Seeking Advice: Who to contact to remove an automated CBT restriction warning caused by a proven false SNAD?
Summary: abez_fashion is seeking advice on how to address a Cross-Border Trade (CBT) account restriction warning caused by a buyer's misuse of the return system. A buyer claimed a 'Doesn't match description' issue, falsely attributing it to a sizing error, which affected the seller's metrics. Other participants suggested options like offering free returns to avoid similar issues, increasing sales without defects to improve metrics, and acknowledged that eBay rarely removes such defect warnings. Another participant emphasized the challenge of selling clothing online due to sizing discrepancies and recommended pricing adjustments to cover return shipping costs.
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some advice on the best escalation path or specific contact to reach out to regarding an automated Cross-Border Trade (CBT) account restriction warning.
I am a cross-border seller, and a recent buyer explicitly misused the return system to avoid paying return shipping. This triggered a Bad Buyer Experience (BBE) ding and generated an automated warning on my dashboard.
Here is the exact context:
The Claim: A buyer filed a return under "Doesn't match description," explicitly claiming a "Mistake in Manufacturing" because the jacket was too tight.
The Reality: The item was manufactured perfectly to the explicit measurement chart provided in our listing.
The Admission: The buyer completely ignored our size chart and simply assumed the jacket would match their idea of a generic "international size L." When they realized their sizing assumption was wrong, he selected the SNAD option purely to force a seller-paid return label. In our official eBay messages, he openly admitted to this:
"Hi Ive just come home and tried. Its really very tight and not a normal international size L. I cant even close the jacket. All my jackets and coats are size L Im sorry I have to return"
"I did not know which reason to choose as its not size L Mr or Mrs Please dont worry Im not going to leave bad feedback or anything. best regards"
I fully complied with eBay's policies, accepted the return, and refunded the buyer immediately.
However, because my average selling price is high and my transaction volume is relatively low, this single false SNAD claim heavily skewed my Service Metrics. Standard support and the standard CBT appeals email have essentially stated they cannot or will not remove the SNAD defect itself from the backend.
Since the defect seems locked in, I want to pivot and appeal the CBT account restriction warning itself. It is incredibly unfair to have my business threatened by an automated system over a documented buyer sizing error where the buyer openly confessed to ignoring the listing metrics and guessing the return reason.
My Questions:
Is there a higher-level risk/compliance team, a specific email address, or an eBay Community Manager I can contact who has the authority to review these message logs and lift the CBT warning?
Has anyone successfully had an automated warning removed while leaving the underlying defect in place by proving the buyer manipulated the system?
Any guidance on exactly who to contact next would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! @ebay.com @rebecca@ebay @sarah@ebay @griff@ebay.com @doug@ebay @kyle@ebay @tracie@ebay @dina@ebay @mirains@ebay.com @baadnesen@ebay.com @rhardwick@ebay.com
kensgiftshop
·1 month agoEven if it's proven false, it still counts against you.
stuff4divas
·1 month agohttps://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-standards-policy?id=4347&#top-rated-plus
maybe the above ebay link will help
albertabrightalberta
·1 month ago@abez_fashion
I (personally) don't buy clothes or shoes online because I am aware that every manufacturer sizes their items differently and even from the same manufacturer, different styles can require that I buy different sizes. I need to try on items before deciding whether to keep them.
In your case, although you have a return policy, it requires the buyer to pay for the return. And for a buyer to return an item to you (with tracking) in India, it's likely that return shipping will cost more than the item.
The price of return shipping is probably a big part of why the buyer filed NAD rather than a remorse return.
In your case, your items ship to buyers with free (you pay for) shipping so in your case, I would recommend you raise your prices enough to cover shipping for free returns.
That way buyers won't need to file NAD for items that legitimately don't fit like US items of the same size.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 month agoThe defect is there and won't be removed.
How one handles a buyer complaint requires considering the repercussions of how you respond.
You should have recognized that this was going to hurt you and decided to find a way to avoid the defect by making the buyer less unhappy.
Some sellers cannot stand letting what the consider to be a dishonest buyer get away with it. They hurt themselves more than they can hurt the buyer.
abez_fashion
OP1 month agoYou’re going by the assumption that I couldn’t bare to let the buyer get away but you’re wrong on that. I don’t care about letting him walk away thats why I gave him a refund without even fighting that. It’s just that he opened a false SNAD without even consulting me with issue. I only care about my metrics and the restrictions warning
ryry-jj
·1 month agoAll you can do is report the buyer as abusing the return policy. This doesn't help you, unfortunately. If the buyer truly believed the item was INAD, nothing you can do.
With clothing, best to offer free returns to avoid this. We all know if a buyer doesn't want something, they will find a way to return it to their best advantage
abez_fashion
OP1 month agoI am a genuine seller and have been selling on eBay since October 2023. However, my CBT dashboard is currently showing a warning, and my metrics have been flagged.
Do you have any advice on how I can request the removal of this warning?
Could you also advise what percentage or performance level I need to achieve in order to have the warning removed and return to good standing?
Thank you for your guidance.
ryry-jj
·1 month agoSell, sell, sell more without having INAD claims. Offer free returns to avoid any INAD, make it easy for the buyer. Once you have the volume, then you can switch out your return policy so as the INAD claims don't hit as hard % wise
shire123
·1 month agoOP. Pay close attention to what ryry-jj says above. That is the ONLY way to get back to good standing.
jonathanbrightlight
·1 month agoeBay does not, under any circumstances (as far as I'm aware), remove those defects or warnings for sellers who fall under the CBT policies. You just have to sell more without issues to bring your percentage up.