SELLERS: PLEASE REPORT BAD BUYERS including DEMAND SOMETHING, FALSE CLAIMS, MISUSE RETURN REASONS

[deadbeatbid]

CALL TO SELLERS: I am requesting all sellers to report manipulative buyers.  Many buyer behaviors damage our businesses but the worst one that has gotten out of control for me is false claims for returns.  Ranging from “Doesn't match description or photos” to “Doesn't work or defective” One I am able to usually avoid is feedback extortion where seller is threatened so "lightly" that you cannot prove it.  Those buyers "Left for others" feedbacks are sometimes more than 50% negatives.  The only positives speak of refunds or "cooperation" 

This past week, I have joined many other sellers in no longer paying for these returns losing my top rated plus benefit of 10% off fees.  This week alone that is $100 lost but I feel it is the right thing to do, even if it costs me.  I dread the day ebay tries to charge me extra fees because of scammers.

MY GOAL, THE FUTURE: Selling is not easy work and profit is not what it should be for our efforts. I hope to close my business this year and I am selling many items at a loss.  For me - ebay gets about 25%, and shipping 25%.  Please go to the extra trouble to report bad behavior.  It is crucial for those who continue to make their living here.  Bottom line - as ebay works to compete with other venues to keep buyers coming they are forgetting the second half.  Good sellers have no reason to stay on a sinking ship.

ME: I have been selling 24 years the same 200+ QUALITY items I had manufactured over 1000 of each item.  My well described title, item specifics, and bullet description of new wearable items average 12 real photos with shot of whole item, closeup, with coin for size reference, and on models.  Early on I got about 1 or 2 returns a year with current average 3500 sales a year.  For a short time I was at over 100,000 sales a year. Total over 750,000 sales.  Now I am back selling 3500  and get about 2 returns a WEEK.  Every last one sent was NEW but returns as USED.  Count on negative feedback if you do a deduction from the return amount.  And as I do not sell used items I trash ALL returns.  I maintain 2 negative feedbacks over the past 5 years.

[deadbeatbid]

Here they are:

Buyer demanded something that was not offered in my listing

Requested a shipping service I don't offer or to ship to an address other than what eBay provided

Requested a change to the payment method or asked to delay when they paid

Requested that I give them a partial refund or discount

Requested I include additional items for free

Asked me to take the sale outside of eBay

Buyer made a false claim

Claimed the item was not as described when that wasn’t true

Claimed an item was not received when tracking shows it was delivered

Buyer misused returns

Returned a completely different item or an empty box

Returned an item after they opened, used, or damaged it

Returned the item with missing parts

[calntom]

Sorry to hear of all your returns. It is the same on other venues. Amazon is much worse than eBay for returns and the false reasons.

This is online selling in 2022. It will not be rectified to our liking. 

[evry1nositswindy]

I'm with you.  I have had more false claims in the last couple of months than in the previous 8 years of selling.  I have reported them too.  I even closed down my account during the busiest time in December so I didn't have to deal with nasty buyers asking where their package is when they can look at tracking just like I can.  

[femmefan1946]

I've heard rumours that Amazon returns run about 40% of sales.  This seems a tad high.

I have joined many other sellers in no longer paying for these returns losing my top rated plus benefit of 10% off fees.

You may still have to pay for return shipping if the buyer is claiming Not As Described.

I believe that refusing Free Returns only applies to Buyer Remorse, which is hard to prove.

Not worth losing a discount of fees over.

For me - ebay gets about 25%,

The eBay fees sound high. I allow for 20%, and usually it is under 15%.

Are you calculating on the whole buyer payment or just on the selling price of the item?

and shipping 25%.

And remember, you do NOT pay shipping. The buyer pays shipping.

Even if you offer Free Shipping, that just means you have put your shipping costs into the asking price for the item.

Which is cheaper?

A $10 item with $5 shipping or a $15 item with Free Shipping?

You do pay fees on the WHOLE payment, including on any US Internet (state) sales taxes eBay collects. And there is a 30c non-refundable fee on Managed Payments.

[deadbeatbid]

I hope you understand this is posted from my buying account.  I have over 10,000 sales on Amazon also but do not have this same problem as bad as here.  AND I get 3X the price there.

[guardian6c]

Sellers have absolutely no influence on eBay management. eBay management could care less about you as a Seller. 

Don't you get it? Sellers have been getting hosed by eBay management for the longest time and all Sellers can do is complain in the forums. Ebay ignores Sellers arguments and justified complaints. This is why Buyers get away with using Sellers like a public toilet.  eBay management always sides with the Buyer. 

Every day more and more Sellers get abused by Buyers and experience the total lack of fairness and consideration from eBay management. Ebay management is laughing all the way to the bank with Sellers money. They use Sellers to generate profits and dividends all the while abuse Sellers as if they hate them. Some say slamaZon is worse. I don't know. I've never bought or sold there.

In my opinion there is absolutely nothing good about eBay.

[soh.maryl]

And then that brings up the question:  If Amazon works so much better for you, why are you still bothering with eBay?

[deadbeatbid]

Thanks for your reply to this post.  This post is not about me.  I included that info to explain my position as a good seller that attracts buyers.  Again, I have been selling for 24 years, have over 750,000 sales, and understand I am speaking of my selling account. I am posting this from my buying account for privacy reasons. 

I have offered free shipping at my expense since they started it.  I was in the first 100 sellers on managed payments beta testing it.  I offered free returns for maximum time until a week ago.  So the whole payment was the selling price.  I sell the same exact new items for 24 years and a return of ITEM NOT AS DESCRIBED with over 800 happy sales is preposterous.  So a return costs me time, packaging, ship there, ship return, and the actual item is discarded

Finally MY fees are: ebay 24.4% & shipping 25.6% of my total.  I am heavily promoted and often within the top 10 listings on any given item I have. 

This post is not about me, but all of ebay.  So many sellers including myself prefer to deal with bad behavior by just paying and not reporting but it has only made it worse for everyone. It is well known that a claim often gets a near automatic refund or partial refund at least.  We need to try to get ebay to help stop this behavior or at least NOT PENALIZE sellers because of false claims

[deadbeatbid]

Average 300 sales a month on ebay and 25 Amazon.  but AGAIN = not about me.

[femmefan1946]

I have offered free shipping at my expense since they started it.

EBay has allowed free shipping from the beginning. My first ID here was in 1998.

But

And this seems to be what you are missing.

Free Shipping is just an advertising slogan.

The cost of shipping is included in the asking price and  "free  shipping" means only that it is not a line item.

When you pay $5 shipping what is happening is the item you want $10 for is sold for $5+ $5 shipping.

And you lose $5.

Plus fees.

A seller who understands Free Shipping (and BOGO and "we pay the sales tax" and any other enticements to buy) does not lose money on shipping. She at worst breaks even and at best makes shipping a profit centre.

So many sellers including myself prefer to deal with bad behavior by just paying and not reporting but it has only made it worse for everyone.

EBay does have some ways to stop Bad Buyers. But they do rely on sellers reporting the bad behaviour.

You can open UIDs and give Strikes.

You can use tracking to stop phoney INR claims.

You can insist on returns before refunds, even if it means that you pay for return shipping.

It's far from perfect, it's even far from good, but we do have some tools.

But as you yourself said:

not reporting but it has only made it worse for everyone.

[assortedcollectibles]

Reporting doesn't do anything. The function is there only to give the illusion that they do something. I mean, why would it when everything relating to disputes is automated?

[espresso_warehouse]

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@assortedcollectibles wrote:

Reporting doesn't do anything. The function is there only to give the illusion that they do something. I mean, why would it when everything relating to disputes is automated?

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This is false.

That is false.

[fashunu4eeuh]

”…In my opinion there is absolutely nothing good about eBay.”

Continue to be astonished at the number of active sellers who express these sentiments and remain on the platform they loathe.

[espresso_warehouse]

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@fashunu4eeuh wrote:

”…In my opinion there is absolutely nothing good about eBay.”

Continue to be astonished at the number of active sellers who express these sentiments and remain on the platform they loathe.

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There's nothing good about the situation. This is the only place people can complain and say how they feel.