I sell some apparels that are not in US sizing, so I obviously disclose that in the description and item specifics. Still, I've received so many return requests with claims like "do not match the product description" and "not authentic," even though all my products are authentic, and there is a size chart available for customers. I even made this visual guides that says "PLEASE READ BEFOE PLACING THE ORDER" which includes information about the sizes, etc., literally begging all Buyers to read the description before placing the order. But I noticed that A LOT (I mean A LOTTTT!!!) of Buyer don't even care to go through the product images/descriptions before placing the order.
Even though it is not my fault, I noticed that those return requests get counted towards the service metrics. So, I decided to reach out to Buyers before shipping the product so I can confirm if they've read the description and know what they are expecting. 5 out of 10 Buyers (the rest won't even reply) would reply immediately, admitting that they did not check the description. Still, they are willing to resolve the issue by asking us to change the sizes (which usually happens) or cancel the order.
So this is where I think I got this terrifying message from eBay, telling me that I've violated the Listing Cancelation Policy by selecting a false reason to avoid a defect. Well, there are three options available when I try to cancel the order for the Buyer:
1. Out of stock/damaged
2. Buyer asked to cancel
3. Issue with the Buyer's address.
Since I got the Buyer's consent to cancel and everything (at least that is what the ebay rep educated me previously on the phone), I chose option 2. The Buyer asked to cancel since I received a message from the Buyer asking to cancel the order.
But, I got this message from eBay telling me that I violated the cancelation policy, and my account is on temporary listing restriction for seven days... which is unacceptable.
So, now I am just wondering... what is the best way to help the Buyer with their cancel/refund requests without violating the policy?
Do I just ignore the Buyer's request and wait till they open a case? Should I just not reach out to Buyers and ship the product and wait for the return case with reasons like "doesn't match the description" with negative feedback - that I know eBay counts towards the metric system?
I would really appreciate it if someone could guide me on how I can adequately help the Buyers with cancellation and/or refund requests in the circumstances like this without violating the policy and getting any defects counted in the service metrics.
