I know Amazon would shut down customers with this return rate
{snip}
their standards must be different than most retailers.

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Perhaps that is because eBay is not a retailer.

When Amazon ships an item to an Amazon buyer, Amazon know what was shipped.

But when an eBay seller ships an item to an eBay buyer, eBay has no idea what was shipped. 

[gadgethound]

Yes I added them to my blocked list, but in this case it will not help. This buyer used a different account (one that had never purchased anything before) to buy my item. I only found out who they  were because they made an error contacting me in eBay messaging. 

 I do not think that can be reported to eBay either, their logrithms are supposed to catch this stuff.   

On 4 of the returned items this buyers feedback said the seller refunded their money but let them keep the item.  Amazon used to do that to, but no longer does I think. 

So far as I can tell the only recourse is to always ask for stuff back and hope eBay's metrics catches up with them. 

[bashort · Accepted solution]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@gadgethound wrote:
I know Amazon would shut down customers with this return rate
{snip}
their standards must be different than most retailers.

---

Perhaps that is because eBay is not a retailer.

When Amazon ships an item to an Amazon buyer, Amazon know what was shipped.

But when an eBay seller ships an item to an eBay buyer, eBay has no idea what was shipped. 

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knowing what was shipped is irrelevant.

  In a marketplace ran by algorithms it would be possible to take in consideration the buyers not as described return rate weighted against the not as described return rate of each seller bought from and identify who the buyers are that should be removed.