eBay

bargainsandbaubles · ‎05-23-2017

Starting this summer...if you don't offer free returns, you may not have as many "conversions" (aka sales).

This came from eBay on their seller update.

skatesave · ‎05-23-2017

You have not had a choice for quite sometime. Whatever lead you to believe that you can operate with no returns this way is confounding.

You will be given an auto-strike each time immediately, Three of those and you are Gonzo-Lonzo.

mr_lincoln · ‎05-23-2017

@bargainsandbaubles Do you really think the vast majority of Sellers are going to opt in to offering Free Returns? I don't think so ...

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

skatesave · ‎05-23-2017

Opt in or not, you have to agree to a return now, or you will lose both the item and the money. What don't you get about that?

If you don't opt in, you will be THROTTLED into oblivion.

ymeagainlord · ‎05-23-2017

What ARE you talking about?

Crusader Cat is watching

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. - L Tolstoy

"You are entitled to your own opinion, you are not however, entitled to your own facts."

tunicaslot · ‎05-24-2017

There are things Ebay suggests when listing to create better visibility - a return policy - the longer the better, global shipping, free shipping, and a shorter handling time - all free to apply - then there are those extras you pay for - promoted listings, gallery listings ect...

I apply most of the free ones - but decided to charge shipping on more than 1/2 my items - I've actually had increased sales. I have had no sales from the promoted listings. You may be throttled in Best Match - but depending on your keywords and price - if a buyer chooses to sort by price, ending soonest or newly listed - you will still be seen.

I know sellers here who aren't enrolled in global shipping, have a 3+ day handling time, charge shipping and have no return policies and they're items are selling just fine. We'll have to wait and see what these new changes bring but until then - there is no use worrying about them.

retrose1 · ‎05-24-2017

If you are jumping through all ebay's hoops now, how are your sales? If they can't get much worse, what will not offering free returns do to change that?

Way back in the early Donahoe era, it was implied - repeatedly that if you didn't offer free shipping, your sales would decline because according to ebay - buyers want free shipping. Well as ebay grew and ebay dinked around with search, sales fell for everyone whether they offered free shipping or not. Eventually ebay found something else to obsess over and moved on.

(*Bleep*)

fern*wood · ‎05-24-2017

The OP is talking about free returns, where the seller pays the return shipping for any reason. They aren't talking about just offering a return policy.

tunicaslot · ‎05-24-2017

@retrose1 wrote:
If you are jumping through all ebay's hoops now, how are your sales? If they can't get much worse, what will not offering free returns do to change that?

Way back in the early Donahoe era, it was implied - repeatedly that if you didn't offer free shipping, your sales would decline because according to ebay - buyers want free shipping. Well as ebay grew and ebay dinked around with search, sales fell for everyone whether they offered free shipping or not. Eventually ebay found something else to obsess over and moved on.

Knock on wood - but my sales are up by 65% over last years for the past 3 months - and I'm listing half the items I was last year due to not having free promos. Rose I know you have no love for Ebay - I know you use them like they use you and are having better success on Etsy - but for some of us - Ebay still works better for us than other sites.

I don't plan at this time on offering free returns. If a buyer clicks on that filter than I won't be shown - but I don't think many buyers are concerned about that. Hones has free returns and has for years - he gets very little returns. I just had a buyer email me asking what my return policy was - buyers are not paying attention to listings these days and I don't think even use the filters besides category, gender and new and used.

gracieallen01 · ‎05-24-2017

"If you are jumping through all ebay's hoops now, how are your sales? If they can't get much worse, what will not offering free returns do to change that?"

What WILL offering free returns do to change that? Nothing, I would hope.

Wouldn't that be sort of like stacking the deck or hobbling the horse who was favorite to win.

Once everybody starts parroting the 'well, what can it hurt to try' attitude, there is nothing that ebay has to stop at along the road to having their way - and selling 'at their sole discretion'.

There is using ebay as they use sellers, and then again, there is ignoring what ebay does and, in doing so, aiding their efforts - be they good, bad or indifferent.

Not saying 'NO' doesn't mean 'YES'.

The foolishness of one's actions or words is determined by the number of witnesses.

Perhaps if Brains were described as an APP, many people would use them more often.

Respect, like money, is only of 'worth' when it is earned - with all due respect, it can not be ordained, legislated or coerced. Anonymous

luckythewinner · ‎05-24-2017

@illinoistreasures wrote:
Starting this summer...if you don't offer free returns, you may not have as many "conversions" (aka sales).
This came from eBay on their seller update.

Over the years, eBay has never hesitated to advise sellers about what they think will improve sales.

But I have been buying and selling music memorabilia for decades, and I am pretty sure that my experience in this product niche is more valuable than a vague, marketplace-wide generalization by eBay.

When I search for Thin Lizzy press kit, there are four results. I will boldly suggest that the effect of 30 day returns on a buyer performing that search will be negligible.

doubledz-a2z · ‎05-24-2017

@skatesave wrote:
Opt in or not, you have to agree to a return now, or you will lose both the item and the money. What don't you get about that?

If you don't opt in, you will be THROTTLED into oblivion.

Wrong IMO. When ebay announced they were lowering TRS discount to 10% I started listing with no returns. Hasn't hurt my sales. I think Sellers need to tweak what they sell and offer items where placement has no impact.

skatesave · ‎05-24-2017

@doubledz-a2z wrote:
@skatesave wrote:
Opt in or not, you have to agree to a return now, or you will lose both the item and the money. What don't you get about that?

If you don't opt in, you will be THROTTLED into oblivion.
Wrong IMO. When ebay announced they were lowering TRS discount to 10% I started listing with no returns. Hasn't hurt my sales. I think Sellers need to tweak what they sell and offer items where placement has no impact.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Any dispute will conclude with you on the losing end. The first criteria an eBay CS looks at is your policy on returns. If you don't offer a return, then you will lose any disagreement should one crop up.

All these part-time sellers that come belly-aching on here about eBay awarded my buyer the money and let them keep the item and did it before escalation? You can bet 100% that the seller had a No Return Policy. How is that not obvious to you?

pinkrose442savings2018 · ‎05-24-2017

@illinoistreasures wrote:
Starting this summer...if you don't offer free returns, you may not have as many "conversions" (aka sales).

This came from eBay on their seller update.

Don't think eBay is wasting anytime on this announcement...sell's have already declined across the board of seller's that list shipping cost...now add free returns...?

retrose1 · ‎05-24-2017

@skatesave wrote:
@doubledz-a2z wrote:
@skatesave wrote:
Opt in or not, you have to agree to a return now, or you will lose both the item and the money. What don't you get about that?

If you don't opt in, you will be THROTTLED into oblivion.
Wrong IMO. When ebay announced they were lowering TRS discount to 10% I started listing with no returns. Hasn't hurt my sales. I think Sellers need to tweak what they sell and offer items where placement has no impact.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Any dispute will conclude with you on the losing end. The first criteria an eBay CS looks at is your policy on returns. If you don't offer a return, then you will lose any disagreement should one crop up.

All these part-time sellers that come belly-aching on here about eBay awarded my buyer the money and let them keep the item and did it before escalation? You can bet 100% that the seller had a No Return Policy. How is that not obvious to you?

That is only partially correct.

Most of the sellers that come here complaining about how ebay refunded and they had a no returns policy had no idea what to do to deal with ebay. They believed that no returns means no refunds, that once they ship the transaction is over. They get stubborn about it and they refuse to take the return, tell ebay that and are shocked that ebay is auto refunding the buyer and giving the seller a double whammy defect.

I know of plenty of sellers that have a no returns policy that win cases. If that means that they offer a return when they get a case, so be it. But they usually know how to call ebay with their ducks in a row, and plead their case that the return is remorse or other reason that doesn't qualify for MBG and can get the return request denied long before they have to take the return.

(*Bleep*)