Community Chat, Nov 8th @ 1pm PT - General Topics

[alan@ebay]

Hi Community, 

Please join the Community team here at 1 pm PT on Nov 8th for our weekly chat. 

There isn't a set topic this week so feel free to ask us your eBay buying & selling questions. 

Thank you. 

[tyler@ebay]

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@*eponymous* wrote:

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tyler@ebay wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

From the Announcement Board:

"Partial Refund Option for Free Returns

Sellers who offer free returns--free return shipping and no restocking fees--now have the option to give less than full refunds. You can deduct up to 50% of the item price if the returned item is damaged, missing parts, or otherwise not in the same condition as when you shipped it"

I offer free return shipping and no restocking fee. Must I affirmatively "opt in" to this in some way, or am I qualified to make the deduction simply because I meet the qualifications?

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More importantly, how does anyone PROVE that the item was returned damaged?  How does this intersect with MBG?  

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Hi @dtexley3 - we would want you to use the 'Report a buyer' feature in the body of the return to disclose the damage on the item. This would mesh directly with MBG, meaning a buyer wouldn't have a recourse through us once it was closed. 

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My memory is that earlier discussions said the buyer would be able to dispute the partial refund, but you say the seller can withhold up to 50% of the purchase price, report the buyer, and the buyer will have no recourse?

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Hi @*eponymous* - your memory serves you correctly, thanks for the call out! A buyer has 10 days from the refund date to ask eBay to step in if less than a full refund is issued.  @dtexley3, please note the time frame they have to ask us to step in. While this wouldn't change your action taken to issue less than the full refund, we would work with the buyer to reach an amicable resolution.

[alan@ebay]

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@imakesugar wrote:

I had a Seller cancel an order through Pay Pal they wrote me a note saying they were sorry. The note said to pay now . Why would that come up to pay now when I had already paid once. I paid again for fear i would get a non payment against my account. 

Aparently Sellers aren't getting defects IF eBay has No history of it being paid and the screen says to pay now after the Seller canceled the order.  Are there logistics in place to keep sellers from canceling on pay pal and do they REALLY got a defect? 

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Hi @imakesugar, 

Sorry to hear about the issues with some of your recent purchases. In the situation that you've described the seller would receive a defect. 

Thanks. 

[brian@ebay]

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@papermoneyforme wrote:

Will Ebay ever fix the tracking number issue on a order with mutiple items.I don't use on line labels.

Why is it a requirement to enter the tracking number and shipping method for every item instead of once for the whole order so it populates each one automatically?

It is very time consuming and a similar situation arises for a claim for an invoice with many items.

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Hi @papermoneyforme, I want to get specific details from you so I can find the best answer or pass along a suggestion for possible changes. Keep an eye out for an email from me shortly.

[alan@ebay]

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alan@ebay wrote:

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@vrykalak wrote:

There are only 14 countries now, where 1st class parcels, and priority mail parcels that weigh 4 lbs or less, can be tracked.

The tracking feature is available for items sent to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, France, Netherlands, Croatia, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, Israel and Brazil.
(https://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2013/fs-free-online-tracking.htm)

eBay should have an option--a "switch"--to allow international mailing to just those 14 countries.

(The last time I looked, you still had to block all 220 countries on the list, and then unblock the ones you wanted to ship to.)

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Hi @vrykalak,

Sounds like a good idea, thanks for calling it out. I will contact my friends in Shipping and see what they can do. 

Thank you! 

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Hi @vrykalak, 

The shipping team replied. They advised your suggestion is good and they can consider for an upcoming systems design. 

They also advised for extra protection on international shipping defects, etc… to use the Global Shipping Program. 

Lastly, they advised that the countries list is updated on a regular basis (international countries that USPS provide First Class Package service international tracking in the destination country).

They categorize this as ‘ePacket’ countries, and our eBay labels system dispenses labels for ePacket to the list maintained here: 

https://www.usps.com/business/international-shipping.htm (tips> Browse ePacket Countries list)

Browse Commercial ePacket Country ListCollapseFAQ question

Send and receive Commercial ePackets to and from the following countries:

Australia     Israel
Brazil        Italy
Belgium        Latvia
Canada        Lithuania
Croatia        Luxembourg
Denmark        Malaysia
Estonia       Malta
Finland       Netherlands
France       New Zealand
Gibraltar     Singapore
Great Britain Spain
Hong Kong     Sweden
Hungary       Switzerland
Ireland

Many thanks!  

[tyler@ebay]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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tyler@ebay wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

I have a couple of questions regarding the Automatic Acceptance for Returns policy.

In the Q&A in returns it states:

If I offer free returns, will a return request be automatically accepted?

If an item has a free returns policy, the return will not be immediately accepted. You have three business days to manually accept the return and select the return shipping label option for your buyer. You will also be responsible for the cost of the label. If you do not approve the return request and select a label for your buyer within 3 business days, eBay will automatically approve the request and provide a label when available.

I’m unclear as to what this means in application.  I would ask so if I’m still negotiating with my buyer or otherwise still working with my buyer to resolve the issue, is Ebay going to step in and force a return when it is in the Request stage because the buyer and seller have not reached an agreement within 3 days? 

If Ebay forces the return while it is in the Request stage, even though the buyer and seller have been communicating, will this count against the seller in their stats?

The other one is this:

When do return requests qualify for automatic acceptance?

To qualify, return requests must meet one of these criteria:

• "Buyer doesn't want the item anymore" (return reason codes include "doesn't fit," "changed my mind," "found a better price," "just didn't like it," or "ordered by mistake")
• Requests meet the seller's listing returns policy
• The return is domestic and will be shipped within the US
• The buyer pays for return shipping
• The return is not an exchange or replacement request

Does that mean, you don’t have to be signed up for the automatic returns?  If it is a buyer’s remorse claim, Ebay will automatically process the return without the seller’s involvement? 

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Hi @mam98031 - great question! When it comes to auto-acceptance of returns it breaks down into two categories:

Remorse returns will be auto accepted if all of the following are true:

• Returns are accepted for the listing
• The request is within both the return window and eMBG window
• The buyer selects a remorse return reason
• The buyer is responsible for return postage
• The transaction was domestic
• US only: The buyer did not choose to have a replacement or exchange in the returns flow

Not as Described (NAD) returns will be auto-accepted if all of the following are true:

• 3 business days have elapsed with no response from the seller (US)
• the buyer opened a return request
• the seller is responsible for return shipping costs
• the seller doesn't respond within the open return
• an eBay label is available based on the item's weight, dimensions, and buyer's address

We would not take automatic action for NAD returns if any of the following are true:

• Action is detected on behalf of the seller. For example: approval, send message, partial or full refund
• The buyer has asked eBay to step in and help
• The transaction was sent internationally or part of the Global Shipping Program (GSP)
• The buyer requested a replacement or exchange

I hope that helps clarify things!

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With respect, that isn't how the Remorse Q&A reads.  It clearly states that it only needs to meet ONE of the listed items, not all.  Please advise.  Does the Q&A need to be updated?

For the SNAD Requests, that isn't how the Q&A reads either.  It says "If you do not approve the return request and select a label for your buyer within 3 business days, eBay will automatically approve the request and provide a label when available."  And you said in part "...3 business days have elapsed with no response from the seller (US)".  The two statements are not the same.  The explanation I quoted directly from the website makes no distinction between your statement and theirs.

Meaning I'm back to my original question.  If I respond to my buyer well within the 3 business day period, but at the end of those three days, my buyer and I are still discussing stuff for whatever reason we may have and I have NOT yet approved the return, will Ebay be stepping in and forcing the return???

And then I didn't get an answer about the seller stats.  If Ebay deems it appropriate to auto aprove the return of an item in the Request stage at the seller's expense or not, does this count against the seller?

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Sorry for forgetting that portion of your question @mam98031! Currently an auto-acceptance is not being seen as an escalation, and should not result in a defect if it occurs. 

Good point regarding the information coming across differently, I'll get a suggestion for clarification filed. To your hypothetical: if you and your buyer are messaging in the body of the return there would not be an auto-acceptance. Thanks!

[alan@ebay]

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alan@ebay wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

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alan@ebay wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

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Hi @dtexley3, 

We're unable to answer that question - our team didn't add it 

I am thinking that the steps here are:

1. Buyer makes an offer

2. You review offer and accept/decline

If the buyer has made "crazy requirements" you are free to decline their offer. 

Let me know if I've got that flow wrong.

Thanks. 

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I can decline the crazy requirements if I see them, but for those that use the apps, you don't see the buyer's message that would contain those requirements.

I know from painful experience NOT to respond to ANY offer via a device.  I always wait until I can pull it up in a browser and verify that the buyer hasn't thrown in "free shipping" or "priority mail".   

Not everyone knows that you won't see the buyer's message aka requirements on their device.  The message would make trying to cancel the order after the fact because they want shipping changes more problematical, we just agreed to "any additional terms".

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Thanks for the additional info, @dtexley3! 

I wasn't aware of the apps not showing requests, seems like this should be something we include in an update to the app. I'll contact our mobile apps team to share this feedback with them. 

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Hi @dtexley3, 

An update on this. Our mobile apps team think this is a bug. We're going to investigate this further. 

Thanks. 

[alan@ebay]

It looks like we're all caught up! 

Thanks for joining us today, we hope that you found today's session enjoyable and useful.

See you on the boards and back here same time next week.

[tyler@ebay]

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@golfingaddict wrote:

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tyler@ebay wrote:

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@golfingaddict wrote:

A few weeks ago I posted about a problem with eBay not appropriately collecting sales tax

trinton you said you would get back to us.  I have heard nothing.   

I am out out a bit of money over this.  Is eBay expecting us to just get over it?  CS. Never got back to me either

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Howdy @golfingaddict - I went through the last few chats and am not seeing that. I do see it mentioned in the recent chat with Griff, and we advised contacting CS, nothing about Trinton reaching out. Would you mind sharing the thread where that was discussed so we can get on the same page? Thanks! 

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10-23-17 on the powerseller board is where trinity posted that he would get back to us

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Hi @golfingaddict - the sales tax issue has been resolved at this time. If you're looking for a credit you're more than welcome to contact Customer Service to make that request. 

If you're still seeing incidents of sales tax not being applied please contact CS to get a new ticket filed. Thanks!

[alan@ebay]

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alan@ebay wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

Veteran's Day Postal holiday is incorrect when printing shipping labels.  USPS celebrates the holiday on Oct 11th, not the 10th.

You can't print USPS shipping labels for Oct 10th, but you can for the 11th. The postal holiday is the 11th, not the 10th, the holiday logic is incorrect!.

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Hi @dtexley3, 

Thanks for sharing. I will share this information with our Shipping team. 

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Hi @dtexley3,

Thank you for raising this, it’s now resolved and dates should be accurately reflected. 

[Anonymous]

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@moo*cow*corner wrote:

@Anonymous

Hi! I've asked before about the ability to progam discounts in the cart for multiple purchases of free shipping listings paid for with a single payment.

I'd often be able to give a buyer who wants to buy from more than one listing a discount, because my free shipping pricing scheme assumes each listing would ship by itself. 

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Hi @moo*cow*corner, I've been working on this suggestion and I've run into some considerations I wanted to share with you here for your information and so that any future readers of this thread can see these details. When looking at the "Request total" option, this functionality would not currently allow for a change to the item price. While this could be a future enhancement, I think ultimately the best solution is to work on implementing an official process to provide a discount after payment for either shipping or the total overall. I've submitted requests for this functionality and provide examples as they arise to support the investment it would take to create a new process like that. Additionally, making the "Request total" button available more often may lead to an over-use of the feature when a seller is not interested in providing a discount, and this may lead to a slow down of sales and consumption of a sellers time that is better spent elsewhere. 

In the meantime, I do think that you could explore creating "Order discounts" on your items through the Marketing tab of Seller Hub, under Manage Promotions. This is a great place where you can offer a price discount beyond the free shipping you already provide. 

I'll keep working passing along feedback like this so we can potentially innovate a solution that meets your needs! Thanks again! 🙂