Return shipping now the sellers Responsibility????

[cowgirlup824]

Becasue ebay floods us with email I don't always take the time to read them all. Yesterday I noticed that my rating had dropped from Top Rated Plus to Top Rated and since I'm at 100% across the board I called to find out why, now sellers are being held responsible for return shipping for all their items? So if a buyer just decides they don't want the item we have to pay them to return it, and if we decide not to opt into this we loose our discount. Why are we as ebay sellers being held to a standard that knowone else selling online is? Not even Amazon gives free return shipping on items that I just change my mind on or ordered my mistake. I am prime member of Amazon and know this for a fact. I was told by the ebay rep that they did a analysis to figure out how to bring in more buyers and that free return shipping was one of the things buyers were looking for, really? Trying to pick up the 83% that don't buy online, some unreal number.  The people that don't buy online, still won't buy online becasue your offer free return shipping they usually don't trust the value of the item they will receive, they can't touch it or try it on, they are worried about they're payment information becoming public and oh yea some people still dont' have computers and free return shipping will not change their minds. So again Ebay is taking money out of the sellers pockets. How long before knowone can afford to sell online because it cost to much, if we're unable to make money what's the purpose of all the hard work? If Ebay wants to offer free return shipping just because the customer changed their minds than Ebay should pay it themselves. I have know problem paying return shipping on items not as described or filing an insurance claim on damaged merchandise and refunding my customer but we are not Walmart and don't have unlimited resources to burn. Ebay depends on small business owners to stay in business, when do we get a voice on what changes are made? I have sold on ebay since 2001 and honestly don't want to take the time to move to a new site so I'm in the process of changing all my listing to their new standards to ensure my discount but I can assure you that a buyer will return and item just because to me just once and I will block them from ever buying from me again, I do not have the time or money to deal with this type of buyer. I have enough problems with customers purchasing an item and then contacting me the items was damaged and when the pictures of the damaged item are received it's not the item I shipped, usually they don't realize that changes were made in the piece and are trying to replace a piece they broke for nothing, again I block the buyer. Ebay needs to take better care of their sellers, especially those that go above and beyond for their customers instead of figuring out how to take more money out of their pockets.

[scrane2006]

I don't worry about being a top rated seller anymore, does not really generate that much more in sales, when I buy on ebay I look for good feedback, and price and go with the best of those 2 requirements, has worked for me, and I will continue to offer either no returns depending on what I am selling or 14/30 day return with buyer paying return shipping. 

[thatsallfolks]

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@scrane2006 wrote:

I don't worry about being a top rated seller anymore, does not really generate that much more in sales, when I buy on ebay I look for good feedback, and price and go with the best of those 2 requirements, has worked for me, and I will continue to offer either no returns depending on what I am selling or 14/30 day return with buyer paying return shipping. 

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I wish other eBay sellers would handle this as rationally as you.

[thingsnstuff72]

I live in Georgia and it costs 3-4x more to ship to some areas still within the united states. So the Top Rated Plus discount is off the table for me now. I can't afford to refund actual shipping of $25 to california plus another $25 to return it just because they changed their mind. I abide by every rule and meet every qualification and bow down to ebay in every way I possibly can, but still it seems they've found a way to kick me out of any type of benefit from it. It doesn't matter I suppose because although the little people are the ones who helped ebay off the ground to sucess, we just don't make enough money for them anymore. As a buyer and seller here for 15 years, I feel forgotten, used and abused.

[hoarding4you]

I belive it has always been.

[joziesammy]

I'm with you scrane! 

After getting upset numerous times with all of ebays changes, I decided the top rated isn't worth it any longer.   

I am going back to 14 day returns or no returns at all!

I will NEVER do free returns!! 

I will also adjust my shipping time, so if I want to go away for a few days, I can without worrying about getting dinged!!  Or, in the case of inclement weather. 

I have also adjusted my pricing, and will continue to do so as items drop off of current sale!

I am done with the markdown manager!

With making these changes, I feel like I have taken back the control of running MY OWN BUSINESS!!

I don't need a badge on my listings!  My feedback speaks for itself!!

And i don't need the 10% FVF credit, because the freedom of not having to abide by the ever changing policies, and taking back the control of my business is well worth it!!

[crismilla]

I agree.. they've made it increasingly difficult to comply... or actually have a life.. I'm with you do what you want, the top rated badge isn't worth it anymore. I don't offer free return shipping~ but I don't really get that many anyway. Returns are a part of business  but you should decide how you're going to handle that_ not eBay.  What's good for one isn't always good for all. I'm in agreement with the other seller in regards to How it used to be........in 2001 it was Soooo much easier and pleasant. I guess it's growing like the government..........try to talk you into needing something you don't need

[harbor10]

perfect solution. Ebay has been trying to get rid of our discounts.

Most likely this is what they want us to do anyhow. I will re-open my store in August when Ebay finds a few customers. But screw These new standards.

My perfect feed back speaks for it self.

[bbird82]

I have had that too. I just had a buyer say that a pair of shoes were the wrong size, and I showed the size in the picture, because it happened to me before where they said it was the wrong size, and I didn't picture it. It is ridiculous!

[bbird82]

Ebay has made it so hard t keep/earn Top Rated Seller. You have to have now 95% with tracking and valadatng on time, less that 3% for late shippment rate and transaction defect rat less than .50%. Now it is only 10% off instead of 20%! So they make it harder to get/keep Top Rated, and less of a discount when you do have it! I have seen so many complaints about that on the board, but it doesn't matter. It's hard to make a living when this happens. Also, for the shipping, you can choose for the buyer to pay for return shipping, but in my experience you have to pay for shipping if they buyer says it's defective or it doesn't fit or they don't like it, so even with putting that the buyer pays, you still wind up paying most of the time. I have also been seeing that you have to accept free 30 day returns to get the Top Rated Seller discount, and that is on the items you select that for, not your entire inventory! Too high of standards for little reward. Ebay is not Amazon, and shouldn't try to be. Each of these selling sites should have their on unique thing that sets them apart. Look at K-Mart trying to match Walmart......now where is K-Mart?

[sophstella]

I strongly agree with you. I am a private seller with a no returns policy. I do on occassion do a return when i feel it is justified.

Recently I sold a designer label skirt at a bargain price, one reason I offer such prices is because I don't offer returns.

The buyer wanted a return stating that item is not as described because I had ticked black in item specifics. The fact is black was the "main colour" which the listing tools suggests you tick. The skirt is actually black with a very fine brown stripe. this gives a special character to the fabric where according to the light it can look bronze and gols. But if you look at the fabric it is black with a fine brown stripe. 

Anyway, the first ebay rep i spoke to said that it was a remorse return and that i did not have to offer a return. The case then closed in the buyers favour. I contacted ebay to be told that even if the skirt was black they had to close the case in the buyers favour because they could not prove the buyer was wrong. apparently the listing photois could not be considered or even the buyers case photos where she had done her best to distort the colour. 

Out come the buyer got a postage label and returned the skirt. Before it was even in my hands to check it is the right item and undamaged the buyer has been fully refunded. the tracking showed it was delivered but only to my concierge building up the road. I will check tomorrow if it is the right item and undamaged.

I checked the buyers feedback and she had a behaviour pattern of returning items this showed in her feedback on sellers where within a month she had five or six she praised for giving a no nonsense refund.

My feeling is that this is disgusting treatment of sellers by ebay. I am greatly aggrieved that a perfect listing where the item was exactly, correctly described has been treated like this. I do not offer a refund and that is why the items are priced as they are, it lowers the sale price. 

I am now going to gradually close down my selling on ebay because this was such a terrible experience, incredibly unfair and expensive.

GOODBYE EBAY 

[sophstella]

Yes, I had the same issue with colour. The colour is written on the label. The said the could not take the photographs into consideration.

[pls44]

I've been on Ebay for 18 years. Ebay has very seldom cared about the Sellers. We are at the buyers & ebays mercy. Will not change. Too many new sellers will take our place.....

[plumbingspecials]

Since September of last year, eBay has been warning us of these changes. That's NINE months of not reading eBay's seller updates.
You do NOT have to offer free returns, but you will also forfeit your Top Rated Plus benefits if you don't.
If you had read just ONE update, you could have planned for this by finding another venue or changing your own business policies.
There's just no excuse, especially if you have been present on the platform to be a Top Rated Seller, you must have had some inclination that these changes would somehow affect you? Not even curious in the least about all these emails that are titled SELLER UPDATE?

[plumbingspecials]

@joziesammy
You will not be going back to 14 day returns. It is no longer an option.

[garnetteb]

Making us offer free return shipping is the last straw on this camel's back. I am done chasing after that badge and it's actually a relief. I feel FREEEEE !!!