eBay

u2bella · ‎04-06-2018

This is so unfair to sellers , you now have to offer free returns for 30 days no matter what even mistake by a buyer and you foot the bill for your shipping and you pay buyer shipping back absolutely ridiculous!! I can not belive ebay thinks this is a good idea , I will be looking to other sites to sell ,and will reduce my selling on ebay , I just had a buyer open a case after they told me in email it was there mistake and ebay said I still had to pay both shipping cost because they are no longer close cases even when they know it is buyers fault and policy will go into affect on June 2018. Small businees will be hurt I am not amazon and people will abuse this and sellers will pay!

cosi-shopper · ‎06-15-2018

a1 - please do not sell only to the lower 48, Alaska and Hawaii have it hard enough as it is.
I was born in Alaska and as I'm sure you know almost any of the goods that are plentiful and affordable here in the mainland are awfully expensive for our 49th and 50th state citizens.
If you are concerned about shipping time you could ship Priority.

I have had some very greatful buyers in both AK and HI.
cheers, Donna
(I also gave up on GSP)

@a1robotrepair wrote:
I am removing all items from the GSP and only going to sell in the lower 48.
The return policy, NADs etc. have facilitated this change.
I have noticed some large retailers have left eBay.
i don't see their "Official Store on eBay" in the areas I search.
Speculating that the new policies are an attempt to lure them back.

frozen_chuck · ‎06-25-2018

Yep....I'm a TOP SELLER who will no longer get my little discount, my badge and supposedly better placement when a buyer searches for my items. I sell mostly vintage one-of-a-kind glassware & china and one return would wipe out my monthly TOP SELLER discount. Just not worth it.

dudeboy777 · ‎06-25-2018

yeas, Next they will not return your fees on returns so it cost them nothing

devilmanak · ‎07-15-2018

I just had two returns opened, both clearly buyer's remorse, and am stunned to see that I have to pay the return shipping as well as the original. One was a $56 item that cost me $27 to ship, and the return label through Ebay is $47. I have lost over $60 this week alone due to this return policy, which is less than the 10% FVF discount will be for this month for being a Top Rated Plus seller! I called to talk about it, and it was "hinted" that this new policy allows me to refund up to 50% less than the full refund if the item was used, damaged, or swapped for another by the buyer. For the most part, Ebay has been pretty fair about compensating me when dishonest buyers return the wrong item. The guy today acted like that never happens and I was wrong and won't be covered if I do not offer no questions asked returns. This new policy is to remove Ebay from having to deal with dishonest returns, and is putting it on the sellers. Sure hope there are no dishonest sellers out there who abuse the "up to 50% return" clause. This needs to change. I follow all the rules, don't put contact info in my listings while all my competitors do, etc. We are getting screwed.

marinermikes · ‎07-16-2018

Stood in the check out line at Tractor Supply Company yesterday. The guy in front of me bought a fairly expensive lawn mower. I eavesdrop as the clerk was telling him about their return policy.

If you want to be able to return the mower back to the store you have to buy a insurance type policy! All other warranty issues go through the manufacture.

Of course the guy said no so there would be no way for him to return it after he took it home and used it!

I've been saying this for a while now. EBay is way behind the eight ball on this subject. Big box stores have tightened up their return policies. The free rent a item days are over and EBay missed the memo!

Instead of tightening up the return policy they are going backwards and making it more liberal.

As some one else pointed out, they are being herded to EBay because every one else is tightening up their return policies.

It's such a easy decision for EBay to make because it's not their money!

Of course EBay distances itself from these fraudulent returns. It falls under this is one of those convenient times that we're just a venue **bleep**.

dolldesigns4u · ‎07-16-2018

WHY would a buyer NEED 30 days to decide if they like the item they purchased? This is ridiculous to me. We small sellers cannot afford to take losses like the big box stores online. Come on Ebay, change the policy back to the original time lot. Even the 14 day return policy is too generous in my opinion.

dolldesigns4u · ‎07-16-2018

Yep, when I worked for Target years ago, their refund policy was very generous. People would buy a lawn mower in April, use it all summer long, then return it in October, saying "they changed their mind". The mowers would have caked on grass, stains, and in bad condition. For several years I saw this happening. I also saw kids blue jeans being returned, all nasty with holes, grass stains, ect and the reason for return "I didn't like the way the jeans fit my child". Really? What a scam. Target finally changed their return policy after taking millions of dollars in losses.

castlemagicmemories · ‎07-16-2018

@vintagecraze50 wrote:
That's pretty much it in a nutshell. There really is no quarentee here that you will be able to have an influence on a return judgement. Most of this is in Ebay's ballpark, SO use the free returns for the main purpose of attracting more possible sales and as I said earlier, you must adjust prices to control for loss. If you are offering free returns and get hammered, then maybe it's not a good business plan. If you are using the free returns and you dont get many of them then that is a good business plan. The website is lacking in risk management that sellers can enforce themselves. If you want the traffic that Ebay offers you then this is what you must do. Personally , it has not been a bad situation for us. If it should turn south then we would have to reconsider a different strategy, as far as the free returns. Some items are just magnets for returns, like clothing with fit issues. Shoes. fit issues. Plan based on your current return rates.

I'm glad it is not a problem for you but I know some categories may be more prone to returns, sadly, so those sellers have a dilemma.

cleanhouse65 · ‎07-20-2018

This is not a fair policy with the high cost to ship items today. It is easier for huge companies to offer free returns when they can negotiate large discounts from package handlers. When the small guys have to pick up the bill it is a huge hit to the bottom line especially considering the already high fees associated with selling. It is already difficult to generate a profit on ebay. Forget the little guys... Its all about the big players. ENOUGH ALREADY!

sonoranboutique · ‎07-20-2018

Yeah this Free Returns policy is completely unfair and a rip off to sellers. It's going to drive a lot of sellers out of business, drive up item prices on ebay, and ultimately make ebay less competitive.

sonoranboutique · ‎07-20-2018

@marinermikes wrote:
Stood in the check out line at Tractor Supply Company yesterday. The guy in front of me bought a fairly expensive lawn mower. I eavesdrop as the clerk was telling him about their return policy.
If you want to be able to return the mower back to the store you have to buy a insurance type policy! All other warranty issues go through the manufacture.
Of course the guy said no so there would be no way for him to return it after he took it home and used it!
I've been saying this for a while now. EBay is way behind the eight ball on this subject. Big box stores have tightened up their return policies. The free rent a item days are over and EBay missed the memo!
Instead of tightening up the return policy they are going backwards and making it more liberal.
As some one else pointed out, they are being herded to EBay because every one else is tightening up their return policies.
It's such a easy decision for EBay to make because it's not their money!
Of course EBay distances itself from these fraudulent returns. It falls under this is one of those convenient times that we're just a venue **bleep**.

Yeah you have it right on the money - EBay is following return trends that were popular around like 2014. Everyone who had those lenient return policies back then has changed them.

If EBay thinks Free Returns will cause more sales, then why don't they offer to pay for all the Free Returns? Oh right, the increased sales will be tiny compared to the massive money lost to Free Returns. So EBay knows it is a money-losing proposition, but they think if sellers pay for it then ebay will be fine. Doesn't matter how much money sellers lose, right?

Wrong. This will have a massive cost for ebay in the end. This will affect some categories so much that ebay's pricing will be pathetically high compared to other sellers. All prices will go up over time. EBay thinks this has no cost for them, but when you integrate a money-losing policy into your company the poison is going to surface somewhere. Unfortunately this is the kind of policy whose effect they probably won't notice until its too late, and may blame sudden poor sales on something else.

bonnie-lass · ‎07-20-2018

Small seller me...2 listings in the last month. I relisted one item in a different category and got this message from ebay.

Hi bonnie-lass, blah blah blah
Some of your listings need to be updated in order to comply with eBay policies or security changes.

Listings with unsupported return policy will not be automatically re-listed. Learn more about our new return policy guidance.
----

As I don't use auto relist I assume I can still offer 14 day returns?

Nevertheless I did move the questioned item's category to collectables.

I think I will get another message from them for another listing (wallplates) and when I do I either will change the category or set it for 30 day returns.

How do buyers need more than one day after they get the item to decide if these things I'm selling are what they want?

pudgiepie · ‎07-31-2018

This policy just bit me for the first time. The buyer simply changed his mind. I will begin to gradually shift some of my larger items off Ebay to the "A" site. With this policy, it is only viable to sell small items that cost little in shipping cost. One can not ship a $20 mailing cost item and pay another $20 to ship it back. Not only Ebay is being weakened by competition, it is also trying hard to drive sellers away and killing itself. Complain is no use with Ebay, you simply need to cope and look for alternatives. In general, our society encourages people not to take personal responsibilities. Smallthing thing like this new policy, drive young people's mindset as they grow up. Like I said people, actively look for other alternatives. Sooner or later you have to anyway, just go and read Ebay's earnings report on Yahoo finance.

pudgiepie · ‎07-31-2018

The problem is if you don't give 100% free return, you will lose all of your top seller privileges that will translate into less sales. Sales are already down big time for a lot of sellers to beging with.