@the_backyard_bear
@my-cottage-books-and-antiques
@gurlcat
@the_backyard_bear wrote:
I've had to pay off a few claims that were obviously beyond my guarantee guidelines. eBay does so little to protect sellers. But at least there is a claim resolution format of some sort. Most buyers respect the policy.... some obviously won't.
In most respects, eBay does offer me the platform requirements I really need. I just get infinitely frustrated to watch their fee structure continue to climb, and my margin slip lower.
It is particularly frustrating to watch as each new fee adaptation they go through seems to be less effective for higher costs.
I seem to be working harder just not to lose ground... and grateful for any small step forward at this point. I continue to grow... but so literally at a snail's pace now, it is painful. Watching eBay's profits from my efforts grow at a faster pace than my own bottom line each year feels like a slap in the face, particularly as you point out because they offer such limited protections.
This really captures my experience.
My inventory costs have increased like I never would have imagined in just the last two years, yet there seems to be a cap on what people are willing to pay for my items. Consequently I have to find more inventory, pay more for it, and sell more of it, just to keep from losing ground. And it seems that just when things start to stabilize, eBay comes along and introduces some new feature to undercut me, either by making me pay more in fees or incrementally reducing my visibility.
This month I have also been severely impacted by people abusing the returns/cancellations policy. I sold one item at auction a couple weeks ago for $350. Within minutes the buyer messages me, "Sorry, mate. I thought the price was in Aussie dollars, didn't realize it was USD. Can't pay. Cheers!" Another auction buyer requested a cancellation of his order this week within minutes of the auction closing: "purchased by mistake." How do you purchase by mistake when you place three bids on the item at three separate times over a period of two days? How do you let your high bid sit there for two more days until the auction closes, and only then realize you have "purchased by mistake?" Had another buyer last week return a $330 item "not as described" because they imagined "heat got to it" (whatever that means) despite my highly detailed description and ample photos. And another sent back a $125 item because it "didn't meet their expectations," again despite multiple photos and a fact-filled description. That's almost $1000 in losses/refunds this month alone. Never before have I experienced so many problems with buyers. These jokers can make any excuse no matter how implausible -- sorry, must return, there was an eclipse the night I purchased -- and the refund is automatically granted. (No returns is not an option for me, as I'm a Top-Rated seller and a 30-day return policy is required to maintain Top-Rated status).
