eBay

avid.auctions · ‎06-03-2018

Well, I just found out ebay quit offering my 10% Savings on my TSR because I did not offer "free" returns. I gave 30 days returns, but I was not going to offer for a buyer to decide to send something back to me "just because". I have almost 100% feedback since 1998. I am a stockholder and a buyer. I have figured out at this point, I am only going to offer 14 days free shipping - If I could I wouldn't offer any (5 returns in the past 20 years) I will no longer ship items with tracking unless it is because I am required to send it priority where you automatically get it with the charge. If Ebay tries to continue screwing me over, I will get rid of my store, then move to Amazon and take my free 50 sales items with no discount. I have put up with ever increasing fees (while other sellers left), I have put up with being charged by ebay for shipping costs (while others left), lastly I increased my return policy for items that could be bent(cards), read (books) - (while still more sellers left). My guess is that their will be a much bigger exodus than most other policy changes... So again, it hurts me at a stockholder (because I believe people will start selling there shares), As a seller - I will have my money taken by ebay and given back to people regardless of the reason they want to return, as a buyer, I am sure I will have less options and be required to pay more or move on over to Amazon... Good luck folks!

kaelykat · ‎06-04-2018

Here's a link to the new simplified returns. Your options are no returns, 30 day returns, 30 day free returns, or 60 day, 60 day free. The only categories that will continue have the option to offer 14-day returns include Collectibles & Art, Cameras & Photo and Medical, Mobility & Disability Equipment.

The 30 day free returns are for top rated plus. You can still keep top rated. Not using tracking only hurts you as you cannot prove you sent anything, or that the buyer received anything. Good luck with that.

Also, eBay's 30 day money back guarantee will always override any return policy you may have. Some buyers have learned this and know to file not as described cases to get a return no matter what anyway. This is not exactly new.

I think you will find that Amazon's returns are even worse for sellers than eBay's are.

ed8108 · ‎06-04-2018

It seems that you are saying you can't be a seller/ prisoner of ebay ?

mightymouse · ‎06-04-2018

I have found out that for sellers in the pottery and glass areas that their is a 20 % less likely of sales if you offer free returns. So they are offering me a decrease in sales to save 10%. Not sure they are thing correctly for me or them.

couldabeenworse · ‎06-04-2018

My guess is that their will be a much bigger exodus than most other policy changes

After hearing that (and contributing to it) for 20 years, it's hard to take it seriously anymore. When (if?) a bunch of sellers hit the bricks, it opens up a marketplace for other sellers. In addition, unless you're planning to wander the desert for 40 years, an "exodus" should really have some better destination in mind.

ed8108 · ‎06-04-2018

@avid.auctions wrote:
My guess is that their will be a much bigger exodus than most other policy changes...

Important to consider carefully, if the destination is really better than the prison.

avid.auctions · ‎06-04-2018

At this point, I would rather get my 50 freebies, sell my stock and rely on my prime than to allow myself to continue to lose control of a business that I started in 1982 and expanded on to ebay in 1998. Its not the money, well, actually it is.. Not going to waste my time either. I feel sorry for the sellers that rely on ebay as a sole source of income.

speakersformusic · ‎06-05-2018

Hi everyone. I have had Top Rated Plus status for several years. Because I am not offering free returns, eBay took that from me ALONG with my discount on fees that helps me make a little more money in this incredibly competitive retail market with shrinking profit margins. Through no fault of mine, my hard-earned status and fee discounts are gone. Poof, waive a wand. So, since my discounts and Top Rated Plus banner are gone, there is less incentive to jump through all the other hoops eBay has set up over the last few years. I jumped through the last major changes. This one has already cost me money WITHOUT doing it; my discount and my banner. Some of my items are expensive to ship because of size. It might take 4 new sales of the same type to make up for return shipping on a single return. My overall sales volume is down. EBay used to make a point of thanking me for selling on eBay. Now it is looking like if they drive me out of business, the big sellers will make their money for them. EBay was unique years ago, fee wheeling and vital. Now is is just a group of corporate shadows making decisions about our livelyhood without regard to how hard we work at it. EBay always seems to understand that nation-wide internet sales tax would be a burden on small businesses. In this area they don't care. My loss in fee discounts goes directly into their pocket. Watching my business shrivel up and die a slow death is OK with them. It's normal competition when the market puts a company out of business, but when your platform puts you out of business, it hurts. Ebay could have had a sliding scale of how to do this depending on business size/volume. Big sellers can do it much easier than small sellers. The scales are tipped in several ways towards the big sellers. Thumbs down small sellers. Your work to get where you are no longer counts. My previous A+ is gone and now it is equal to at best a B. Ouch.

reallyhardtofind · ‎06-06-2018

The way I read it and correct me if I'm wrong is Top Rated Plus seller gets the 10% discount and the Top Rated seller doesn't get the 10% correct?

xchains · ‎06-07-2018

my repost from another board:

I have noticed a few sellers on the board here upset with the latest requirements of the vague worded policy: FREE RETURNS. For the sellers unaware- eBay has a new requirement 6/1/2018 for top rated PLUS sellers to accept all returns no matter the reason and pay the return shipping. Losing the PLUS status means no 10% refund of final value fees and NO promotion from ebay in best match search.

I have been selling on ebay now for 20 years and have sold over 500,000 items. My items are new better quality real gold plated jewelers brass fashion jewelry shipped free for under $10. Returns are thrown away. I sell new items only. My items attract a lot of impulse buyers and also a younger market that often does not know their own size. I am 61 with no retirement and have invested every penny in stocking my items. I am the seller that has annoyed other sellers by always happily complying with new policies. I have, until now, always promoted the new policies because it was my feeling that eBay has a lot broader view. They get groups of smart people to research in great depth every aspect of a policy before they decide to implement it. And the purpose to to be competitive in a huge market. The main competitor being Amazon. Yes, the end goal of making sure customers come back to ebay is most important for all of us. Unfortunately though, it appears that the newest policy puts too much favor on the buyers and unfairly damages sellers. I guess my complaint here is that it seems that in bending so far over for buyers we are going to topple a lot of the better sellers.

A few categories have luckily been excluded from the new requirement but sadly not mine. I really feel bad for all of us hardworking top rateds. WE KNOW hard work!

I think in theory the policy sounds good but in practice is too over the top against sellers. My last thought on this is if it makes so much sense to offer this then perhaps ebay could pick up that cost. Between fees, supplies, and shipping my $10 item gets me $5 and that buys my items. Profit? Perhaps $1 on each. Returns? #financial loss #bankrupt #homeless Thoughts? Please respond with your ideas and if you are opting in.

xchains · ‎06-07-2018

For me the worst part is taking my boost in best match for not offering the free returns. The badge of top rated plus and the 10% are not so big of a deal as the boost.

keepersprings · ‎06-09-2018

My husband and I have selling on ebay for 15 years. We have been TRS + and are Power Sellers. We have jumped thru every hoop that eBay has held in front of us. When it comes to Free Returns we said NO. This is our store and we're not going to cut our profits further so that eBay can show Wall Stree that their profits have increased. When we learned that we would loose our TRS badge AND discount we felt like we had been slapped in the face. Why work so hard and they cut the benefits. We feel like Corporate is say jump so high or we're going to shoot you in the foot.

hupernikao-7 · ‎06-11-2018

For everyone who can not offer free returns.....call ebay. Be sure and get to the Seller Performance people (otherwise you will get someone who is a novice in supporting us) and ask them to take it (your account) to their manager at their next staff meeting and complain. Ask the rep to name sites that offer free returns no questions asked. Then ask them to take it to the next staff meeting they have. The only way the people that matter that make the decisions will get that one size doesn't always fit all...is if you/we can nicely get a enough reps to promise to take my Top Rated account...show it to your manager and tell them...I will no longer strive for TRS. eBay got it's start based on small sellers. And they continue to leave us behind. I have rolled with every punch trying to view things from their perspective...if we don't have buyers we all fail. But eBay is not Amazon and Amazon does not even do this on MOST items. Management needs to hear it. Often and LOUD.

annarborwatchcollector · ‎06-11-2018

You'll need to drop the Free Returns to survive.

This push to offer "Free 30 Day Returns" is NOT in the best interest of sellers.

See:

Why Ebay is throwing its BEST Sellers under the Bus?

avid.auctions · ‎02-21-2019

FREE RETURNS - FREE SHIPPING - INCREASED POSTAGE CHARGES - INCREASED PAYPAL FEES - INCREASED EBAY FEES.

Remind me why I started selling here again. BTW, I started in 1998...

Why did I buy stock in a company that does everything it can to screw the seller - bought 2006....

Remind me why a couple of years back I decided to pay ebay to establish a store.....

Remind me why I lied to my customers and said they were getting FREE S&H, when really it was me eating into my small margins.

Free Returns, no even I am not that stupid - good try ebay... I wonder if they charge those sellers that offer than an additional 10% fee on that return shipping - if they don't yet (watch out fools).

Remind me why I worked so hard to keep 100% feedback (or at least until some moron didn't like an item last year, gave me my first negative and won't do anything about it, even when I offered him a refund minus my S&H costs)...

Please, somebody, remind me... Because I just took my second loss in two days on items (due to the increased S&H, which in turn increased my paypal & ebay fees, and along with my non-existent discount as a TRS. Please, I need someone to explain to me why I do this... I really used to love getting unique items or that special item that I found and sold it to get it into the hands of someone that had a memory that connected to it, or just needed something they couldn't find somewhere else.

I wonder if the P.O. understands without internet sales, they will not last for long - no matter how bad they screw the rest of the folks that actually use them. Ok, I admit we send out 15-20 Christmas cards and some birthday cards - no more heavy cards shipped to New York - just paid $4 to ship one - reminder to self, they now get electronic cards. Another nail in the coffin of the P.O.

I wonder at what point ebay will flip the switch and go back to helping Sellers as much as they do Buyers.... (or will Facebook or Google decide to take them on.) Amazon is not any better...

Remind me again... I think tomorrow I will sell some stock.