wrote:
The theme from eBay cheerleaders is that "nothing can be done" to avoid buyer fraud. And I find that kind of simple-minded for any business. The good and innovative businesses will change, adapt and eliminate problems. You mention eBay's 20 age - LL Bean is 106 years old... and made a change. If comments on boards about LL Bean's return policy are any reflection of reality. it will not hurt their business. IMO eBay is at the point where it must address this problem or become the failed business model after a good run.
The higher-up's at eBay are supposed to be smart and innovative and problem solvers. I'm a mere mortal who sells on eBay as a hobby, yet I can brainstorm the problem and come up with a few ideas.
1. Better screening of buyers. It's a real problem how scammers rip-off and do it again under a new username. Screen credit reports and buyer information to determine which buyers or sellers are likely to scam and cheat after the study. So much is traceable today, and so much information on everybody is available today... eBay needs to use the information that already exists to identify and define the problems sellers and buyers are facing due to fraud and act on it.
Not going to happen - I'm not letting someone do a credit check on me just so I can buy something on a site. They should be able to link IP addresses if a buyer makes up a new ID - but then we've had cases of whole household and college dorms not being able to purchase items due to just one person wjo abused Ebay.
2. Allow buyer negative feedback again. Because sellers abused this when a buyer left them a negative and they retaliated and did the same - this won't be changed.
3. Start really looking into finding the truth when a dispute is opened instead of rubber stamping everything in favor of the buyer. MANY methods do exist for revealing fraud... but eBay just ignores them. Gold and silver are shipped in tamper-evident packaging and few claims of fraudulence appear in their feedback. For some items, a photo of the item in a numbered tamper-proof bag before shipping should be able to be used when the buyer claiming a different item was sent. UPC numbers and serial numbers are already unique and could be used in many ways. Photos and serial numbers can and should be used for detecting truth. Many sellers could and would invent many methods to detect scamming - but as it is now, eBay does not care about seller fraud and ignores any and all evidence. Require buyers to present evidence (photos, UPC tag) too. Many buyers return an item without even providing a photo of the alleged flaws or defects. A picture does not prove what was sent by the seller and what was received by the buyer. Unless you had a notary standing next to you when you sent the package and standing next to them when they received the package - it's a he said she said.
4. Reduce temptation of using eBay's return system by making one of the shipping costs non-refundable or a mandatory small restocking fee. When the buyer has some skin in the game he is less likely to dishonestly use the "scot free" reasons for return eBay alone seems to provide. Even sellers with restocking fees find buyers circumventing them by claiming SNAD
5. The big competitor is starting its own shipping. Once that is established MANY scenarios exist for detecting fraud. It was nice having individual couriers come after work hours and personally deliver items for me this holiday season. Schedule deliveries, open items and inspect in front of the courier. And who is going to pay for this service? Increased fees for sellers even if it were possible.
6. Eliminate returns on the high problem items or make a special category for them. Buyer feedback alone for "clearance items - no returns" to police that category. No retailers accept returns of CDs for example.
7. Define return categories better. eBay cheerleaders say nothing can be used to prove authenticity -- if so why have a category called "doesn't seem authentic" with seller paying all shipping? Poor definition invites abuse.
8. Beef-up eBay's customer service and resolution departments, and start considering buyer/seller history.
These are just a few off the top of my head. Many other sellers could add good ideas. Yes, some of these suggestions would need to be tweaked, but simply ignoring this problem loses sellers who are also buyers.... and they tend to be the good ones.
I can't even reply to the rest - as you don't it. WE all would like to see fraudulent activites ended - but in any business - you will find people will scam and for every detirent you come up with - they work and find a way around it. As I said - your own venue is the only thing that offers you complete control - if you don't want to go that root - then you do the best you can with the tools you have available here. You realize that 99.9% of your transactions go off without a hitch but that .1% you're going to have to accept.
I just had a false SNAD return. The guy swears the color is something other than what the tag says - it isn't but I will refund - file the appropriate reports and move on knowing these typesa of issues are far and few between. For those experiencing a lot of fraud - maybe the item itself is something that shouldn't be sold here. There is no pat answer when using 3rd party venues.
I always thought that everyone should have a credit card on file and as soon as they win tht auction or press the buy it now - their credit card would be charged - but again - that is full of holes. Not everyone has a credit card - some people bid knowing an auction doesn't close until their payday when they will have money available. Do people trust Ebay enough with having their credit card info on file - I don't. I don't trust any venue.
