mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
@gwzcomps wrote:I might test returns on some lower risk listings like I have been considering. If I do offer returns then I will have to raise my prices to cover it which means the stuff won't sell. I have found that scaring buyers away (as stupid as it is) means I have less problems. The smart buyers usually know what they are buying.
As for listing quality I really fail to see the point anymore. With listings like 123969236735 I am throwing away money. I could do what most sellers in my field are doing and just sell them with returns untested. I could get 3 times the money out of those if I sold stuff like that untested and just make the buyer go through the hassle of a return if there are problems. With the way I am selling them now the buyer gets a better experience because if only half of them have to work for it to be a good deal still.
We just have some different outlooks on some of this stuff. I know as a buyer, and I'm a responsible one, I won't buy from a seller with a No Return policy. And that is certainly not because I buy with the intent to scam the seller in any way. It is because I personally don't like the policy and think it is only appropriate in a few types of sales [sealed new DVDs, Software, makeup, etc.].
I'm not sure that your concern that you would have to raise pricing to offer returns is realistic. One reason is that your return rate is not likely to increase and the other when you get returns like this one you described earlier, you won't have to refund the entire purchase prices. So chances are that by changing your return policy you will spend LESS on returns. Which then would mean you could decrease pricing in time if you wanted to after you were comfortable that the return policy was in fact decreasing your costs.
"I could get 3 times the money out of those if I sold stuff like that untested and just make the buyer go through the hassle of a return if there are problems." That is an inaccurate statement IMHO and here is why. If the buyer gets the item in and id doesn't work they way they want it to, the fact that you did not test the item and so stated in your listing that fact, protects you from nothing. If that buyer wants to file an INAD, you will be taking the return. But if you are convinced that you can make that much more without testing them, then give it a try. You can't know for sure the outcome until you give it a try over a few month period. A short test period isn't likely to return accurate data.
@gwzcomps wrote:I can only take that "up to 50%" off due to certain criteria though. I can't just take it every time there is a return from what I remember. With used electronics there aren't many good reasons for remorse returns IMO. I don't think I have ever bought anything used with the intent of remorse returning it. I would have to run the numbers on those drives but I doubt I would lose more than I would make. I don't know anymore. It definitely seems like eBay is taking away the incentive to be a good seller.
Nor should ANY seller be able to do that. There are legit reasons for many returns that happen. It would be very unfair that even on a return with a solid reason that a seller could scam the buyer. Which is exactly what the seller would be doing. The guidelines are good and just protect buyers from sellers that would try to take advantage of the discounted refunds.
@equid0x wrote:
@gwzcomps wrote:
@monstertoybox wrote:
@gwzcomps wrote:
It has become pretty typical at this point. This year has been the worst for false returns. 90% of my NAD returns have been false returns. At least half of those were poorly packed upon return. Probably $300 down the toilet just in shipping costs.That is a really large number! That is not right at all.
Yup the joys of selling used electronics. Back when eBay held buyers responsible for their actions this used to not be a problem. Now since it is a free for all it has become the norm. I don't know how buyers are supposed to have better buying experiences if they aren't forced to learn the hard way. They clearly have no interest in knowing what they are buying.
Even if its just not what they wanted they need to be held responsible for shipping the item back in the condition in which it was received.
I don't know anywhere where you can say... sell a car, have the buyer wreck the car, and then the buyer get a "free return" on the seller's dime with no recourse.
Imagine if you could pull this stuff at a car dealer. Just imagine how many returned cars they might have?
HMM you might be on to something. Time to buy some cars on eBay. 
@gwzcomps wrote:
@equid0x wrote:
@gwzcomps wrote:
@monstertoybox wrote:
@gwzcomps wrote:
It has become pretty typical at this point. This year has been the worst for false returns. 90% of my NAD returns have been false returns. At least half of those were poorly packed upon return. Probably $300 down the toilet just in shipping costs.That is a really large number! That is not right at all.
Yup the joys of selling used electronics. Back when eBay held buyers responsible for their actions this used to not be a problem. Now since it is a free for all it has become the norm. I don't know how buyers are supposed to have better buying experiences if they aren't forced to learn the hard way. They clearly have no interest in knowing what they are buying.
Even if its just not what they wanted they need to be held responsible for shipping the item back in the condition in which it was received.
I don't know anywhere where you can say... sell a car, have the buyer wreck the car, and then the buyer get a "free return" on the seller's dime with no recourse.
Imagine if you could pull this stuff at a car dealer. Just imagine how many returned cars they might have?
HMM you might be on to something. Time to buy some cars on eBay.
Haha... well... eBay has different policies for vehicles. One might argue that they should have different policies for other categories like this but that's just urinating in the wind so to speak.
There is no way eBay is ignorant of these problems but they don't care to fix them as long as they are being paid and the buyers keep buying.
