Ebay will force sellers to offer 14-day returns to receive Top-Rated Seller discount

[kajshack]

I just got the email for the upcoming changes. Beginning in June, in order for top-rated sellers to receive the 20% discount on their seller fees, they must offer 1-day handling (and upload tracking information or print shipping label through ebay within 24 hours) AND offer 14-day money back returns. If you don't offer 1-day handling or returns, you still get to keep your nifty top-rated seller badge, but you don't get the discount.

There is no way in hell I'm offering a 14-day money-back return, so I guess I'll be losing out on my 20% discount (which typically saves me $100-200 per month). So many card buyers will abuse that system (returning cards when they are able to find the same cards cheaper a few days later) that losing the 20% discount and not offering no-questions-asked returns will probably be the soundest economic choice.

[monkeymcgee]

I think you read that wrong. They are forcing that to get the Best Match boost in the search results.

I agree though, 14 days is a little excessive.

Edit: I am wrong. See below.

[IndySportsCards]

The Ebay Regime has become way too Big Brother for me.

[monkeymcgee]

I think you read that wrong. They are forcing that to get the Best Match boost in the search results.

I agree though, 14 days is a little excessive.

Never mind--I read that sentence wrong. You're right--they are requiring 14 days for the 20% discount.

As of June 1, the 20% final value fee discount and greatest on average boost in Best Match will go to those listings from Top-rated sellers that include 1-day handling and a minimum 14-day return policy with a money-back refund option. Your listings without these two services will still have the Top-rated seller badge and some boost in Best Match but will not earn the discounts or the highest average boost in Best Match.

[Tim]

just curious what ebay's interpretation of 1-day handling is. So if I get paid at 11:30 pm my time (est) but have gone to bed already, do I have to ship the very next day? Yikes, I work for a living.:eek:

Right now I ship next day if I get paid by 10:00 pm, but after that, it goes to the day after. Normal businesses close around 6:00. I wonder if ebay expects sellers to be "open" 24/7 with regard to this new turnaround policy.

[DaveTaplin]

Tim - You just have to have the handling time set to 1 day.

kajshack- You can word your return policy to fall within the guidelines but not get screwed. I don't sell much in cards but I do sell 150+ things a month and have never had one return, yet I accept returns.

My returns policy:

Check returns accepted box, then under notes write:

Returns are accepted if item received does not match description in the listing.

This is Ebay's return policy anyway.

[ltscards]

I say buck eFay.

[Tim]

Tim - You just have to have the handling time set to 1 day.

kajshack- You can word your return policy to fall within the guidelines but not get screwed. I don't sell much in cards but I do sell 150+ things a month and have never had one return, yet I accept returns.

My returns policy:

Check returns accepted box, then under notes write:

Returns are accepted if item received does not match description in the listing.

This is Ebay's return policy anyway.

thx for the post dave. i do already have mine set at 1 day. but will ebay ding us in the example i laid out above?

[bigsmoot2]

Tim - You just have to have the handling time set to 1 day.

kajshack- You can word your return policy to fall within the guidelines but not get screwed. I don't sell much in cards but I do sell 150+ things a month and have never had one return, yet I accept returns.

My returns policy:

Check returns accepted box, then under notes write:

Returns are accepted if item received does not match description in the listing.

This is Ebay's return policy anyway.

So if you put that in the return policy it will work and you will have it covered, as I am a little nervous about some buyer's remorse if I just have a 14 day policy.

[kajshack]

Buyer remorse is also my concern. I know a buyer can always file a SNAD case and return an item even without a return policy, but having a steadfast 14 day return policy without the buyer having to jump through the hoops of filing a SNAD doesn't seem like a pro-seller policy.

[benshobbies]

Buyer remorse is also my concern. I know a buyer can always file a SNAD case and return an item even without a return policy, but having a steadfast 14 day return policy without the buyer having to jump through the hoops of filing a SNAD doesn't seem like a pro-seller policy.

Simply Explicitly state that you don't pay return postage.

I like the new rule that unpaying buyers can't leave negative feedback anymore! I fell pray to that once already & feel better about that. I guess I'll never get the top-rated seller discount. I can't guarantee to ship within 1 day.

The only other thing that bothered me was that First Class Mail is no longer Expedited and doesn't get a boost in search results. I'm wondering how that will affect my sales.

[DaveTaplin]

thx for the post dave. i do already have mine set at 1 day. but will ebay ding us in the example i laid out above?

I don't think they will ding you. From Thanksgiving until Christmas they ran an additional 20% discount if you had one day handling and free priority shipping. I had handling set to one day, probably mailed about 80% within that one day but I got the 20% discount on everything anyway (that had free priority shipping).

Post office half the time doesn't update when an item is accepted, there is no way Ebay is going to use the Postal system in determining a discount.