Free returns for any reason

[craigsfinds]

I understand why ebay thinks free returns for any reason will improve sales but I don't understand why they think it's reasonable to penalize hard working, top rated sellers that choose not to follow this strategy by completely eliminating their final value fee discount.  

Here's a crazy idea: If ebay believes this will increase sales, how about shearing the financial rewards with top rated sellers who follow this strategy by giving them a greater discount? After all, Top Rated Sellers are the ones paying for that "free" return shipping. 

The way I see it, ebay is trying to increase THEIR profits at the expense of one of their most valuable assets. Top Rated Seller. I think that's a very dumb strategy. 

[abfabvintage]

@goodluckselling 

Hi, Good...but you do recall many many threads in particular by a prolific poster that buyers no longer trust a TRS seller anymore? Those threads went on and on and on. Which, to me, was a slap in the face of TRS sellers.

[tunicaslot]

That's true good - but the cookie cutter mold that Ebay expects everyone to fit in to is not a good fit for every seller and some have a much harder time of "achieving" the incentive than others which is unfair. Clothing returns far outnumber returns for sports team stickers and to achieve that incentive - clothing sellers have to end up paying more out of pocket for returns - many false, which then affects their metrics. How fair is that? 

[mvls1]

Ebay has every right to set whatever standards they like. I personally don't care about the 10% discount. It is not worth it to me to have to deal with all the nonsense it requires to get it and that likely suits Ebay fine as they  that was probably part of their objective with this change.

While it is true that ecommerce is changing and requires reasonably quick responses to keep up, it is interesting how Ebay is unable to make equally quick changes to the seller metrics to reflect fairness.  Can anyone give me one good reason that a seller should not get a ding to their metrics removed if the seller has a apology in their messages from a buyer stating they mistakenly opened an item not as described case rather than a remorse case? The only reason I can think of is that it pushes a seller that much closer to that 5% penalty. That customer service can't or won't correct this is just plain wrong. It does nothing but widen the growing divide between sellers and Ebay.

[nmemoryof]

While I can see why you would think that, I don't share your assessment regarding "why" eBay doesn't adjust the metrics.  I think it is simply a case of overload.  There are zillions of listings at all times on eBay.  I do not think they put any energy or scheming thought into getting as many sellers as possible to hit the metrics level that bumps them into higher fees.  I don't think those fees are about eBay profits.  I think it is far more likely that those fees are merely a deterrent AND an attempt to make those sucking up the resources to pay for it.  My crystal ball sees a meeting that discussed how to contain the rising customer service costs.  So someone suggested a plan to make the high maintenance sellers pay more.  Is that what happened?  I have no idea.  But I do not think eBay is just out to get us. 

[craigsfinds]

I agree. Ebay has made being a top rated seller pointless.  Buyers don't care and ebay has made the requirements ludicrous. I'll be adjusting MY strategies accordingly.