Temporary changes to timelines for Returns and Claims during COVID-19

[mam98031]

For those of you that don't check the Announcements by Ebay and/or did not get the email notification, this is an important announcement just released.

I understand do this as there are many extra things right now that could cause delays in processing.  I'm ever so grateful that Ebay did NOT extend the time they had to file a claim.  That is something I would not like to see at all.  So thank you Ebay for not doing that.

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We’re giving you and your buyers more time to complete returns during these unprecedented times 

We’re continuously adapting to new ways of working in the current COVID-19 environment to support the health and safety of all eBay users. With ongoing quarantines and social distancing measures, buyers and sellers face new challenges with processing returns within our normal returns windows—buyers with returning items, and sellers with issuing refunds. 

To give you and your buyers more time to process returns, we have temporarily extended our Returns and eBay Money Back Guarantee policy timelines. The extended timelines give buyers more time to contact a carrier to pick up an item, or ask for outside help to get it to the post office. We’re also giving you extra time to pick up a returned item, inspect the item, and issue a refund. 

Temporary Returns and eBay Money Back Guarantee policy changes

• Buyers—We have increased the number of business days buyers have to ship a return back to you to 21 business days, starting the moment you accept a return request and the buyer receives a return label.
• Sellers—We have increased the number of business days you have to issue a refund to 5 business days, starting on the date that shipment tracking confirms the item was delivered back to you.

The extended timelines apply to returns opened on or after March 25, 2020 until further notice.

You do not need to take any action. Please keep in mind that returns may take longer to arrive because of the extended timelines.

You can appeal the return per our normal policy if a return doesn’t arrive.

Learn more about eBay returns policies and eBay Money Back Guarantee.

As always, thank you for selling on eBay.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Temporary-changes-to-timelines-for-Returns-and-Claims-du...

[timzbiz]

There should be no returns accepted during this time.

[mam98031]

That may work well for you, but I sure would not want to be forced into that.  It would likely kill my sales.  

[dhbookds]

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@timzbiz wrote:

There should be no returns accepted during this time.

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Why not?

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

@mam98031  This is good but I was hoping that they'd announce not allowing INR cases to proceed so soon after a sale, maybe make it 10 days after sale instead of 1.    I keep hearing about more shipping delays and sellers having to refund.  

[mam98031]

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@comics-scifi-collectibles wrote:

@mam98031  This is good but I was hoping that they'd announce not allowing INR cases to proceed so soon after a sale, maybe make it 10 days after sale instead of 1.    I keep hearing about more shipping delays and sellers having to refund.  

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@comics-scifi-collectibles 

I think that is a terrific observation and hopefully Ebay will help us out on that really soon.  Thank you for bringing this up.

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

@mam98031  I don't know if you noticed that paypal has extended their time for sellers to respond to disputes from 10 to 20 days.  

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/covid-19-relief

[mam98031]

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@comics-scifi-collectibles wrote:

@mam98031  I don't know if you noticed that paypal has extended their time for sellers to respond to disputes from 10 to 20 days.  

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/covid-19-relief

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No I had not.  For me, I've always worked from home, so my timeframe in responding to stuff isn't affected by what it going on due to the virus.

[bigdeals.etc]

I wonder why ebay extended the time for buyers by 21 business days, but extended only 5 business days for sellers. I only go to my warehouse once a week now so there can potentially be times that 5 business days isn’t barely not enough time for the refund. 

Wishful thinking... how’s about we meet in the middle and extend 13 business days for both buyers and sellers? Haha

[mam98031]

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@bigdeals.etc wrote:

I wonder why ebay extended the time for buyers by 21 business days, but extended only 5 business days for sellers. I only go to my warehouse once a week now so there can potentially be times that 5 business days isn’t barely not enough time for the refund. 

Wishful thinking... how’s about we meet in the middle and extend 13 business days for both buyers and sellers? Haha

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IMHO it is because Ebay has never seen us as being on level ground as with buyers.  But realistically if I were the buyer and had to wait that long for a seller to respond, it would be the last time I shopped on this site.  So my guess it is a good call.  It gives sellers a full week to respond.

[ekmadonna]

5 business days was what it always used to be pre Spring Seller update. so they really are not helping the seller out with that one.

[bigdeals.etc]

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@mam98031 wrote:

IMHO it is because Ebay has never seen us as being on level ground as with buyers.  But realistically if I were the buyer and had to wait that long for a seller to respond, it would be the last time I shopped on this site.  So my guess it is a good call.  It gives sellers a full week to respond.

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Yea that’s valid. On the flip side I wonder if there’ll be sellers who are so against giving buyers beyond 30 days to return (I’m mainly referring to the new Spring Seller Update as well as this covid extension) and had to wait that long for a buyer to return the item, end up refunding and BBLing them. 

Quite honestly I think 30 days is more than enough time for pretty much anyone to return an item.

[go-bad-chicken]

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@bigdeals.etc wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

IMHO it is because Ebay has never seen us as being on level ground as with buyers.  But realistically if I were the buyer and had to wait that long for a seller to respond, it would be the last time I shopped on this site.  So my guess it is a good call.  It gives sellers a full week to respond.

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Yea that’s valid. On the flip side I wonder if there’ll be sellers who are so against giving buyers beyond 30 days to return (I’m mainly referring to the new Spring Seller Update as well as this covid extension) and had to wait that long for a buyer to return the item, end up refunding and BBLing them. 

Quite honestly I think 30 days is more than enough time for pretty much anyone to return an item.

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While I am uncertain as to whether or not I would or will choose to BBL a buyer for utilizing what eBay has so freely given them via the Spring Seller Update, I might. As of right now I am choosing to implement a wait and see type of approach and see how much this change actually affects me.

But the policy change from the Spring Seller Update that really has me seeing red is the part about if I supply a buyer with my own USPS Media Mail return label I and all of the sellers who utilize USPS Media Mail for outbound shipments are now relegated to the 35 business days return window if we insist on supplying the buyer with the same USPS Media Mail postage for the return.

This is where eBay has created a gotcha for media sellers. They will happily sell media sellers USPS Media Mail postage for the outbound shipment but refuse to sell media sellers a USPS Media Mail return label for the return. eBay is only willing to sell those same media sellers USPS Priority Mail return labels. 

So if the buyer selected USPS Media Mail for the outbound shipment for a book that weighs 3 lbs which is probably about average the cost would be $3.86. If that buyer wants to return that same 3 lbs book the cost for USPS Priority Mail can be as high as $13.49. That is a difference of $9.63 in cost.

But eBay refuses to sell USPS Media Mail postage for return labels to media sellers and therefore if we go outside of eBay labels to purchase USPS Media Mail postage and provide it to the buyer we now fall into the 35 business days (7 weeks) window before sellers can close a case. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

And that is a really unfair gotcha!

Updates to how you service your customers - eBay 2020 Spring Seller Update.

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2020-spring/service.html#m22_tb_a1_18 

• How much time are buyers given to ship returned items?

  When buyers are sent an eBay-generated return label, the return is closed if the label is not printed within 10 business days. If the buyer prints the label, we allow the return to remain open an additional 5 business days to ensure shipping scans are captured. ......................................

  .................When buyers are not sent an eBay-generated return label, we wait up to 35 business days before closing the return.

I apologize @mam98031 for hijacking your topic. I know that your OP was not really meant to be about this. But this new policy change has me seeing red.

[mam98031]

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@ekmadonna wrote:

5 business days was what it always used to be pre Spring Seller update. so they really are not helping the seller out with that one.

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It was 3 days.

@ekmadonna 

[theseeker_jamrock]

I notice people are saying that this is good. Are you saying that is good when a buyer buys an item and used it for nearly 30 days then decide it does not fit or did not like it. Then open a return and is given another 30 days to ship the item. How is this good when the buyer can use your items for nearly two months and then send it back to you and you had to pay to ship it to them, pay for them to use it and pay for them to send it back. How the hell is this a good thing ? Especially in a time when many sellers are struggling.