eBay

andrew547 · ‎07-01-2020

Well this is new.

A buyer opened an INR case because the post office has his package, but he wants it delivered to his house.

He chose a post office hold for pickup when he placed the order. Now, as if by magic, his package is available for pickup at his local post office. However, he doesn't want to pick it up. He wants it delivered to his house. So naturally, he opens an INR claim, as one does.

I get so many frivolous INR claims that I think there is a problem. Perhaps inviting buyers to press buttons that promise to solve their problems at no cost to them beyond the energy it takes to click and type "where is my order" is inefficient.

I get buyers opening cases against me because it's easier than checking tracking. I get buyers opening cases against me because it's easier than calling USPS to arrange delivery or go to the post office to pick up their order. I get buyers opening cases against me because it's easier than calling USPS to locate a package marked "delivered" but not received.

Similarly, the vast majority of buyers who open a return request never actually return the item. As I recall, I have only had one actual return of all the return requests.

I have long suspected buyers press buttons they don't understand because it is the easy thing to do. When pressing buttons harms sellers and doesn't solve the buyer's problem, I think there is a larger issue.

It's too easy for buyers to press buttons that harm sellers. They don't know what they're doing. They're just pressing buttons.

wastingtime101 · ‎07-01-2020

@andrew547 wrote:
I have long suspected buyers press buttons they don't understand because it is the easy thing to do. When pressing buttons harms sellers and doesn't solve the buyer's problem, I think there is a larger issue.

The larger issue is that eBay pushes buyers into opening an INR claim.

"I didn't receive it" is listed above "contact seller" on my purchases.

If a buyer manages to click contact seller instead of I didn't receive it then they're still prompted to file an INR on the next screen by choosing that option instead of sending the seller a message.

Experienced eBay buyers are more likely to send a message before opening a claim. Casual buyers don't know that a formal claim will be opened. They're following the prompts for an item they didn't receive yet and those prompts take them to the INR process.

GLORIOUS!

andrew547 · ‎07-01-2020

I sell fragile things in a system designed to punish when things go wrong, which they (expectedly) do when you sell fragile things, and my metrics are compared to sellers who don't sell fragile things for the purpose of punishing me with higher fees or longer estimated delivery times when those metrics are "worse" than my "peers".

Like a car accident you see coming but are powerless to avoid. Flawless service, but it doesn't matter. Buyers press buttons, you are punished, and there is nothing you can do. INR cases pile up and seller metrics decline. This is maddening.

a_c_green · ‎07-01-2020

@andrew547 wrote:
A buyer opened an INR case because the post office has his package, but he wants it delivered to his house.

He chose a post office hold for pickup when he placed the order. Now, as if by magic, his package is available for pickup at his local post office. However, he doesn't want to pick it up. He wants it delivered to his house. So naturally, he opens an INR claim, as one does.

An "Available for Pickup" status is the same as a "Delivered" status as far as Item Not Received disputes are concerned, so you should win. It might be that he's hoping to snag a refund, then race over to the post office and collect the item as well.

Otherwise I would think he could just go on-line and request delivery of his package. He might need to set up a free USPS account first, but otherwise, he's the recipient, he has the tracking number, so he should be able to have it delivered.

cashvaluerecovery2011 · ‎07-01-2020

Im around $100 this year on purchased return labels that never got used.

andrew547 · ‎07-01-2020

@a_c_green wrote:
An "Available for Pickup" status is the same as a "Delivered" status as far as Item Not Received disputes are concerned, so you should win.

Yes, but I get dinged, again, in my service metrics, because yet another buyer opened yet another frivolous INR case. Worse service metrics can lead to higher fees, longer delivery estimates, and from what I gather, lower search rankings.

INR cases harm sellers in two ways: One harm comes from losing an INR case. The other harm comes from simply opening one.

andrew547 · ‎07-01-2020

@cashvaluerecovery2011 wrote:
Im around $100 this year on purchased return labels that never got used.

Aren't those refunded? Tell me unused return labels are refunded.

hillbillymedia · ‎07-01-2020

@andrew547 wrote:
@cashvaluerecovery2011 wrote:
Im around $100 this year on purchased return labels that never got used.
Aren't those refunded? Tell me unused return labels are refunded.

AFAIK the seller only gets charged when a label is actually printed which would generate a tracking number for the buyer to the case in question. Someone else will more than likely chime in if I`m wrong and I welcome it.

"There`s always barber college" - Dalton - Road House

monster-deals · ‎07-01-2020

@andrew547 wrote:
@cashvaluerecovery2011 wrote:
Im around $100 this year on purchased return labels that never got used.
Aren't those refunded? Tell me unused return labels are refunded.

You would have to fund one in order to be refunded for one.

If it never gets used, you never get charged.

a_c_green · ‎07-01-2020

@hillbillymedia wrote:
@andrew547 wrote:
@cashvaluerecovery2011 wrote:
Im around $100 this year on purchased return labels that never got used.
Aren't those refunded? Tell me unused return labels are refunded.
AFAIK the seller only gets charged when a label is actually printed which would generate a tracking number for the buyer to the case in question. Someone else will more than likely chime in if I`m wrong and I welcome it.

I believe the step that actually triggers the charge is when the label is scanned by the post office, thus showing that the label has been used and the package is actually on the way back. The label itself is delivered as a PDF document, and printing it is not an action that sends a notification to eBay.

I had a return come back to me just last week, and received a message from eBay when the item got its Acceptance scan at the post office. I got a second message a few days later when it was delivered at my place.

m60driver · ‎07-01-2020

Well the good news is that the buyer losses the MBG from Ebay by not picking up the package. So if you get the item back you can refund less your expenses.

heakal-54 · ‎07-01-2020

That is all true but there are PLENTY of sellers on ebay who would NOT help a buyer if the buyer tried to contact them first! I'm talking about the sellers who play dumb, and the sellers who will make the buyer run in circles and other tactics and even honest straightforward answers still cause delay...

Fact is the buyer only has so many days in which to open a case, every "contact" with the seller involves a back and forth that usually takes 24-48 hours between each answer and reply. When time is of the essence, also it truly is a lot easier for a buyer to open a case and then...

I mean lets get real, from a buyer's perspective...

Contacting most sellers doesn't yield much fruit, in most cases they run you around and play stall and delay tactics or make you try and jump through all these hoops (Hey have you tried calling the Postmaster General, you know maybe they can help!)

......

Yeah RIGHT I *want* to spend the next 4 HOURS on the phone listening to muzak and pressing buttons!

Meanwhile, three days later time is ticking away and the buyer still doesn't have their package.

But open a case suddenly the seller JUMPS TO ACTION!

Oh wow it's a dang miracle!

From a buyer's perspective your seller will CARE if you open a case.

As in they don't normally concern themselves very much with you otherwise.

That frustration is the reason why ebay has "simplified" things.

Now the returns process is made EASY.

If sellers were more cooperative and helpful from the start maybe not...

But ultimately (and I hate to admit it) it truly is the FASTEST and EASIEST way to just open the case, with most sellers on ebay that's what is going to happen anyhow.

This is a two-way street.

heakal-54 · ‎07-01-2020

@andrew547 wrote:
I sell fragile things in a system designed to punish when things go wrong, which they (expectedly) do when you sell fragile things, and my metrics are compared to sellers who don't sell fragile things for the purpose of punishing me with higher fees or longer estimated delivery times when those metrics are "worse" than my "peers".

Like a car accident you see coming but are powerless to avoid. Flawless service, but it doesn't matter. Buyers press buttons, you are punished, and there is nothing you can do. INR cases pile up and seller metrics decline. This is maddening.

You have to learn how to play the game.

When your metrics start to approach critical mass you need to raise prices.

Keywords: start to

Higher prices means less sales.

Less sales means less defects.

itsjustasprain · ‎07-01-2020

@heakal-54 wrote:
You have to learn how to play the game.

When your metrics start to approach critical mass you need to raise prices.
Keywords: start to

Higher prices means less sales.
Less sales means less defects.

...aaand how long have you been playing that game exactly?

pjcdn2005 · ‎07-01-2020

Just as a FYI your fees don’t go up for inr’s but they may add time on to your delivery estimate.

Item not received: Time automatically added to buyer-facing delivery estimates for the shipping categories where you are currently evaluated as Very High