Ebay: Wake Up & Smell the Coffee! Protect Us From Fraudsters Now

BigRedAnt

It's not just about INR cases though; how about the buyers who say the item was damaged, and refuse to send it back, yet still hold out for a refund by threatening (or leaving) negative feedback? No amount of tracking will filter that out.

Generally I ask for a photograph rather than them sending the item back, but if the buyer decides to neg then it's tough luck for the seller.

BigRedAnt

chancesare wrote: »

Royal Mail do offer a tracked service for business customers which is 99.9% reliable (having used it for 3 years I can say that hand on heart) and your post is treated like special delivery, it is flown around the country, not road transported. It is quick, cheap and perfect for Ebay/Paypal.

I find out what I need to do and I get it done.

As do I.

INR is a small issue for me, but more of a problem for the high volume, cheap price sellers.

lovinituk

chancesare wrote: »

But as a business you do have a choice and you can protect yourself.

Royal Mail have various options for business users. Recorded delivery is NOT a tracked service. Royal Mail do offer a tracked service for business customers which is 99.9% reliable (having used it for 3 years I can say that hand on heart) and your post is treated like special delivery, it is flown around the country, not road transported. It is quick, cheap and perfect for Ebay/Paypal.

Sometimes people are not aware what is available and blinker themselves, the first rule I learned in business was to rely on no-one other than myself. I find out what I need to do and I get it done.

chancesare wrote: »

No, but it seems this thread is coming from a 'business' seller point of view.

A business seller for RM standards is anyone who sends more than the norm. You can negotiate decent prices (and I mean really decent) with them on just 100 items per week. That is within the remit of the figures being bounded about on this thread.

I'm certainly not 'blinkered' but was genuinely unaware of that service. I completed a business questionnaire with Royal Mail stating my expenditure and volumes with them and they presented me back with a pack showing my available options - there was no mention of this service. The only option they offered me over normal services was I could pay £400 a year for them to collect my mail from me. I send on average 400-500 items a month, mostly large letter size.

Please can you tell me the name of the service so I can approach them again?

chancesare wrote: »

BTW, I never think a buyer is 'out to pull a fast one'!

Although many do, personally I do not assume the worst with buyers. However do you honestly think that 100% of buyers are trustworthy?

soolin

I'm a business and I use 2nd class standard for most of my items, the heavy ones go first class or parcel post.

chancesare_2

BigRedAnt wrote: »

It's not just about INR cases though; how about the buyers who say the item was damaged, and refuse to send it back, yet still hold out for a refund by threatening (or leaving) negative feedback? No amount of tracking will filter that out.

Generally I ask for a photograph rather than them sending the item back, but if the buyer decides to neg then it's tough luck for the seller.

But I don't see a problem. A lot is how you deal with someone.

Most people will either send a photo or send the item back. If someone refuses to send a photo/return an item, then you cannot do a lot about it. In 12 years of online selling, I have had this only once. The negative was removed by Ebay on the grounds of extortion. The buyer was then banned.

As you say, photos are usually the quickest and easiest (for all) to allow a refund for damaged goods. If an item is damaged in the post, I use a photo. Unless something is costly I don't ask for returns. It works perfectly well for my business. I have a very low rate of damages/breakages.

If a buyer decides to neg, then he/she should neg. If we go back to the old system, we have the stand off between buyer and seller and who negs first. Why should a seller be able to neg a buyer who has not had a great buying experience?

chancesare_2

lovinituk wrote: »

I'm certainly not 'blinkered' but was genuinely unaware of that service.


Please can you tell me the name of the service so I can approach them again?



Although many do, personally I do not assume the worst with buyers. However do you honestly think that 100% of buyers are trustworthy?

I didn't say YOU were blinkered, just that some sellers are.

The service is called Royal Mail Tracked.

I am just off to a meeting, but if you want to PM me I can give you all the info/links.

I never assume a buyer is a scammer until it is proven. By proven, I don't mean INR or SNAD, because these things do happen. But I am not niaive enough to think everyone * buyer and seller * are 100% trustworthy.

lovinituk

chancesare wrote: »

But I don't see a problem. A lot is how you deal with someone.

Most people will either send a photo or send the item back. If someone refuses to send a photo/return an item, then you cannot do a lot about it. In 12 years of online selling, I have had this only once. The negative was removed by Ebay on the grounds of extortion. The buyer was then banned.

But we're not talking about the buyers who are willing to send you a photo as proof or return the item. The buyers that are genuine are mostly willing to do what is asked to sort out a problem. Its the buyers who are intentionally out to de-fraud like the one you mention above. You said it yourself that you don't sell a 'scammable' product and you use tracked postage so I'm not surprised you experience it rarely. Many are not as fortunate even of they do provide the best customer service in the world.

chancesare wrote: »

If a buyer decides to neg, then he/she should neg. If we go back to the old system, we have the stand off between buyer and seller and who negs first. Why should a seller be able to neg a buyer who has not had a great buying experience?

No-one is asking to go back to the old system and no-one is asking for sellers to be able to give negs.

BigRedAnt

chancesare wrote: »

The negative was removed by Ebay on the grounds of extortion. The buyer was then banned.

Why should a seller be able to neg a buyer who has not had a great buying experience?

I have evidence of buyers who do this repeatedly and get away with it.

Personally I don't agree with reciprocal feedback as that gives the seller too much power, and I don't think the facebook page states that either? The argument is that we should be able to protect ourselves against people who leave large amounts of negatiive feedback, who seem to only receive half of anything they ever order, etc.

BigRedAnt

chancesare wrote: »

The service is called Royal Mail Tracked.

Doesn't that give you a per item flat rate? As I recall it was a lot more expensive than standard posting (without tracking)?

lovinituk

chancesare wrote: »

The service is called Royal Mail Tracked.

I am just off to a meeting, but if you want to PM me I can give you all the info/links.

Many thanks. I'll have a look and drop you a message if I need any help.

chancesare wrote: »

I never assume a buyer is a scammer until it is proven. By proven, I don't mean INR or SNAD, because these things do happen. But I am not niaive enough to think everyone * buyer and seller * are 100% trustworthy.

Agreed. And I don't mean to always focus on bad buyers - there are of course plenty of bad sellers too!