Do you feel like eBay policies are too heavily slanted towards the buyer?

[davisfamily7]

I have been selling on eBay for 17 years sometimes selling almost full time and other times part time and over the years I believe eBay between its fees and selling policies and return policies and benefits to buyers has made it nearly impossible to make money on our items! The margin is so thin because of costs related to returns and believing anything a buyer says about anything and fees that the fun is gone as well as the profit. At least that is my view.

[gwzcomps · Accepted solution]

Some yes some no.  eBay is too busy scamming it's sellers to make policies that make sense sadly.

[this*old*attic]

Are policies too slanted towards buyers? No.

Do I make less than 17/18 years ago? Yes.

The internet isn’t new anymore, neither is Ebay the hot new thing, there’s wasaaay more online competition, nothing is new or rare anymore (once desirable stuff turned out to be common)..... and now COVID

I don’t need to blame Ebay.

[lamber9347]

@davisfamily7 - sorry to hear your sales are down. That's a shame really. I sell on eBay and I love it. My sales were down last year but this year I have more than made up for it. I have a store, I sell everyday mostly. Some days are better than others but that's life. Sometimes things work out better for others but that doesn't mean it doesn't work at all. Again I'm sorry to hear your sales are down and I do hope things improve for you. Best of luck to you.... 

[alcoforever]

What I feel is irrelevant.   Ebay policies are what they are.  Deal with it.

[luckythewinner]

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I believe eBay between its fees and selling policies and return policies and benefits to buyers has made it nearly impossible to make money on our items!

Only you know whether it is nearly impossible to make money on your items.

I know that I have no problem making money on my items. I put 70-75% of my item price in my pocket after call costs, including the cost of the item itself. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, like the other poster, i still love selling here. Returns have not been an issue, knock on wood. I feel the fees are fair for what i get in return, a global audience. Sadly, i believe eBay must cater to the buyer to offset the subpar selling that sometimes happens here. As a buyer, i have been burned a few times, even after careful vetting.

Ebay probably does need to figure out a better method for Not As Described claims. Right now, a scammer can easily defraud a seller. Happily, most buyers are honest and just want the item as promised. (Shoppers don’t normally buy with the intent to return, but to keep.) Since scammers exist all over the retail landscape, i have a plan for shrinkage, tho luckily i havent needed it thus far.

Hope your experiences improve. Best wishes to you.

[davisfamily7]

Sales have been up thru COVID like all online business, i guess i have had one to many scamming return people lately that has poisoned it for me....Perhaps that is due to the COVID situation as well, more sales, more scam buyers

[davisfamily7]

good for you!

[davisfamily7]

i haven't been burned as a buyer so that probably slants my view - the "not as described" has been an issue this year, but again maybe more sales simply means more scammers and more headaches. Thanks for your level headed comments they were very helpful....Be  blessed!

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

You can look at this a different way. When a buyer complains eBay considers it a breach of contract and tries to undo the transaction. Money goes back to the buyer and the item to the seller. Of course being mail order someone has to bear the expense of shipping and

that falls to the professional.

if eBay were truly finding “for the buyer” they would refund the buyer and let them keep the “bad” item.

[powell-memorabilia]

If the fun and profit are gone, time to move on, or find a way to bring back profits - and hope that the fun will follow.  Seriously, plenty of people make good money on eBay.  Times change!  Things I sold twenty years ago might not sell today.  

eBay MUST treat buyers well.  eBay is providing a marketplace that has to compete against other consumer-friendly venues.  You don't think that Amazon and Wal-Mart and Target and etc. are slanted towards customers?  

[tev4all]

@davisfamily7 

Do you feel like eBay policies are too heavily slanted towards the buyer?

The eBay policies are slanted towards ebay.  eBay is a business trying to make money for it's investors. 

[myescape]

Do you feel like eBay policies are too heavily slanted towards the buyer?

The eBay policies are slanted towards ebay.  eBay is a business trying to make money for it's investors. 

And to that end they strive to retain customers with buyer friendly practices and policies.

[monster-deals]

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@this*old*attic wrote:

Are policies too slanted towards buyers? No.

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What?