eBay

vintagemoth12 · ‎10-15-2017

I sell things I don't want anymore... small time seller and I have been wondering about a question about fast and free. I haven't listed anything for fast and free because if the buyer wants to send it back I want them to pay to send it back. If I charge $3 to ship a shirt, then if they return it I do not have to refund the $3 for the shipping price. The question is this: If I use fast and free and they send it back, won't I have to refund the entire amount? Some of this amount would be the cost of me shipping my item so I would lose money.

In other words: I sell a tank for 7.00 and shipping is 3.00, the buyer would pay me 10.00 and then if they return it I would only refund them 7. 00. But if I sell it fast and free, and I charge 10.00 for the total price, wouldn't I have to refund the entire 10.00?

Thanks for any help.

freehueco · ‎10-15-2017

20% restocking fee?

vintagemoth12 · ‎10-15-2017

I could do that. On my $10 item, it would only cover 2/3 of the cost of shipping but would be better than nothing.

freehueco · ‎10-15-2017

But yeah, the serious answer...

I charge for shipping and see no reason not to. I believe the Fast & Free thing is overrated. Are people really stupid enough to buy more things if I raise all my prices by $7-16 in order to provide Priority shipping for "free"?

The benefit, from my perspective, is that I can lower the price on an item without fear of going negative.

jonathankirkland · ‎10-15-2017

@freehueco wrote:
But yeah, the serious answer...

I charge for shipping and see no reason not to. I believe the Fast & Free thing is overrated. Are people really stupid enough to buy more things if I raise all my prices by $7-16 in order to provide Priority shipping for "free"?

The benefit, from my perspective, is that I can lower the price on an item without fear of going negative.

The simple answer is yes.

People see FREE SHIPPING and it is absolutely a good selling point. When people see an item price THEN have to add the price of the shipping to it it's just an extra step/hassle/thing on their mind, and when they see FREE SHIPPING they just see one price they are paying and that's it.

To the OP: I believe to charge a restocking fee you must agree to accept returns. I don't think you can enforce a restocking fee if you do not accept returns.

I'm not sure how it works with clothes as someone could buy something and claim it is not as described simply because it doesn't fit, but I thinik it's worth mentioning that you only have to pay returning shipping if an item is SNAD. For buyers remorse, they would have to pay return shipping.

I can understand your hesitation though, since if you got a lot of these returns on a $7 item you would basically juse lose everything if you could not recoup the original shipping, let alone return shipping on top of it.

freehueco · ‎10-15-2017

Hmm, I might have to try it with a store category that has cheap shipping to see how it works. I'll raise the price on all of my shirts & ties by $4 and offer free First Class shipping...

myboardid · ‎10-15-2017

You are completely misunderstanding the concept of Fast 'N' Free. It only applies if you ship within in day of payment, and if you ship for free. It has NOTHING to do with returns whatsoever.

If the buyer opens a "buyer's remorse" return, they must send back the item at their own expense and you must refund the purchse price only. If you sent with free shipping, then you still have to refund the full amount of the purchase price and you would lose the shipping cost.

If the buyer opens a "Significantly Not As Described" case (which most buyers do), then you have to provide a return shipping label at your own expense, and when you get it back, you have to refund in full all the money the buyer paid, including orginal shipping. It doesn't matter if the shipping was free or not.

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Successful and experienced seller since 1997, over 70,000 feedback, boardie since the boards were begun.

stitchesandseamsct · ‎10-15-2017

Yes you will have to refund the entire amount. 3 important notes:

1) SO many times I can wheel and deal with a buyer to keep the item, like 75% of the time they end up keeping it

2) 98% of buyers do not return items

3) you are selling things you dont want anymore so theres no reason to actually receive the item back, just refund them

Everybody wants to be a beast, until it's time to do what beasts do.

castlemagicmemories · ‎10-15-2017

@myboardid wrote:
You are completely misunderstanding the concept of Fast 'N' Free. It only applies if you ship within in day of payment, and if you ship for free. It has NOTHING to do with returns whatsoever.

If the buyer opens a "buyer's remorse" return, they must send back the item at their own expense and you must refund the purchse price only. If you sent with free shipping, then you still have to refund the full amount of the purchase price and you would lose the shipping cost.

If the buyer opens a "Significantly Not As Described" case (which most buyers do), then you have to provide a return shipping label at your own expense, and when you get it back, you have to refund in full all the money the buyer paid, including orginal shipping. It doesn't matter if the shipping was free or not.

Read my mind and typed faster, too!