Ok that's it,, i'm adding the following to every single one of my returns.

[lasantino]

Ok, I'm fed up,, another return.

I accept returns no problem,. however,, ebay has emphasized to buyers ,   go ahead buy it, try it, return it if you don't like it...

I am adding the following to each of my listings.

I accept returns no problem.  When buyers purchase from me,  Shipping is included in the original purchase price.  If a buyer returns an item, because it doesn't fit, they don't like it or they changed their mind etc. The buyer is responsible for return shipping charges.  Upon return, the buyer will be refunded their purchase price less the original cost of shipping the item .  If you have any questions. please ask, i always answer promptly.

Fellow sellers. please give me feedback as to if you think this is a good solution? 

[missjen831]

It’s not a solution. Because it’s completely unenforceable if you are offering free shipping. You can’t withhold anything from the refund since you don’t offer free returns. The buyer gets a full refund regardless of anything you say in the listing. 

[dola_4660]

All that will do is cause more buyers to file false NAD cases against you

[selecttech]

Returns are a part of any ecommerce business. The 30 day return policy is something everyone has to adjust to. The cost of this has to be factored into your pricing by average cost and average returns per X amount sold.  

Your idea of modifying your return policy will lead to Defective returns which will as a result, increase your seller fess through the new retruns structure. It will also increase your aggrevation. Do yourself a huge favor and factor in the cost of returns. 

Hope this helps 

[lasantino]

I just got off the phone with ebay.

Here is what they said.

I can include that phrase in my listing, Ebay can not enforce it. because the system currently doesn't offer that option.

However.. If i clearly state my policy in my listing..  . Upon receiving  a remorse return. I can log into paypal and refund the purchase price ,and deduct the initial shipping.   

As long as the buyer does not object.  Ebay will not step in.  And ebay does get notification when a refund is done through paypal.  If the refund amount is more than 80% of the original purchase price. The system automatically credits back the sellers fee.  

I think this is a good solution for my purposes.. I can compose a form letter that i will send after each puchase. that restates the return policy, and shipping fee policy.. as long as the buyer agrees,, i think i'm covered.

obviously, it's a bit of a hassel. . But I do think most buyers are honest. And i think that buyers that do often buy things just to try on etc.  If they see that they will be responsible for shipping both ways.. will either accept that.. or they will move on to another seller....

This would have the same affect that restocking fees had.. It discourages buyers who are serial returners.  But still allows returns no problem.

thoughts?

[goodluckselling]

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@lasantino wrote:

I just got off the phone with ebay.

Here is what they said.

I can include that phrase in my listing, Ebay can not enforce it. because the system currently doesn't offer that option.

However.. If i clearly state my policy in my listing..  . Upon receiving  a remorse return. I can log into paypal and refund the purchase price ,and deduct the initial shipping.   

As long as the buyer does not object.  Ebay will not step in.  And ebay does get notification when a refund is done through paypal.  If the refund amount is more than 80% of the original purchase price. The system automatically credits back the sellers fee.  

I think this is a good solution for my purposes.. I can compose a form letter that i will send after each puchase. that restates the return policy, and shipping fee policy.. as long as the buyer agrees,, i think i'm covered.

obviously, it's a bit of a hassel. . But I do think most buyers are honest. And i think that buyers that do often buy things just to try on etc.  If they see that they will be responsible for shipping both ways.. will either accept that.. or they will move on to another seller....

This would have the same affect that restocking fees had.. It discourages buyers who are serial returners.  But still allows returns no problem.

thoughts?

---

It is not a good path.  Just like buyers to will use snad reasons for returns when the seller has a no return policy, your buyers are just going to say seller had wrong measurements in the listing.

Your return policy is only enforceable for what you have in the return policy area, not what you put in your listing.

Clothing will always have more issues with fit and color.  That is part of the risk / reward of selling in that category.  You will make more sales because of the popularity of clothing but you will also have more issues.

Good Luck Selling!

[city*satins]

Let us know how that works for you.

You realize you could just stop offering free shipping, right?

[chicboutique31]

i have already inquired this specific question with customer service and  you are at risk at losing your top rated seller level status. its a lose lose..best of luck!

[missjen831]

---

@lasantino wrote:

I just got off the phone with ebay.

Here is what they said.

I can include that phrase in my listing, Ebay can not enforce it. because the system currently doesn't offer that option.

However.. If i clearly state my policy in my listing..  . Upon receiving  a remorse return. I can log into paypal and refund the purchase price ,and deduct the initial shipping.   

As long as the buyer does not object.  Ebay will not step in.  And ebay does get notification when a refund is done through paypal.  If the refund amount is more than 80% of the original purchase price. The system automatically credits back the sellers fee.  

I think this is a good solution for my purposes.. I can compose a form letter that i will send after each puchase. that restates the return policy, and shipping fee policy.. as long as the buyer agrees,, i think i'm covered.

obviously, it's a bit of a hassel. . But I do think most buyers are honest. And i think that buyers that do often buy things just to try on etc.  If they see that they will be responsible for shipping both ways.. will either accept that.. or they will move on to another seller....

This would have the same affect that restocking fees had.. It discourages buyers who are serial returners.  But still allows returns no problem.

thoughts?

---

I think customer service lied to you and told you what you wanted to hear. If the buyer opens a return request, you cannot issue a partial refund. The system will not allow it. If you go to PayPal to issue the refund then the buyer can and will ask eBay to step in. And they also lied when they told you that they can see when you refund 80% through PayPal and that you will get an automatic final value fee credit.

you are not allowed to charge a restocking fee anymore and you cannot withhold the shipping cost. It does not mater what a phone rep tells you. 

brian@ebay tyler@ebay did customer service advise this seller correctly? Has there been some unannounced changes? Since when does ebay see an 80% refund through PayPal and automatically issue a FVF credit? The policy for some time has been that the seller has to refund in full in order to get a FVF, unless a return request was opened and the seller charges for shipping. If they offer free shipping they can’t withold the shipping cost and then get their fees back. 

[city*satins]

I looked at your listings to see if you'd already added this text to your TOS.

Along the way, I checked your feedback and saw you got a neg for a pair of boots that the buyer complained were not nubuck but plain leather.  You answered that the boots were leather, not nubuck. That appeared to be a rebuttal of the buyer's complaint. Was it? Or were you agreeing with the buyer?

I ask because the title of listing, displayed at the bottom of the feedback entry was Arche ankle boots red nubuck leather 40 us 9

That kind of feedback and reply are not good for a seller, as the prospective buyer/reader can see the comment, the reply, and the title of the listing and when there's an apparent disconnect, that undermines trust.  You want to be careful not to do that, okay?

[creoleorchid]

Dola is right. What you're doing amounts to a restocking fee which is not allowed under the policy. (Certain exceptions apply). https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2018-spring/simplified-returns.html

[lasantino]

yes,, My response to the buyers comment was that, yes, they were leather, and i refunded immediately.

I have addressed this in a previous post.. I made a mistake.   For the buyer to take time to neg me. seemed petty. I paid for the shipping return of course.   I just wanted to be on the record, that yes, the boots were leather, not nubuck leather, and the buyer was refunded..

[lasantino]

@missjen831  thank you for tagging the blues... My purpose for stating this idea was to get other seller's feedback..  Because obviously, I may have not considered everything when I came up with this idea.

I called ebay and talked to a seller specialist because , i already knew that ebay no longer had the option to partial refund for remorse returns.  He is the one that came up with the idea regarding refunding through paypal..

I too thought that ebay and paypal were no longer sharing any information.. he said,, the only thing they still share is the refund status.   that's how paypal automatically knows to freeze a sellers funds when a buyer opens a return request.

anyway.  I was not implying that this was a new policy, i was simply stating that the CS informed me of a workaround . Because ebay did not have the option ...   

Also,, Ebay not having the option,  is not the same  thing as Ebay does not allow.. 

He said, ebay wants the sellers and buyers to handle things without ebay having to get involved.. so if i a buyer doesn't object(and that's why i would send a message after a purchase. because buyers don't always read desriptions) then refunding through paypal would work.

I know i am still risking a buyer asking ebay to step in, but If a buyer asked ebay to step in, that would mean they didn't know that i was going to deduct the initial shipping charge.  The message i send after the sale with thier response , is supposed to make sure they do know. 

This doesn't work in false SNAD cases. I know that. 

this is meant to solve the problem that i'm seeing of a ton of remorse returns.. I've always sold in the categories that i sell in. I know clothing has a lot of returns.  However, as i've stated before. I am trying to deter buyers who are serial returners from shopping with me.

[city*satins]

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@lasantino wrote:

yes,, My response to the buyers comment was that, yes, they were leather, and i refunded immediately.

I have addressed this in a previous post.. I made a mistake.   For the buyer to take time to neg me. seemed petty. I paid for the shipping return of course.   I just wanted to be on the record, that yes, the boots were leather, not nubuck leather, and the buyer was refunded..

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Oh OK .  I looked at your listings and feedback but not for other threads where you posted on the Community.

[fern*wood]

I've never charged a restocking fee, but due to the increase in returns across the board (I feel due in part to the new free returns being pushed), I have been moving away from free shipping.  City stated this earlier and that seems like the least problematic way to deal with this. 

I'd rather solve my problem myself than to face a fight with a buyer where I know I would lose.