Hi everyone! Thanks for joining us for the Weekly Chat with eBay Staff. We don't have a specific topic this week, so feel free to share any general buying or selling questions you may have!
The chat thread will remain open until 2 PM PT at which point we'll close it from additional responses. After that time, we'll continue to work on responding to any queries that might still be unanswered.
To post your question, click Reply in the lower right corner of this post, type your question, and hit submit between 1-2 PM Pacific Time. The format of our chat mirrors the format of our Community Discussion Boards, where each post will appear in the thread chronologically. The Community Team will review each question as it comes in, and will quote the original question in our reply. This quote and the reply will appear later in the thread, so just keep scrolling down to see our answers.
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Thanks for joining the chat today. It is now closed from further replies but we will be going through and making sure all questions are addressed.
Thanks!
@gwzcomps wrote:
brian@ebay wrote:
@gwzcomps wrote:
How is it fair for eBay to punish sellers for returns when eBay goes out of their way to hide our descriptions on the mobile site and app? The more I think about it service metrics is less of a scam perpetrated by eBay and is borderline fraud. Why does eBay continue to threaten sellers with service metrics SNAD penalties when eBay appears to be intentionally setting us up for failure? Am I really expected to be able to describe my items solely by the 80 character limit on the title?
@gwzcomps mobile screens have limited display space on their smaller screens so we focus on showing buyers a portion of listing descriptions to help them know what they are buying. Sellers can choose what appears in the item description summary (up to 800 characters) by following these steps. The option to view the full description is available to all buyers in the mobile app by clicking on the description field.
Have you ever used the mobile app though? I finally started looking at it beyond notifications. eBay hides our descriptions down on the "third page" with a hard to see abbreviated description. I am slightly aware of that information you supplied. I shouldn't have to jump through extra hoops to get proper description exposure though. On top of that most users aren't going to be tech savvy enough to understand that link.
This post I made has the screenshots of what buyers see:
@gwzcomps about half of my eBay shopping is done through the mobile app. It's true that the app offers a different view when compared to the browser experience, but this hasn't caused me an issue when browsing / purchasing items. The majority of buyers who primarily shop in the app are accustomed to how listings are displayed and how to view an items full description because this is the experience they are familiar with. I can understand a buyer who primarily shops using a desktop browser not being familiar with the view on the mobile app, but after spending a little time viewing listings the experience can become intuitive.
With that said, the mobile team is very active on the the mobiles boards (iOS and Android) and they appreciate seller and buyer feedback. I think posting your feedback, concerns, and thoughts on how this could be improved is worth sharing with that team on one of those boards.
@go-bad-chicken wrote:
Good afternoon.
Can you please forward this onto the appropriate department that is in charge of the recent changes made to the shipping labels page.
Recently some up/down toggle sitches have been added to the weight and dimension boxes. The idea behind the additions is a sound one but the formatting of those boxes needs some tweaking. I am using a desktop pc and have tried the labels page using both Firefox as well as Chrome and my end results are the same.
The new up/down toggle switches cover up the actual dimensions, primarily the second number of any double digit dimension or weight. This makes it very hard to see what number you have changed that dimension when a change is required. i.e. changing the number from 16 to 12. If I do not pay attention to the number of clicks that I make going backwards I can not tell if that number is an 11, a 12, or a 13. What is required is for the boxes to be enlarged.
see my attached screenshot
Hi @go-bad-chicken - thanks for this info! We've gotten it to the right team.
@easterbasset wrote:
In support of the seller creativecrisis from the Aug 26 2020 Chat, I agree ebay should make an Announcement about anticipating extending existing policies. Even an acknowledgement before an impending hurricane ( or any inevitable disaster)would be a gigantic kindness. At least include link to existing policies available for us, so sellers can re-familiarize themselves, or any special protections that are likely.
As I have gone through a natural disaster crisis while being a seller, once power grids fail, and communication networks become sketchy, the quest for reassurance that ebay has your back as a seller can feel dauntingly tedious with so many recovery tasks to get resolved.
I ask for the post from last week get forwarded to the team that makes such Announcements. Please forward this post also.
That minor gesture can bring surprisingly big relief. I know how reducing such worries affect me. It multiplies my ability to focus. It improves my 'bounce back' momentum.
When seller finally can reconnect to internet and ebay, instead of checking policies blah blah blah, they can put energy into taking care of buyers orders etc right away!
You've likely already seen our announced protections for the hurricane, but I wanted to share it here just in case. I'm happy to pass your feedback along @easterbasset! Thanks!
@stylishbeauty wrote:
I believe there is a list of categories that don’t need to offer returns yet still qualify for Top Rated Seller Plus benefits. I sell mainly in the Health and Beauty categories. When a customer returns certain Health and Beauty items, they cannot be resold for safety reasons. Also, eBay’s policy does not allow used cosmetics to be resold. Why aren’t any of the Health and Beauty categories on the Top Rated Seller Plus return exemption list?
Hi @stylishbeauty - this is a really great question, but unfortunately not one I have an immediate answer for. I will make sure that this is escalated and if/when I hear back I will update this thread. Thanks!
@mg152 wrote:
Hi everyone,
I hope everyone is well. It’s been a hard few months here. We’ve been at home since February soooo....
Anyway, I wanted to say hi. Thanks to eBay for the $25 coupon for being “one of the first”. Lol! I really feel old now. Ha ha. I’ll try to be online more, it’s just really rough with us being stuck home and me feeling a little nutty.
Now, I guess I’ll go find something to buy after I charge my battery. Hate to pop in and out but my battery is very low. Everyone hang in there! ❤️❤️🐶🐶🐶😀😀
@mg152 it's so good to hear to you!!! Please feel free to pop in on the boards / weekly chat anytime to say hello! We enjoy having you around 🙂
@donsdetour wrote:
Are you aware that the new messages to users for signing up to Managed Pay is using old dates, and how soon will it be corrected??
It would help if they actually new the dates this is to happen not past dates..
Hi @donsdetour - I wasn't, but I'll pass it along!
@mam98031 wrote:
@millcreekrescue909 wrote:
That's true. But eBay has never forced you to buy an eBay return label before. Not even Amazon does this. I can buy return label cheaper than eBay return labels.
For me, since I have the RMA checked as a requirement, Ebay has never auto issued a label for me either. At least not until after I assigned an RMA to the return. Then they did. Or if I wanted I could have chosen to do my own label.
Which brings up another good question. For those that don't have a RMA number required on returns checked off in their Return preferences, how will eBay know if a seller would prefer to send their own return shipping label? Is Ebay just going to assume they don't? I can see where that could be a real issue for some. Especially on heavier stuff.
Hi @mam98031 - with automated returns (and no RMA option checked) an eBay label would be provided if possible. If an eBay label is not able to be provided (for example, the item's weight and dimensions are too large) the return would not be auto-accepted. Instead, a communication would be sent to the seller asking them to make alternative shipping arrangements. Thanks!
@mam98031 wrote:
tyler@ebay wrote:
@bimmerpc1 wrote:
Adding on to @glgenterprise :
Last Friday eBay sent an announcement to Managed Payments sellers about automation changes being made to the returns process.
Three questions:
1) Will sellers still be able to provide RMA numbers prior to eBay automatically issuing a shipping label to the buyer?
2) Will sellers still be able to provide their own return shipping labels? We sell heavy and large items. eBay frequently offers their USPS labels for these types of returns but they are not a good solution: eBay's labels are not insured, they are typically much more expensive than the transaction's original shipping cost and the rates we get through other carriers.
3) If eBay automates all seller inputs for most returns, what happens with the partial refund process or when sellers wish to refund the buyer and not require the item to be shipped back?
Thanks
Hi @bimmerpc1 - answers below:
1. Yes, this process has not changed. If you use the RMA process, the return will be auto-accepted when opened. For SNAD returns, you'll have 3 business days to provide the RMA and, if you wish, an alternate label. For remorse returns, you’ll be given 1 business day.
2. Yes, as long as you utilize the RMA process.
3. A partial refund as part of the return flow is not available with auto-accepted returns. It would still be an option available to you before a buyer opens a return that meets the criteria for auto-acceptance. If you do not want the item back you should be able to set up automation rules that will help with that (My eBay>Account>Site Preferences>Return Preferences).
3. What if a seller has the need to take that on a case by case basis? Setting up a rule for me would not work well.
When we do use the RMA process, if we decide at the time of notification to just fully refund the buyer instead of taking the return, is that an option? Just for clarification.
Hi @mam98031 - this is a thing you'll need to answer for me I'm afraid - is that currently an option for you in your returns? I ask because nothing about the automated returns process itself has changed (just that managed payments sellers are now included). The information I have says that partial refunds aren't allowed, but nothing about full refunds one way or the other.
I've requested more info, but if you've seen the option then I'd take that as confirmation that it's allowed in the flow when RMAs are used. Thanks!
@unusual_retail wrote:
Same goes for vintage shirts. Vendors, primarily from Asia, are reprinting valuable shirts from the 80s and 90s and selling them here. No other resale site allows them to the level that eBay does, I think eBay is going to run into some serious trouble if the counterfeit problem isn't fixed soon.
Technology has advanced quite a bit and eBay is very far behind when it comes to enforcing policies to protect legit sellers.
@unusual_retail we do have a policy for counterfeits on our site and I agree that it's frustrating when some try to circumvent this. Our teams work 24/7 to monitor and remove listings violating our various policies. While we do catch a large majority, there will be times when some may slip through the cracks for various reasons. With enough time we do typically find these items and take action, but member reports can help close this gap much quicker if they report items to us. Our priority, along with sellers such as yourself, is to have a safe marketplace for everyone. I realize that reporting items can take time, but it really does help speed up the removal process. We appreciate any time you or other sells spend in reporting violations to us as.
@cerealjedi wrote:
I have a high bidder on my action at $55, he asked if I could end that and take $75 I said sure.
How do I do this and get the $75 when high bid shows only $55 at the moment?
Hi @cerealjedi - the simplest way would probably be to end the listing and create a Fixed-Price listing with a high purchase price and the Best Offer function enabled. You can then give the prospective buyer the item number and they can make a best offer for the agreed upon price and you can review and accept it.
Thanks!
