Free Returns!!!! Why would anyone ever shop at a store again?

[total.sports.llc]

Okay so now ebay is going to start making everyone have 30 Day FREE Returns!!!! When is this madness going to STOP?!? We ship everything with free shipping unless a buyer wants faster shipping and now we actually have to reconsider not having free shipping or opting to not be a Top Rated seller anymore due to this new policy ebay is going to put into place in May/June 2018.

Now if I were a buyer why in the heck would I ever go the stores anymore to buy anything because if I don't like what I bought I would have to jump in my car, go to the store, wait in line, and return it. Now I can sit in the comfort of my home, order something that I'm not really sure I want, have it shipped to me for free, once I get it I see ahh I don't like the color (listing stated what the color was and is correct according to the listing description), well I'll just start my FREE return, I'm going to wait 29 days to do so, I will print off the FREE Pre-Paid shipping label from my wonderful lazyboy, and wait for my refund so I can do it again!!!! 

When is this stuff going to END!!!! I think all the selling platforms have lost sight at how a return works. When you buy something from a physical store you WILL have to pay for that return if you don't like it with your time and effort of getting in your car, wasting the gas to go there, and your TIME, but now they've made it so that's not the case anymore with online shopping.

Since when is it okay for someone to have buyer remorse and not have to pay for that remorse? Why should us sellers have to pay for their remorse? We didn't make them buy anything and we clearly stated the facts on what they're buying in the listing description.

[mr_lincoln]

@total.sports.llc  Free Returns will elimnate SNAD claims and pretty much any other type of claim except INRs ... one answer of course is to include some $$ in the sale price to cover at least a % of the return shipment in the unlikely event it occurs.  We use Calculated shipping here, collectibles can be large and heavy to ship ... so taking a $ 7 - $ 18 (or more) Free Return shipping hit is not desireable to be sure.  We recently sold a SAD Cast Iron clothes iron for about $ 15 with a coast to coast shipping cost of just over $ 20 ... with eBay & PP fees on both item and shipping the amount we pocket is like $ 10 - $ 11(this came from a lot that's already in the profit column so no "cost" included with the math in this post).  Fortunately, the buyer loved it but something like this with Free Returns would mean a loss of around $ 9 - $ 10.  We're not selling here to do that ...

[total.sports.llc]

Yeah we definitely know we will have to do some restructuring due to this new policy if we want to stay a Top Rated Seller it's just what has yet to be determined. 

[partial*eclipse]

Free 30-day returns are not required for retaining TRS status.  Only required  for TR-Plus and the 10% FVF credit.

[fern*wood]

You don't have to offer free returns to be a TRS---only if you want the discount for being a TRSplus.

[partial*eclipse]

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@total.sports.llcwrote: ....if I were a buyer why in the heck would I ever go the stores anymore to buy anything because if I don't like what I bought I would have to jump in my car, go to the store, wait in line, and return it. Now I can sit in the comfort of my home, order something that I'm not really sure I want, have it shipped to me for free, once I get it I see ahh I don't like the color (listing stated what the color was and is correct according to the listing description), well I'll just start my FREE return, I'm going to wait 29 days to do so, I will print off the FREE Pre-Paid shipping label from my wonderful lazyboy, and wait for my refund so I can do it again!!!! 

That's exactly why Amazon is growing and retail stores and malls throughout the country are going out of business.    

eBay perceives Amazon as their primary role model and competition.  That's the underlying reason for many  policy changes, which are camouflaged with the phrase "buyer expectations" which actually means "what buyers get from Amazon" whether it's 3-day delivery or free 30-day returns.

[sandmansales]

It gets better. Now all a buyer has to do is file a SNAD and it's an automatic return on the seller's dime no matter the circumstances.

ebay has taken their unique platform of peer to peer sellers and turned it into a giant generic Chinese vending machine. Unfortunately, a lot of sellers will not be able to sustain these latest changes and stay afloat.

The days of the small seller that they laughably call their 'business partners' are over.

[mr_lincoln]

@total.sports.llc

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@total.sports.llcwrote:

Yeah we definitely know we will have to do some restructuring due to this new policy if we want to stay a Top Rated Seller it's just what has yet to be determined. 

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The really sad part to this is that Sellers who have attained TRS Plus have done so by being, well Top Rated, in how they conduct their business.  For us, we could care less about the 10% FVF discount but having the TRS badge displayed on listings, in our opinion, improves sales and Buyer confidence. 

They are clueless on what motivates people ...

[total.sports.llc]

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@partial*eclipsewrote:

Free 30-day returns are not required for retaining TRS status.  Only required  for TR-Plus and the 10% FVF credit.

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That's not the way I understood it here's the link to the post and here are the first three points that it states 

"What you need to know

• We're reducing the number of returns policies options.
• Top Rated sellers will be required to offer 30-day free returns to be eligible to receive the Top Rated Plus discount and badge. Some category exceptions apply."

We might still be Top Rated but we wouldn't carry the badge and that's important for buyers to see.

[sandmansales]

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@fern*woodwrote:

You don't have to offer free returns to be a TRS---only if you want the discount for being a TRSplus.

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That's today. Wenig isn't done.

[total.sports.llc]

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@partial*eclipsewrote:

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@total.sports.llcwrote: ....if I were a buyer why in the heck would I ever go the stores anymore to buy anything because if I don't like what I bought I would have to jump in my car, go to the store, wait in line, and return it. Now I can sit in the comfort of my home, order something that I'm not really sure I want, have it shipped to me for free, once I get it I see ahh I don't like the color (listing stated what the color was and is correct according to the listing description), well I'll just start my FREE return, I'm going to wait 29 days to do so, I will print off the FREE Pre-Paid shipping label from my wonderful lazyboy, and wait for my refund so I can do it again!!!! 

That's exactly why Amazon is growing and retail stores and malls throughout the country are going out of business.    

eBay perceives Amazon as their primary role model and competition.  That's the underlying reason for many  policy changes, which are camouflaged with the phrase "buyer expectations" which actually means "what buyers get from Amazon" whether it's 3-day delivery or free 30-day returns.

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Yes this is exactly how I see it we sell in both ebay and Amazon and I've always hated Amazon and loved ebay but not so much anymore these days since they're trying so hard to be just like Amazon, just wait pretty soon people won't be able to sell anything without a UPC on ebay. 

[total.sports.llc]

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@mr_lincolnwrote:

@total.sports.llc

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@total.sports.llcwrote:

Yeah we definitely know we will have to do some restructuring due to this new policy if we want to stay a Top Rated Seller it's just what has yet to be determined. 

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The really sad part to this is that Sellers who have attained TRS Plus have done so by being, well Top Rated, in how they conduct their business.  For us, we could care less about the 10% FVF discount but having the TRS badge displayed on listings, in our opinion, improves sales and Buyer confidence. 

They are clueless on what motivates people ...

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Actually their not that's why ebay has it set up for you to loose the badge if you don't participate. 

[luckythewinner]

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@total.sports.llcwrote:

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@partial*eclipsewrote:

Free 30-day returns are not required for retaining TRS status.  Only required  for TR-Plus and the 10% FVF credit.

---

That's not the way I understood it here's the link to the post and here are the first three points that it states 

"What you need to know

• We're reducing the number of returns policies options.
• Top Rated sellers will be required to offer 30-day free returns to be eligible to receive the Top Rated Plus discount and badge. Some category exceptions apply."

We might still be Top Rated but we wouldn't carry the badge and that's important for buyers to see.

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The Top Rated Plus badge may be important to you, but it is not the same thing as being a Top Rated Seller.

[m60driver]

As you note, most stores do allow for 30 day returns, as does Amazon.   So why are you surprised that Ebay is promoting that policy?  Of course you need to have some decent volume to offset the cost of the returns, someting I and many small sellers do not have ( I am not rying to make a living here, just trying to earn some lunch money) .  So I try to sell on Ebay only light weight items that can be mailed first class and items where my gross profit margins hoover just above 70%.  My return rate is very low and I usually tell buyers to keep an item and issue a refund for just about any issue.  Amazon does the same thing with low cost high margin items. Heavier items I mostly only sell on local online exchanges as postage and Ebay fees now make Ebay a non-competitve market.

But most stores usually do not allow for returns of used items, and they are often not covered by credit card companies.  So at some point Ebay will/should separate out the used/vintage. antique items (OOAK), but if you are selling new items, you will need to step up to the plate and accept the burden of returns.

[total.sports.llc]

Yes it is because the buyer looks for that on listings, we've been tracking it for years now, and on the rare occation where we lost that badge our sales dropped dramatically. ebay is playing us just like Amazon does now.