mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
Actually there is nothing wrong with working directly with your seller on any issue you may come across. I am sorry to hear that your seller initially was working with you but now has decided differently. It really serves no purpose whatsoever for a seller to do that. It only creates more issues and hard feelings by the customer. Again, I'm sorry your seller did this to you.
Just open a Request for a Return. Your seller will have to take care of you and allow you to return the item. If they won't do it voluntarily, Ebay will force them to. I have do idea why your seller has chosen to go the harder route, but they have. You will be fine, just open the claim.
@princess_phones wrote:I agree with you, I always try to work with a seller if there’s a problem. Most sellers would rather not be forced into a return, I personally would rather work with my buyers if they let me know in an eBay message.
I completely agree with you. Besides, it is just good customer service. Ebay use to encourage us to try and work things out with our buyers. Now they don't. They push for everything to be ran through the claim system. It isn't required, but they encourage it since the started the Service Metrics program.
IMHO it makes no sense for a seller not to work directly with their buyer when the opportunity arrises. That is the easiest and quickest way to resolve most problems. Everyone walks away happy. I for one will continue to do this as it is what some of my buyers prefer and it works.
@orangehound wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Ebay use to encourage us to try and work things out with our buyers. Now they don't. They push for everything to be ran through the claim system. It isn't required, but they encourage it since the started the Service Metrics program.
IMHO it makes no sense for a seller not to work directly with their buyer when the opportunity arrises. That is the easiest and quickest way to resolve most problems. Everyone walks away happy. I for one will continue to do this as it is what some of my buyers prefer and it works.
You are correct that eBay wants all problems to be run through the claims system. It is not because of the Service Metrics but because of situations like what the OP is describing ... though there are a lot of very good sellers who will take care of their customers, there are also many who will not.
We will have to disagree on this one. The discussion I had on the Weekly Chat a few weeks back and then on a couple other occasions were quite clear. It is because of the Service Metrics.
Ebay does NOT require that a seller can not help their buyer with a return without a claim being filed. In fact Ebay use to encourage us to offer such customer service. Most sellers not need a claim to be in place to offer a buyer the option to return an item for full refund. That would be just silly.
I've taken care of my customers for years and I've NEVER encouraged them to open a claim as my customer service is th SAME with or without a claim in place.
If you prefer to have a claim in place before you will help your buyer, that is your decision to make as a seller. I don't hold that same opinion or practice.
I won't support a policy that I think is wrong on so many levels. I will always work within the rules, but there is NO requirement that forces buyers to open claims before a seller can work with them on any issue they may have.
Ebay pushing for buyers and sellers to only work through the claims system started after Ebay announced that the Service Metrics program was coming. And that program IMHO is one of the worse policies Ebay has ever put out there.
@orangehound wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@orangehound wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Ebay use to encourage us to try and work things out with our buyers. Now they don't. They push for everything to be ran through the claim system. It isn't required, but they encourage it since the started the Service Metrics program.
IMHO it makes no sense for a seller not to work directly with their buyer when the opportunity arrises. That is the easiest and quickest way to resolve most problems. Everyone walks away happy. I for one will continue to do this as it is what some of my buyers prefer and it works.
You are correct that eBay wants all problems to be run through the claims system. It is not because of the Service Metrics but because of situations like what the OP is describing ... though there are a lot of very good sellers who will take care of their customers, there are also many who will not.
We will have to disagree on this one. The discussion I had on the Weekly Chat a few weeks back and then on a couple other occasions were quite clear. It is because of the Service Metrics.
Ebay does NOT require that a seller can not help their buyer with a return without a claim being filed. In fact Ebay use to encourage us to offer such customer service. Most sellers not need a claim to be in place to offer a buyer the option to return an item for full refund. That would be just silly.
I've taken care of my customers for years and I've NEVER encouraged them to open a claim as my customer service is th SAME with or without a claim in place.
If you prefer to have a claim in place before you will help your buyer, that is your decision to make as a seller. I don't hold that same opinion or practice.
I won't support a policy that I think is wrong on so many levels. I will always work within the rules, but there is NO requirement that forces buyers to open claims before a seller can work with them on any issue they may have.
Ebay pushing for buyers and sellers to only work through the claims system started after Ebay announced that the Service Metrics program was coming. And that program IMHO is one of the worse policies Ebay has ever put out there.
I never said that using the claims process was required. I'm simply repeating eBay's guidance to buyers to use the claims process when there is a defect with the item.
Also, isn't the reason we have Service Metrics because of bad sellers ... sooooo ... on that point, aren't we saying the same thing?
(I could care less about the Service Metrics because they probably will never impact me or most any other small seller).
I don't believe that the Service Metrics came into play because of "bad sellers". It is a redundant policy. The Defect policy regarding returns should handle those deemed to be "bad sellers".
The Service Metrics looks at the seller a bit differently that the Defects sellers can get for lack of action on a claim. The Service Metrics looks at it from the standpoint of the sheer fact that a claim is opened. It doesn't matter if it was in error, filed incorrectly, buyer deceit [filing a SNAD when it is actually a Buyer Remorse], etc. The mere fact the claim gets opened is held against the seller if it is a SNAD.
Ebay will not for any reason remove the SNAD even if the buyer says they opened it by mistake, even it there is clear undeniable evidence that it was filed as a SNAD and should have been a BR. It doesn't matter if the seller took perfect care of the buyer during the SNAD process, it is held against the seller, even if they give PERFECT customer service.
The Service Metrics gives Ebay the second way to eval a seller and determine if they should be put in the penalty box. A seller with a perfect record of being TRS could fall prey to this policy. I do agree that most small sellers won't have to endure the penalty that this policy can bring due to the minimum of 10 SNADs in any one category requirement before the policy kicks in, but that isn't the point.
IMHO this policy is a complete conflict of interest for Ebay and one day I suspect that will be challenged in court by someone. Ebay is judge, jury and executioner on this policy with NO transparency. And Ebay benefits financially when the seller is kick into the penalty box.
So when we suggest that someone follows the guidelines / recommendations of Ebay regarding when a buyer has an issue, have them open a claim, we are asking that seller to potentially hurt their own selling account when it is completely unnecessary. If a small seller of jewelry gets an average of .8333 SNADs a month they will be subject to the findings of the Service Metrics.
@buyselljack2016 wrote:
@orangehound wrote:
(I could care less about the Service Metrics because they probably will never impact me or most any other small seller).
I too feel that the "10 item to qualify" standard will keep me out of trouble with that metric.
The only problem that I have with that is.............. today it is 10............. , but wait............., perhaps we should lower that to 5.............. , no wait,.............. not banging enough sellers,................ lets make it 3. Now I'm in trouble because I have 3. By the way, they are all false INAD/SNAD's
Always something to keep an eye out on. It is important to remember that in the beginning of this policy there was no such minimum. It was the outcry of sellers that made Ebay reconsider the policy and they inserted this requirement. That was a very good thing for small sellers to be sure. But you are correct too, we must keep a watchful eye out for further changes.
@mam98031 wrote:
Ebay does NOT require that a seller can not help their buyer with a return without a claim being filed. In fact Ebay use[d] to encourage us to offer such customer service. Most sellers not need a claim to be in place to offer a buyer the option to return an item for full refund. That would be just silly.I won't support a policy that I think is wrong on so many levels. I will always work within the rules, but there is NO requirement that forces buyers to open claims before a seller can work with them on any issue they may have.
Ebay pushing for buyers and sellers to only work through the claims system started after Ebay announced that the Service Metrics program was coming. And that program IMHO is one of the worse policies Ebay has ever put out there.
@fu-494 wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Ebay does NOT require that a seller can not help their buyer with a return without a claim being filed. In fact Ebay use[d] to encourage us to offer such customer service. Most sellers not need a claim to be in place to offer a buyer the option to return an item for full refund. That would be just silly.I won't support a policy that I think is wrong on so many levels. I will always work within the rules, but there is NO requirement that forces buyers to open claims before a seller can work with them on any issue they may have.
Ebay pushing for buyers and sellers to only work through the claims system started after Ebay announced that the Service Metrics program was coming. And that program IMHO is one of the worse policies Ebay has ever put out there.
Yes, this is when the buyer escalates a case to Ebay. Was there a question?
