"Your satisfaction is important to me. Please contact me before returning any item. Returns accepted for item 120845822821 only. Returned item must be in same condition as when I sent it out (as detailed in my eBay listing) or no refund can be made. If it had tags on it, please return item with tags on and no rips, no holes, no makeup marks, no perspiration stains. Thanks."
|
Hi - My suggestion would be to revise this as follows:
"Your complete satisfaction is important to me. If you wish to return an item, please contact me. Item must be returned within ___ days, and be in same condition, with any tags, etc. as when I sent it out (as detailed in my eBay listing)."
This is sufficient. My view is that the true purpose of a return policy is to give buyers reassurance, not to protect sellers. A generous return policy will probably never get used, provided your item descriptions are complete and accurate -- that's the other side of the coin in avoiding returns.
In several years of selling items of every shape and size, from under 100gm to over 2kg, including a lot of clothing, I've yet to have a return, and I think you'll find it's a pretty rare occurrence for most sellers. Make your return policy, short, sweet and generous, and you'll rarely need to worry about it. If you ever do have to accept an item back that may be soiled or damaged, treat it as part of doing business, repair or dry-clean it, re-sell it at a special discount, and don't let it stress you.
I used to have a 14-day return policy, then changed it to 30 days after hearing a convincing argument from one seller who felt that a generous return period gives comfort to buyers, yet is almost never used, because most people, unless deeply dissatisfied, will procrastinate beyond the point where they can return the item anyway.
With respect to tracking, shipping overseas, etc., you might want to look at it this way: what items (or perhaps what $ amount) are you willing and able to accept a loss on if necessary? Above that amount, ship with tracking.
You might set yourself 3 levels, for example (just one idea) -- Under $40, ship Light Pkt/Small Pkt (or lettermail if size/weight is right); $40 to $150 - ship Tracked Packet or Expedited; $150 and up - use Xpresspost. I understand Tracked Packet is soon going to get a discount through online Paypal labels, and if so, it will be a better choice for some items than Expedited.
Unfortunately, risk of loss is part of doing business, and as another poster here has said, Canadian sellers have to accept more risk. I have to stress that my experience in several years of selling I've never had a parcel go completely missing, however it's important when considering shipping risks to consider where you really want to ship to, and set your exclusions on eBay accordingly.
You also have to remember where your market is -- generally the U.S. for most of us. Shipping options to the U.S. are good, service is fast, and very reliable, so risk is lower, and you can afford to use non-trackable shipping for less expensive items. Shipping to Russia is expensive, risk is higher, and service less reliable. So set your shipping costs for those areas using a trackable service -- you won't have as many potential buyers anyway, and someone who really wants the item will pay the shipping, protecting themselves and you! I find most European buyers are quite savvy when it comes to international shipping costs.
For my part, I stick to the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia/NZ and will ship to Russia (but only with Expedited Parcel or higher shipping). I've yet to have a lost parcel or complaint about delivery times, although Americans will probably always think our postal rates are high and delivery slow.
The "bulk edit" mentioned by one poster is a great tool to make the same revision to a lot of listings quickly. My best suggestion would be to use at least at 14-day return policy on all your listings, and try to feel comfortable about the possibility that you might someday have to accept a return.
Don't think of a return as a personal affront, it's not. It's just part of the process of selling and keeping your customers happy. Think of it this way: a happy, no-hassles return might even turn your buyer into a repeat customer.
Having not yet had a return here on eBay, I can't speak to the issue of Customs on an item coming back to a seller -- perhaps someone here will have dealt with this.
Best of luck Kathy!
zW2Ig~~60_7.JPG "brandeentertainment"){kind=avatar}
w~~_7.JPG "pjcdn2005"){kind=avatar}
