EBAY ABUSES IT'S SELLERS - Perfectly good items returned

[lonest_1456]

In the last 45 days I've had 2 returns that were over $400 dollars.  The first issue is Ebay forcing me to seller to buyers with ZERO Rating.  And before anyone comments that all buyers started at zero.  Every business has the right to refuse customers. 

Both items were returned in working condition. 

Now, I've lost money on return shipping that I cannot get back.  If I raise the price then it puts the items over what a new one costs.  If I keep the price I sell it for an even bigger loss. 

I'm new to selling but I hate Ebay.  I've started selling on other sites already because of Ebay's outright abuse and lack of any kind of protection for sellers. 

As a company I thought Ebay was good and provided a good service over amazon.  But after being on the seller side I realize Ebay is a terrible company and terrible brand.  I don't buy stuff on Ebay anymore and tell people to avoid it as well.  They don't care about doing damage to their own brand.  Just baffling.

[downunder-61]

Sad to say the introduction of eBays MBG has tilted the playing field very much in favour of the buyer.

Add to that the lack of CS and how hard it is to appeal just makes it even more lopsided.

[fashunu4eeuh]

You can appeal those rulings. If you have compelling evidence, it is worth a shot. But don’t let eBay open the appeal for you if they offer because you can get denied automatically without presenting your side. Below is the how-to if you are interested. 

Ebay isn't for everyone. Returns are a fact of retail life here. If sellers cannot work the occasional return costs into their business plans, then it probably doesn't make sense to stay. Best of luck to you in your other endeavors.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/appeal-ebays-decision-return-missing-item...

[chapeau-noir]

---

@lonest_1456 wrote:

In the last 45 days I've had 2 returns that were over $400 dollars.  The first issue is Ebay forcing me to seller to buyers with ZERO Rating.  And before anyone comments that all buyers started at zero.  Every business has the right to refuse customers. 

Both items were returned in working condition. 

Now, I've lost money on return shipping that I cannot get back.  If I raise the price then it puts the items over what a new one costs.  If I keep the price I sell it for an even bigger loss. 

I'm new to selling but I hate Ebay.  I've started selling on other sites already because of Ebay's outright abuse and lack of any kind of protection for sellers. 

As a company I thought Ebay was good and provided a good service over amazon.  But after being on the seller side I realize Ebay is a terrible company and terrible brand.  I don't buy stuff on Ebay anymore and tell people to avoid it as well.  They don't care about doing damage to their own brand.  Just baffling.

---

Do you sell on Amazon? If not, eBay is puppies and rainbows compared to that behemoth.  After I investigated selling there and read the fine print, I noped right out of there.  But yeah, eBay itself is very buyer centric - you basically have to understand that going into it - their returns scheme is a giant hot mess, but selling online is far from risk-free, anywhere.  A lot depends on what you sell.

[adrhdi0]

Hope you will find the solution for it. Best wishes.

[downunder-61]

---

@lonest_1456 wrote:

In the last 45 days I've had 2 returns that were over $400 dollars.  The first issue is Ebay forcing me to seller to buyers with ZERO Rating.  And before anyone comments that all buyers started at zero.  Every business has the right to refuse customers. 

Both items were returned in working condition. 

Now, I've lost money on return shipping that I cannot get back.  If I raise the price then it puts the items over what a new one costs.  If I keep the price I sell it for an even bigger loss. 

I'm new to selling but I hate Ebay.  I've started selling on other sites already because of Ebay's outright abuse and lack of any kind of protection for sellers. 

As a company I thought Ebay was good and provided a good service over amazon.  But after being on the seller side I realize Ebay is a terrible company and terrible brand.  I don't buy stuff on Ebay anymore and tell people to avoid it as well.  They don't care about doing damage to their own brand.  Just baffling.

---

The bottom line is eBay do not need to attract sellers, there are 18+ million of us world wide already.

They do need to attract buyers - hence those are the people they look after and molly coddle.

[katzrul15]

But after being on the seller side 

It is a very different side.

You mention Amazon, but with the types of items you sell, not a candidate for that site.  For the types of items you have listed, in order to have much traffic, e-bay would lead the pack.  There are others, but no really traffic to their sites when compared, etc.

We have sold on Amazon since 2006.  e-Bay is a cake walk compared to Amazon.  We do not sell anything there that is not new/factory sealed and pristine.  And many categories require pre-approval.  We sold there 8 years before we were approved for clothing, etc.  Never mind that if you get really good at selling something, Amazon will resource it against you and sell it cheaper than you can.  Nice.

If you are new to selling as you state, this job is much harder than it seems it should be.  Zero FB buyers can be someone who just accesses the site to do a 1-off purchase as a guest.  I am sorry you had issues with items not as described - unfortunately on this site, Amazon and many others, the Buyer will always win on those.  It sounds odd, but not everything is suitable for online sales.  Maybe FB or CL, but not on here.

Good luck to you.  Hope you find a way to stick it out.  Been here over 17 years and my first year on here I wanted to quit about a 100 times.  Buyers are a PIA, but you get over that when the monies hit your bank account.  

[chapeau-noir]

Never mind that if you get really good at selling something, Amazon will resource it against you and sell it cheaper than you can. Nice.

Amazon's particular genius is cannibalizing its own sellers.

[reallynicestamps]

You got the items returned in good condition.

It's not personal, it's business.

What you need is Cookie Jar Insurance.

Add a small amount to every asking or shipping price (a few pennies or a dime) to cover the occasional transaction that goes pear-shaped.

Put those virtual dimes in a virtual Cookie Jar.

Most active sellers report a Bad Transaction rate of less than one percent of sales.

So those dimes can add up fast.

When something does go wrong, you pay for the return out of the Cookie Jar. Or if you sent a blue sweater instead of the red one that was ordered. Or if the buyer ordered a  Size 4 but needs a Size 12.

It's not personal, it's business.

Now, I've lost money on return shipping that I cannot get back. If I raise the price then it puts the items over what a new one costs. If I keep the price I sell it for an even bigger loss.

And that is your problem.

You are paying too much for your product and your profit margin as a result is too small.

Take a look at ALL your costs.

Doubling your money is not good enough unless your items are very high priced indeed.

You should be looking at 200-500% markups (including shipping costs) to make a decent profit.

Basically if the price of return shipping means you cannot resell and make a profit -- or at least break even-- your procurement costs are too high.

[lamber9347]

Online selling simply isn't for everyone. Best of luck to you....

[ittybitnot]

Add a small amount to every asking or shipping price (a few pennies or a dime) to cover the occasional transaction that goes pear-shaped.

Put those virtual dimes in a virtual Cookie Jar.

@reallynicestamps 

I have heard that "cookie jar" stuff here for years.  I never really could grasp the concept.  For example, my first "hit" here was for $795.00.

Using your formula, at  ten cents, I would need to have 7,950 sales just to break even from the fraudulent claim.  At a more generous fifty cents, however, I would only need to have 1,590 sales with no more of such drama.  It never seemed practical.  

@lonest_1456 

In all things ebay, you are very lucky you got your items back in the same working condition.   In practice, it does not matter what the buyer sends back, they will get a refund from your proceeds regardless of what is in the parcel.  It is considered "part of doing business" on this site. 

[ldzeprox]

What I don’t like is the automated way you are treated as a seller.   I’ve had two transactions that were a total of $350 returned because they did not work.  Both items were sold for PARTS ONLY, yet the buyer complains they don’t work and as long as they check the box “not as described”they get a return which I am forced to accept.  I feel betrayed by eBay but they don’t care.  

[stainlessenginecovers]

Most all facilitating selling venues have Buyer protections and guarantees. 

You sell some used items with no returns; items that need to work and to prove they work, you sell with a Return policy; not a 'no return' policy. This simply forces customers to use 'not as described' and then you are paying return shipping. 

Finally- selling on the internet is like selling in a Mall- you don't have to right to refuse business in a Mall; and you don't have the right to not sell to 0 customers. (if there was a way to do it, all sellers would use it and the buying community would simply die out because 'new' buyers are 'not welcome here'.) 

[dentalrprtek2012]

That is not good. I found out the hard way how bad ebay was for the seller cost me $3800.00 plus my item. They provide us with DISHONEST BUYERS and expect the seller to bow to keep the buyer happy. I just had a customer ask for a refund on a item that was listed with no returns because it did not fit. This is not my issue and I am not refunding. Ebay sent me a message to consider the return to give the buyer a good experience those days came to a end when they let a DISHONEST Buyer lie and make a fraudulent claim and they rewarded them with a full unquestioned refund. I like to see a seller with the money to cover that in the "cookie jar" Ignore the Ebay Cheerleaders and Ebay Employees that will respond. Be careful and look out for yourself. good luck

[sabdi-7453]

You'll find on most sites, no returns doesn't mean no refunds, unless you're dealing with cash.