Not As Described Return??

[tapi-szem]

I had a buyer purchase a pair of vintage pants that are described in the title and the body as having a pattern of brocade and shiny stripes.

Today I wake up to a SNAD request (already approved, of course by Ebay), with the buyer claiming not as described because (and I quote): "Hard to tell the fabric print / material in photos! Thank you though".

This a  remorse reason for return and as such a complete abuse of buyer protection. These seem to be multiplying. What can sellers do? She never asked any questions about the fabric/print or any additional photos. I do not want to pay shipping both ways because the buyer does not like the item!

trinton@ebay

[emerald_door]

I'm sorry to say that there isn't really anything you can do.  EBay will always side with the buyer.  It doesn't matter if your listing is crystal clear.  Even if the buyer says, "I changed my mind," as long as they select the "not as described" option, the seller has to accept the return and refund the item price along with shipping both ways. 😞

[tunicaslot]

This happens especially with clothing. Many buyers don't read or ask questions because they know they are protected by just opening a Not as described case. When you get the item back - call Ebay and get the return shipping cost credited to you for the buyer's failure to ask questions if they weren't sure. Then report the buyer for abusing the MBG policy.

[tapi-szem]

Buyer already reported and blocked.

But this is such a blatant case of abuse (and let us not forget that Ebay actually has a vested interest in these NAD cases as they get to charge 40% more in FVFs after just a few of these), I wanted to see what - if anything - they might say about it here.

[tapi-szem]

One more detail: the material composition is also clearly stated in the listing.

[tiesherpa]

Oh man, that sounds really frustrating.

for this reason, I don’t sell clothes, and I’m thinking that if I do sell clothes or shoes, I’ll sell to old people and mostly old men because they seem to be less picky . 😂  The problem of selling clothes is that we live in a “return anything for any reason” world and people think that applies to eBay too.

one statistic I read recently is that 9% of items purchased in stores are returned and 30% of items bought online are returned

So I also only sell items that I am willing to swallow the loss....refund their shipping and purchase price and let them keep it.  If it means I’m out $5 I don’t care so much.  And then I block them.

[city*satins]

Sorry that happened to you!  As a clothing seller myself, I've definitely been through similar things including a buyer who was angry that her snakeskin print silk blouse turned out not to be real snakeskin.

One thing you can do after the return is complete, is call eBay and appeal.  eBay will not support sellers during the process but often will support them afterward by forgiving the refund and return shipping and crediting them back to the seller on their eBay Seller account so that the buyer actually ends up having been refunded on eBay's dime.

The down side of this of course is that buyers never change their bad behavior when they win obviously unjustified SNAD cases, but that's a problem we're never going to fix as sellers - eBay is going to have to decide if it wants to continue doing this.  At the moment it looks as if it plans to.

[tapi-szem]

Here is the problem though: a couple of months ago I had another buyer claiming SNAD. She explained in her reason for return that she felt the item material (described as no fiber content label) was not as described, she even cut off a piece and managed to prove that it was as described and then opened the SNAD case. Confusing, yes, and she wrote this all down.

After the return was completed, I called Ebay and was told that I would not be getting a credit for the shipping I had to pay because I voluntarily closed the return and refunded her. Apparently I should have called before I closed the case (so they could close the case in the buyer's favor and give me a strike to boot?). Oh, and I should have called before accepting the return because the buyer clearly said that she altered the item and they would have closed it in my favor (do I believe that? NO!). But in most cases (like now), the return is auto-accepted anyway.

Anyway, it seems whatever we do is the wrong thing, at least according to the Ebay CS reps.

[tapi-szem]

I will be out of $11.35 (shipping both ways) on a $20 item. After May 7, with Paypal no longer refunding the fees they charge, the money lost will be even higher.

The way I look at this is is that this is theft, pure and simple.

[sakic92710]

My latest return, after 3 emails describing the item, is because it is not near mint as described.  I told him there are some very minor flaws here & there.  Fed Up with this site.  A lack of sales is bad enough but, trying to find money for refunds is much worse!  10-15 sales a week, or less, is not doing it for me!   Especially when I make 200 US a week & have to refund $80 of it plus, lose out on S/H.   Good luck to us all!     🙂

[wastingtime101]

Average out the amount lost on these types of returns each year. Divide that amount by your average number of yearly transactions. Increase your item prices by that much... it usually comes out to just pennies per transaction. If you want to take it a step further you can specifically set aside that money every month and pull from those funds when these returns happen.

[tracdea1]

Ebay automatically accepts NAD returns, because it's not just a return request, it's an actual case against you.
You can report the buyer for misusing the MBG (an any other issues you have with the buyer).

[city*satins]

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@sakic92710 wrote:

My latest return, after 3 emails describing the item, is because it is not near mint as described.  I told him there are some very minor flaws here & there.  Fed Up with this site.  A lack of sales is bad enough but, trying to find money for refunds is much worse!  10-15 sales a week, or less, is not doing it for me!   Especially when I make 200 US a week & have to refund $80 of it plus, lose out on S/H.   Good luck to us all!     🙂

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You have this in all of the listings I looked at:

 All items are in NRMT-MT condition or better unless otherwise described

This is really risky.  Better than near mint would be mint which would be exactly as it was originally issued, including its unopened box it there was one, or sealed if it was, unhandled, unused etc  - and when you're selling a used item with any damage at all or signs of wear, it would not be appropriate to describe it as near mint.  Even a word like 'fine' would be incautious in my opinion yet you have this as a stock phrase in all of the listings I looked at including used figurines that long ago were separated from their packaging and are far from near mint....these are all just trouble waiting to happen.

A good practice is to avoid over praising your items. It's better that buyers only have happy surprises.  One way to do this is to avoid claiming that an item is exceedingly fabulous.   Also - not glossing over imperfections and faults. For instance, if there's scribbling on the cover of a magazine, it's not adequate, in my opinion, to just say that the cover & pages have minor imperfections and not mention the writing.  Likewise it's not prudent, in my view to say that something has writing inside but not show that writing.

You have obviously been selling for a long while and doing all right, but some of the things that were not risky before are now very risky, especially in these days when sellers do not get the support they hope for.

[merzies]

I had this happen with a recent buyer's return for a pearl cage pendant - not as described - though the buyer did say in their message that the crystals they had wouldn't fit inside our pearl cage & needed a bigger cage.  My listing shows the range of pearl/beads that fit inside of each cage pendant.  I called Ebay as it seemed the buyer wanted me, the seller, to pay the return shipping for something that was exactly as described - they didn't receive the wrong item. 

Ebay had already sent the buyer a return label & the package was on the way.  Ebay said to wait until I received it back & then go to the buyer return request where I was NOT to refund but to ask EBAY TO STEP in.  I'm glad I did this as Ebay ruled in my favor.  I believe also having the buyer say in writing she really was returning as the crystals she wanted to put in this item wouldn't fit.  Call Ebay if your listing is that description-accurate, no emails from buyer before purchasing with questions on pattern & include buyer's remarks.  Good luck

[tapi-szem]

I plan on calling Ebay. Problem is, they may or may not close the case in the seller's favor and you can earn yourself a defect on top of the extra fees and costs you incur. It all depends on which rep you get on the phone.

I had reps open a case on a correctly filed remorse return where the buyer took her time shipping the item back (I did not ask them to). Then, when I called, the first rep told me that I had to refund the original shipping because the item was not as described - even though it was and the buyer did not file a SNAD. The rep simply could not read and understand the whole thing (come to think of it, neither could I and I still cannot as the case was opened by Ebay a few hours after the buyer finally shipped the item back without me or the buyer asking them to step in).