It's Official I have had more returns in 2019 then all 15 years selling combined

[jnybuysell]

Received another 3 returns this week. 2 did not fit and 1 sent wrong item(which buyer switched too "changed mind") after being confronted with fraud. Anytime I send out 10 or so items on a Monday I can count on at least 2 coming back almost every week. Only 2 abuses of the system(knock on wood) so far this year, which is pretty good, but if this continues Ebay will not be a viable part time job for my family for much longer. Not sure if people just are not reading measurements or descriptions and I have noticed my pre-sale questions from Buyers has dropped dramatically. I left selling on Amazon 5 years ago, because the returns had gotten out of hand and unfortunately Ebay appears to be following their model. Good thing about Ebay is you can normally resell the item, but with free shipping the profit is normally gone from an item after a return. I cannot imagine what free returns is doing to the people taking part.

[ersatz_sobriquet]

General reply--

I do not think facilitating the lack of responsibility of those who fail to measure themselves or look at the listed measurements of a garment and then return at seller's cost is a good business plan, but it is ebay's business plan. 

Meanwhile the innocent buyer who is purchasing a different item from the same seller ends up having to pay more for the item because the seller has to make somebody pay for the first buyer's mistake. 

Why should the innocent have to pay for somebody else's mistake? 

There's the question ebay who pushes the misnomer bogus "free shipping" never answer. 

[mr_lincoln]

@1tuna  This year the numbers are about 1/2 dozen returns on just under 900 sales.  Several were damaged cast iron which just blows me away.  A couple local eBayers I know have experienced similar damaged cast iron, most going to California believe it or not.  We're talking vintage pieces ... one of my theories, since most ship Priority mail by air, is that the cargo holds of those planes are not heated and at 40,000 feet it can get very very cold, so when those packages get unloaded the cast iron is more "brittle" and susceptible to cracking if banged around before the metal warms up.  I pay to get them all back and then process insurance claims.  One local eBayer had 2 in the last 6 weeks and ironically, their Post Master said they've seen an increase in damaged items going east to west coast to coast ... isn't that interesting?!?

[jnybuysell]

or a rogue cast of employees laughing as they hurl items across the room during sorting.

[ittybitnot]

Just a general comment. 

If you are a seller on ebay, it truly does not matter much what your return policy might be.  As a buyer, I never even look at anyone's return policy for I know that I can return anything I want at the seller's expense anyway. 

Used to be a seller had some recourse for the phony SNADs used by buyers to get free return shipping.  Now that they don't only the seller can decide if it is worth it to continue with the forced program. 

[mr_lincoln]

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@jnybuysell wrote:
or a rogue cast of employees laughing as they hurl items across the room during sorting.

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Yes, that happens too I am sure ... one piece of mine would have needed and extremely heavy directed amount of pressure to beak off the entire handle taking part of the skillet wall with it.  These are packages lined with 3/4" or thicker Styrofoam and the pieces wrapped in bubble wrap.  The damage is NOT from a piece shifting around a little inside the package, we're talking some major blunt force trauma ...

[corvettestainless]

@ersatz_sobriquet …..pay more for the item because the seller has to make somebody pay for the first buyer's mistake.

You have been paying for that your entire life. Grocery stores, Dept. stores etc. all fixate their profit margin over cost to include all costs, including shrink (theft, unsellable etc.)

Regarding Free Shipping- it's a thing in the e-market place that used to be a 'deal, sale etc.' and now most buyers just come to expect that, or they'll shop for someone that offers free shipping. You can even click a box to only show items that include 'free shipping', which I personally know many people that do (especially my kids age- 30's, that's how they buy, period) 

[jnybuysell]

Yes, it seems Ebay has closed that loophole that allowed for some common sense when detecting abuse.

[dolcetreasures]

Returns are inherently necessary in retail especially in clothing. The issue is always the uncompetitive shipping fees sellers are being charged. Add insult to injury with PayPal retaining their fees on returns and cancellations, it’s certainly creating a unsustainable environment for many.