Argh another pointless return because buyer didn't read the listing...

[gwzcomps]

I try to spell it out quite clearly what people are getting in the listing when it comes to my laptops and desktops.  Despite this I still get people who are surprised when they get a computer that doesn't boot to an operating system.  I genuinely don't know how to dumb it down further short of wasting characters in the title saying something like "No Windows"  Maybe I just need to put in all my listings PLEASE DON'T BUY MY ITEMS! to get rid of the buyers who don't know what they are doing.  I am so tired of losing time and money because people are too lazy to read the listing. Example listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/372935788523

[hannam_19]

You have a return policy, don't get mad when a buyer uses it!

[inhawaii]

---

@gwzcomps wrote:

Maybe I just need to put in all my listings PLEASE DON'T BUY MY ITEMS!

---

That doesn't work either.  True store.  A few years ago i went on vacation.  I added to each on my listings, at the top of the listings, in big bold red letters that i will be on vacation from XX to XX and please do not purchase from me until after XX. I got back from vacation and had a TON of orders waiting for me! Sales were better while i was on vacation than when i was not on vacation. 

So much for your "please don'y buy from me" strategy.  LOL

[inhawaii]

I had a used DVD listed once, watched 1 time. I think the title was "2012"?

In the description i said "one of the worst movies i've ever seen".

It sold. 

[corvettestainless]

If  you loaded Windows, would they still sell and cover your additional cost? Or... how many do you sell and stick vs. how many do you sell and get returned? 

I think the best suggestion is simply putting NO OP SYSTEM! or NO WINDOWS! in the title. 

[inhawaii]

---

@hannam_19 wrote:

You have a return policy, don't get mad when a buyer uses it!

---

A return policy should not cover stupidity. If you order a red shirt then want to return it because it's not blue, that's stupidity. 

I'm sure the OP has no problem with "legitimate" returns.  

[myangelandmyprincess]

“general I don't think people want the pride and satisfaction they get from repairing stuff anymore. The instant gratification of throwing it away and buying another is the new way. It isn't like the past when you would troubleshoot your stuff, look at a schematic, then replace the appropriate parts. I think I may just stop listing as much stuff on eBay and find more vendors to directly sell to. With the current trend I am seeing it might not be viable to sell the stuff I do much longer anyways.”

my husband whose job is computers says that often it’s just cheaper to buy a new one rather than find all the parts to replace and build one that’s just parts.  Plus it takes longer and you cant guarantee repairing like that can go smoothly buying new just becomes the smarter choice most of the time 

i figure the people who are buying them want a custom build    

[city*satins]

I hate to be a hammer in search of nail, but I have to agree with those who've said that USED is just not the right condition to choose.

FOR PARTS NOT WORKING is the correct choice and it doesn't mean that any or all of parts included are broken necessarily, but that the unit isn't fully functional.  It would apply to anything broken but also to anything incomplete or cannibalized.

[gwzcomps]

To do it right I believe it would cost me an additional $50 to install windows. Looks like in the last 90 days 10% of them have been returned due to the buyer not reading the listing and understanding what they are buying.

[gwzcomps]

I'm not saying this is wrong, but I would guess that 90% of the people selling laptops with no OS are selling them as used. eBay suppresses "parts not working" listings so if that is how I need to list them I might as well light them on fire and throw them away. Maybe there needs to be an intermediary condition for situations like this.

What kinda annoys me as a seller is when people sell things like touchscreen laptops with cracked digitizers as used. Even if the digitizer works the laptop might as well be junk. Most of the cheaper Microsoft surfaces listed are used with cracked digitizers...

[hannam_19]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

---

@hannam_19 wrote:

You have a return policy, don't get mad when a buyer uses it!

---

A return policy should not cover stupidity. If you order a red shirt then want to return it because it's not blue, that's stupidity. 

I'm sure the OP has no problem with "legitimate" returns.  

---

A return policy covers returns for ANY reason. Period.

[j*s*f]

First, I don't agree with the suggestion with putting Linux on the laptop.  Anyone who doesn't understand the implication of "No operating system" would be completely confused with anything new, even a Linux desktop.

As obvious as "No operating system" means to most of us, it may be a detail that the less tech oriented would not understand.

I would say this:

NO OPERATING SYSTEM - WHAT THIS MEANS IS THE COMPUTER WILL NOT FUNCTION WITHOUT OBTAINING AND INSTALLING AN OPERATING SYSTEM, SUCH AS WINDOWS OR LINUX.  THIS TASK REQUIRES COMPUTER SKILLS.

[corvettestainless]

10% is high; if you price right- it wouldn't 'typically' be, but I'm sure now eating PP fees and ebay doesn't like high return rates so….. now you'd have to research- would adding $50, meaning you have to add $60 to the price to break even not counting time to install, would your items still sell at the same rate? 

[gwzcomps]

Honestly the stupid thing is most of my laptops are priced above market rate. I am not sure why the less knowledgeable people are buying them since the stuff is usually price driven. I am not convinced I could increase the price enough to install windows through the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher program. The ones I can get recovery media for that I am selling, are hit or miss luck at a slightly higher price. Overall they sell slower than they should because they are already 10-20% higher than market price. In return I do a higher level of testing than most, and they are packaged in a way that they won't get damaged in shipping.

[mesodude]

"Whatever you think is dumbing down in the description is not dumbed down enough.  If you think you've gone dumb enough, go deeper.  No matter how ridiculous you think it is."

Wow. That's a very different attitude from the one you expressed earlier this week in a thread regarding sellers (a great many of whom are also buyers, btw) who fall victim to scammers, Mike. I'm curious as to why you believe sellers are only entitled to a limited degree of sympathy when they misunderstand or overlook eBay's rules and policies but patience and accommodations for buyers should be limitless? Not trying to be confrontational. It's just that you were very emphatic that eBay's safeguards were impeccable and had no room for improvement and any sellers (again, many of whom are buyers too) who fall victim to scammers shouldn't be trying to sell on eBay at all. Just curious...Thx.

[mesodude]

I agree with Mike vis a vis dumbing things down as much as humanly possible. In that same vein, given the value of items you're shipping and the cost of return shipping for such items, it's not a bad idea to ask some questions to confirm buyers' expectations before you actually ship. Yes, it's a hassle and sure, you might not get an accurate response (if buyers reply at all) every time but it's one extra way to prevent returns.