Updated return policy to 35 business days without telling sellers...

[kaywayshop]

I just got off the phone with an ebay customer service rep that told me ebay has updated the return policy for buyers to 35 business days.

I had a return that was supposed to automatically close on 5/19. Today, 5/20 I checked the status of the return and the buyer still had yet to upload tracking. But the return was still active. It still said on the return case the buyer had until 5/19. So I requested a call from ebay to have the return closed.

After a few minutes of discussion, the representative told me he could not close this case because it had not reached the 35 business day limit. I let him know that on the "support for COVID-19" page it said buyers have 21 business days to return the item. I asked him to show me where it states that I have to wait 35 business days. He put me on a 20 minute hold. He then proceeded to tell me that this is a new policy and the page has not been updated. That he was sorry for the inconvenience but he could not close the case. After asking for a manager several times and being put on hold, he let me know he had talked to the manager and he got approval to close this case. He also let me know the manager escalated this to the proper team to get the wording on the policy adjusted.

All this to say, ebay is trying to extend the return policy but not letting sellers know anywhere on the site. Has anyone else experienced this issue?

[orangehound]

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@kaywayshop wrote:

All this to say, ebay is trying to extend the return policy but not letting sellers know anywhere on the site. Has anyone else experienced this issue?

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Customer service can barely speak English, and eBay's policies are so convoluted that it is nearly impossible for them to find them or communicate them well.

Anyway, this was communicated in the 2020 Spring Seller Update ... returns can no longer be manually closed.  And,  if you expand things out so that you can see the Seller Protection FAQs, you will see this question and answer:

How much time are buyers given to ship returned items?

When buyers are sent an eBay-generated return label, the return is closed if the label is not printed within 10 business days. If the buyer prints the label, we allow the return to remain open an additional 5 business days to ensure shipping scans are captured. When buyers are not sent an eBay-generated return label, we wait up to 35 business days before closing the return.

[kaywayshop]

So in this case the return was automatically accepted. The buyer didn't print or upload tracking at all. And the page with the return case info said the buyer has until the 19th to return the item. If tracking was not uploaded by end of day, the return should automatically close.

The reason for this update was to make it so us sellers would not have to contact ebay about closing returns. But its still the same process and now they are making it harder to close the return...

[marek101]

Just got email from Ebay and had to update my auctions or they would not relist June 1.

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2018-spring/simplified-returns.html

The five return policy options will be:
No returns accepted
30-day buyer-paid returns
30-day free returns
60-day buyer-paid returns
60-day free returns
Restocking fees will no longer be a return option.

[orangehound]

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@kaywayshop wrote:

The reason for this update was to make it so us sellers would not have to contact ebay about closing returns. But its still the same process and now they are making it harder to close the return...

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It's not the same process.  You can no longer get a return cancelled manually.

Keep in mind that timelines in the return process have been temporarily extended [see notice] out due to the coronavirus pandemic ... buyers now have an additional 5 days (15 business days or 21 days) to act.  So, the 26th or June 2 is a more likely final day the buyer has to act on the return.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@marek101 wrote:

Just got email from Ebay and had to update my auctions or they would not relist June 1.

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/seller-updates/2018-spring/simplified-returns.html

The five return policy options will be:
No returns accepted
30-day buyer-paid returns
30-day free returns
60-day buyer-paid returns
60-day free returns
Restocking fees will no longer be a return option.

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The link you posted was from 2018. Restocking fees have been disallowed for two years now.

[bebe-1153]

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@kaywayshop wrote:

I had a return that was supposed to automatically close on 5/19. Today, 5/20 I checked the status of the return and the buyer still had yet to upload tracking. But the return was still active.

I let him know that on the "support for COVID-19" page it said buyers have 21 business days to return the item.

After asking for a manager several times and being put on hold, he let me know he had talked to the manager and he got approval to close this case.

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Did your rep then proceed to close the return request and open a case, to immediately close the return case in your favor?

Your return was waiting an additional 5 business days beyond the 21 business days ended May 19. The return request would have closed on its own by May 27, after the holiday.