eBay

mvls1 · ‎08-06-2019

Short version. The post office lost our first class package (18.99 including shipping). Buyer is another seller and very understanding, but is has been 2 weeks and asked for a refund. Don't have a problem with refunding total amount as a lost package was to bound to happen to us eventually.

My question is should we just refund through paypal and forget the FV fee reimbursement or should should we ask the buyer to open an "item not received case" through ebay? We want to ensure that there is NO negative impact to our service metrics. The amount is so small that we are inclined to just send a refund through paypal and forget the whole thing.

Any replies are appreciated.

bigdeals.etc · ‎08-06-2019

@wastingtime101 wrote:
Unless you get not received claims on a regular basis, one will have practically zero impact on your seller metrics. And, unlike not as described claims, not received claims do not result in higher fees.

Yea I was wondering this the other day. INR metrics don't result in higher fees... then what does it affect? Anything at all? Or is it just an FYI metric? I get a lot of "bogus" INR cases filed.

bigdeals.etc · ‎08-06-2019

@wastingtime101 wrote:
@mvls1 wrote:
The buyer is also a seller, which we verified and VERY understanding by the way.
Ask them if they're ok with you canceling the transaction to process their refund. It's the easiest way to handle it using eBay's system if you're dead-set against a not received claim.

I was thinking this from the very start when I read the OP. The buyer is asking for a refund. So technically I would say the buyer is asking to cancel (not complete) the transaction. I say do this ^

Anonymous · ‎08-07-2019

@bigdeals.etc wrote:
@wastingtime101 wrote:
Unless you get not received claims on a regular basis, one will have practically zero impact on your seller metrics. And, unlike not as described claims, not received claims do not result in higher fees.
Yea I was wondering this the other day. INR metrics don't result in higher fees... then what does it affect? Anything at all? Or is it just an FYI metric? I get a lot of "bogus" INR cases filed.

@bigdeals.etc

What are the consequences of having very high rates of "item not as described" or "item not received...

For most sellers, these metrics may help reduce after-sale buyer requests, which are time-consuming, costly to service, and often result in refunded sales. Starting September 2018, for a small group of sellers who have very high rates of after-sale requests the following consequences may apply:

Item not as described

An additional 4% fee in affected categories

Item not received

Time added to buyer-facing delivery estimates for affected shipping destinations

You will only experience consequences if you have at least ten requests in the line of business and your "item not described" or "item not received" rate is greater than 1 percent.

#######

In other words, if your buyers in Germany consistently file INRs, then your buyers in Germany will see a longer delivery estimate.

reallynicestamps · ‎08-07-2019

The tracking show that the package reached the buyers post office and then nothing since July 23.

Has the buyer walked in the door of the post office and asked them to do a physical search?

Computers are fine but they are not human beings who can look and touch and find physical objects.

Of course, the ~~seller~~ buyer might not bother to do this until the day after you refund him.

One of the reasons US sellers like the Global Shipping Program was a ploy by European buyers to file Not Received claims on items held in Customs for unpaid duty . Then going to the Customs office and paying the duty the day after getting that refund.

mvls1 · ‎08-07-2019

Yea I was wondering this the other day. INR metrics don't result in higher fees... then what does it affect? Anything at all? Or is it just an FYI metric?

Yes, that is the question isn't it. It effects nothing today, but what about down the road when ebay once again decides to change things? It seems to me that ebay has decided in the past to go back and include data from before their new change to add it to the new service metrics. Because of that, I think it is best to keep ebay out of our item not received refund requests. Who knows what they may decide to do with that data in the future.

mvls1 · ‎08-07-2019

The buyer has been to the post office and been told that the package cannot be located at this time. I spoke with their post office today and was told the same thing. So it looks like we refund.

bigdeals.etc · ‎08-07-2019

@Anonymous wrote:
@bigdeals.etc
What are the consequences of having very high rates of "item not as described" or "item not received?"

For most sellers, these metrics may help reduce after-sale buyer requests, which are time-consuming, costly to service, and often result in refunded sales. Starting September 2018, for a small group of sellers who have very high rates of after-sale requests the following consequences may apply:

Item not as described
An additional 4% fee in affected categories

Item not received
Time added to buyer-facing delivery estimates for affected shipping destinations

You will only experience consequences if you have at least ten requests in the line of business and your "item not described" or "item not received" rate is greater than 1 percent.

#######
In other words, if your buyers in Germany consistently file INRs, then your buyers in Germany will see a longer delivery estimate.

Am I missing something, or does this actually sound like good news to me? Often times ebay already gives incorrect shorter ETAs anyway.

@mvls1 wrote:
Yea I was wondering this the other day. INR metrics don't result in higher fees... then what does it affect? Anything at all? Or is it just an FYI metric?

Yes, that is the question isn't it. It effects nothing today, but what about down the road when ebay once again decides to change things? It seems to me that ebay has decided in the past to go back and include data from before their new change to add it to the new service metrics. Because of that, I think it is best to keep ebay out of our item not received refund requests. Who knows what they may decide to do with that data in the future.

While I agree that it's a good idea monitor your INRs you get, there isn't really anything most of us can do in the future if we get a high amount of INRs that tracking shows delivered and buyers eventually locate the item due to buyer error (household member intercepted or mail carrier dropped off at unexpected household location)...

It's like knowing future weather forecasts but unable to stop that weather from coming.