Why is ebay giving me only 1 day to respond?
Summary: iamalwaysright is concerned that eBay's return response window has changed from three business days to one day. They describe receiving a return request on 9/15 with a deadline to respond by 9/16, which they find unexpectedly short. Other participants speculate the issue might be related to confirmation of a return address or RMA number. iamalwaysright explains their use of the RMA function for better control over return processes and shares concerns about potential glitches or formal changes in policy. Several participants provide insights and share their experiences, but no definitive answers about the change are confirmed.
I thought ebay gave 3 business days. Did something change? Since when did ebay only give 1 day for a seller to respond to a return? I have a buyer who bought two shirts that filed remorse returns for both. The return was filed around 5pm yesterday 9/15 according to my email timestamp. The verbiage on that email says that I need to respond by 9/16.
Less than 7 hours later shortly after midnight 9/16, ebay sends me another email reminding me that I need to respond to the return by today.
I checked in my Manage Returns page and see both returns filed by the buyer on 9/15 and my time window to respond is 1 day (9/16).
Did this time window change that I'm not aware of? Yes yes, a simple respond within 1 day isn't that difficult. But that's beside the point. Many times I use that 3 business day window to communicate with the buyer for times a better resolution can be agreed on that will cancel the buyer's need to return the item.
mykhailo_hut
·3 weeks agoThe part that stands out is that the deadline itself wasn’t clear. When you opened the return, did eBay show anywhere why you only had one day to respond instead of the usual window, and what would happen if you missed it?
iamalwaysright
OP3 weeks agoI'm the Seller. The buyer opened the return and the screenshots is what I received. I assume if I missed the 9/16 window, the default return address will be provided to the buyer and return postage would be able to be generated. Which is something I might want to delay.
This return in question was no problem to respond to within 9/16 and allow the return postage to be generated. I'm generally speaking for future returns that might want to utilize the 3 day window that this return did not offer.
albertabrightalberta
·3 weeks agoI'm making assumptions based on what you've said and what I know.
It sounds like you have a remorse return and the buyer's request is automatically accepted but it's giving you the opportunity to make any changes or adjustments to your address or RMA within 24 hours. If you don't revise anything, you still have 3 days.
iamalwaysright
OP3 weeks agoYour assumptions are correct. But what do you mean by "If you don't revise anything"? From what the screenshot says, I'm perceiving it as if I don't respond with the RMA and/or return address by the end of 9/16, my default return address is going to be sent to the buyer and the buyer is able to generate return postage. In the past, return postage would be unable to be generated before the 3 days are up (or until I respond).
thriftyfiftyfifty
·3 weeks agoI have not seen a change to the 3 Business Days. It appears though they are taking exception to your "Return Address" and that is the culprit for the quick response. I also require RMA's for my Returns and regardless of Remorse or INAD, I do not get the "confirm return address" language/requests in my Returns.
iamalwaysright
OP3 weeks agoThe possible reason why you don't see that is because you have Free Returns with seller pays return postage every time. Am I correct in thinking that? The address option appears only if you have buyer pays for remorse returns enabled.
thriftyfiftyfifty
·3 weeks ago@iamalwaysright Gotcha...yes, I primarily have Free Returns. So you get this Return Address Verification Message in your remorse returns each time but normally it is a 3 Day Confirmation window as well to go along with the normal 3 Business Days Return response for you? Just this time 1 Day has been levied out of the blue and it is not only related to the "Confirm Address" request but the Return Response as well? Just curious as the process is obviously different for me.
bdmh-enterprises
·3 weeks agoThis is a remorse return, yes? It's only because you require the RMA that you have to respond at all. When you don't require the RMA the return is automatically processed and label sent to the buyer without your interaction.
Isn't the 3 days to respond to a NAD return?
iamalwaysright
OP3 weeks agoCorrect. Yes it is a remorse return. Please refer to the reply I've pinned to the top to explain why I enabled the RMA. And up until now, ebay gave 3 days to respond with RMA for remorse returns too (when RMA is enabled) as well as NAD.
dhbookds
·3 weeks agoDo you get this (confirm and the RMA#) on every return?
What they say is the return is automatically approved......so not sure the time limit (1 day) applies to it...........
iamalwaysright
OP3 weeks ago · EditedYes, it's a strategic tactic I've used for many years now. Please refer to my previous comment that I pinned to the top. This is the first time I've seen this one day window. I don't get as much returns as before, but it's always been 3 days up until now. Just wondering if it's a glitch or is this a formal change. If no one can confirm or deny here, I guess I'll find out the next time I get a return filed.
deltilogical
·3 weeks agoI don't always look at Ebay everyday when I am on the road. They keep making things less and less reality-based.
ten_o_nine
·3 weeks agoHow long would it take you to confirm your return address? Just click confirm if it correct.
iamalwaysright
OP3 weeks ago · EditedRespectfully, you didn’t answer my question. Please refer to my OP.
chapeau-noir
·3 weeks agoOP wants to know if there was a change in the return window. It would be good to know - some of us may not be able to respond in one day (cell coverage and wi-fi isn't ubiquitous).
luckythewinner
·3 weeks agoI agree.
But in addition, the OP could clarify the exact circumstances.
Is the OP using business policies?
What are the OP's return settings?
Was this return automatically approved?
Is there a policy page that specifies 3 days, or is that just an assumption?
etc.
Like it or not, eBay sellers are expected to behave like a business and be on top of issues. I check eBay every day without fail.
In the OP's case it sounds like the return is already approved and will happen without any intervention by the OP. eBay is just giving the OP a quick opportunity to fix his return address (which should already be correct) and add an optional RMA number (which I do not beleive would be the end of the world if missing).
iamalwaysright
OP3 weeks agoSorry for the delay. Been preoccupied.
-Yes
-Auto approve but opting to issue RMA number. See below to understand why I do this.
-Yes
-I don't remember. It's been so long that I don't recall if ebay formally states a respond window for auto-approved returns.
Up until my post, ebay would give 3 business days as the respond window for auto approved returns when you choose the option to provide an RMA number. Therefore, these buyers don't get an immediate notification from ebay to return the item after the return is approved. You get the benefit of not having to vet your returns, and a small 3 day window to address any issues that don't result in or are related to returning the item for a refund at all. I'll explain.
Many times I get returns opened from buyers who say the item is damaged, or ask for an exchange or replacement of the item, or simply the item is not worth me paying for return shipping for. This "RMA window" allows me to refund the item without the buyer ever receiving a postage label. Without it, there's a chance the buyer could still use the generated postage label on my dime (potentially returning a totally unwanted possibly damaged item) after they already received a full refund from me. This is also true for times a partial refund is requested and needed because of seller error. It's nice to have the 3 days for any necessary back/forth communication.
Or for exchanges (without buyer returning the original item) it gives me more time to get a replacement to my buyer before ever needing to move forward with the return. I would then call ebay to close out the return without a refund with proof showing they received a satisfactory replacement.
Enabling the RMA function also allows you more control with return postage labels being given to your buyer. The big benefit is it allows you to provide a non-ebay generated postage label to your buyer. One of my accounts has had huuuuuge problems with ebay incorrectly pricing the generated postage labels to my buyers. I couldn't figure out why, but for instance an item that would cost $6 postage (thru my outbound postage label service as well as pirateship) would be quoted as $8+ thru the ebay return postage generator. Then when ebay included using FedEx (I loathe them btw) into the mix with return postage, their return postage quote for the same item would like as high as $11-$13! There were times the automated system opted to issue my buyer a FedEx return postage for that inflated price instead of the cheaper USPS one. Enabling the RMA function allows me to monitor all of that before issuing the buyer the return postage. Plus I'll get 3 days to do it in.
ten_o_nine
·3 weeks agoThere's no penalty for not responding because the return is already approved,, it's an optional feature that you can turn off if you don't want to add an RMA.
cityslickercreations2004
·3 weeks agoPerhaps I am reading this wrong. It appears you are being asked to provide your return address and RMA. Could this be for a return label to be sent to the buyer?