@jg.mason wrote:
I never accept returns, I give refunds but never accept a return. By the time I lose out on the original shipping then pay for the return shipping there's no money left on the items I sell.
I don't mean to sound obtuse, but I wonder if you can help me out:
If a buyer sends me $10 for shipping, asks for a return, and I offer to pay for the return, am I not using the same funds that I got in the first place?
If you are talking about the $10 the buyer originally paid you for the initial shipping then part or all of that was used to pay for the original shipping. If the actual shipping cost was less than what the buyer paid you and there were funds left over then yes part of that may cover some of the cost of the return label. However remember you also paid FVF's on the whole $10 when you sold the item.
I fully admit that I might have a blind spot somewhere because for the life of me I cannot see offering to pay for a return as a losing proposition, especially since doing so seems to instill confidence in buyers. (I'm also 65 and might have lost more than a few brain cells along the way!)
It may or may not be a loosing proposition but it will definitely reduce your profit margin on an item. For smaller items and lower cost items the cost of the return label may outweigh the value of the item and a seller would be better off just letting the buyer keep the item. However, that instills bad buyer behavior.
If the item is large or heavy the return shipping could potentially be excessive. There is no one right answer each seller has to make their own decision but bottom line is it is somewhat silly to list items with no returns accepted since it is virtually an oxymoron statement.
