Question about changing from free shipping to charging

[remote_controls_and_more]

I'm considering changing from free shipping to charging shipping. I have a question.

For example if I sell a pair of jeans for $8 plus $7 shipping. The buyer gets them and they dont fit or they dont like them. They open a return and pay $7 to ship them back. I give them a refund for $8. Now they are **bleep** because they only got a dollar back after their return shipping cost and leave me bad feedback  can that be removed?

Do buyers know when  they open a return they won't get the original shipping charges returned or only after they get the refund from the seller?

[sam9876]

A lot of buyers will just file a SNAD complaint so that you have to pay for return shipping and give a 100% refund.

[mam98031]

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@remote_controls_and_more wrote:

I'm considering changing from free shipping to charging shipping. I have a question.

For example if I sell a pair of jeans for $8 plus $7 shipping. The buyer gets them and they dont fit or they dont like them. They open a return and pay $7 to ship them back. I give them a refund for $8. Now they are **bleep** because they only got a dollar back after their return shipping cost and leave me bad feedback  can that be removed?

Do buyers know when  they open a return they won't get the original shipping charges returned or only after they get the refund from the seller?

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This is driven by the return policy you have.  And how the buyer files the claim.

If a seller has a no return policy.  If the buyer files a Buyer's Remorse Request, the seller can refuse to take that return or they can process it if they choose to.  When the seller gets the return back and goes into the request to issue the refund, if they have separately stated shipping on the listing, then the seller can refund the buyer for the product amount only [$8, per your example].  The buyer would have also been responsible for paying for the return shipping whatever it costs them.

If a seller has a 30 or 60 day return policy with buyer pays shipping.  The same process as above applies except that you can't refuse a BR request.

If a seller has a 30 or 60 day return policy with Seller pays shipping [AKA Free Returns], then the seller is responsible for return shipping on ALL return requests no matter the reason.  But they do have the ability to do partial refunds within the rules of the free returns program.

All of this rides upon a buyer actually filing a proper Buyer Remorse Request.  That does not always happen.  Many buyers file a SNAD because they don't want to get dinged for the return shipping and Ebay will allow this and not change it.

If you are actually getting a lot of properly filed BR requests, then it may be a good idea for you to do the 30 or 60 day return policy with buyer pays shipping.

You can only withhold the original shipping on a properly filed BR request if you have separately stated shipping and have a 30 or 60 day return policy with buyer pays shipping.  Remember a SNAD filed with a buyers remorse reason doesn't count.  It is still a SNAD and will have to be processed as one.  You can't withhold original shipping from the refund on a SNAD nor can you make the buyer pay the return shipping under any of the return policy options.

[lintbrush*]

@mam98031

"You can only withhold the original shipping on a properly filed BR request if you have separately stated shipping and have a 30 or 60 day return policy with buyer pays shipping. "

If you charge original shipping, you can withhold it for a BR return regardless of who pays return shipping (buyer/seller)  

Also, the partial refund option for Free Returns cannot be used towards any shipping expense - only for item condition.  I know you didn't say they could, but your statement about it is vague and could leave the reader to believe they can as the thread talks about shipping costs.

[orangehound]

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@lintbrush* wrote:

Also, the partial refund option for Free Returns cannot be used towards any shipping expense - only for item condition.  I know you didn't say they could, but your statement about it is vague and could leave the reader to believe they can as the thread talks about shipping costs.

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Just to add to this, eBay has provided a "Refund Deduction Guidelines Table" that sellers should use in determining partial refund amounts, should their return be eligible for partial refunds (not all returns are eligible for partial refunds).  The guidelines are on this page.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/handle-return-request-seller?id=4115

[goldguy22k]

That was the most thorough, complete and emotionless  analysis and summary of the situation I have ever seen in my short time on these boards!  Nice!

[mam98031]

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@goldguy22k wrote:

That was the most thorough, complete and emotionless  analysis and summary of the situation I have ever seen in my short time on these boards!  Nice!

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That is very nice of you to say.  Thank you.  Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.  I'd be happy to do so.  Again, thank you for the kind words.

[unomecin]

Yes, but as of the 21st there is no such thing as partial refunds on original "free shipping" costs.  It does not matter what you have stated in any description of buyer agreement or anything else.  If you use non calculated (paid by buyer) shipping.    They can change their mind reguardless of your shipping and return policy.  If an item is returned it gets 100% full refund and the seller looses whatever was paid for shipping to the buyer.    Again, there is Zero (0) ability now to deduct the cost you pay to ship an item whatsoever.   New change, and I was burned.   eBay insists on "free shipping" for top seller status, but the policy is that free shipping can never under any circumstance be recovered by a seller.      It only makes sense, from the eBay profit standpoint, they only make money off of sellers.   So when they implement a change it is not to allow sellers to get anything positive back all money is paid by sellers and "free shipping"  "promotes sales, and makes the buyers experience more in line with other online shopping experiences"   More **bleep** from eBay,  watch out if you have free shipping because if it requires a large parcel ground carrier and the buyer is not a thief, but simply wanted to look at your item fully willing to pay return shipping after admiring it, you will loose that initial shipping or have to lie about it being returned damaged to deduct a percentage.  Amazon is the site you hate to love, eBay is the site that just sucks but is the best option for small time sellers such as myself.

[mam98031]

@unomecin

Yes, but as of the 21st there is no such thing as partial refunds on original "free shipping" costs. 

That isn't new.  When offering Free Shipping, even on a buyer's remorse return we couldn't deduct original shipping through the claim on Ebay.

It does not matter what you have stated in any description of buyer agreement or anything else.  If you use non calculated (paid by buyer) shipping.    They can change their mind reguardless of your shipping and return policy.  If an item is returned it gets 100% full refund and the seller looses whatever was paid for shipping to the buyer. 

Yes, this is unfortunately true.

 Again, there is Zero (0) ability now to deduct the cost you pay to ship an item whatsoever.   New change, and I was burned.  

This isn't a new change.  We were only able to reduce a refund by the original shipping IF it was separately stated when the buyer actually filed a true Buyer's Remorse return request.  For sellers with a No Return policy or a 30 or 60 day return policy with buyer pays shipping, if the buyer files a Buyer's Remorse claim [not a SNAD, even an incorrectly filed SNAD], the buyer pays return shipping and the seller can withhold original shipping if separately stated on the purchase [not free shipping].

eBay insists on "free shipping" for top seller status, but the policy is that free shipping can never under any circumstance be recovered by a seller. 

You do NOT have to offer Free Shipping to be a TRS seller.  There is no such requirement.

[unomecin]

I defer to your knowledge. I have been a buyer since the username displayed on eBay was your full email address including domain name with all extensions. But only a multiple item seller as long as you have been a member. The truth abut 30 day returns probably was something I just accepted without knowing the consequences (having a return rate of 1/1000) as until recently when they changed the item return process to be buyer driven. Note even the help pages as I remember a few months ago still required the buyer to first contact the seller before opening a claim. Wherein I would initiate a return at buyers request and issue a refund less original shipping cost after receipt of item. Then instruct the buyer to close the transaction. Worked for 10 years, that is until recently when a guy told me he only bought the item because it had free shipping and he wanted to look at it. Followed by now there is a written policy I never saw before that only partial refunds are allowed for damage or as you correctly stated restocking fees. I got burned for only $28 but it would have been $56 if I didn't figure out how to return to the old eBay Item details page to be able to change to FedEx shipping vs UPS. Many if not all eBay and PayPal issues seem to be from changes made for Smartphone ease of use, especially purchases where the buyer does not read details. As it stands I have determined there is no advantage in obtaining a discount where my store once was $15 per month and the discount I received was 10% of fees it is now higher cost less discount. I used to save $45 in fees per month and now it probably cost me an additional $40 just for fees and savings are as low as $7 per month. I can see if everything was shipped first class it would not matter. But I used to have free shipping on items which if the original barcode of the box was not covered indicating the original packaging dimensions to UPS I would have been charged as much as $118 for shipping a double bag lawn tractor kit in a box I had reduced in dimension to save in the $45 dimensional weight penalty. I am leaning toward canceling all options required for a discount and am honored that PayPal notified me recently they will never deduct money directly from my account during any credit card payment dispute filed by a buyer no matter what the claim until said claim is settled. It hurt me once at Mortgage payment time when a buyer filed a claim with PP because he did not know my store name and was not together enough to equate the purchase price of $150 for an item purchased and delivered within 3 day of his purchase. PayPal which also has horrendous programing changes indicated my money would be returned in a maximum of 75 days for a buyers mistaken claim. So not having immediate deduction for irregular claims is appreciated.