Massive, bizarre spike in returns
Over the past 3-4 weeks, I've been experiencing an absolutely massive spike in returns. Typically, I get 1-2 a month, MAX, with 10-15 returns total in a YEAR. In the past month, I've had over 30 returns! Just today, 3 more came in.
The bizarre thing is that I'm a small seller, dealing mostly in vintage camera equipment, and there's been no change in the quality or condition of my inventory, or how I describe items. Also weird is that it's about a 50/50 mix between both regular "didn't like item/doesn't fit" returns and "item doesn't work/defective" returns.
Typically, on "defective" returns, only about 5-10% are usually legit defective items/damaged in transit, or whatever. With the other 90-95%, there is actually nothing wrong with the item, usually as a result of ignorant buyers simply not knowing how to use the item/buying a lens incompatible with their camera system, etc. , not bothering to reach out for instructions, and freaking out and opening a "defective" item return, sprinkled with. A small number are clearly buyers' remorse cases where they don't want to pay the return shipping. I accept that both of these types are going to occur when dealing with the general public.
In this new wave of returns, this distribution among "defect" returns between legitimate/non-legitimate ones has if anything tilted more in my favor (5% or fewer legit), but suddenly there are a lot MORE. And there are also a LOT more simple "didn't like item" returns that have been opened, both in raw numbers, and in proportion to "defect" returns. Overall, my YOY monthly sales are up over last year, but only by about 20%. But overall returns are up by like 2000+%!
These returns are from a number of customers spread throughout the world, so it doesn't seem like a case of a nefarious competitor screwing with me. I also know that statistical anomalies happen, but this is such a huge outlier, that it seems like something else must really be going on.
Any ideas? Has eBay released new publicity to buyers emphasizing returns? I do recall that when eBay started emphasizing making Best Offers to sellers, I got a huge spike in annoying and pushy solicitations for them, even when I do not offer them on my listings and make it clear that I don't accept them. Is this yet another example of eBay punishing sellers in the quest for a greater system-wide volume of completed sales? I could certainly see the rationale being that by emphasizing and even outright encouraging easy returns for the slightest of reasons, eBay believes that buyers will be likely to return and purchase the same item from -another- eBay seller and keep their pound of flesh from fleeing to another platform on the followup purchase.
brightlightbookseller
·2 years agoWe've had more returns in the last 3 months than I remember in most of the history of our eBay business. I don't think eBay changed anything that I'm aware of, it's just one of those things that happen in any retail.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoMy first reaction was to suggest that your buyers were discovering the upward blip in cheap vintage camera equipment I have seen.
But I see that you are already reacting to the lower pricing by selling lots of equipment at giveaway prices.
I also see that you are selling some items which have retained their price levels.
Are your returns the depreciated low end products or the products which have held their value?
I see some of your recent sales which could easily be other sellers looking to flip "bargains" and when reality hits would want to return them.
Without an idea of what pattern exists to the returns it is hard to theorize.
As a seller who sells different vintage items different from what you do, I know my auction lots are going to other resellers. My retail buyers are relatively trouble-free,
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoThere is sometimes no rhyme or reason to these returns. Last year we sold over 6 grand during Valentine’s Day and 3 grand came back. All for reasons like just did not like it, did not fit, not any defective, just changed their minds etc, also bought it for someone else and they did not like it. It was one of the worst returns scenerios we ever had. Since then not so much, it was just a very odd period.
heckofagame
·2 years agoIt's unlikely that eBay would increase the emphasis on returns as that also comes out of their bottom line in returned fees.
isaiah53-57
·2 years agoHmmm... Sorry for your troubles, but its probably not hurting the sites numbers... Read into that all you want..