mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
I understand your frustrations when this happens too often. I really do get it. But consider the alternative. It is far better to deal with a cancellation. Quick, easy and then you are done with it.
It is better than dealing with someone that ignores you and you have to file a UID then wait 4 more days. Or worse yet a buyer that pays, receives the item and then returns it because they changed their mind for whatever reason.
While cancellation are certainly annoying, they are the best, quickest and most cost effective option available.
@popeye3165 wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:I understand your frustrations when this happens too often. I really do get it. But consider the alternative. It is far better to deal with a cancellation. Quick, easy and then you are done with it. It is better than dealing with someone that ignores you and you have to file a UID then wait 4 more days. Or worse yet a buyer that pays, receives the item and then returns it because they changed their mind for whatever reason. While cancellation are certainly annoying, they are the best, quickest and most cost effective option available.
Your reply only tries to rationalize why the OP should accept the cancellation while you seem to have ignored their suggestions as to what eBay could/should do to help remedy the problem that they and MANY other sellers experience.
As a seller, I agree with most of the OP points and suggestions.
* Buyer has only so many cancellation orders to prevent cancellation abuse. Or make the UI more annoying so that the next time they bid [and they've done too many cancellations], they get some annoying pop-ups that ask them if they are REALLY sure they want to bid.
* Provide some shaming of some sort for cancelling too many listings (can be cancellations from buyer side or seller side) like being able to send negative feedback, but maybe a little lighter like a slap on the wrist. Like they get some sort of icon next to their name that will go away over a long period of time or after so many successful buys (without doing a cancellation). Kind of like in some video games where you get tagged for being a PK (player killer)
* Seller protection so that after so many buyers cancelling a listing that it does not become an option anymore for that listing. You won it, you intended to buy it.
* Figure out some way to provide a time based oopsies button
* More standard form for submitting cancellation request on buyer side (like some predefined responses like Amazon returns). I've gotten a few where the reason is blank.
This is ridiculous that buyers don't read the listing and realize the item is pre-owned.
Also, shipping rates need to be clearer to the buyer. I've gotten a few messages confused about the shipping cost because one service was way more expensive compared to another, but it varies between buyer's location. Some of them get shocked by the shipping.
I have no idea what Ebay's threshold is for too many cancellations filed by a single buyer. They certainly would track that number. But I've never seen or heard about any action they take against a buyer that abuses the system for this particular issues. That doesn't mean they don't, it just means I've never seen it. And it wouldn't be likely that a buyer would come to the thread about the issue since they would have a difficult time defending themselves against all the posters.
As a seller, what I previously said it completely true. It isn't to "rationalize" anything. It is what is in the best interest of my business to do as I previously stated.
What Ebay should or could do is a completely separate issue and has nothing to do with what a seller should do if they find themselves in this type of position. In the moment, the seller should do what is best for the health of their selling account. In the future the seller, if they choose, could start lobbying Ebay for a better procedure and possibly tighter sanctions against buyers that abuse the system.
Ebay is resolving the issue you talk about regarding shipping. They are only allowing one rate to be shown on listings now.
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Showing-Buyers-the-Best-Shipping-Options/ba-p/29886668
