Ebay makes it difficult for sellers to resolve issues

[cnmy1178]

It is very hard to facilitate communication with a buyer when there is an issue. It almost seems that Ebay counteracts  wants buyers to just open returns  and doesn’t give us sellers opportunity to resolve anything. I find that buyers are not encouraged to communicate. And we sellers have no chance of resolving anything before the return is requested. Consequently we are punished . Do you think Ebay is not doing enough in that respect or they just do it on purpose?

[fashunu4eeuh]

Buyers have always contacted me thru eBay messages when they have a question or encounter an issue.

While returns have been very rare in my eBay business, none of my buyers have ever gone straight to the return process without contacting me first. Since i offer free returns, even if they did go straight to a return, it wouldnt be something i would have an issue with. (A long time ago came to the conclusion that i wouldn't sweat returns.)

As far as i can tell, eBay has never hindered the process of my buyer’s communication in regards to returns or problems.

[richard1rst]

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@pburn wrote:

Speaking with my buyer's hat on

Speaking with my seller's hat on - I have had a number of cases when there was a question that needed to be resolved. Sometimes it was the buyer with the question - sometimes it was me that had the question.

In each case I clicked the buyer's feedback number which brought up a screen with, off to the left, a "contact member" link.

I used that, contacted the buyer, and managed to get a speedy resolution without having to wait for a case to we opened.

The OP's opening statement "It is very hard to facilitate communication with a buyer " is just not true.

If you know what you are doing.

[pburn]

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@richard1rst wrote:

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@pburn wrote:

Speaking with my buyer's hat on

Speaking with my seller's hat on - I have had a number of cases when there was a question that needed to be resolved. Sometimes it was the buyer with the question - sometimes it was me that had the question.

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 I understand contacting a buyer or seller when it's just a matter of one member or the other having a question regarding the item or the transaction. That is, I agree, quite easy to do, IMO. I'm not sure what the OP is finding difficult.

I would just clarify that my experiences, however, did not involve either party having a question. They were SNAD-type issues, and the sellers were most unpleasant when I contacted them. I didn't mean to imply that I had any difficulty with the actual contact process itself.

Sorry--I should have been more specific in my post.

[bebe-1153]

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@cnmy1178 wrote:

RESOLUTION IS WHEN CASE IS ESCALATED. 

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Resolution is before the request is escalated to a case.

"Case closed without seller resolution" means: The seller was unable to resolve before eBay stepped in.

[cnmy1178]

@bebe-1153

„Case closed without seller resolution" means: The seller was unable to resolve before eBay stepped in.”

i alaways have return requests in the returns and not in the resolution. I don’t think we are on the same page and it seems like you don’t accept returns and that is when your cases go to resolution instead of regular retrun requests.

[cnmy1178]

@richard1rst 

”The OP's opening statement "It is very hard to facilitate communication with a buyer " is just not true.”

OK so I don’t know what I am doing…
you seem to take words out of context  

[cnmy1178]

@fashunu4eeuh 

„Buyers have always contacted me thru eBay messages when they have a question or encounter an issue.„

Lucky you. I am not sure what you are selling though. 
I have items returned that were working and good although claimed different.  But this is not about it. Is is about helping buyer to prevent/avoid returns when they can be avoided for some trivial reasons or even doing exchange without opening return requests which only allows you to refund anyway.

[fashunu4eeuh]

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@cnmy1178 wrote:

@fashunu4eeuh 

„Buyers have always contacted me thru eBay messages when they have a question or encounter an issue.„

Lucky you. I am not sure what you are selling though. 
I have items returned that were working and good although claimed different.  But this is not about it. Is is about helping buyer to prevent/avoid returns when they can be avoided for some trivial reasons or even doing exchange without opening return requests which only allows you to refund anyway.

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Right now I am liquidating my parent's and grandparent's estates, so i sell a little bit of everything (art, collectibles, vintage fashion, paper ephemera, antiques, etc.).   

In your opening post:

" It almost seems that Ebay counteracts  wants buyers to just open returns  and doesn’t give us sellers opportunity to resolve anything...Do you think Ebay is not doing enough in that respect or they just do it on purpose?

I believe I was addressing the topic raised. In my experience when the buyer pursues help or opens a return, eBay does not prevent them from discussing it with the seller first. It is completely up to the buyer whether or not they open a return, and when and how. It's true that eBay makes that process easy for the buyer. But if the problem is that your buyers are not contacting you prior to taking action, I don't think eBay is to blame.

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[cnmy1178]

@fashunu4eeuh
“I believe I was addressing the topic raised. In my experience when the buyer pursues help or opens a return, eBay does not prevent them from discussing it with the seller first. It is completely up to the buyer whether or not they open a return, and when and how. It's true that eBay makes that process easy for the buyer. But if the problem is that your buyers are not contacting you prior to taking action, I don't think eBay is to blame.”

I think Ebay could do better in guiding buyers to communicate with sellers before opening return request which barely happens nowadays and this is because Ebay makes it easier to just clicklarge buttons stating „RETURN”  and sotne story goes. Icompletely disagree with you on it.  I am unsure if you buy and return items to have an idea of the process

[pburn]

sheila@ebay 

@ mentioning for thread's "Accepted Solution."

[fashunu4eeuh]

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@cnmy1178 wrote:

@fashunu4eeuh
“I believe I was addressing the topic raised. In my experience when the buyer pursues help or opens a return, eBay does not prevent them from discussing it with the seller first. It is completely up to the buyer whether or not they open a return, and when and how. It's true that eBay makes that process easy for the buyer. But if the problem is that your buyers are not contacting you prior to taking action, I don't think eBay is to blame.”

I think Ebay could do better in guiding buyers to communicate with sellers before opening return request which barely happens nowadays and this is because Ebay makes it easier to just clicklarge buttons stating „RETURN”  and sotne story goes. Icompletely disagree with you on it.  I am unsure if you buy and return items to have an idea of the process

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Been on eBay for over 16 years, selling for the majority of that time. Of course i am very familiar with the buy/return process. I do see where you are coming from, and respect your point of view, though we are in disagreement.