Are there consequences for buyers who lie to not pay return shipping? Vent

[jjddmwi]

Just curious if anyone knows.  I'm sure it has to be a repeated pattern - but hopefully Ebay does something eventually?!   (I did report them.)

I'm venting here.  I'm tired of it as a seller.  I offer 30 day buyer paid returns and have recently had buyers lie and return as not as described when I suspect it was because it didn't fit.  I sell clothing, so I know that it is a high return category.  Thankfully MOST buyers are honest and chose the correct reason.       

It's especially aggravating when the buyer is also a seller and knows exactly what they are doing.  Grrr.

[inhawaii]

Not as described returns: Seller pays.

No way to get buyer not to lie about a return.

A small percentage of them will lie. Thankfully i's not that often

It's just the price of doing business online.

[slippinjimmy]

If a buyer is a serial returner and files false NAD return requests AND if these actions are reported it could result in the buyer being excluded from the Money Back Guarantee.

How many times would an individual buyer need to do a false return to end up being sanction? Nobody knows but I would guess that is takes dozens, many dozens before it happens.

Clothing is a category that has maybe the highest level of returns of any types of products, this is true for eBay and every other online or offline retailer of clothing. I have seen studies that indicate that the return rates for clothing are in the 20 - 30%. The more clothing bought online the more returns.

https://3dlook.ai/content-hub/apparel-return-rates-the-stats-retailers-cannot-ignore/

I don't sell clothing, almost exclusively in the Music Category, my return rate is 0.001%.

[iamalwaysright]

Yes it's aggravating. Make sure to report them though.

Just curious, out of all the returns you get how many of them are SNADs (both legit and false ones)? And what's your Service Metric percentage for SNADs in the CSA catergory?

[kickin.assets]

@jjddmwi 

As a clothing seller, I went to seller pays for, free returns, years ago and have to say this was one of the best things I ever did. Over the years, I’ve found it gives buyers more confidence in buying and they are less likely to lie about the return reason.

When I first implemented this, I thought I was opening a can of worms. I didn’t. Yes, the occasional difficult buyer arises, but it’s more rare and I feel better protected by having free returns. Many who return due to fit and can be quite funny and very kind, saying things like too many cookies over the holidays or thanking me for accepting their return.

It does get frustrating at times because it seems to run in 3’s then none for months. I’d highly suggest trying the 30 day free returns for buyers. It will probably cut down on the headaches!

Happy Sales!

Kiks

[chapeau-noir]

I do 30 day buyer pays for remorse/fit returns and the vast majority of my buyers are honest. OK, periodically you're gonna get one who is not, but that's going to happen sometimes.

[iamalwaysright]

I forget. If you put buyer pays for remorse, are you allowed to issue a less than full refund if the item comes back damaged?

[jjddmwi]

@iamalwaysright  I definitely report them!  Makes me feel better.   It also makes me feel better to vent here because misery loves company. 😁 Thankfully my metrics are still in the low category.   The other recent SNAD I got was not in the clothing category.  

@kickin.assets  you are brave.  Thankfully MOST buyer are honest.  I've just run in to a few lately - you are so right about the rule of 3.  Ha.  I'm going to cut way back on clothing once I get through my death pile.  Clothing is what I started with many years ago, and lately I've been branching out / diversifying.  

[jjddmwi]

@chapeau-noir  that is my policy too.  Agree - most buyers are honest.   My most recent return just got me riled up:-)  thus my vent thread.  I'm feeling better already... I just reported my buyer.

[kickin.assets]

Lol! Oh idk about brave … early on I was questioning myself and also had vented here after having 5 returns in one day “due to fit”. Happened shortly after implementing “free returns”. Stuck with it though and honestly very happy with things now.

Many times people open a return “due to fit” and just never return the item. And if they do, I raise the price and relist. 

Hope you get through that death pile!! ❤️

[chapeau-noir]

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@iamalwaysright wrote:

I forget. If you put buyer pays for remorse, are you allowed to issue a less than full refund if the item comes back damaged?

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Yes, since I'm TRS.

ETA: That has only happened twice in years, and both times was before they had the partial refund option. One item I had to dry clean because it stank of smoke (it still had my tags on it and the buyer had returned it immediately, so OMG, her house must smell like a saloon). The other had obviously been worn, but it was easy to just toss into the wash again.

Even my INAD buyers return everything neatly folded and bagged.