Community Chat, April 11th from 1pm Pacific - General Topics

[alan@ebay]

Hi Community!

Please join The Community Team here on Wed April 11th at 1 pm Pacific for a one hour Q&A chat. We do not have a set topic, so please share your buying & selling questions.

Chat with you then

*Keep in mind the Community’s Rules of Engagement when you post. Non-constructive/disrespectful posts will be removed by our moderation team so that the thread can focus on a productive discussion. 

[mam98031]

Options

 trinton@ebay

Re: Community Chat, April 4th from 1pm Pacific - General Topics

in reply to mam98031 04-04-2018 01:21:50 PM

@mam98031 wrote:

Question regarding how a buyer selects the reason for a Return Request.

Let’s say I have a buyer that I’ve been communicating with in M2M regarding an issue the buyer is having with an item they purchased from me.  In the course of these communications the buyer clearly states that they want to return the item because it is just not what they really wanted or some other buyer remorse reason. 

Then the buyer goes and opens up a request for a return but they do not use one of the BR reasons, they file it as a SNAD.  This happens to sellers all the time.  But in this case let’s keep in mind that the seller has clear evidence via M2M that this is a BR claim and the buyer has tried to game the system/seller by filing it as a SNAD.

When there is clear evidence and I do mean clear, not subjective, that the buyer filed for the wrong type of return, why can’t sellers call and get this SNAD closed or changed to a BR return?

What  is it that Ebay expects sellers to do in a case like this?  What are a seller’s options to get this changed as the two types of claims carry a different process for most sellers?

Hi @mam98031! We have contacted the appropriate teams about the process these kinds of returns are subject to. Once we have more information to share we will update the boards, no problem! In the meantime, I recommend that any seller who runs into this situation contact Customer Service to have the details reviewed for appropriate next steps.

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@Trinton

Above is short discussion we had last week.  I sent you an email that outlined in more detail the problems with a specific open Request which supports what I posted about.  As of this posting I have not heard anything and the claim is still open.  So what is it that Ebay wants seller to do in a predicament like this?  It isn’t an unusual problem or uncommon.  This happens all the time to all kinds of sellers.

[mam98031]

@mam98031 wrote:

Question regarding how a buyer selects the reason for a Return Request.

Let’s say I have a buyer that I’ve been communicating with in M2M regarding an issue the buyer is having with an item they purchased from me.  In the course of these communications the buyer clearly states that they want to return the item because it is just not what they really wanted or some other buyer remorse reason. 

Then the buyer goes and opens up a request for a return but they do not use one of the BR reasons, they file it as a SNAD.  This happens to sellers all the time.  But in this case let’s keep in mind that the seller has clear evidence via M2M that this is a BR claim and the buyer has tried to game the system/seller by filing it as a SNAD.

When there is clear evidence and I do mean clear, not subjective, that the buyer filed for the wrong type of return, why can’t sellers call and get this SNAD closed or changed to a BR return?

What  is it that Ebay expects sellers to do in a case like this?  What are a seller’s options to get this changed as the two types of claims carry a different process for most sellers?

Hi @mam98031! We have contacted the appropriate teams about the process these kinds of returns are subject to. Once we have more information to share we will update the boards, no problem! In the meantime, I recommend that any seller who runs into this situation contact Customer Service to have the details reviewed for appropriate next steps.

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@Trinton

Above is short discussion we had last week.  I sent you an email that outlined in more detail the problems with a specific open Request which supports what I posted about.  As of this posting I have not heard anything and the claim is still open.  So what is it that Ebay wants seller to do in a predicament like this?  It isn’t an unusual problem or uncommon.  This happens all the time to all kinds of sellers.

[dtexley3]

mangled the name @berserkerplanet

[mr_lincoln]

Good afternoon eBay Support Team and thanks for coming in today!  I have some Mobile Friendly Checker questions below, please excuse any incorrect terminology or referencing on my part as some of this is not may area of expertise ...

Mobile friendly checker questions:

1. Does adding <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> through the Bulk Editor > Edit Fields > Add to Item Description > HTML window (pic below) to multiple listings at one time fix the listings to be mobile friendly?
2. If there are already items shown in the HTML window should the aforementioned adder be placed at the beginning or end of those existing items?
3. If the above is NOT a workable solution then what is the correct adder method and how is it done to multiple items in the Bulk Editor?
4. Is it possible, when creating a listing for the first time, to use certain settings, font sizes, spacing, etc. so that the listing is mobile friendly from the start? And should that be done in the normal Item Decription window or the HTML widow?
5. Does the Mobile Friendly checker correct anything else on the item listing other than the Description?

[mam98031]

Options

 brian.t@ebay

Re: Community Chat, April 4th from 1pm Pacific - General Topics

in reply to mam98031 04-04-2018 01:30:22 PM

@mam98031 wrote:

I have a question regarding the Free Return program.

If I were to offer Free Returns, will I still be able to withhold the original shipping or otherwise give a partial refund on a claim that is filed as a Buyer’s Remorse?  What if I do free shipping?  Will I still be able to give a partial refund on a Buyer’s Remorse Request?

Will I still be able to have the buyer pay for return shipping if I do Free Returns?

Hi @mam98031, sellers will still have the option to retain original shipping on remorse returns, even when offering free returns. We expect partial refunds of the item cost to only be done if an item is returned damaged and not on remorse returns. Sellers that offer Free Returns will not have the ability to charge buyers for return shipping.

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Bryan,

Above is a discussion we had last week.  I did send you an email requesting clarification on what you stated, but I have not yet heard back from you.  Please advise as I feel it is important for sellers to understand this.  Right or wrong doesn’t matter at this point, I’m just trying to make sure I understand the program as it stands.

You stated that partial refunds will NOT be available for a BR return.  But that doesn’t make sense to me.  Often times it is a BR return that the item will come back in used condition when it was new when it left my hands. 

So let’s say this happens with the purchase of a fragrance.  The buyer lets me know that they don’t like the smell, so they want to return the item.  Certainly I can’t guarantee that anyone will like any particular fragrance.  That is completely a personal choice with all kinds of variable.

First thing to notice is that they state that they don’t like the smell.  Right off that tells me they broke the seal on the packaging / bottle and used it.  Now the item is no longer in new condition and therefore I can’t sell it as new which makes the price difference / value of the return significantly different than it was when I shipped it.

So why is it that Ebay is of the opinion that on a BR claim sellers should not have the need to offer a partial refund?

[mam98031]

@mam98031 wrote:

I have a question regarding the Free Return program.

If I were to offer Free Returns, will I still be able to withhold the original shipping or otherwise give a partial refund on a claim that is filed as a Buyer’s Remorse?  What if I do free shipping?  Will I still be able to give a partial refund on a Buyer’s Remorse Request?

Will I still be able to have the buyer pay for return shipping if I do Free Returns?

Hi @mam98031, sellers will still have the option to retain original shipping on remorse returns, even when offering free returns. We expect partial refunds of the item cost to only be done if an item is returned damaged and not on remorse returns. Sellers that offer Free Returns will not have the ability to charge buyers for return shipping.

***********************************

Bryan,

Above is a discussion we had last week.  I did send you an email requesting clarification on what you stated, but I have not yet heard back from you.  Please advise as I feel it is important for sellers to understand this.  Right or wrong doesn’t matter at this point, I’m just trying to make sure I understand the program as it stands.

You stated that partial refunds will NOT be available for a BR return.  But that doesn’t make sense to me.  Often times it is a BR return that the item will come back in used condition when it was new when it left my hands. 

So let’s say this happens with the purchase of a fragrance.  The buyer lets me know that they don’t like the smell, so they want to return the item.  Certainly I can’t guarantee that anyone will like any particular fragrance.  That is completely a personal choice with all kinds of variable.

First thing to notice is that they state that they don’t like the smell.  Right off that tells me they broke the seal on the packaging / bottle and used it.  Now the item is no longer in new condition and therefore I can’t sell it as new which makes the price difference / value of the return significantly different than it was when I shipped it.

So why is it that Ebay is of the opinion that on a BR claim sellers should not have the need to offer a partial refund?

[tunicaslot]

My second question concerns something that has been discussed on the boards - but it's one of these until it happens to you - you can't realize the fu8ll scope of how it affects you as a seller. In looking at a couple of my NWT items - in which I put in the UPC code - I see a blue link saying that 3 other items are available with a starting price of $18.00 - $4.00 below my price - thus directing buyers to shop one of these other sellers.

As a buyer - I can appreciate saving a few dollars - but as a seller - you are directing them away from a listing that I've pd for. It's like mall management standing outside of one store and directing it's customers to another store because they have the same items ad are running a sale. It's really not the mall management's business to direct customers away from one store and promote another. Ebay would be receiving a bit more in FVFs if a buyer purchases my item vs one that is selling for less. If this is the future of things - even tho I've been here 20 yrs. - my NWT items may be put elsewhere. I don't want to do this but it will be a race to the bottom if Ebay continues to do this and not many of us can afford or will accept that loss here.

[brian@ebay]

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@*coins wrote:

Whose idea was it to put a 'return item' button in the place of the 'leave feedback' button when looking at your purchased items?
Is this just a beta test or is it permanent?
I really don't like it.

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Hi @*coins, I'm not aware of any beta tests for the Leave Feedback button. It looks like your screenshot is an older version of the Purchase History page. The newer page does prominently display the "Leave feedback" button. 

I'm happy to look into this further to see what information I can find about the button change on the old page. I'll send you an email shortly to get some examples from you. 

[alan@ebay]

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@itsjustasprain wrote:

If you can please look at my feedback page you will see that I have 14 DSR ratings for Shipping Time:

However I have never sold anything at all at any time from this account in the 11 years that I have had it. Over those 11 years I have only ever shipped back two returns so that does not seem to be relevant either.

I first noticed that Shipping rating maybe a few months ago and the number has been creeping slowly up since then. I started a discussion thread about it at the link below and posted a screenshot of my feedback page there at that time:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-did-I-get-Seller-feedback-when-I-m-not-a-seller/m-p/281652...

eBay user @fjbet13 replied in that thread to say that he has never sold anything either but that he had 26 ratings for Shipping and Handling Charges. I looked at his page again today and he is now up to 38!

Another weird detail about this is that both he and I are only getting these unexplained DSR stars in just one category. That category keeps ticking up slowly but no other categories show any ratings at all. As software bugs go this seems to be a weird one. Someone said that I should be happy that I have a 5.0 rating  but this does not give me confidence that the DSR ratings are being accurately applied here.

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Very interesting, @itsjustasprain!

We've looked into it, and we can see that this is a known bug that our tech team is working to fix at the moment.

Thank you!

[labs118]

With the ebay returns label we are told that it will either be First class or Priority mail
I know that ebay as well as most companies have special return rates and first class returns are not only up to 15.99 oz as regular shipping labels so what about insurance?

If I ship out an item Priority mail with either the $50.00 or $100.00 insurance or even insue for extra on my own  & a return label is issued by ebay how does a seller cover themselves in the event an item arrives back damaged ?

To be honest I don't believe a buyer has the vested interest in the items safe return and may not pack it the way sellers might to pervent damage.

How does a seller get insurance for their items with ebay returns?  

[dtexley3]

There have been some reports of sellers calling into CS about returns being told by CS staff that there is a new policy that return requests are to be closed in favor of the buyer.  I've asked a couple times if this is the new policy and had no response.

[tyler@ebay]

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@dtexley3 wrote:

FedEx smartPost shipping is broken again.  It doesn't appear to be applying the dimensional weights.  There is a thread with multiple examples from myself and bezkerplanet showing the error and we have pinged the blues.

How long will this take to fix? Will eBay step up and notify those that still use FedEx SmartPost that it will charge the buyer about 50% of what FedEx will bill them on their next invoice (not what it shows when the label is generated)?

This could run into some serious money for an unwary seller.  I'm sure eBay isn't going to reimburse without one or more long calls to CS.

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Hi @dtexley3 - I'm working on reviewing those threads and getting more information on what's going on. Look for updates there! 

[mendelsons]

@mam98031 wrote:
Question regarding how a buyer selects the reason for a Return Request.



Let’s say I have a buyer that I’ve been communicating with in M2M regarding an issue the buyer is having with an item they purchased from me. In the course of these communications the buyer clearly states that they want to return the item because it is just not what they really wanted or some other buyer remorse reason.



Then the buyer goes and opens up a request for a return but they do not use one of the BR reasons, they file it as a SNAD. This happens to sellers all the time. But in this case let’s keep in mind that the seller has clear evidence via M2M that this is a BR claim and the buyer has tried to game the system/seller by filing it as a SNAD.



When there is clear evidence and I do mean clear, not subjective, that the buyer filed for the wrong type of return, why can’t sellers call and get this SNAD closed or changed to a BR return?



What is it that Ebay expects sellers to do in a case like this? What are a seller’s options to get this changed as the two types of claims carry a different process for most sellers?

Hi @mam98031! We have contacted the appropriate teams about the process these kinds of returns are subject to. Once we have more information to share we will update the boards, no problem! In the meantime, I recommend that any seller who runs into this situation contact Customer Service to have the details reviewed for appropriate next steps.



************************************************



@Trinton



Above is short discussion we had last week. I sent you an email that outlined in more detail the problems with a specific open Request which supports what I posted about. As of this posting I have not heard anything and the claim is still open. So what is it that Ebay wants seller to do in a predicament like this? It isn’t an unusual problem or uncommon. This happens all the time to all kinds of sellers.

___________________________________________________________________

We have had this same situation come up several times and just again last week I called eBay and was told there is nothing that can be done. That I will have to pay for shipping on the original shipping but I didn't have to provide a label, even though the return has been accepted by the seller and is pending waiting for a label - I was told to leave it at that state so that the buyer had to purchase the return shipping.

No way to appeal. I know as the seller I'm not happy and if I were the buyer I wouldn't be happy either with the mis-information that is being thrown out there. Someone needs to get this dialed in correctly.

[mam98031]

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@mendelsons wrote:
Explains why we see so many return request that never get followed through by the buyer. They half heartly open a return to see what they can get out of the seller. If there was a button that said Get a Free Lunch they would probably press that all day too. Thanks for the help eBay....not

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To add to that as I agree this seems to be happening more and more right now.  To make things even tougher on sellers, there are many reports of sellers calling into the call center to get these claims closed or asking for some advice and the CSR is taking it upon themselves to escalate the Requests to a Claim.  Even sometimes when the seller SPECIFICALLY states they are calling in for advice only.

And to add insult to injury, within moments the claim gets closed in the buyer's favor.  Which now becomes a ding on the seller's account.

We aren't making this up, it is happening and it is very alarming to many of us.

[mr_lincoln]

tyler@ebay

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tyler@ebay wrote:

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@mcdougle4248 wrote:

Would requesting money from a buyer, via PayPal, for a shipping service that was not offered in a listing (but the buyer wants) be allowed.  Example:  Buyer pays for an item that has free economy shipping.  After paying the buyer sends a message to the seller and asks if the item can be shipped Priority Mail.

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Hi @mcdougle4248 - as long as the buyer has made the purchase on eBay and paid for the item, there shouldn't be an issue for you to arrange the additional payment for a shipping upgrade. 

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Tyler, thanks - good reply but would it be possible to provide a step by step process to achieve adding the additional $$ for the specially requested shipping method AFTER the item has been paid for?  Is it a separate invoice?  And if so, how is it linked to the original transaction?  Is there a Revise the original invoice function somewhere?

[*coins]

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brian@ebay wrote:

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@*coins wrote:

Whose idea was it to put a 'return item' button in the place of the 'leave feedback' button when looking at your purchased items?
Is this just a beta test or is it permanent?
I really don't like it.

---

Hi @*coins, I'm not aware of any beta tests for the Leave Feedback button. It looks like your screenshot is an older version of the Purchase History page. The newer page does prominently display the "Leave feedback" button. 

I'm happy to look into this further to see what information I can find about the button change on the old page. I'll send you an email shortly to get some examples from you. 

---

I took that screenshot a few days ago.

Here is another screenshot I just took a moment ago..and this one shows the date and time:

[readabouthorses]

I was checking the Magazine Back Issues category by using the Shop by Category button and then choosing Books and then Magazine Back Issues. Today I am seeing a really big bunch of listings in there that do not belong there and have no connection whatsoever with Magazine Back Issues. It isn't coming from just one seller, it is coming from multiple sellers. Then when I checked a few of those sellers I notice they have lots of listings and most of them are in various categories that do not apply to what they are listing.

Some deeper digging reveals they all seem to be using one third party program to bring their listings into eBay. That program is called SaleFreaks. It seems they have a program that pulls listings from Amazon and brings them over to eBay, stating the items are in the US and ship with US shipping methods but a lot of those sellers are not in the US.

This is making a lot of the categories look like disasters.

I can't believe that no one at eBay vetted this third party program before allowing them to dump tens of thousands of listings into eBay.

One listing in particular made me laugh so hard I couldn't get my breath. It was a listing for some wooden napkin rings, in the category for Ebay Motors Parts and within the listing was an option for $14.95 to get a call on how to "install" your car part, which happened to be wooden napkin rings!