I've only posted a few times...and I like to say I know you're not suppose to use your selling account, but I feel like most sellers on eBay are actually upstanding good hearted peeps just trying to make a living. So with that said, I am really just curious if anyone else has seen a rash of returns over the last 5 or 6 weeks? (and I know rash is a relative term)
Back story on the question; I normally see 1 return about every 3 months. In between about every couple of months I'll get a contact that something wasn't quite right with something and no big deal - I typically just issue a full refund. Most of what I sell is used, vintage and antique so you expect to have a few cases where things just go south and I've been fortunate with buyers being both patient and understanding.
As you can see from the image, my return rate is way up - I mean compared over the last 5 years of DB on eBay it is way, way up selling the same types of inventory. I am going from memory, but the book one was a reseller who filed a snad on an item that was VG and called it worse than good. I presume his sale fell through on the book and he wanted all his cash back.
The collectible category was an inkwell pin I picked up in its original packaging and I was unable to test - sold it with a guarantee it would work and if it didn't I would take it back no problems. Apparently, all it really needed was a new nib on the old pen, but sometimes you have to let the buyer win, especially when you gamble. The buyer didn't contact me which was my fault as I was planning on just issuing a full refund but I did not put that in the listing (I am sure you can understand why). No biggie. It sold at a nice price - for what it was - and most buyers would have just replace the nib... and been happy to have a nice pen with original packaging. I got the collector that wanted it perfect, probably reselling…. All good as that is the nature of the collectibles market.
The other 7 in the jewelry area. A high return area by its nature. 4 of these have been over the last 6 weeks. One was free shipping to the buyer and free return shipping - buyer said just didn't like the plain wedding band – that steamed my clams knowing what the ring was. Another three returns were ring didn't fit - one was filed as a SNAD so they got a free label. One of the rings was sterling free shipping and 14 bucks filed as SNAD with ring didn't fit, so I just issued a refund rather than deal with it. The other buyer purchased as a gift for her sister and didn't fit - she was very honest about it. Didn't ask for the shipping, paid the shipping to return it, so i gave her a full refund to include her original shipping.
The balance of the older one's in the jewelry were A watch with a new battery that worked when it left here and didn't work when it arrived...eh...always possible...I just issued a full refund. An 18K gold ring that the buyer changed their mind on - buyer remorse for sure as it was a very large purchaser. A turquoise 14K gold ring (another free shipping/free return shipping piece) that the buyer didn't like as much in person as they thought they would.
Just had another one last night - On an LP. Buyer contacted me and just said – “I need to return this” (eh, at least they contacted me first). LP was listed as G (which is the worst grade possible - a placeholder grade for an LP) but was listed because of the rarity and back story on the cover that went with it along with the papers that told the story. Sold it cheap for a collector as I hated tossing it - Sold for $7.95 plus shipping. Eating the cost of a return shipping label and what not just doesn't make sense. The reality is, the buyer may have had no idea what the grading is. Naturally, I just issued a refund - no biggie any other time. But again, it seems to me it is becoming more frequent and why it is standing out.
I know buyers are subject to whims and the like, but I have to admit to being flummoxed here with the unusually high return rates over the last 6 weeks. Add on top of that the loss of my TRS because of no free return shipping and ..... I am a bit salty at the further increase in my CODB. I know it is not the core question, but I am starting to wonder if all the ships to you free and now the free return shipping may be playing a roll, and may well blow up my return rate even further in the future for some categories regardless of my return shipping policy. Add in the costs with shipping - insurance and signature service, boxes, packing materials, ink, paper etc...I believe my lost TRS status adds another 2 or 3% to my fees and the excessive category rate may add more costs…..I don’t know….
The important thing for me is knowing whether or not this is a growing trend on eBay across channels with other sellers. My costs (and I know I am probably not the only one) have been steadily rising and the cash flowing is getting very difficult between declining sales and increasing costs….and I am worried about compounding the exposure to loss/theft. (I believe it is 3 fraud transactions I’ve seen over the last 7 weeks as well - 2 of which were caught and 1 charge back)
What’s been your experience here recently with return rates? Thoughts? Recommendations? Suggestions? Even Criticisms? I take constructive feedback well and I want/need to improve my business model.
Thanks fellow eBayer’s!
