FREE RETURNS - now 2 returns in less than 1 week

[pmscrafts74]

Is anyone else seeing a INCREASE in returns NOW that we have to offer free returns to keep our seller discounts? We sell fabrics & over th last several years have had very LITTLE returns but NOW 2 returns in 1 week? 

Would love to hear what others are seeing since to me this FREE RETURN mandate to keep seller discounts is already creatine me more work & rethinking what we need to do with our on line business.

[missjen831]

Offering free returns negates your FVF discount IMO. Especially if the cost of the 2 returns is more than the discount you receive this month. Free returns kind of eliminates buyer responsibility IMHO and in many categories will lead to more returns.

[pmscrafts74]

yes - the buyers can buy, use & then return in unsalebale condition - really looking at the value to keep my powere seller discount & keep the free returns or back out totally. With some of the mandates- which of course Ebay does not call mandates - it makes selling on Ebay a struggle. Ebay sales this year is down vs last year for me while my amazon & etsy sales continue to climb over last year. 

Will need to take a good long hard look at this entire platform,

Thanks

[caddy200448]

I also have a fabric store so other fabric stores know the pain of having to except back fabric that has been cut from the bolt.. Just imagine they wanted 3 yards and all I had was 3 one yard cuts that had been returned.. Not sure the customer would appreciate that which would end in getting more negatives.. so we have to hang onto the fabric till that someone comes along and needs only 1 yard.. I have tubs of cut yardage that I discount it down to below wholesale and sell on facebook destash groups.. Had 3 so far this month and lost every case. Forced to pay shipping for all 3 returns along with taking the fabric money .. One even sent back damaged fabric ( looks like they smeared grease on it ) but Ebay has done nothing so that was $50 completely lost. 

I also sell on Etsy and Amazon and slowly moving all my ebay customers over to those sites.. When I get all my repeat customers over I will probalby close down here.. Been on here since 2003 and it's sad to see the down hill fall of this site.. 

[vintagefindsandresale]

New to selling online, only since December  2017. So this return policy **bleep**.... The 1st six months of sales no returns. This last week: 2 returns and one missing item case!!! One lady msgd me that her package hadn't arrived. This was on day 4 of shipping. So she msged me and before I could msg her back ( only a few hours, not days or overnight) she started a case with ebay. I really can't understand how in any way I have to take the loss when USPS lost it. Thankfully it was insured but still my point stands. Another return is because she doesn't like the taste of the coffee she bought from me. Arggggg that's what happens when you buy online. It might not be exactly what you want, but I know us sellers do out best to overly describe items and have detailed photo backup. I'm looking for another place to sell. I really don't want to use eBay any more.

[nancycyburban]

Sounds to me like you need to stop offering Free Returns... Try going back to The customer pays....
While you are at it, ditch the Free Shipping....
Just a thought

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@vintagefindsandresale wrote:

New to selling online, only since December  2017. So this return policy **bleep**.... The 1st six months of sales no returns. This last week: 2 returns and one missing item case!!! ... I'm looking for another place to sell. I really don't want to use eBay any more.

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[ag47silver-us]

With free return and free shipping one return cancels over $500 sales final value fee discount ($5.32 is min first class twice) you would get.

[illinoismoose]

I feel your pain.  Been on here for 17 years and the hits just keep coming.  I've offered 30-day refunds forever (buyer pays return shipping) but as I wasn't about to pay for return shipping just to keep my TRS status (for a small seller, it isnlt that big a deal), and based on what I've seen herein the last week or so, I converted all of my listings yesterday to "no returns" and that will be my policy going forward. 

[nancycyburban]

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@illinoismoose wrote:

I feel your pain.  Been on here for 17 years and the hits just keep coming.  I've offered 30-day refunds forever (buyer pays return shipping) but as I wasn't about to pay for return shipping just to keep my TRS status (for a small seller, it isnlt that big a deal), and based on what I've seen herein the last week or so, I converted all of my listings yesterday to "no returns" and that will be my policy going forward. 

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I am not sure I understand this...
To my surprise today eBay has declared me a Top Rated Seller (TRS?)
I was not looking for it and having TRS will not effect decisions re how I run my business.
I have an AB test going for hard goods,  (free shipping VS Buyer Pays) Price is $0.005 MORE for Free Shipping 🙂
It is split about 50/50 My thinking is  what the buyer buys has more to do with the category they search in and what they set for filters them what they would actually buy, all other things being equal. 
I am still undecided on how I will go.
Except for some "Specials / Promo's"  I do not offer "Free Shipping" on trees. 
I don't like being forced into 30 day returns on Living Trees.  Totally wrong move for living things.  I have a separate Post re the subject if you are interested.
I don't believe in "Free Shipping" .  Granted, it is convenient on sites where you would have to put the item into a cart to see the shipping price (such as on Amazon),   BUT that is not true here on eBay.  eBay posts shipping charges right next to the price, do a little head math... it is good practice folks.  
All my listings are Buyer Pays Return Shipping; even the ones with Free Shipping.  I will NEVER offer Free Returns, I don't care what eBay offers, it just opens they system to abuse and fraud. 

[vintagecraze50]

All listings set to free returns and testing this at present. If we experience a high level of returns on our items over a period of about a quarter and if these returns are costing more than the FVF discont then we will convert back to buyer pays. No sense is loosing money with this policy if that may happen. If you get a big increase in sales from this along with bigger returns than what people keep then it would not be wise to use this. There is documented stuff recently that big retailers have been loosing a lot of revenue with these ultra lenient return policies, of course it also depends on the type of item you sell ,  volume and if those items have a high return rate in general.