mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
penguins_dont_fly is a Volunteer Community Mentor
NO you do not have to have the buyer open a claim. It is an option, but NOT a requirement.
If I have a buyer contact me via Ebay email with an issue, I have no problem taking care of the needs of my customer. Opening a claim does not make me give my buyer better customer service.
I just have the buyer return the item, when it comes back I issue the refund to my customer. If the FVF is of importance, I call Ebay and get it refunded. They will do that as they can see that I issued a refund.
When you have the buyer open the claim, if it is a SNAD, it counts against you in the Service Metrics. No matter the reason it is opened or the outcome, a SNAD counts against you in the Service Metrics. So I don't advise sellers to insist the buyer opens a claim as it really isn't in the seller's best interest. But that does mean that the seller is still responsible for taking proper care of their customer.
@alseyf-73 wrote:It's better that you ask your buyer to return the item directly, rather than have them start a return request at eBay. That way, after you get the item back and refund your buyer, you'll get an out of stock defect. Just ask eBay to remove that defect when you call to get your FVF credit on the refund, no problem.
No you don't. This was a much discussed topic on a Weekly Chat or two an another thread. This is a bit of reading, but you may find it useful.
@alseyf-73 wrote:It's better that you ask your buyer to return the item directly, rather than have them start a return request at eBay. That way, after you get the item back and refund your buyer, you'll get an out of stock defect. Just ask eBay to remove that defect when you call to get your FVF credit on the refund, no problem.
Absolutely wrong! Why would a seller want to possibly get a defect and then have to go through the rigamorole of having the defect removed.
There are processes in place for returns. These processes protect both the buyer and the seller.
A return for "Does not fit" causes no defect or service metrics ding for the seller...it is a Remorse reason.
Opening a return is not "opening a case". A return request only becomes a case if eBay has to step in on an MBG Reason return.
Just for reference, these are the reasons that eBay gives to a buyer in the dropdown return menu: (pink are MBG / SNAD, black are remorse)
Doesn't fit
Changed my mind
Found a better price
Just didn't like it
Ordered by mistake
Doesn't work or defective
Doesn't match description or photos
Wrong item sent
Missing parts or pieces
Arrived damaged
Doesn't seem authentic
@goodluckselling wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:NO you do not have to have the buyer open a claim. It is an option, but NOT a requirement.
If I have a buyer contact me via Ebay email with an issue, I have no problem taking care of the needs of my customer. Opening a claim does not make me give my buyer better customer service.
I just have the buyer return the item, when it comes back I issue the refund to my customer. If the FVF is of importance, I call Ebay and get it refunded. They will do that as they can see that I issued a refund.
When you have the buyer open the claim, if it is a SNAD, it counts against you in the Service Metrics. No matter the reason it is opened or the outcome, a SNAD counts against you in the Service Metrics. So I don't advise sellers to insist the buyer opens a claim as it really isn't in the seller's best interest. But that does mean that the seller is still responsible for taking proper care of their customer.
The OP asked about the correct way to do this and eBay highly recommends sellers and buyers use the process in place which is what I explained. There is great benefit for both parties to conduct this action in a way that everyone including eBay can see the actions each party has performed.
We see lots of thread where sellers making claims of buyers getting refunds and also keeping the item. This is because sellers are reading your type of loophole directions and doing these returns outside of the eBay recommended processes and they end up losing everything.
How many sellers have to lose everything before you quit recommending they operate within a loophole versus the high recommended way eBay has in place?
Good Luck Selling!
You and I have been around and around this subject on various threads and you called it out on the Weekly chat as well. In the first link I gave a few posts back, on that thread Trinton explained things a bit better than they had in the past. This was a thread that you were on as well. While you never acknowledged Trinton's post, I'm sure you have seen it.
You are correct, Ebay does recommend that a claim be open. But there is NO REQUIREMENT to do so. And Trinton supported that on the thread.
So while you agree with Ebay's recommendation is just that. You agree with the recommendation. It does NOT mean it is the only CORRECT way to handle the situation. It is simply your recommendation and that of Ebay's.
Ebay makes all kinds of recommendations about all kinds of things across the site. That does not mean they are requirements nor does it mean it is the only RIGHT way to do something. There is a difference between a requirement and a recommendation.
I respect that your recommendation is to have the buyer file a claim. I respect that you have no problem supporting the Service Metrics. So please respect my recommendations as they do NOT breach policy or any rule on Ebay. And please stop treating it like I do. I've been a responsible seller on this site for a long time and have no need or desire to mislead other members.
@penguins_dont_fly wrote:
@alseyf-73 wrote:It's better that you ask your buyer to return the item directly, rather than have them start a return request at eBay. That way, after you get the item back and refund your buyer, you'll get an out of stock defect. Just ask eBay to remove that defect when you call to get your FVF credit on the refund, no problem.
Absolutely wrong! Why would a seller want to possibly get a defect and then have to go through the rigamorole of having the defect removed.
There are processes in place for returns. These processes protect both the buyer and the seller.
A return for "Does not fit" causes no defect or service metrics ding for the seller...it is a Remorse reason.
Opening a return is not "opening a case". A return request only becomes a case if eBay has to step in on an MBG Reason return.
Just for reference, these are the reasons that eBay gives to a buyer in the dropdown return menu: (pink are MBG / SNAD, black are remorse)
Doesn't fit
Changed my mind
Found a better price
Just didn't like it
Ordered by mistake
Doesn't work or defective
Doesn't match description or photos
Wrong item sent
Missing parts or pieces
Arrived damaged
Doesn't seem authentic
If there is communication present in Ebay messages where the buyer and seller agree to return and subsequent refund, the seller WILL NOT get an OOS defect for issuing a full refund. But the communications need to be there.
Post 45 on the thread below.
@coco9619 wrote:
@goodluckselling wrote:So you are telling buyers how you want to handle snad returns outside of the designed paths eBay setup because it is not in you the sellers best interest? What about giving the buyer the directions that are in there best interest so they can retain there MBG benefits?
Returning an item using the MBG, the buyer gets step-by-step notices, and eBay Help pages.
Going through the loophole instead, the buyer doesn't have any help pages, and forfeits the oversight to force a refund, for one of numerous fiascos, should the trustworthy-until-now seller go silent after the return outside the MBG is delivered back.
The latter route is: Highly UN-recommended.
It isn't a "loophole". It has been done for years and years on Ebay. It is ONLY since the fall of last year with the birth of the Service Metrics that Ebay's recommendations on returns changed. BEFORE the Service Metrics, there was even a reason in the cancellation process that sellers could choose that was for refunding the buyer.
Before the Service Metrics Ebay use to encourage sellers to take care of their customers when they emailed us with a problem. It was last year when there was some dramatic changes to the site.
Its the choice of the trading partners. Each has a right to decide for themselves what they want to do. If a buyer wants to request the return via a claim, then that is what they should do. If the buyer would prefer not to have a claim and work directly with the seller instead, there is nothing wrong with that either. The seller just needs to make sure to take proper care of the buyer using either method.
