Ebay Money Back Guarantee Program and Business Return Policy

[3.75ips]

With the 30 day Ebay Money Back Guarantee program, Would there be a reason to have a business return policy of anything besides 30 days?  

[mam98031]

@3.75ips 

That is completely up to a seller.  Some do No Return policies because they misunderstand what that actually means and others do understand but feel it curbs buyers from filing for a return when they think you don't accept them.  

Just know your options and pick what you think is best for your little business.  You can change if very easily with the Bulk Editor, so you can do some testing easily enough.  But if you test, make sure you allow a few months for each test to get realistic information.  A couple weeks or month would not likely be near long enough.

The return policies options are as follows.

1. No Returns
2. 30 day returns w/ buyer pays shipping
3. 60 day returns w/ buyer pays shipping
4. 30 day returns w/ seller pays shipping, AKA Free Returns
5. 60 day returns w/ seller pays shipping. AKA Free Returns
6. 14 Day returns in certain categories

With option number 1, No Returns the seller can completely deny taking a return for a Buyer's Remorse Return Request.  Or if they want to, they can accept the return and have the buyer pay the return shipping.  If the seller so chooses, they can withhold the original shipping if it was separately stated on the listing [not free shipping] when it is time to refund the buyer.

On options 2 & 3 the buyer is responsible for the return shipping on a Buyer's Remorse Return.  Plus, if the seller so chooses, they can withhold the original shipping if it was separately stated on the listing [not free shipping] when it is time to refund the buyer. As of October 1st 2019, sellers that are TRS have some additional protections as well as they can issue partial refunds if they use options 4 or 5 as their return policy.

On options 4 & 5 above, they are also known as Free Returns.  If a seller that has either of those policies, they will pay the return shipping even on a buyer's remorse return.  A seller can withhold the original shipping value from the refund if the shipping was separately stated in the listing [not free shipping].  Also, Seller’s offering options 4 or 5 have the ability to do partial refunds in certain cases if the item arrives back damaged, missing something or in a condition less than what it was sent to the buyer in, see the policy for more details, the link is below.  In the cases where a deduction in the refund is taken due to damage or other authorized reasons for a partial refund, Ebay will protect the seller from negative or neutral feedback.

ALL OPTIONS [1, 2, 3, 4 and 5] are required to process SNAD claims without exception.  Even if they are improperly filed and should have been a Buyer’s Remorse claim.

All return policies by sellers must meet or exceed what is stated in the Money Back Guarantee Policy!

14 day return policies are allowed in certain categories: Jewelry & Watches, Collectibles & Art, Cameras & Photo and Medical, Mobility & Disability Equipment.

For those with Free Return and/or TRS members with 30 day return policies, there are some added protection benefits, one of which is the ability to do a discounted refund under certain conditions.

[mtgraves7984]

@3.75ips 

For what it's worth, I looked at a couple of your listings that offered 14-Day Returns. With that being said, I'd offer that you consider (at least) 30-Day (Buyer pays) Returns, being TRS.

Since you're TRS, if you did that ^^^ you'd have the option to reduce the amount of refunds that you'd issue if a returned item came back to you in a different/de-valued/destroyed condition than when you sent it.

Hope that helps and good luck to you.

Afterthought for @mam98031... Option 2 on your list (30-Day, Buyer pays) would also give TRS that 'refund reduction' caveat. When I sold as TRS, I started using 30-Day (Buyer pays) and used that reduction a couple of times. (It's one of the last seller protections left.) Even after I wasn't selling enough to stay TRS, I kept the same Return policy.