eBay

xgoblazersx · ‎05-18-2017

I've NEVER had this many return request in one month's time! Not only that, there seems to be a rash of them on the boards.

Buyer 1: Sleeves were too long. Opened a remorse return, and paid the return shipping.

Buyer 2: Claimed I said it was the wrong size. Told her to return, 1 month later, never did after reminding her I posted a pic of the tag size. Has a history of leaving negs.

Buyer 3: Claimed there was a hole. Gave a label, took her dear sweet time sending it back.

Buyer 4: Said that even though it was labeled a S, it is much bigger and she, "should have been warned it was much bigger and mislabeled." Open a SNAD case. Didn't ask any questions. I'm not a Small, and nowhere near it. How am I supposed to know? Eat a sandwhich!

Rant and semi-question over. It seems like this month was the worst for returns, a barrage of dumb questions already answered in the listing, and rude buyers.

tweetystwades · ‎05-19-2017

Only ebay.

xgoblazersx · ‎05-19-2017

And as I've said to everyone, I wish I could tag you all, I had a few buyers ask about measurements on a dress, when they were in the listing! THEY COULDN'T READ THE LISTING! At this point, I've come to the conclusion it doesn't matter what you put.

This lady leaves 100% negs, she clearly wore it for over a week, and just wants a free return. She even mentions having to pay return shipping on one neg.

I'm (the lower end) of plus size. I've bought things according to the measurements, and it still fit way to small because the sellers mismeasured. I've had people accuse me of this too, and then I sent them the pictures of the measuring tape. Other buyers find a way to ask for measurements with no arguing, no opening cases, none of that nonsense. Why can't these other people?

tweetystwades · ‎05-19-2017

I sell clothing as well, I have returns and some questions. The returns are sometimes because they ordered the wrong size. The questions are usually things I can't really answer. Like you said....here are my measurements, will it fit me? I'm a 34DD will I have support? Does this run small (How would I know that)? My personal fav was my buyer compared her breast to a grapefruit, wanted to know if the Bathing suit top would fit a grapefruit. LOL
It all happens when selling, just some months are worse than others. I had a bad April.
Hope it gets better for you, because I get it.

xgoblazersx · ‎05-19-2017

@rolenboy01 wrote:
Selling clothing here comes with a lot of problems, a lot of "renters" and people who quite frankly do not know their measurements and don't care to know them, the people I don't understand are those who want to return before trying the item on because the "tag size" isn't correct, it's best to ignore tag sizes especially when I advised them to in the listing because the item measures too large or too small but some just flat out refuse and take the tag size as law.

Unfortunately, screwed if you do, screwed if you don't. I've done it both ways and lost. I've put the, "fits larger, fits like a ----", and had complaints. I've added measurements, than had people say I measured wrong for remorse returns. Can't win. As for tags sizes, Asian vs. US sizes are the worst. I know to check measurements, but the majority of them are wrong. I ordered a nightgown from a chinese seller posing as a US seller. They provided measurements, and I ordered something that was supposed to be too big (I like my sleepwear big). It fit like a shirt/cami. What they didn't tell everyone was that they stretched out the material as far as it could go, then gave that as the minimal fit.

xgoblazersx · ‎05-19-2017

That's what I've done for 5 years successfully until this month. I go by the average selling price. Most of the items I'm having issues with are the ones that aren't high dollar. The one buyer, I'm still waiting to see if it's legit that it has a hole like she said. The other 3 are obviously remorse, and I do appreciate the one buyer that was honest. I paid her back a full refund because she did tell the truth and was pretty nice as a courtesy. Also, it wasn't much. She left great feedback for all sellers. This one, she's a angry screwjob that just got reported. Time to flip my female dog switch and fight fire with crazy but fire.

xgoblazersx · ‎05-19-2017

Lol thanks. I just had the boob question too last week. "I'm a 34 C, will this fit me?" I balled my fist up in the shelf bra and it barely fit. So, I just went with no, and an elaborate explaination about boob shape, and the fact the bra was so narrow. It was super interesting. My mother has a store as well and gets some doozies with questions and returns.

megadestroyers · ‎05-19-2017

There are many reasons to initiate a return request. Sure. Some very legit, and should be taken as such. But some, and I believe these are increasing, are using "initiate return" as a negotiating ploy after the sale. Get a discount rate/partial refund.

It's also important to have an idea of the requirements put on buyers, not just sellers, when a return request is initiated. Sometimes it's in your best interests to just accept the return if you're familiar with what it is the buyer will need to have done in order to get the full refund. It might just be cost prohibitive for them to proceed with an actual return (ex: off-shore buyer who uses a US forwarding shipping address). Thus, by initiating the return request, they are most likely seeking a partial refund, then they can keep the item.

xgoblazersx · ‎05-19-2017

If they're using a freight forwarder, they've voided their buyer protection. They aren't entitled to a return. Like I've said, I never had an issue with a buyer using a forwarding service. All stateside, and they're older women. They're all women too.

megadestroyers · ‎05-19-2017

No. They've voided their buyer protection as it pertains to INR only. They are still quite able to file a return request for SNAD, as I am currently dealing with one from China who used a US forwarding shipping address.

One of the reasons I was willing to "accept" the return was because the requirements to actually do the return made it quite likely one was never coming. There are time aspects, return shipping payment responsibilities, proof of shipping requirements, etc, that, if you as the seller are familiar with, you could then evaluate whether or not you would accept the return.

Of course, the wildcard in any return discussion will always be ebay.

retrose1 · ‎05-19-2017

@kathieskorner wrote:
Online clothing retailers have a return rate of 30-40% - why would consumers expect any less on ebay?? Most of the increase in ebay returns can be linked to the policies of the big box stores that have been increasing their online presence.

I'd like to see the report that says that. I worked in a retail clothing store and owned a vintage clothing shop and the return rate was far less than 30%.

I would believe that a department store selling prom and formal wear would get a high percentage back - but when Kohls had a loose return policy about 10 years ago, they had such an overwhelming rate of return of prom dresses they immediately tightened it up.

(*Bleep*)

xgoblazersx · ‎05-19-2017

Interesting. We were always told on the boards that freight forwarding voided all protection and one call pointing out they were using that service rendered it an automatic win for the seller. It may be like the negotiating shipping on a best offer when the price is set vs. various and calculated shipping which is a big debate going on in another thread. The policy reads very open to interpretation as most.

retrose1 · ‎05-19-2017

@sylvan_belle wrote:
Rose, I wish I knew your secret for getting returns closed when the buyer prints the label and then takes their own sweet time returning. You are amazing! I've seen the advice so many times on this board to call Ebay and get the return closed, but every time I've tried, they won't do it. The CS always tells me the buyer actually has 30 days to return. I always point out that the wording in the return timeline says they have 3 days after printing label to mail, but the CS always says it's Ebay policy to allow them 30!
Even after 30 days, I've had to call and argue with them, and in THOSE cases, guess what happens? CS opens a CASE for Ebay to STEP IN, and THEN they reclassify the return as an INAD!!! (even though it was opened as a remorse/did not fit return.) It about gave me a heart attack the first time, even though it was closed in my favor within an hour. So, now I just let them time out in about 45 days. Ugh. It is so frustrating. I hate having my items held ransom, sometimes past the window of opportunity to resell seasonal items. Okay, rant over! Sigh.

When you call ebay - make sure that you go through the questionaire to get the right extention. BUT 9 times out of 10 you will have to hang up and call back. If you get a CS with an accent, they are the outsourced ones and not only can do nothing for you, they often give incorrect advice, make promises they will never keep, will damage your account, will say anything to get you off the phone, and recently I got one that could not read English.

I was told recently that the entire call in process is on a shuffle, that the odds that you will get an outsourced CS are very high. That you can not count on calling in the morning Cali time and get a CS here in the US.

Once I get a CS in the US, I usually get what I want OR I get a very good and consistant explaination with policy references as to why it can not happen.

(*Bleep*)

megadestroyers · ‎05-19-2017

Feel free to revist the MBG for more detail. There are even circumstances defined in there where an off-shore buyer can claim INR.

ebay would never, ever, purposely shoot themselves in the foot, time and time again, by voiding potentially billions of off-shore buyers protections, simply for being off-shore.

xgoblazersx · ‎05-19-2017

@retrose1 wrote:
@kathieskorner wrote:
Online clothing retailers have a return rate of 30-40% - why would consumers expect any less on ebay?? Most of the increase in ebay returns can be linked to the policies of the big box stores that have been increasing their online presence.
I'd like to see the report that says that. I worked in a retail clothing store and owned a vintage clothing shop and the return rate was far less than 30%.

I would believe that a department store selling prom and formal wear would get a high percentage back - but when Kohls had a loose return policy about 10 years ago, they had such an overwhelming rate of return of prom dresses they immediately tightened it up.

I can believe those numbers. Ever time I go to JCP, their catalogue department is always the busiest. They handle returns and the majority of those are for online purchases at a much higher rate than the percentage listed here. When I worked there, it was no different 8 years ago. I processed about 40 transactions per 4 hour shift. An average of 10 were regular check outs, 6 were placing orders, and the rest were returns/size exchanges. What's interesting too is, they don't list measurements. Brands like Lucky Brand, Armani, and other specific designers do. Why don't people think it's a big deal for department stores to not require this, but for eBay it's a Cardinal sin not to include this info?

xgoblazersx · ‎05-19-2017

@megadestroyers wrote:
Feel free to revist the MBG for more detail. There are even circumstances defined in there where an off-shore buyer can claim INR.

ebay would never, ever, purposely shoot themselves in the foot, time and time again, by voiding potentially billions of off-shore buyers protections, simply for being off-shore.

Funny how they honestly believe doing it to sellers is a good idea though. No buyers without sellers. In Astronomy terms, eBay is the Red Giant that's so big, it's about to implode and become the white dwarf before it dies in the presence of these other mega stars.