Alert I got from Ebay...Returns too high. Anyone else struggling?

[the.archive]

I sell clothing, and people return clothing items constantly. I don't have a problem with it--they're mostly fit issues (even though I provide measurements). I accept returns automatically and count it as the cost of doing business. However, since buyers have realized that if they click 'not as described' they don't have to pay return shipping I'm starting to get quite a few of these now.....I.E. "color is a little darker than the pic" or "since this item was from the 80's, I thought it would have shoulder pads". It's annoying, but ONCE AGAIN I just move on, and consider it the cost of doing business.

Well, I got a message from eBay today that my returns are too high (5%), and that can affect the visibility in search rankings. Which is obviously a HUGE bummer, since I feel eBay's policy already rewards buyers for misusing the return system. If I fight the return, they always side in the buyer's favor anyway...and I've lost half a day. It's just not worth it to fight a buyer for a $25 item.

Anybody else having this issue or resolved this issue for themselves? I'm just looking for some advice or perhaps to be made aware of something I'm failing at miserably.

[gopetersen]

I ignore those messages.

eBay told me I should deal better with returns.

Returns??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  I don't have a problem with returns. The one return was a buyer who bought 1.5" ribbon when she needed skinny ribbon.

Is that my fault? Can I do anything to prevent it (the width is very clearly indicated in the listing)?

By the way, I get questions like this on a regular basis: "Is 3/8" ribbon wider than 7/8" ribbon?" I'm not saying that to diss my buyers... it's just the way it is—some people can't measure. I help them and we figure out what they need and all is good. But if the buyer buys without asking, well, I allow returns and exchanges on most items and IT'S NOT A PROBLEM, EBAY.

Don't take messages from eBay too literally. They send out a lot of bot-generated form letters that don't apply to everyone.

[watterson226]

I have a story about this.  I have two accounts.  One that is a store & another that is my husband's account.  I usually sell high priced items and only have 50 freebees.  The 50 freebee account I got the notice.  I was good with the store.  I am the SAME person on both accounts.   I am the only one who does the listings.   Here is what I think. 

People have a tendency to return high-priced items.  Another thing that is causing this is that I don't sell a lot on this other account.  That would raise my percentage.  So, as far as I am concerned ebay's data analysis is not accurate &  I'm not taking it personally.   I am proof that this is not my doing.  This is the second time something like this happened.  Ebay accusing me of doing something wrong, but my other account is proof that I am not.

[e-pickandschtick]

You're STILL lower than the industry online return average of over 10% for clothing 😉  Good Work!!!

[e-pickandschtick]

October 2016, ebay changed the defect calculation, and told us they would only count 'seller cancellations' and 'case closed w/o seller resolution' as black marks against us.  Sooooooo, prior to Oct 2016, I sent multiple emails when a customer wanted to return INAD, offering them free shipping both ways and the moon, basically, if they would just not do a INAD on me.  IT was a hassle and required a lot of time and effort on both my and the buyers' parts to make sure my defects were minimal. I was SO EXCITED in October of 2016 to see that all change and I could just tell customers to go ahead and open a INAD and I'd be happy to conveniently pay the return and original shipping for them if they needed to return.  BTW, my return rate is around 2%, as I sell used clothing and shoes.  FAR below the industry average of 10% returns for NEW items.

Wellllllll, that worked great for 1. 5 years.  I accepted my INAD returns pretty much automatically, paid the return and original shipping, and I thought everyone was happy--no more hassles of begging and pleading with INAD buyers to accept their $$ back in full, but please please please not 'ding' me.  Yes, I paid the shipping both ways,  but my returns are just 2%.  Worth it, to avoid the hassles. 

Now, with this message, ebay tells me my RETURNS ARE TOO HIGH!!!  it appears that my quick return acceptance and prompt refund policy has punished me.  Ebay is counting it as a 'black mark ding' ANYWAY!! SO FRUSTRATING AND WRONG!  I trusted them back in Oct 2016 when they announced the new defect policy.  Is is the new vs old management?????

Now, I'm back to the ridiculous begging and pleading with buyers to accept my $$$$ and please don't ding me with an INAD.  BTW, I did see that Amazon see's that buyers are weary from multiple emails from sellers and has now limited sellers to be able to email buyers only 5 times, I believe it was.  Why can't ebay see that buyers do not want to go back to the pre-Oct 16 hassles??? Amazon appears to get it.  Come On!

[percgrabbe-0]

Is it me or does it feel like ebay just concocted a way to on purpose lower the listing positions and rankings of smaller sellers who get lots of returns? Ever try to return something to China for a refund? I bet you would be less likely. 

[wallysox1]

I too, received an alert from Ebay stating that I still have time to improve before they add 4% to my fees.  I sell clothing (primarily) and I am told that my returns are in the very high range. They tell me that the average for my "peers" in this category is 0.62%.  REALLY?  Is this an industry standard, or are all other sellers on E-bay just that good selling used clothing that they get barely over one half of one percent returns, or is it that all other sellers on E-bay have buyers that choose the "does not fit" answer and pay retrun shipping in that category?

I would like to see exactly where you are getting this number.  You say you are determining this number based on similar sales to my own.  I want to see that, especially if you are going to raise my fees based on this.  I have a right to know exactly what facts and numbers you used to reach this conclusion.  I have had a "no questions asked" return policy, to as you suggested facilitate a pleasant buyer experience.  I have not complained to whatever reason the buyer chose from your little drop down box (regardless of truth so that the buyer doesn't have to pay return shipping and I have paid that return shipping without complaint - even though most of my items have also had free shipping on the front end - again to facilitate a pleasant buyer experience), and now you are going to use this to penalize me!  I will from this day forward complain about every single return that I feel is incorrect.  I have several that have chosen does not match item description yet in the description they state another (probably real) reason.  I will be calling you about those.  (oh, but you will not be able to do anything about those because they will be older than 30 days, yet you are able to retroactively ding me for up to 12 months of these!)    

I have no problem with taking care of customers, that is part of my job and eating returns is just part of that business.  But, I should not have to pay Ebay additional fees to facilitate a pleasant buyer experience.  I will call CSR tomorrow and after 2 hours will be frustrated and might finally get someone who can actually answer my questions, but I will probably never receive any resolution regarding who and what you are actually comparing me to that will allow you to charge me an additional fee.  

Ebay when will you attempt to facilitate a pleasant selling experience?

[mrv71]

These average return numbers are obviously bogus, it's just another eBay money grab. Just another circle in its death spiral, business as usual...

[lasantino]

ebay is so full of it..

 average industry returns for clothing purchases online is upwards of 40%.... (albeit, that was a couple years ago that i read that)......  there is no way , no how that the average return for online purchases of clothing as fallen to less than 1%.  How stupid does ebay think we are... After every bait and switch they've pull over the past several years.  do they think we're just going to take their word for it.. geez.!!

so when ebay suddenly started changing they way they handle false INAD claims.  or rather, when they started not handling them and telling the sellers they would not change the return reason(as they had been doing the past year or so..after the john Donahue nightmare defect period)..  the CS reps assured us that we should just accept the return.and not worry about the reason. They assured us, as long as we took care of the customer, the reason for return was not going to count against sellers...

lo and behold.. now they are telling us.. INAD returns going back an entire year are going to used to calculate some imaginary peer return rate.!!.. If a seller is above the ebay calculated "peer return rate".  our selling fees are going to go up 40%.. .... .. BASICALLY,, WE'RE GETTING PUNISHED FOR FOLLWING EBAYS INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURES REGARDING TAKING CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT THE REASON A CUSTOMER WANTED TO RETURN!..

[ittybitnot]

Just posting to the discussion.  Now you see that the "return metric" that was for your own information is now your "punishment" indicator as predicted.  They are going to count all returns, even if they don't occur but have been emphasizing SNAD to encourage you to go to ""free returns" (seller paid) to hopefully cut down on the deadly dings.  eBay sees ANY return as an indication of buyer dissatisfaction.  If they are returning it, there must me something wrong and the seller is a fault. 

They simply want more money and placing a seller in payment jail with a 40% increase (yes 10% to 14% is a 40% increase) will boost eBay's monetary gain.  The increase or decrease in visibility has never been documented with any data, it is just thrown out there for the fear factor.  We see plenty of sellers with no returns, higher prices, lots of red donuts,  not TRS continually take the top spots in best match.  There is no accountability.  

eBay encourages returns, ebay gains by same.  Think this over. 

[gracieallen01]

Don't ya just love how ebay compares one to un-named 'peers' (in what country, selling what, specifically) but never mention just what qualifies as a 'peer' (do some of these peers also mis-categorize their items) - however, they aren't going to ding your account, just yet, for something that has nothing to do, what-so-ever, with their job of  being 'just a venue' and running their end of a problem/glitch/cosmetically challanged platform.  And, let us not forget to ignore that big, blue button to hit for returning your purchase - for any reason.  (your friend', 3rd cousin's, brother-in-law had a bad-hair day?!?!?!?) 

On the bright side, however, one can rest assured that they have all the statistics  to rationalize, um, well, whatever it is they are trying to prove.

(personal opinion - your mileage may vary)

[epartshighway]

I've been getting the same balogney run around from this dishonest company.  I have mulptiple emails with this alert but it did show my account in the "high" metric.  I checked on it occasionally via the website as well to confirm.  Then all of a sudden, as soon as october came around and it was time for ebay to charge their extra 4 percent fee (40 percent in my case) my account myseteriously shot up to the "very high metric"  How convenient.  It gets even better.  Then my account drops 4 percent on the seller metric IN ACCORDANCE my peer average.  And guess what?  I'm still "very high"  Laughable.  So I am 4 percentage points lower than I was when I was considered "high" and now somehow I am "very high."  

I've called in about 15 times over the past month to get this corrected or get an explanation on how this could be and all I get is the run around.  They keep telling me that "we have proprietery methods to calculate how you are compared to your peer average."  Yeah no **bleep**, it's called keep you in the very high metric at all costs so that they can charge you an extra 4 percent.  I asked repeatedly, either produce the evidence showing how I could be Very high all of a sudden or credit my account.  They won't do either.  I will be doing a chargeback when they come for my payment.

Long story short, ebay is making this up on the fly minute by minute without telling anybody what they are doing.  If they want to change what is considered very high day by day they can and will.  Will they tell us?  NO.  Will they tell us what the threshold is in order to be out of the very high category?  NO.  Why would they do  this?  Because they want to be able to throw you in the very high category WHENEVER THEY please.  They're losing tons of FVF with all of these returns that they encourage.  The 4 percent bump is just a way for them to cover.