Is Zero Service Metric Returns in Toys & Hobbies Category Possible?

[varietydiscount]

I have been stewing about this since I got notice a couple of days ago that my final value fees were increasing by 40%, so here I am this morning. 

I sold 947 items in Toys & Hobbies Category since June 1, 2018.  I had 15 Not As Described Returns, which equates to 1.48% or about 3 out of every 200.  

Of those 15 returns:

• 7 were "Doesn't Work or Defective", but when I received the return, they did indeed work fine and I have since resold them, with no problems. (3 of the returns were a combined shipping order that I sent to 1 customer.)
• 1 was "Doesn't Work or Defective", but they didn't return it because after they put in a return request I explained to them that they had to turn it on and Voila!, it worked.
• 1 was "Not As Described" - Which is because I sent the wrong item - My Bad!
• 5 were "Wrong Item Sent" - 4 of them were legitimate as I did indeed send the wrong item (3 of them were a combined shipping order that I sent to 1 customer) and 1 was exactly as described when it was returned to me.

Obviously I can make sure I send the right items from now on. I have no idea how to control false claims of Not As Described.  But what really is making me scratch my head is that my "peers" have 0% returns.  Zero, zip, nadda!  No returns out of close to a 1,000 orders.  Is this possible?  I can understand 1 or even several meticulous sellers that had zero, but all of them?

On a final note, I find it odd that if I jump through all the hoops and am a top rated seller I get a 10% discount on the item's FVFs, but not the shipping's.  Yet when I am penalized for not meeting some seemingly unobtainable standard, I am charged an extra 40% for the item price AND shipping.

[webwanna]

I'm sure you already know the answer to this, but :  No it is not possible.

It is a scam.  A fraud committed against you.  What are you going to do about it?

Please tell me.... because your story sounds eerily familiar to mine and I expect the same thing will be happening to me soon . TRS, Free Shipping & Returns, unbelievable Peer % benchmark, incorrect returns & non -returns counted against me....

[clu3]

Sounds like if you could have avoided the wrong shipment issue on YOUR end, you would have been under the metrics for penalty.  If you are selling items to the same customer with combined shipping (versus as a single lot) they would still be considered individual sales.  Even if you could successfully appeal the one item where the buyer didn't turn it on, you'd still be over the nine allowed.

Maybe just be really careful about descriptions.  Use terms like "pre-owned" and "used", avoid "like new" and "new", instead use something more subjective like "good" or "very good".   Out of 947 items, with so few returns, I think you're doing pretty well!

This is from eBay's guide (I had to look it up because this entire metrics thing wasn't clear for me)

If you are rated Very High in a category, but you had fewer than 10 'Item not as described' returns or your 'Item not as described' rate is under 1% in a specific category during the evaluation period, you will not be subject to consequences

[clu3]

How long does Ebay charge the higher penalty?

[varietydiscount]

I thought I was doing pretty well too.  But if you are being compared to peers that have 0% returns, ie. PERFECT, it seems to be a lost cause.  

[varietydiscount]

They charge the higher penalty as long as you rated as Very High. But again, if my peers are 0%, is 1 out of 1,000 Very High? The only obtainable goal is do my best to stay under the 10 threshold. I recently changed my return policy to Free Returns, so hopefully that will reduce the false claims.

[threshold.sales.group]

Of course any claim of a zero % peer benchmark is totally absurd. One single INAD return legit or bogus would push the % above zero.  So you are supposed to believe that this peer group of volume sellers in the same category, same item condition mix, didn't have one, solitary INAD return during the period - yea right. 

[mypostingid15]

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@varietydiscount wrote:

I have been stewing about this since I got notice a couple of days ago that my final value fees were increasing by 40%, so here I am this morning. 

I sold 947 items in Toys & Hobbies Category since June 1, 2018.  I had 15 Not As Described Returns, which equates to 1.48% or about 3 out of every 200.  

Of those 15 returns:

• 7 were "Doesn't Work or Defective", but when I received the return, they did indeed work fine and I have since resold them, with no problems. (3 of the returns were a combined shipping order that I sent to 1 customer.)
• 1 was "Doesn't Work or Defective", but they didn't return it because after they put in a return request I explained to them that they had to turn it on and Voila!, it worked.
• 1 was "Not As Described" - Which is because I sent the wrong item - My Bad!
• 5 were "Wrong Item Sent" - 4 of them were legitimate as I did indeed send the wrong item (3 of them were a combined shipping order that I sent to 1 customer) and 1 was exactly as described when it was returned to me.

How could this many happen in a review period? Happened to me twice in the last 20 years. Something needs to change, it's an avoidable mistake.

[varietydiscount]

I messed up on 3 orders of over a 1,000 during a year's period.  1 order consisted of 3 of the same items, which I shipped all wrong and it counted as 3 items.  I'm not perfect.

[varietydiscount]

What exactly do you sell?  You currently have zero listings.  At that rate I can see why you don't understand that mistakes happen.

[webwanna]

I doubt the number Ebay provided you has any basis in actual return rates for your category.  It's fake.  

After analyzing this, I realize there is only one way for a seller to reduce their risk of paying a penalty.

Buy from your competitors or pay people to buy from your competitors in your category and then open returns for one of the reasons that is being held against sellers.

That is the only action that is guaranteed to lower your risk of a penalty.

That is why I will not be renewing my store subscription in the fall if this policy has not changed.

[mam98031]

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@varietydiscount wrote:

What exactly do you sell?  You currently have zero listings.  At that rate I can see why you don't understand that mistakes happen.

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The initial clue is in their posting name.  They are using a posting ID so that curious posters don't have access to their what they sell or how much they sell or any other information that the poster prefers not to be public here on the threads.  Many people do this in an effort to avoid some posters that get a little too excited about someone that may disagree with them.  This way their selling accounts are protected from those that may want to reach out and hurt someone.  It has and does happen.  So you really don't know all the time if someone is or isn't a seller.

Now back to your problem.  How do you know that some or all of the seller's you are being compared to do not have any SNADs at all?  Where is that information provided on the Service Metrics screen?

[mcdougle4248]

@mam98031 

Now you have me thinking maybe I have been reading these all wrong.  Where it says Peers= X%, isn't that the the sellers I am being compared to, which would be my "Peers"?

[mam98031]

Yes you are correct.  But the OP is claiming they can see that some of the peers they are being compared to have no SNADs.  I don't know where they are getting that information from.  It doesn't show on the the Service Metrics screen as you can see yourself.  So I don't know where they are getting their information from and I'm curious to know where they have found it.

The peers you see on your graphics is just lumped together.   No details given.

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

Obviously if it shows their peers have 0% then it follows that their peers have had no SNADs, right? No mystery there.