@pjcdn2005 wrote:
Perhaps I am misunderstanding but unless we actually offer free returns, they are not going to be free buyers remorse returns unless the buyer uses snad as a reason. We’ve had to pay return shipping for a while now and although I’m surprised that some buyers lie so that the sellers pays for the return, I think that it is a small percentage that does that. Perhaps your experience is different?
i am not saying that I agree with the way ebay is handling this, but I wonder how much of a difference the changes will make or, will we have to pay for about the same number of returns that we have to pay for now.
That is not my understanding and hence the reason for the push to get the inconsistent messaging clarified. I was specifically told that as a seller I "should prepare for free 30 day returns as that is the direction ebay was heading" (slightly paraphrased but that was the gist). Buyers expect 30 day free returns and that is what ebay would be offering. The consistent message across 4 different staff was that buyers would be getting free 30 day returns with no caveats. It isn't until you speak to a supervisor that you get confirmation this is a marketing decision, a testing program, and that and that ebay was not going to be looking at the reasons for the return and arbitrating any difference of opinion.
Even if there still remains a remorse reason in the request, any buyer will know how to game the system to get a free return/full refund given the marketing messaging (free 30 day returns are already being mention in ebay external advertising) and ebay removing themselves from the return process. That is part of the reason for wanting clear cut policy documented on the end to end procedures so we can see what the work flow is and where the specific changes are. All we are getting now is no answers and to call in, at which point we get contradictory information and get hard sold on this direction and to just go ahead and accept every return request.
I would say 9 out 10 return requests/scenarios I receive involve a buyer fudging the system to angle for free return shipping and a refund of their original postage. The pattern of behavior is typically the same, it starts with the item wasn't received, tracking scan showing delivery presented, which then turns to the package was mysteriously found, item wasn't as described, etc. Of those requests, they almost always indicate a remorse reason in the buyer's notes or ebay messages, hence there was always a way to appeal for the return to be reclassified so as a seller I was not out of pocket for a buyer's error. This will vary by category and buyer demographic for each seller. In my case I almost exclusively deal with situations which are clear cut objective cases that any reasonable rep could make a determination on, ie: your picture is of a gorilla, says it is a gorilla, and the buyer complains they didn't receive the tire they were expecting.
The implication of this change moving forward is that your buyers will have 30 days to return their product for whatever reason they want, on your dime. Exceptions are being dealt with at an appeals level and the key part to note in this is that there is no policy directive to review the circumstances of appeal, but rather to offer a courtesy refund for return labels for an unspecified period of time, with no guarantee of future reimbursement for return label costs. Now combine with the fact ebay is sending sellers warnings their return rates are too high (which effects your visibility) and you can see exactly why this is a clusteryouknowhat.
w~~_7.JPG "pjcdn2005"){kind=avatar}
