Seller pays shipping on returns & no restocking fees allowed to retain Top Seller Plus Status

[georgkufne]

I sell as a Top Seller Plus & try hard to provide buyers accurate information to minimize returns and achieve high customer satisfaction. I believe a large percentage of my business is from small resale shops throughout the country. Most of these shops are reputable but a small percentage create significant potential return issues. Ebay has the data to monitor return percentages for bad actors and could take steps to limit their return activities but apparently does not care to do that.

Elimination of all restocking fees and forcing Top Seller Plus sellers to pay return shipping on all returns is a big risk for sellers like me for ebay’s “hope” that sales will increase significantly. I do not share ebay’s view that sales will increase enough to offset the cost of handling what I expect to be a surge in returns coupled with significant operating cost to a seller that chooses to retain Top Seller Plus status. Returns were tough enough when we had to argue with buyers about “not as described” returns.

I am convinced that a huge percentage of returns are from a small percentage of reseller shops that special order items for their customers then return items that their customers choose not to purchase. If I am correct about these reseller-return situations Top Seller Plus sellers are going to get hurt badly by these recent changes and the advantage will go to abusive reseller shops. Big problem that sounds good in the short term but will eventually hurt ebay sellers.

I will go along with this new ebay return policy for Top Seller Plus sellers for a time but will likely give up Top Seller Plus status and not pay return shipping. I may also consider a no return policy unless a buyer can make a very strong case for a not as described item return.

What say you?

[bmor3]

Another happy little note on 30 day returns free or buyer paid.  I have been told by the crack customer service team that buyers have up to 30 buisness days after delivery to return an item under the 30 day retun policy. The buyer has up to 10 days to ship the item after opening the return. I am seeing items that have been out of my hands for 45 days being returned for a full return. I would like to get control of my buisness back.  These new off hand eBay "policies" are really starting to hurt me.

[my1996tracker]

well, after 14 years i have just removed my returns, i cant afford to refund the shipping every time someone buys the wrong part or decides they didnt want it.

i dont know who came up with this new , no restocking fee policy, but its **bleep**

last night i got a negative feedback for asking that i could refund less shipping to the buyer as its not fair that i lose 8.00 for their mistake, nice....

i guess my power seller and search standings can take the hit, since my discount went from 20% to 10% its not really worth jumping through 80 hoops to have it anymore.

thanks Ebay, this is what i get for paying you 1000.00-1400.00 a month for the last 14 years.

i guess ebay is gearing things more toward these big businesses that sell chinese garbage, and trying to get rid of the little guys who wrok their asses off to do the right thing on here.

[ipm32]

Exactly. Same here. I am truly saddened because I strongly supported Ebay for 14 years, too. They just keep eating into my profits, instead of helping me attain higher profits. I used to make a lot more money selling something on Ebay every day. I miss those trips to the post office.

[bmor3]

The common thread I see here is that eBay has turn it back on small sellers. The very people that over the years have helped to build ebay in the massive cold heartless greedy disinterested corporation that it has become.

[nomad-pickers]

I believe you need to look at it this way: $100 sale 10% ebay fee 10$ your 10% of that fee is $1, that is how it is calculated, you save $1,, worth free returns I don't think so, lose the 10% fee savings and raise your prices or shipping each item even 50 cents offsets this silliness.

[ipm32]

I will go you one further, and go back to 14 day limit on returns since I am not a Top Rated Plus seller anymore. It is still infuriating.

[usmediamass]

So what happens if you don't offer free returns........

We have loss employees because eBay forced us to cut hours because of decreased sales and increased cost.

The last big slap in the face is eBay will raise our final value fees 44% per month.  Well they say only 4% however going from 9.15% to 13.5% is a 43.7% increase. 

Because of great customer service we issue $240 in refunds for returns per month so eBay is going to increase or final value fees $400 per month.  Your right does anyone there understand business?

If you increase our cost $400 per month we have to sell $2000 more to make the same money and sales are still down.   More work for us for less money.  More money for them for less value.  

We are still looking for any seller that sells over 500 items per month of pre-owned clothing that has a return rate of .7%.   EBay says that is average for our peers.    If .7% is average where are all the members selling 10k per month with zero returns?  

"This is the most unethical, heartless company"?

You do know that eBay knows the cost of sales on the seller hub has been grossly misrepresented for years and chooses to do nothing about it.

If you look at your listing fees for the last 31 days shown on your selling cost on the performance page of the seller hub and compare it to any of your invoices for a 31 day period you will see a huge difference.  

We pay for the seller hub to manage our eBay business however all of the numbers are wrong and eBay knows it and refuses to fix it.   

[matchandlighters]

You do realize in Ebays infinate wisdom even if you say no returns they require it. All they have to do is state not as ordered and you will be forced to take the return or Ebay will refund the money from your account and you will lose the item. Trust me this recently happened to me on an item.

Ebay wants large corporate merchants not us individual sellers anymore.

[bosmingfarg]

Ebay won't care what our seller return/refund policies are. They hold our feet to the fire no matter how many times we bend, or comply. A buyer has to hit the correct pitch on their "whine" meter, and the deal is decided in their favor. It wasn't always like this. I have empathy for sellers who have been scammed, or just used like a "goods on approval" for free. It's insane how a buyer can buy a small doll lot, and make the seller pay for return shipping. only to see that the 2 best dolls are not in the box. The buyer claims they were not in there to begin with. Instant refund. "Rent a dress" "Rent for free !" LOL. Insanity.

[bosmingfarg]

30 days to wear a diamond necklace, call it a SNAD on day 29, and get $$$ back.

[bosmingfarg]

Me, too. I loved the whole process, but 2 crooks in a row make me reluctant to have a "sucker" bulls eye on my back. I absolutely treasure all of my good buyers from the past. I have read so many scamming stories in the last few weeks, it's heart breaking. Returning a brick instead of a clock, sending back a coat with stains on it, claiming the stains were on it when they got it. Why wait 3 weeks to say anything ? Scammers make me ill.

[bosmingfarg]

Ebay will self destruct one day. I recall the "Griff" days and small sellers had a great run for a long time. I had buyers return items without letting me know anything ahead of time. Then came the messages once they saw I had received it back "How do you expect me to sell THAT in my shop?" I wanted to write back, and say something snide, but held back. Nowadays I want to let them have it, especially if I'm making like Elvis, and leaving the building. 🙂

[plumbingspecials]

Your seller rating, or status, is NOT the same thing as your "plus" discounts and benefits.
You can remain Top Rated without offering free returns, you just will not receive FVF discounts, or the badge, on listings that do not offer free 30-day returns and one-day shipping.

[ipm32]

Ebay is losing sellers, but I guess they don't care. I am over Ebay's abusive treatment of sellers. I have been a seller of antiques, collectibles, and household items since 2004. It's been a long run. I used to sell 20 items a week, now I sell 20 items in 3 months. YIKES! Ebay does not care. I am so fed up.

[stuff4divas]

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@nomad-pickers wrote:
I believe you need to look at it this way: $100 sale 10% ebay fee 10$ your 10% of that fee is $1, that is how it is calculated, you save $1,, worth free returns I don't think so, lose the 10% fee savings and raise your prices or shipping each item even 50 cents offsets this silliness.

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I look at the 10% discount I get on my invoices. Example: On a $800 fees charge, I got $80 (numbers rounded off), NOT $8 taken off my invoice.