I think I’m done with eBay. It used to be so much better.

[unizoo]

It is far too easy for buyers to take advantage if the Money Back Guarantee. Where did I even agree to this? My stated policy in the ad was no returns. If eBay wants to have their own policy of free returns, then they should pay for the shipping. Its their policy, not mine.

[marnotom!]

Your "no returns" policy only refers to remorse returns.  Other returns can still be done through the Money Back Guarantee, which will likely be abused if you insist on not accepting remorse returns.

Another problem with a "no returns" policy is that you run the risk of being forced to issue a refund without the item being returned.

I suspect your "no returns" policy is driving good buyers away and leaving you with questionable ones who don't know any better or who don't care.  When I looked up your last sale, I was directed to a seller of a similar item who offered 30 day free returns.

[pjcdn2005]

Another problem with a "no returns" policy is that you run the risk of being forced to issue a refund without the item being returned.

How would that work?  Sellers are still given the option to accept a return even if they do have a no return policy.   There are very rare circumstances that ebay says an item may not be returned but I have never heard of that happening and those 'circumstances' aren't related to a no return policy.

[unizoo]

I have been with eBay for the past 22 years (the eBay representative was quick to point that out to me when we spoke, probably to get on my good side). When I was more active on eBay years ago, it was common for regular people to post items on eBay as a sort of garage sale or sorts. Paypal stepped in when there were disputes, and there was an arbitration process. Buyers did their due diligence.

Now, sellers are expected to act as though they are Walmart or Amazon. Accept all risk for returns. I am just a guys wanting to get rid of a few things - and not send them to the landfill. I use eBay to find people who want some of the more esoteric stuff that I have. I don't deal with volume, so I can't adjust my prices to compensate for people that abuse the returns system.

I have posted one thing for sale in the past 5 years or more. It sold within 2 hours. I paid for shipping this heavy item to the USA. 25 days later, I recive a return request due to it being non-functional. The photo attached is not of the item I sent, but of a similar item with a different bar code. It was part of an HVAC motor, and really should have been installed by a licenced HVAC technician. To test it would involve equipment only a slelect few have. Am I to believe that this person gave it a good old college try?

They have not responded to any of my questions about what they have tried, or awknowledged my messages about how to install it. The whole thing leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I'm done. I don't want to go through the hassle. Now the whole tax fiasco... eBay is happy to collect fees on just about everything, but will not accept the risk of their own policies. They are not a company that I want to do business with.

[marnotom!]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

How would that work?  

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From what I've read of posts where this has happened, it "works" through sellers not being attentive to the request process and/or steadfastly sticking to their "no returns" policy for a NAD request.

[mrdutch1001]

BYE BYE!

BTW,  NO returns DOES NOT mean NO Refunds

[byto253]

Back in the "good old days" buyers tried to do their due diligence but got stuck with cruddy stuff with very little recourse.  Abusive sellers brought the return policy on themselves to a large extent, along with competition from other platforms like Amazon.   At one time there were no ebay fees on shipping, so abusive sellers would list an item for $1 and shipping at $29.99 to avoid fees, AND if the seller had a problem with the item they would refund the $1 purchase price.   

When there is a way to game the system, it doesn't matter if it is a buyer or seller, there are always people who will abuse it.

Personally I have had minimal issue with returns for "defective" items.  For listings my motto is to disclose in the description and pictures until it hurts, and items often look better in person than close up pictures make them look.  I have had a couple of situations to work out, but overall not a deal breaker in my experience.

[reallynicestamps]

No Returns does not mean No REFUNDS.

It means you don't want the item back.

But both eBay and in the past Paypal (including credit cards) will force a refund for an unhappy customer.

You can demand the return of the disputed item even if you have a No Returns policy.

With eBay you may have to pay for the Return.

With Paypal,which buyers can still use even if it is no longer eBay's payment processor, the buyer will be told to return the item at their expense before refund.

With credit cards, there are many different chargeback policies.

Get it back, refund, Block the buyer, relist.

[marnotom! · Accepted solution]

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@unizoo wrote:

I have been with eBay for the past 22 years (the eBay representative was quick to point that out to me when we spoke, probably to get on my good side). When I was more active on eBay years ago, it was common for regular people to post items on eBay as a sort of garage sale or sorts. Paypal stepped in when there were disputes, and there was an arbitration process. Buyers did their due diligence.

Now, sellers are expected to act as though they are Walmart or Amazon. Accept all risk for returns. I am just a guys wanting to get rid of a few things - and not send them to the landfill. I use eBay to find people who want some of the more esoteric stuff that I have. I don't deal with volume, so I can't adjust my prices to compensate for people that abuse the returns system.

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Toyota Corollas aren't nearly the same vehicles as they were back in 1972.  McDonald's "restaurants" aren't, either.  Just like Toyota and McDonald's, eBay has adapted and changed to reflect user preferences, to stay competitive, and to keep its shareholders happy.

While there are still some "jes' folks" selling on eBay as though it's a swap meet or online garage sale, the proportion of buyers who are expecting something more like an online shopping mall has increased, and so have buyers' expectations.

eBay founder Pierre Omidyar would probably find it very difficult to sell his broken laser pointer on today's eBay.

[alacar-8]

Man, I sell one off things and out of the the last 1700, I had one return. I wonder what is going on with your buyers? For my way of thinking, if your trouble with eBay is how they handle your returns, maybe there is a deeper problem, just saying.....

[rudisch0_1]

You are correct ebay is only for ebay they tell you wahat to do and charge you ultra high fees, fees on postage that you do the work for and you have to pay them ,and then they just agree with the  buyer ,there just thieves here run by idiots

[unizoo]

So many fanboys/fangals on this forum. To all that say no returns does not mean no refunds. When you get a return request, and then you give them a refund (which I did), it literally gets categorized as a "return accepted". eBay  treats returns and refunds as the same. Oh, and it took me about 8 tries multiple payment methods before I could get the refund to go through. Website is shieit. Platform is shieit. All is okay until you have an actual problem. Not for me. Nada. Maybe for you, that is your choice. You can play by their rules, your choice. 

I am also mostly an eBay buyer. I never have high expectations for items that I buy in used condition. My favorite purchase was a camera body that I boulght in "as is" condition from a guy in Australia. Came with a note and I started up a chat with the seller. I was able to get it working well enough and used it a lot. Imagine if I had envoked the eBay buyback guarantee instead and stuck the seller with shipping to Canada and the threat of a negative review if he didn't pay for shipping back to Australia or give me a free camera body and pay for shipping it to my house! Today's ebay has no civility, no personality, no ethic!

[unizoo]

You have a good point. And you illustrate perfectly why I am so meh about eBay right now. Eventually eBay will move on from the current crowd as well.

[byto253]

You think back in the day it was always civil?  I had a buddy in the early 2000s that bought a car seat for a vintage car, picked it up at across the border and customs agreed that the real value of it was $0 as it was rotted out junk - goodbye $300.  The seller had all the power then, and buyers got the shaft all the time.  Has the pendulum swung over the the buyers side a bit too much, perhaps.   

If you don't like the rules, that is fine.  That and fees are what you have to judge and decide if ebay still works for you.   I have many things I am not a fan of on ebay but for items I list, ebay makes it worth it for what I list.   

I think it is tougher now for a new seller to understand the ins and outs, which is where this forum is useful.  No point in calling people fanboys/girls when they just point out out the reality that stating no returns does not cover defective goods - yest that is a loophole.  We may not like it, but that does not change the fact about that is how it works. 

If you post here and expect to find tons of people joining in to howl in the wind, it is the wrong place.  Those posts come and go all the time, along with threats to leave eBay.  The regulars here have helped tons of people over many years, and have handled many repetitive questions to help people out.   If there is a legit question about a problem or about the system, folks are happy to volunteer their time to help.