Why does eBay penalize sellers so badly for being exemplary sellers?

[chattanoogatoybuyer*com]

Ive been a seller on eBay for over 20 years, 10 with the most current store Im doing, and am just wondering how any of yall manage to continue on?

We ship all our orders same day, offer free (included) shipping on every item, and answer customer questions immediately (even when they are late in the night, early in the morning, etc)

If a customer has an issue with an item they bought from us, we accept refunds from them (even when we know they are 'in the wrong') 

In short, we are an example of an 'exemplary seller'.  That being said, eBay last year hit us with additional fees for having high returns listed as "not as described".  There were 10 returns over a one year time period, on over 800 sales.  Of those 10 returns, half of them were because the item was mishandled in shipment......2 of them were items where the customer just didnt want the item (but didnt want to pay return shipping)....and the others were actually customers who broke the item and just didnt want to keep it after that.

ALL of these customers were refunded, including shipping and return shipping

The total (gross) amount of these combined sales was about $200

Since last fall (when eBay has initiated this additional 6% fee on our gross sales), they have taken several THOUSAND dollars in additional fees based solely on us dealing with and accepting customer returns!  How is this just/fair in any way?  We handle customers in a professional manner and we get penalized for it many multiples of what the offending amount was!

Fast forward to a few weeks ago....our store had a power/communication outage.  We had no internet, phone, etc for 2 days.....so a handful of items were shipped late (the next day)....now eBay is informing us that we will lose our 'top rated seller' status because of this.  We have appealed, and called over and over again, and no one seems to care.

That makes perfect sense.

eBay has a lucrative profit motive to abuse sellers with crippling fees.

They dont provide helpful service agents, but rather utilize a remote foreign workforce who cant provide real-time help or make any meaningful changes to an account.  

Our performance metrics say that we are paying nearly 40% for their service, and its bound to go higher after they remove our top rated seller status for something we didnt have any control over.

How does anyone manage to make any money on this platform anymore being treated this way?

[dolcetreasures]

I do not recommend anyone offers free shipping and returns who is in a high return category. As I am learning, when you offer free returns, buyers take you up on that. I’m getting clobbered on free returns for shoes and sneakers.

One return and you can easily be out $30-$50. Hardly worth the 10% off fvf especially since eBay takes it right back in the PL’s.

It’s getting really tough out there…

[stuff4divas]

@chattanoogatoybuyer*com   I think your core problem is in not accepting returns. It forces scam buyers to lie about the reason for the return.

Years ago, I had the buyer pay for returns, but found the best way to keep them honest was to offer free returns, regardless of the reason.

Also, you can deduct up to 50% if the item is returned back not in the same conditions as sent.

Did these buyers open a return case and did u then accept the returns according to the time frame set out in the case? If so, you should not have rec'd a defect due to seller not resolving the case.

[chattanoogatoybuyer*com]

Each one of the returns were handled professionally and immediately.  The buyer wasnt out anything, and in several cases they kept the item and were refunded 100%!  Im the only party involved that has lost anything.  Regardless, a return is a return....eBay has a profit motive here.  Theyve taken literally over 10 times in fees what the gross value of the items returned were.  This is unethical and unjust.  My other issue was that they are pulling my top rated seller status due to ONE DAY of my shipping going out late due to a power line that fell causing us to lose internet for a day and a half.  After hours of sending in appeals, complete with pictures of the downed lines, they have done nothing and dont care to.  Poor customer service is worse than no service at all because of the time wasted trying to accomplish anything.  Im sorry, but this is just beyond frustrating. 

[dhbookds]

The buyer wasnt out anything

Sure he was..........he took time to search for the item he wanted, paid for it, waited for it to be delivered, had to file  a claim.........he lost at least a wk. before he found out something was wrong ........ then he had to go back search again and go thru the process again.......  IF he felt comfortable trying ANOTHER seller on ebay.... he could have just given up on ebay and gone to another site........so ebay may have lost a buyer completely........

[iart]

We aren't hit with the extra fees, but we had to call customer service and they thanked us for 24 years on ebay. Never got a negative that stuck (luck, mostly), free shipping, free returns, always paid our ebay bills on time and in full. Always handle customer issues professionally.

You'd think they'd showcase our listings a little more. But to get that benefit we have to pay for promotion.

[coolections]

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@chattanoogatoybuyer*com wrote:

They ARE in a box....but boxes get compressed sometimes.  Cmon man.  

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Strange, I have never had a box get compressed. Are you adding sufficient packing material inside the box?

[retro_entertainment_collectibles]

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@coolections wrote:

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@chattanoogatoybuyer*com wrote:

They ARE in a box....but boxes get compressed sometimes.  Cmon man.  

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Strange, I have never had a box get compressed. Are you adding sufficient packing material inside the box?

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You can add all the packing material ya' like but depends on how the freighter handles things and that's even entities such as commercial freighting.  Back in the day when our long since defuncted game store existed we'd ship quite a bit via FedEx or receive via FedEx or even Consolidated Freight.  Fed Ex told us every package should be able resist 70 pounds of weight on all surfaces.  That's basically a box of copier paper (5000 sheet box) along with half another on all sides.

People order 4 or 5 new release video games and back then USPS Tracking meant absolutely zero, there was no GPS Scan and to this day they dont show actual delivery address.  Marchant account defed any claim of non-receipt have to have the address scan.  So, we'd Fed Ex.... Well after ya' get beat for $300+ five or six times due to damage our solution was at Big Lots stores.  We'd found these little outdoor lamps where the interlock Styrofoam made for a perfect 6x6 cube and the lamps were four bucks and some change each.  So we ordered up cases of the lamps and use the box for shipping put the raw lamps on the display floor for $4 each or if a customer spent $100 or more get a free lamp LOL.

I think these days perhaps the mainstream couriers take more precautions as they dont want pay out on insurance claims.  I know at my local PO the APC's (All purpose carts... How techie is that?) the clerks do a presort, so like anything over 20 pounds go into this one, anything under that one.  But when they get machined at the main PO who knows?  They may take other parcels from the zipcode and just slap em' into the same APC for all I know. 

[psfhobbies]

We just did out taxes and the money this place took is appalling. I plan on doing away with selling hobby items & a lot more on here maybe just some cheaply bought products with a huge margin because my % our hobby supplier give us plus the fees and such here I make 10% at best but on garage sale / auction finds I do much better on profit. Too much **bleep** here

[stuff4divas]

@chattanoogatoybuyer*com 

Contact eBay via their social media sites with a private message:

https://Facebook.com/ebay

 
AND-OR 

https://Twitter.com/askebay

Great customer service on both

[theteamsetguy]

@chattanoogatoybuyer*com ,

I don't know what boxes you use. For example the price for double walled boxes are not that much more than

single wall boxes. A 12"x12"x12" box is 78 cent each for lightweight cardboard, $1.03 for 200 lb test, or $2.20 for double walled 275 lb test from Uline. Using the double walled boxes should solve your problems.

Easy peasey.  

[chattanoogatoybuyer*com]

78 cents, plus dimensional weight for a 12x12x12 box, plus actual weight and zone shipping makes the freight cost higher than the item being sold even before eBay takes their fees.  SMH.  Unless you sell items like action figures, die cast cars, etc, this may be a topic that you arent fully prepared/equipped to participate in and offer constructive advice.  But I appreciate your participation and care for our situation nonetheless 

[theteamsetguy]

@sakic92710 ,

So, as a buyer are you happy when you get your items late? I get it if it weather related. But if a seller is too lazy to go to the post office, UPS store, and etc. in a timely manner on a regular basis it makes the rest of the sellers including you and me look bad.

[cardxcraft]

Ebay allows buyers to file INR's past the 30 days.  I had a buyer file over 90 days past.  Ebay sided with me but refused to remove the INR from my record.  The cs agent kept changing, "no need to worry Sir, I promise this will not effect your account".  I told him yes it will, down the road.  You only need 10 ....in fact, I just realized how sick I am of service metrics.

It's a contentious topic; and I guarantee Ebay had gained no friends with this program. 

Look at the screenshot below.  I purchased the item on Febuary 6th and Ebay will allow me to file INR.  I will lose but the seller will incur and INR request on file.

Ebay will not remove these INR's...they'll fight you tooth and nail.  Even re-defining the metric violation to INR requests. 

Why?   All in the name of attempting to garner more fees.  As I mentiioned, very contentious...

 

[chattanoogatoybuyer*com]

How would that customer be out any more regardless of what policies the store had?  A return is a return.  Why penalize someone if the result is the same?  The answer is, profit motive

[cardxcraft]

The ability to file INR request after 30 days is pure greed.   Ebay is encouraging the deception under the ruse of exemplary customer service...see below

The customer is thinking, lets see what happens.  Meanwhile, the seller gets a ding anyways.  Ebay knows this...