Ebay new policies are a poorly disguised attempt at forcing higher fees on sellers

[carpe_diem_jedi]

So nowadays eBay forces seller to have more than generous free return policies.

In turn buyers, know they can return anything anytime for any reason and will abuse the protection program and return items after 29 days because they know they can return it for free and get a full refund. In other words you have buyers who simply use eBay as a 30-day free rental service.

Since eBay has implemented their new policy where you have to offer free 30-day returns on your listings to remain a top rated plus seller, my return rate has more than doubled.

In turns eBay now threatens sellers with higher selling fees if your return rate is above a certain threshold.

And voila!

By forcing seller to offer free returns for 30-days eBay has intrinsically doubled the number of returns. By increasing the number of returns, they not only made it harder for seller to turn on profit on the sales themselves but they also artificially increased the fees on these same sellers due to no fault of their own.

eBay has self engineered a crisis for their sellers.

There is nothing ethical about this company, their only goal is to generate maximum revenues for themselves regardless of what happens to the sellers.

I think my days selling on eBay are counted. It has become more trouble than it is worth.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

You get NO search boost for having a TRS + badge on your listing.  The ONLY benefit the TRS+ badge offers a seller is the 10% FVF discount for domestic sales.

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It is not only on domestic sales. You should receive the discount on all sales even if you don't have trs status on other sites.

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Thank you for that clarification.

[mam98031]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

You get NO search boost for having a TRS + badge on your listing.  The ONLY benefit the TRS+ badge offers a seller is the 10% FVF discount for domestic sales.

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It is not only on domestic sales. You should receive the discount on all sales even if you don't have trs status on other sites.

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The TRS discount has never been on international sales, however I should have qualified that a bit better.  For sellers that are qualified as a TRS seller in the US, then it only applies to US sales.  If you are Global TRS, that may make a difference, I've never been a Global TRS seller that I remember as I just don't do enough international sales to qualify.  

Thank you for the correction.  I should have said that when you are TRS in other countries or Global.

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 I don't believe that is true.  If the item is listed on .com, you should receive the trs discount on that sale, regardless of who buys it. I've always believed that to be true and if it's changed,  I haven't been able to find it written anywhere that discounts are only for items sold to domestic buyers. 

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I can tell you in all the years that I was eligible for the TRS discount, I never received the discount on an International sale.  Maybe it has been different for others, but for myself I did not get the discount on international sales.

[mindy8436]

I agree. After 13 years, the latest fee hike is too much for me.

[eleanor*rigby]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

You can choose no returns as your option.  You just lose the TRS. 

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No you don't!

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Thank you for the clarification.

[pjcdn2005]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

You get NO search boost for having a TRS + badge on your listing.  The ONLY benefit the TRS+ badge offers a seller is the 10% FVF discount for domestic sales.

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It is not only on domestic sales. You should receive the discount on all sales even if you don't have trs status on other sites.

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Thank you for that clarification.

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Keep in mind that I could be the one who is wrong. :).

I’ve always understood it to work one way but mam believes it works another way so at this point we don’t really know for sure. 

[carpe_diem_jedi]

>>> You need to look at what's being returned. If it's the same product line, maybe you should drop those products.

I have been selling the same products for years. They are tested and the quality is very good.

The fact is that the number of returns nearly tripled overnight starting from the day eBay forced me to offer 30-day free returns.

Too many buyers essentially take advantage and rent items for 30-days.

I can even go further and tell you that 90% of those who return have a feedback ratings of 20 or less (newer accounts). In contrast less than 10% of my buyers have a feedback rating under 20.

So That means the buyers with feedback ratings under 20 represent less than 10% of my sales and about 90% of my returns.

I have pointed this fact out to Ebay multiple times but they don't seem concerned. 

[carpe_diem_jedi]

I find that there is more of a correlation between the types of buyers who return than there is a correction between the types of items that are returned. 

Specifically buyers with feedback rating under 20 (new accounts with 20 purchases or less) tend to return a lot more. Often time they claim is false and they either return a broken item that's not mine or they return my item in perfect condition whereby they essentially used the item for free for a month and they forced me to pay shipping both ways. Also they added a defect to my account which could cause me to lose my Top Rated status.

[mam98031]

The fact is that the number of returns nearly tripled overnight starting from the day eBay forced me to offer 30-day free returns.

You are NOT "FORCED" into Free Returns.  It is a CHOICE.  If you don't want to do Free Returns, then don't do Free Returns.  Ebay is not making you do anything in regards to this.  You have the power to change your return policy if you want to.

Sad, but true, Ebay doesn't care.  But you have the power to do something about it.  If it is costing you too much to do Free Returns, then change your business policy.  It is as simple as that.  Move to a 30 or 60 day return policy with buyer pays shipping, or even a No Return policy if you choose.  You will remain TRS as long as you meet all the other requirements.

You will lose the TRS+ badge and the discount of 10% off FVFs, but if it is as you say, getting too costly for you, it makes no sense to spend a dollar to save a dime.  The TRS+ designation is only saving you about $10 on every $1000 you sell, so if your return costs are exceeding that, it just doesn't make sense to continue down the path you are on.

[carpe_diem_jedi]

NO FREE RETURNS = NO TOP RATED = **bleep** SALES

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@carpe_diem_jedi wrote:

So nowadays eBay forces seller to have more than generous free return policies.

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No they don't.

That is simply not true.

I have been on eBay for almost 20 years and I have never offered free returns.@luckythewinner wrote:

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@carpe_diem_jedi wrote:

So nowadays eBay forces seller to have more than generous free return policies.

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No they don't.

That is simply not true.

I have been on eBay for almost 20 years and I have never offered free returns.

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[mam98031]

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@carpe_diem_jedi wrote:

I find that there is more of a correlation between the types of buyers who return than there is a correction between the types of items that are returned. 

Specifically buyers with feedback rating under 20 (new accounts with 20 purchases or less) tend to return a lot more. Often time they claim is false and they either return a broken item that's not mine or they return my item in perfect condition whereby they essentially used the item for free for a month and they forced me to pay shipping both ways. Also they added a defect to my account which could cause me to lose my Top Rated status.

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I don't have the same experience.  My buyer that have return times are usually seasoned Ebayers.  But I respect that your experience is different.  

[carpe_diem_jedi]

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@mam98031 wrote:

The fact is that the number of returns nearly tripled overnight starting from the day eBay forced me to offer 30-day free returns.

You are NOT "FORCED" into Free Returns.  It is a CHOICE.  If you don't want to do Free Returns, then don't do Free Returns.  Ebay is not making you do anything in regards to this.  You have the power to change your return policy if you want to.

Sad, but true, Ebay doesn't care.  But you have the power to do something about it.  If it is costing you too much to do Free Returns, then change your business policy.  It is as simple as that.  Move to a 30 or 60 day return policy with buyer pays shipping, or even a No Return policy if you choose.  You will remain TRS as long as you meet all the other requirements.

You will lose the TRS+ badge and the discount of 10% off FVFs, but if it is as you say, getting too costly for you, it makes no sense to spend a dollar to save a dime.  The TRS+ designation is only saving you about $10 on every $1000 you sell, so if your return costs are exceeding that, it just doesn't make sense to continue down the path you are on.

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If you do not offer free returns then you will lose many sales.

In addition, if a buyer claims that the item is "not as described" wether it's true or not, YOU WILL BE FORCED by Ebay to pay for the return shipping label.

All my returns are filed this way. Buyers never claim they had a buyer's remorse in the return, even if they admitted to it in previous emails to you. If you ask eBay to mediate, they will always side with the buyer and they will closed the case against you which is even worse than having a return.

[mam98031]

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@carpe_diem_jedi wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

The fact is that the number of returns nearly tripled overnight starting from the day eBay forced me to offer 30-day free returns.

You are NOT "FORCED" into Free Returns.  It is a CHOICE.  If you don't want to do Free Returns, then don't do Free Returns.  Ebay is not making you do anything in regards to this.  You have the power to change your return policy if you want to.

Sad, but true, Ebay doesn't care.  But you have the power to do something about it.  If it is costing you too much to do Free Returns, then change your business policy.  It is as simple as that.  Move to a 30 or 60 day return policy with buyer pays shipping, or even a No Return policy if you choose.  You will remain TRS as long as you meet all the other requirements.

You will lose the TRS+ badge and the discount of 10% off FVFs, but if it is as you say, getting too costly for you, it makes no sense to spend a dollar to save a dime.  The TRS+ designation is only saving you about $10 on every $1000 you sell, so if your return costs are exceeding that, it just doesn't make sense to continue down the path you are on.

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If you do not offer free returns then you will lose many sales.

In addition, if a buyer claims that the item is "not as described" wether it's true or not, YOU WILL BE FORCED by Ebay to pay for the return shipping label.

All my returns are filed this way. Buyers never claim they had a buyer's remorse in the return, even if they admitted to it in previous emails to you. If you ask eBay to mediate, they will always side with the buyer and they will closed the case against you which is even worse than having a return.

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New to me.  And to a whole lot of sellers out there that don't offer Free Returns.  I have no idea why you think that other than possibly Ebay telling you that.

I never said any different.  No matter what your return policy is, sellers have to take care of SNADs.  For me, Ebay doesn't have to "force" me to pay return shipping on a SNAD.  I do it willingly.

I can't speak to what reason your buyers choose when filing a return, but for you it doesn't matter.  Whether it is a BR or a SNAD, you will pay return shipping.

IMHO I think when buyers see Free Returns, it has a different affect on them than if a seller has 30 days w/ buyer pays shipping.  

When Free Returns became part of the requirements to get the discount, I dropped the discount.  I'm still TRS, but I'm not going to do Free Returns.  My sales have NOT suffered from this, nor has any seller that I am familiar with that did it for the same reasons I have.  

BTW, Free Returns is NOT a new program.  Free Returns have always existed, it is just that Ebay added a couple of perks and made it a requirement for the TRS discount.  But before this 30 and 60 day returns with seller pays shipping existed which is the same thing, Free Returns.

[luckythewinner]

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@carpe_diem_jedi wrote:

Since eBay has implemented their new policy where you have to offer free 30-day returns on your listings to remain a top rated plus seller, my return rate has more than doubled.

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The Top Rated Plus discount amounts to about 1% of the selling price (not including shipping). 

If your return rate has doubled since you started offering free shipping, that means you are now paying return shipping on all of those returns instead of paying no return shipping on any returns. 

So if the cost of return shipping on all of your current returns is more than 1% of your sales, then it should be a no-brainer to just stop offering free returns and forgo the discount.  

[buzzapparel]

My return rate for 2018 was just under 13% but it accounted for 18% of my total sales (since the more expensive items are returned more frequently). Factoring in unsalable items after returns, that number jumped to 20%. Returns are a huge problem especially when the buyer claims “doesn’t seem authentic” or “doesn’t match description”. Which happens more often than you think for the type of items I sell. The losses incurred are astronomical since many of the items are very heavy (for example Versace wool coats, moncler boots, etc) and require large boxes and expensive shipping. Returns in general absolutely devastate my business model. 

[hioctane62]

I will never offer free returns because it attracts the type of buyers who are shopping for items with free returns.