My INR Response during Covid: Does it conflict with any ebay policy?

[aldente28]

Lately, in an attempt to gain SOME control over the onslaught of INR cases I am receiving during Covid, I have begun asking buyers who open frivolous INR cases to close them. A frivolous case would be when tracking says "out for delivery" or "available for pickup" as opposed to an actual delivery problem.

When I respond to these INRs, I upload tracking and write a message like this:

"Hi - I'm sorry you're having trouble with USPS. Can you please close this case you opened against me? Tracking indicates that your package is waiting for you at your local post office because you requested a hold-for-pickup when you placed your order. If you have any questions, please call or visit your post office. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to send me a message in ebay messenger by clicking my user name. Thanks."

Is there anything against policy with this? Without knowing, I imagine there could be only benefits when a buyer closes an INR case versus letting it expire eventually. This is at least something I can do in a process where I am otherwise helpless to circumstances beyond my control.

To be honest, I'm at my wits end with all these INRs from buyers who can't be bothered to check tracking, for simple delays when tracking says "Your order is arriving late" or some such thing, in combination with the fact that I am punished for these things, which are beyond my control.

[gwzcomps]

Like SNADs I am guessing INRs count against your Service metrics regardless of the outcome of the case.

[myescape]

Can you please close this case you opened against me? 

I would not use this as that will at best irritate the buyer at worse anger them since if they the close the case before delivery and it never shows they can not open another w ebay

[kensgiftshop]

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@aldente28 

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If it's past the estimated delivery date, we can't stop them from opening a case.

The best we can do is hope Ebay will put the case on hold for a little while to see what happens.

I don't think it'd be good to tell them to close the case, what would happen if they don't receive their item?

Just leave the case open and see how it goes.

[golfingaddict]

The damage is done when they open the case.

If the item shows delivered within a couple of days of opening, the case will be closed in your favor anyway.  Why poke them.

I answer them in my best pro- customer, take care of anything response and promptly call ebay to close the case when it shows delivered.

[southern*sweet*tea]

::Puts on buyer's hat::

If a seller sent me this:

"Can you please close this case you opened against me? "

As an experienced buyer who knows about Ebay's MBG, I would assume the worst - that the seller I had chosen is either a scammer, or is unfit to sell here because they are clueless.

I know that's not you.

As a seller, I get it. As a buyer, I wouldn't, and I would immediately assume the worst.

[aldente28]

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@gwzcomps wrote:

INRs count against your Service metrics regardless of the outcome of the case.

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This is true. I am asking buyers to close INR cases under the theory that it can't hurt and it could help. I think this is something we will never know, but yes, you are correct. The mere opening of the INR dings your account. This is my understanding too.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi @aldente28 

How are you sending your items? Media Mail? Priority? Are they domestic or international? Cuz if you are having a serious rash of INRs, some intervention is needed. I see this is your posting ID so we cannot look at your listings to see if there is anything that might be done to prevent the cases being opened. I know these may be beyond your control, but the health of your selling account could be at stake. It is worth a try.

Asking a buyer to close the case is not a good approach in my opinion. All conversation is supposed to take place in the case notes, and i don’t think eBay would be happy with such a request. I would simply point out the obvious to them, the item is out for delivery, etc. and leave it at that. (Be sure to upload the tracking number to the case as well.)

 I don't believe it is against any policy to. ask. but I can't check right now, but I will look as soon as i can. Also, to help assist sellers with Covid-delayed shipping, when an INR case is opened, you can request an extension from customer service to allow more time for delivery if the package has shown movement in the last 10 days.

How many cases have been opened compared to your sales? I am concerned about your metrics and the need to lower the number opened.

[aldente28]

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@fashunu4eeuh wrote:

Hi @aldente28 

How are you sending your items? Media Mail? Priority? Are they domestic or international? Cuz if you are having a serious rash of INRs, some intervention is needed. I see this is your posting ID so we cannot look at your listings to see if there is anything that might be done to prevent the cases being opened. I know these may be beyond your control, but the health of your selling account could be at stake.

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I shipped 70 orders one day, and the post office sent them all to the wrong processing center. It resulted in a bunch of INRs, which pushed me over the threshold.

But for that single "batch processing error" at USPS, my INR Seller Metrics would be normal.

And this is my issue - that a single event beyond a seller's control can have this result.

I ship everything same-day, 100% on time with tracking uploaded. My post office is very good and I am 10 miles from a USPS hub (airport) and my packages (mostly First Class but some PM), when not delayed, tend to arrive very, very fast.

[aldente28]

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

::Puts on buyer's hat::

If a seller sent me this:

"Can you please close this case you opened against me? "

As an experienced buyer who knows about Ebay's MBG, I would assume the worst - that the seller I had chosen is either a scammer, or is unfit to sell here because they are clueless.

I know that's not you.

As a seller, I get it. As a buyer, I wouldn't, and I would immediately assume the worst.

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Thank you - I appreciate your perspective. I think maybe I'm just at my wits end with this after working all through the night yet again.

After the snafu with USPS delaying all my shipments over a big holiday weekend, I thought I had finally started to get clear of the frivolous INRs when the last one dropped off last night...then someone opened another one less than an hour later with tracking status "out for delivery"...and of course it was delivered this morning. I just about lost it.

[mam98031]

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@aldente28 wrote:

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@gwzcomps wrote:

INRs count against your Service metrics regardless of the outcome of the case.

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This is true. I am asking buyers to close INR cases under the theory that it can't hurt and it could help. I think this is something we will never know, but yes, you are correct. The mere opening of the INR dings your account. This is my understanding too.

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Nope, unfortunately the mere fact that an INR or an INAD gets opened is what counts in the Service Metrics.  The outcome of those INRs or INADs does not matter at all.  It is the fact they were opened.

[mam98031]

You are not breaking any Ebay policy with your email, so you are good there.  I would however soften and rearrange that message a bit.  Maybe something like this.

I am sorry to find you are having issues receiving your item.  I took a look at the tracking and it indicates that your package is being held at your local post office.  Now that could have happened because you requested it, or they determined there wasn't a safe place to leave it or it did not fit in your mailbox.  You should have received a pink notification in your mailbox that there is a package for you at the post office.  The pink notice does have a spot on it to allow you to put a date on it for a re-delivery attempt with your signature and put it back in the mailbox for your carrier.  So a date that you plan to be home or your can take the notification to your local post office and pick up the package.

Once you verify this for yourself, please close the case on Ebay so that it is no longer a pending issue.  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me anytime.  I'm happy to help.

Respectfully, XXXX

Obviously that won't work for everything, but you get the idea.  You can mention something about the delays at USPS due to the pandemic if you find the need but I would not word it quite like you did above as it appears you are trying to skirt your responsibility as a seller.  Better to let them know that you will work with them to a resolution.  Besides in what you wrote above it really isn't a problem with USPS but that the buyer didn't realize it was at the PO.  And there are more reasons for why it might be at the PO other than the buyer asked for mail to be held there.  

[fashunu4eeuh]

@mam98031 Very well put!

[fashunu4eeuh]

Thank you for the details, @aldente28 i see your dilemma now. Have you tried reaching out to eBay with an explanation? Truly this is a rare instance well beyond your control, as you said. All eBay will see is the sudden jump in cases and will respond accordingly. 

[sin-n-dex]

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@aldente28 wrote:

Lately, in an attempt to gain SOME control over the onslaught of INR cases I am receiving during Covid, I have begun asking buyers who open frivolous INR cases to close them. A frivolous case would be when tracking says "out for delivery" or "available for pickup" as opposed to an actual delivery problem.

When I respond to these INRs, I upload tracking and write a message like this:

"Hi - I'm sorry you're having trouble with USPS. Can you please close this case you opened against me? Tracking indicates that your package is waiting for you at your local post office because you requested a hold-for-pickup when you placed your order. If you have any questions, please call or visit your post office. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to send me a message in ebay messenger by clicking my user name. Thanks."

Is there anything against policy with this? Without knowing, I imagine there could be only benefits when a buyer closes an INR case versus letting it expire eventually. This is at least something I can do in a process where I am otherwise helpless to circumstances beyond my control.

To be honest, I'm at my wits end with all these INRs from buyers who can't be bothered to check tracking, for simple delays when tracking says "Your order is arriving late" or some such thing, in combination with the fact that I am punished for these things, which are beyond my control.

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I don't think there's a policy about what you can and cannot ask a buyer to do (outside the obvious conduct rules), but what has been shared with me by a CSR is one's ability to remain professional and appear to be helping the buyer will help them a lot later if there's negative feedback. It was worded as "proof that the feedback isn't factual" when there's a history of messages that contradict said feedback.

If it were me, I probably wouldn't ask them to close the case, but rather just give them the information on where their parcel is. You are not alone. I have much fewer buyers who are claiming non receipt, but all of them are claiming in message before the last date has passed, all of them are denying delays with the mail, and all of them are sending me multiple harassing messages daily demanding I do something about their late mail.

C.