The exit strategy has begun!

[bmp_auto_salvage]

Hello Everyone,

It saddens me to do this but as of yesterday I've made up my mind to no longer choose to sell on eBay full time. I have been doing so since I was 18 (almost 30 now) and it went from something which I truly loved to do and was excited about to completely dreading. I started with a small 5x5 storage unit where I would store my parts to a 1300 SQ FT warehouse with thousands of dollars in heavy duty shelving, a forklift,  office, lift and more. My reason for leaving all this hard work behind stems from the lack of respect and protection in which they give us (the sellers) as well as the most greed filled, disgusting, policy yet, the additional 4% hit on final value fees for "high returns". I average about $15,000 in sales a month and between my "anchor" store and final value fees I believe eBay is paid quite well. Now, for reasons out of your control if a buyer opens a return and claims the item as "defective" even when it may not be we take that hit. I sell auto parts and it is a tough gig, buyers usually do not have a full understanding as to what it is they are buying or simply have a remorse return for a misdiagnosed part and unfortunately we take the hit. Just yesterday I sold an air bag (non deployed of course) and the buyer stated it "does not work" now, nothing short of the buyer installing the bag into the vehicle and driving it straight into a wall would this return make any sense. Very upset about this, I called eBay and explained the situation to a staff member, he completely agreed with me however stated that I "cannot have this defect removed" which then causes my return rate to go "up". I am sorry but a 3% return rate in no way shape or form should be considered "high" nor should a 3.50% be "very high" and subject me to an additional 4% final value fee. This whole comparing you to your "peers" is absolute garbage and just an excuse for them to pocket an extra $600 from me a month (on average ). I am disgusted with this and no longer going to invest my time into a company which treats its sellers so poorly. I have since switched all my items from same day handling to one day handling and have begun my new path into the real estate market. After completion of my course I already have a company ready to take me in (its always good to know people). From then on my handling time will be switched to 3 or 4 business days and as I build a new career for myself I will put eBay on the back burner and slowly transistion out of this market until a good chunk of my higher ticket items are sold here and then sell off the rest of my warehouse and supplies such as the racks, fork lifts, etc, in due time. It is something that truly pains me but I cannot take this blatant disrespect and abuse from eBay and the scammer buyers alike. I have put forth neraly 12 years of my life selling on here but I just cannot take it anymore. My stress levels are through the roof, everytime I get a return I get this pain in my gut and I have more grey hairs than a 30 year old should. At the end of the day I'm truly looking forward to this new route I am taking and one thing I'd like for eBay to remember is that they did this to themselves and I am sure more, now than ever sellers like myself are leaving this platform and either seeking new platforms or taking new career paths as well due to eBays greed and blatant disrespect to its foundation which helped make it what it is, the sellers.

[hillbillymedia]

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@gramophone-georg wrote:

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@goodluckselling wrote:

All I did was point out what eBay defines a peer as,  and also pointed out the areas you want to be part of the formula and wondered why you would think those areas have anything to do with an SNAD and or return against your ratings?

Because you have more transactions makes sense you will hit the minimum number easier than a lower transaction seller but they will also fall of the back end quicker as well, so as you make changes to limit these events your number gain in standings.

It does not seem to matter how much you sell for this rating.  It is about other sellers with like items at similiar prices and policies, which are comparable in a refined group to see how each rates against each other.   It is completely probable that different products  would have different sets of peers for that product.

I am not sure where this whole thing about calling you a liar is coming from?

Good Luck Selling!

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It really doesn't matter what the raison du jour or the "metric" is... when you need to start backing into a profit by cutting payroll and creating backdoor revenue sources you got serious probs... and eBay has done both recently.

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I agree. All we have to do as reasonable, thinking human beings is ask ourselves a question Q. Which is more likely?

Option A:  A giant corp. like ebay fudging "statistics" here and there to generate more revenue

Option B: Sellers that have been selling on ebay for years continually being "conspiracy theorists"

I love it when people tell me I`m not seeing what I`m seeing. It`s like if they keep saying it long enough it will become true.

[zamo-zuan]

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@hillbillymedia wrote:

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@gramophone-georg wrote:

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@goodluckselling wrote:

All I did was point out what eBay defines a peer as,  and also pointed out the areas you want to be part of the formula and wondered why you would think those areas have anything to do with an SNAD and or return against your ratings?

Because you have more transactions makes sense you will hit the minimum number easier than a lower transaction seller but they will also fall of the back end quicker as well, so as you make changes to limit these events your number gain in standings.

It does not seem to matter how much you sell for this rating.  It is about other sellers with like items at similiar prices and policies, which are comparable in a refined group to see how each rates against each other.   It is completely probable that different products  would have different sets of peers for that product.

I am not sure where this whole thing about calling you a liar is coming from?

Good Luck Selling!

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It really doesn't matter what the raison du jour or the "metric" is... when you need to start backing into a profit by cutting payroll and creating backdoor revenue sources you got serious probs... and eBay has done both recently.

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I agree. All we have to do as reasonable, thinking human beings is ask ourselves a question Q. Which is more likely?

Option A:  A giant corp. like ebay fudging "statistics" here and there to generate more revenue

Option B: Sellers that have been selling on ebay for years continually being "conspiracy theorists"

I love it when people tell me I`m not seeing what I`m seeing. It`s like if they keep saying it long enough it will become true.

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If we're talking about fudged statistics, another blatant example is the "trending rates" of sponsored listings. We did some research on this one too. We looked at which competitors are doing sponsored listings, and how often these sponsored listings are appearing in search.

Funny how if you do sponsored listings with 1%, you appear just as much as competitors, when the supposed "trending rate" is above 5%. 

This is besides the fact that there's not many sellers with competitive prices on the sponsored listings, and you can network with them and inquire their rates, and find they are nowhere near the trending... 

[wickedwolfauto]

"We work with many sellers in the Motors industry. All of the sellers with a very large bulk are "High" or "Highest" on the sellers metrics. "

I agree, although I still struggle to understand what defines anyone as a big or small seller in Motors.  Summit, Jegs, 4WP etc I would consider as BIG Sellers?? the rest of us small??  

I don't consider us small but we definatly big, somewhere in the middle, a huge middle. 

My service metrics are rated to .72% on our peers

eBay Motors:

Rate: 0.90% (Average)

• Total transactions: 2,104
• Not as described: 19
• 19 / 2,104 = 0.90%

99% were not SNAD and We can usually catch the buyer in a lie but Ebay CSR sometimes reverses with a "courtesy" refund on return shipping but it still effects our mestrics.   

[zamo-zuan]

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@wickedwolfauto wrote:

"We work with many sellers in the Motors industry. All of the sellers with a very large bulk are "High" or "Highest" on the sellers metrics. "

I agree, although I still struggle to understand what defines anyone as a big or small seller in Motors.  Summit, Jegs, 4WP etc I would consider as BIG Sellers?? the rest of us small??  

I don't consider us small but we definatly big, somewhere in the middle, a huge middle. 

My service metrics are rated to .72% on our peers

eBay Motors:

Rate: 0.90% (Average)

• Total transactions: 2,104
• Not as described: 19
• 19 / 2,104 = 0.90%

99% were not SNAD and We can usually catch the buyer in a lie but Ebay CSR sometimes reverses with a "courtesy" refund on return shipping but it still effects our mestrics.   

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What you say is true, there's very different volumes of sellers. That's why it should be differentiated, and if it's to be fair, it NEEDS to be differentiated. Either by bulk, or sales volume, just making separate tiers would make things much more fair.

Also, notice in what you pasted, it's just "eBay Motors". NOT specifically your category inside motors. This itself is not fair. Perfect example being what I mentioned of Ignition Coils, that have a 2% failure rate from manufacturer for a single coil.

[gramophone-georg]

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@wickedwolfauto wrote:

"We work with many sellers in the Motors industry. All of the sellers with a very large bulk are "High" or "Highest" on the sellers metrics. "

I agree, although I still struggle to understand what defines anyone as a big or small seller in Motors.  Summit, Jegs, 4WP etc I would consider as BIG Sellers?? the rest of us small??  

I don't consider us small but we definatly big, somewhere in the middle, a huge middle. 

My service metrics are rated to .72% on our peers

eBay Motors:

Rate: 0.90% (Average)

• Total transactions: 2,104
• Not as described: 19
• 19 / 2,104 = 0.90%

99% were not SNAD and We can usually catch the buyer in a lie but Ebay CSR sometimes reverses with a "courtesy" refund on return shipping but it still effects our mestrics.   

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And that's the takeaway that tells me that what eBay is interested in isn't the "metrics", it's the financial return. Seems the way this works is that all you need is to have the buyer press that button  and then it's ballgame no matter WHAT the real story might be. 

It appears that they're basically using buyers to herd sellers into paying higher fees. If that's NOT what this is about then the optics need to be improved- DRASTICALLY- and immediately.

[coolections]

Sorry but Ebay is NEVER going to allow you to take over the entire market. Weather you think it is fair or not it is unrealistic expectations.

[pauls-parts]

I went to part time as well. I also went to 2 day handling and buyer pays return shipping. I am selling as much with my 40-50 listings as I was with 150+ listings.

No silent seller limit though is there. 

I still get the scamming buyers though. I just turned one in because he claimed the item did not work. Yet he said he found one locally. Just cheaper. I got the item back and it was fine. I just was blessed with paying the shipping both directions. I have resold the part with no problems to the customer. Good luck in your real estate venture.

[hudsonvalleyartandantiques]

search for earl nightengale this will help you

[equid0x]

TL; DR

[dblkj-0]

I realize you're frustrated but buyers purchasing new parts to "diagnose" their problem is nothing new, that trick is as old as the book itself. It is unfortunate because a true mechanice would never reinstall the old part even if the new part did not fix the problem, a real mechanic would leave the new part installed knowing that more tinkering is not helpful to the vehicle in the longevity department (plus it's the ethical way of doing things) however you can not expect these backyard choolios to think that way.

However again, this practice is not new.

Not sure how many of you remember Trak Auto.

They were the big parts store when I was a teenager, and like many a choolio backyard mechanic you can only guess how many parts I brought back, except our excuse then was usually "didn't need it."

Fast forward 30+ years...

I went by one of the many "chain" auto parts stores the other day...

I was shocked at the price of things, they've gone up since just 5-8 years ago when I went in the time before... I had been avoiding the auto parts store just because their prices had gotten so high...

It is all a result of this parts "renting" business.

Soon it will affect the online parts business, oh...

I forgot, it already has.

[dblkj-0]

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@bmp_auto_salvage wrote:

I include a very detailed card on every sale stating that if there are any issues please contact me prior to to opening a return. It is taped directly to the part, the cards background is black in color with bright, bold yellow text. Next to the card I put a sticker saying "Please read this card before using your item" I have maybe 5% of the buyers who open returns contact me prior. The rest even sometimes take images of the product with the card and sticker still attached in their returns which I see as a major slap in the face.

I have been selling anything and everything for years and yes, my replies to show high levels of stress but it is beyond aggravating the lenghts I go to avoid returns and to still get them. Even for my electrical items I spray the connectors with electrical contact cleaner and scrub the pins with a brush to ensure proper contact. 

And thank you for the good luck!

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You have to understand, that card doesn't do what you think...

That card tells the buyer you lack confidence in your product, that card shows your buyer that you have reason to believe a problem might occur, and that is why these buyers are not just returning parts fast but in some cases they put the card in the picture not for you to see... But for ebay's customer service because they see the same thing I just explained to you, and that is a seller who has a low level of confidence in the quality of his product(s).

I could get into many other aspects, I did check into your feedback left as someone else mentioned and there are many other things but let me give you one piece of advice:  Put yourself in the CUSTOMER's shoes.

Because believe me, being a realtor is a highly competitive area too.

It's not going to be easy peasy, at first it will but unless you can learn how to address your buyer's concerns the chances that you'll simply experience this same feeling of entrapment is fairly certain.

[futuretomorrow]

@bmp_auto_salvage

This makes complete sense for you. I live above an auto supply store. If they get 2-3 returned parts daily, usually ordered by mechanics themselves, one can only imagine what the rate of returns is when customers who don't understand the finer details a mechanic might try and order these parts on their own based on a "google search" or "youtube video". Out of the returns the shop below me gets, some of the mechanics actually tried to install them before realizing it was the wrong part and returning it. This works out not too poorly for a B&M but selling through eBay with all their new twists and turns needed to keep a buyer happy? Good luck.

Best of luck to you and again, for your type of business you made the right decision. 

[hillbillymedia]

I worked at an AutoZone distribution center. I have no idea what the percentage was but we are talking about 18 wheelers worth of returns a week. I can bet AZ`s return rate would be in the "very high" peer level according to ebays phony peer metrics.

[gracieallen01]

Shouldn't it - the metrics - be the other way around?

The more returns, well then, the happier, more content and completely satisfied the buyer is?

I mean, a buyer who can't return something is going to be disgruntled and dissatisfied and won't come back.  And, since so many things are made so cheaply and almost ready for the land-fill when they are purchased these days,  fads change so quickly and items are out-of-date even before 'immediate delivery' and there are so many 'new and improved' products over the last version - issued yesterday, it would seem only natural to have many returns and trade-ins.

Shouldn't the number of returns prove how successful ebay is?

(what sarcasm?)

[rainbowcolorz]

Sadly, I think I may have to stop listing (and re-listing) as well.   

I have been listing many of the same items that I sold over the years for a lot more $ than what I am listing them for today but they are not selling. 

So I keep reducing the listing prices, reducing the postage, switching from 30 day returns to 60 days, then going to Free Returns, Seller pays Return Shipping), but nothing helps.     

I take 12 photos and am extremely detailed.  I have never had a return. I have 100% positive feedback.  

I had the yellow seal on my listings, until eBay decided to remove that so all I had was the little blue words that said Top Rated Plus (or whatever it said).  

My repeat buyers and even my new buyers who become repeat buyers know that I consistently  deliver outstanding customer service.

I'm no longer interested in the yellow badge or the seal or anything else.  

There is no way I can list 7  lovely cross pendants that include 3 heavy necklaces, (Auction) for less than 85¢ each (which is what it would come to if someone bid and won). 

I also can't reduce the shipping to less than $6.90 (USPS Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope) because the pendants and the necklaces together weight over 1 LB!

And to rub salt into the wound, I keep getting emails from eBay:  Top Tips For Selling Your Items On eBay:

We noticed that some of your listings are missing important details, and we’ve got a few suggestions for you. Our research shows that your listings might see more activity – and your items might sell faster – if you follow our recommendations.

• Qualify for the Top Rated Plus seal:
  Let buyers know that you consistently deliver outstanding customer service with the Top Rated Plus seal on your listings. To receive the seal, and other Top Rated Seller benefits, update your listings according to the guidelines in the bulk editing tool.