SELLERS??? Are your stated return policies being supported by Ebay?

[bbingo]

Sellers- HELP!  Recently, I have had a few issues with refunds going to Buyers that don't follow my return standards stated in auctions.  (Buyers pay return shipping and items must be returned in the same condition as purchased.)  I refunded a buyer the amount less shipping and Ebay said she should have received a full refund?!?!  An item broken in shipping is being refunded becasue the postal insurance didn't pay all of it.  It seems like there is now VERY LITTLE, ALMOST NO support for sellers.  I'm just wondering if anyone else is experiencing pressure to refund items.  If a Buyer escalated a claim now, it goes against your seller status.  After doing the math, I realized that if 3 people out of 1000 are unsatisfied,  then reaching Top Seller status is unattainable.  I've been an Ebayer for over 10 years, and have consistent positive feedback.  Is anyone else out there grappling to undersand all of the new changes and how they affect us as sellers?!?!   Please don't use this as a "rant" board, jsut help me get a handle on these changes and the best way to naviagate them.  thanks!

[fern*wood]

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@d-k_treasures wrote:

Well, outside of most of that beng unenforcible here, none of that wall of text is in your listings on ebay, or accessable through any links. So where is that wall of text?

So if you think you can enforce a return policy from your website to your buyers here, it doesn't work that way.

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@d-k_treasures

That wall is definitely there under their return policy.  I saw it even before they posted it here on the board.   I'm really surprised ebay allows that much text to fit there.

[officiallorigashley]

By return policy is easily read on the product page

Returns: 30 days money back or replacement, buyer pays return shipping, 20% restocking fee may apply |  see details

And eBay has indeed allowed my policy!  So, you are WRONG!  It is on my eBay site and my website!

The customer buying on eBay can easily read the eBay return policy CLEARLY written on eBay return policy.

Don't tell me what is allowed when I know for a fact that eBay has and does uphold my clearly stated return policy!

I have very few complaints. The very few I have had have been from competators and a couple scammers. I have resolved a couple issues from very honest customers without needing eBay to step in or meeting my return policy. But you bank on my policy being enforced each and every time any scammer or competitor attempts to pull anything!  I am not here to give my products away. Further, a sellers reputation is built on honestly and customers. Dishonest customers allowed to get away with the stuff they have been pulling on eBay has to stop! If eBay cared to keep the sellers, they would allow the sellers to leave negative feedback on the buyers page too! 

Since they don't, I as a seller will continue to honestly respond on my page to any dishonest negative feedback from a buyer with the facts! And I will enforce my return policy every time a dishonest customer tries to pull a scam too! Just as I have been allowed to enforce on eBay! My policy is on the products page to read! If the customer doesn't like it, don't buy it! I don't like scammers so won't bother me if they don't buy my product because they don't like the terms! Google the scammers posting every where on how to scam on ebay!  REDICULOUS! Either the seller takes proactive measures or they accept they too are part to blame for the scammers being allowed to get away with their scams on eBay!

[officiallorigashley]

I am not dishonest! I don't hide behind annonomous! I have a massive customer base outside of eBay. My customers on 99.5% of my eBay customers are honest and loyal too. So, the only people I would be offending by helping honest sellers obtain information on how to reduce the scammers from their stores would be the dishonest buyers!

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@tiramisu41 wrote:

@officiallorigashley wrote:

 It is up to the sellers to be proactive in protecting theirself against these scammers!  If that offends the scammers, too bad!  

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@officiallorigashley, if you're going to vent about what scumbags prospective buyers are, you might want to start posting under an anonymous Posting ID on these boards which are public forums and "Google-able" meaning anyone in the world can read your posts and is privy to your "business philosophy."

But on the other hand, prospective buyers probably can probably get a fair idea of what to expect based on customer interactions noted in your eBay feedback summary.  I dunno.  Wouldn't inspire a lot of confidence if I read some of your comments before I placed an order but to each their own.

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[ahaynekk-0]

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@bbingo wrote:
I have had more returns than I've ever had in the previous years selling on here.

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We had that problem too so we had to raise prices, now we have no sales but at least we're not being plagued with the returns issue any more.

[ahaynekk-0]

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@officiallorigashley wrote:

My policy is and has been enforceable!  It is NOT bullying either! I am an actual TRADEMARKED BRAND! 

Mhm, well then you should have your own web site there Mr.(TM) Important.

[d-k_treasures]

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@fern*wood wrote:

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@d-k_treasures wrote:

Well, outside of most of that beng unenforcible here, none of that wall of text is in your listings on ebay, or accessable through any links. So where is that wall of text?

So if you think you can enforce a return policy from your website to your buyers here, it doesn't work that way.

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@d-k_treasures

That wall is definitely there under their return policy.  I saw it even before they posted it here on the board.   I'm really surprised ebay allows that much text to fit there.

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Ahh - sorry. Now I see it. Yeah, I didn't think you could write a novel in that section either.

Of course, even IF someone reads it, they will most likely leave, or laugh and buy, knowing it's not enforceable on ebay. Especially since they have 30 day returns(but say Orders older than 7 days are not eligible for refund - yeah right - trying to game the system for a 20% FVF discount).

[thatsallfolks]

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@ahaynekk-0 wrote:

now we have no sales but at least we're not being plagued with the returns issue any more.

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Funniest line of the day.

[kaykeecorp]

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@officiallorigashley wrote:

By return policy is easily read on the product page

Returns: 30 days money back or replacement, buyer pays return shipping, 20% restocking fee may apply |  see details

And eBay has indeed allowed my policy!  So, you are WRONG!  It is on my eBay site and my website!

The customer buying on eBay can easily read the eBay return policy CLEARLY written on eBay return policy.

Don't tell me what is allowed when I know for a fact that eBay has and does uphold my clearly stated return policy!

I have very few complaints. The very few I have had have been from competators and a couple scammers. I have resolved a couple issues from very honest customers without needing eBay to step in or meeting my return policy. But you bank on my policy being enforced each and every time any scammer or competitor attempts to pull anything!  I am not here to give my products away. Further, a sellers reputation is built on honestly and customers. Dishonest customers allowed to get away with the stuff they have been pulling on eBay has to stop! If eBay cared to keep the sellers, they would allow the sellers to leave negative feedback on the buyers page too! 

Since they don't, I as a seller will continue to honestly respond on my page to any dishonest negative feedback from a buyer with the facts! And I will enforce my return policy every time a dishonest customer tries to pull a scam too! Just as I have been allowed to enforce on eBay! My policy is on the products page to read! If the customer doesn't like it, don't buy it! I don't like scammers so won't bother me if they don't buy my product because they don't like the terms! Google the scammers posting every where on how to scam on ebay!  REDICULOUS! Either the seller takes proactive measures or they accept they too are part to blame for the scammers being allowed to get away with their scams on eBay!

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Of course eBay "allows" your return policy.

You don't get it. 

When you actually run up against a savvy buyer who is hellbent on a return without paying your restocking fee or return postage?

ebay will not support your policies and will back the buyer.

no one here accepts any blame for scammers- but when I took a look at my actual return % to sales $- it was so low that it wasn't worth setting up draconian return terms or IMHO, poor customer service protocols like insulting responses to negative feedback.

its not personal- it's just business.

[nancys5979]

Oof I'm so sorry that happened to you with the dishes.  I know they are hard to pack safely and I don't sell dish sets for that reason.

As some wise person said, "Nobody said education is cheap!"

And I add, "Especially on ebay!"

[officiallorigashley]

I am an actual VERO VERIFIED & Listed TRADEMARK BRAND. Lori G Ashley® is NOT a re seller. We are the Lori G Ashley® BRAND sold on eBay..

[fenris_st_germain]

Yes and no. 
I set all sales to no returns. This helped considerably on the amount of nonsense or outright fraudulent return attempts. 
If someone contacts me and can show the item was damaged in shipping, defective out of the box,  didn't arrive etc. I would still do a return even though I have a no returns policy. But by setting it as no returns it does help filter out the volume of people just looking to get a discount after the fact or a free item. 
Ebay wants to push sellers to have return policies but as a seller those have just created headaches. 
I also don't buy the "cost of doing business" so many sellers try to push as a reason to put up with frivilous or fraudlent return claims. As a seller you do have a right to not be scammed. 
Any brick and mortar store is not going to let someone return a piece of clothing they wore or make some other insane claim. They will be told the policy is no and if they create further problems they will be asked to leave. This became a big problem in brick and mortar retail where people were buying clothes, wearing them to an event then trying to return them. 

[margarenisa_0]

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@officiallorigashley wrote:
I am an actual VERO VERIFIED & Listed TRADEMARK BRAND. Lori G Ashley® is NOT a re seller. We are the Lori G Ashley® BRAND sold on eBay..

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Completely irrelevant to the conversation at hand.

It sounds like you want some type of special treatment. Good luck with that.

[nowthatsjustducky]

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@bbingo wrote:
Why does a seller state a return policy in the auction if it isn't something we are to do? If we have requirements as sellers, aren't there any requirements for buyers?

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Why?  Because that ability was key to me not losing $500 plus shipping both ways to a buyer who filed SNAD on a No Returns / For Parts Not Working item.

If I had a return policy, I would have had to accept the return or do a refund without a return.  For a half G, that ain't happening.

[impeeryus]

Firstly-never suck up a partial refund from USPS instead of a full one. You paid for insurance-make them pay it. USPS have decided to go the UPS route of automatically denying insurance claims. You need to appeal. If that doesn't work call the Post Office CONSUMER ADVOCATE. After years of bagging on "smart sellers don't pay for insurance" sam on here I finally realized Sam was right. SMART SELLERS don't use Post Office Insurance-they put the money aside that they WOULD have spent on insurance and "self insure". I finally took Sam's advice. Now I have an envelope with over $1000 cash in it that I WOULD have given to the Post Office over the last 18 months. I pay for signature confirmation on all my parcels and I do NOT insure any more.