Here we go with the frivolous returns again...

[gjs_16]

Every so often one of my items takes off, I get all sorts of orders and just as I'm starting to get really happy, the returns start (and all for the same or similar reason)... The reason itself depends on the item, but it's a pattern of similar errors, and we're talking a high percentage of returns / orders (as in greater than 1/10 where normally I might get 2-3 per thousand or so, even 2-3 per 100 but never 2-3 out of every 10!)

And it's always some item that has sold flawlessly for years and years...

Not that it never got returns, but just one here, one there.

This particular high returns rate per whatever "item of the year" has me pretty frustrated.

Sure would like to know what causes this, my guess is either dropshippers or "smart" search results.

[katzrul15]

Sorry to hear!

Do you offer free returns or buyer pays?  What reason do they use?  

Have no words of wisdom, but have virtual chocolate.  Hang in there!

[itscalledapostingid]

Something similar happened to a friend of mine. She was selling an electronic accessory. A burst of about 10 orders came in one day. Soon after they were delivered the return requests started rolling in. It turns out the buyers had purchased on a recommendation from someone in a FB hobby group that said this ebay item was compatible with a certain model of device. They were wrong about the compatibility. When they went back to the group to say it didn't work the same bozo recommended they just return them.

[sakic92710]

I just had a 'return' where the guy never returned it.  It was never received, anyway.  It was a Beckett graded card & he wasn't happy with the condition.  What???!!   I sent it to him with tracking.  He never provided tracking to prove the return.  Did not matter to eBay.  They gave him the refund.  Out $80 & the item!

[vintagecraze50]

Katz that was sweet!!!!!

[vintagecraze50]

Some of mine are where the buyer convieniently forgets to look at the photos with ruler measurements and conclude that what they bought was bigger smaller whatever than what they expect because they impulse trigger buy without LOOKING.

[gjs_16]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

Some of mine are where the buyer convieniently forgets to look at the photos with ruler measurements and conclude that what they bought was bigger smaller whatever than what they expect because they impulse trigger buy without LOOKING.

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Oh I definitely know about that!

I have the size in the title, the description and again in the Item specifics, also like you I have pictures with a ruler right beside, and still they return for "doesn't fit / wrong size."  However again it doesn't bother me too much when it's just one here, one there (statistically speaking it should be no more than a few returns per hundred orders, preferably I'd like to see just a few per thousand but anything in between), what gets me is when it's all over the board...

I have learned one thing...

Change ALWAYS happens on the side that's feeling the pain the most.

So here the buyer feels no pain, eaby feels no pain, it's the seller who feels it.

But how is this my fault, and more so what can I possibly do?

I will say this, without giving too much away...

Being TRS does have its perks.

[gjs_16]

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@katzrul15 wrote:

Sorry to hear!

Do you offer free returns or buyer pays?  What reason do they use?  

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It hardly matters, I do use free but if I don't they SNAD it.

I use free because I figure there's at least a chance a buyer might tell me the TRUTH...

And I want the truth so I can determine if there's anything I can do from my end to prevent future returns.

Wrong size / Doesn't fit is the most common reason given, but that doesn't always tell the whole story.

I suspect it's something to do with SEO...

Despite no changes on my end, somehow my listing ends up in a top spot somewhere.

And suddenly I get all these new buyers, who are also mostly clueless.

If the issue would only go away in time, I could tolerate it.

Also I can see the entitlement issue, among most buyers they think nothing of returning things, they actually feel like the victims since they can no longer go to the B&M store to try before you buy.  That however, is just as bad... Unless they mean trying it in the store and hopefully without tearing open a package, I can see these buyers taking items home, realizing it's the wrong one, then driving back to the store for a refund (this also costs the merchants money).

Instead, now the whole cost is on the seller.

[simba6]

Yep. We got the wall mart shoppers now. They return as much as they buy.

[monster-deals]

I'm battling 5 remorse returns right now but the buyers all knew how to get out of paying return shipping.