eBay & Thieving Buyers

swimsink

I see what your saying although the postage price is never overcharged it is still ridiculously high for low value items, but the price is on the page when people are bidding so i dont feel they have any valid reason to argue. If there not happy with it they shouldn't bid! x

Happy_bunny

Oliver14 wrote: »

I'd have a look at your listings OP. Has anything recently changed that may be encouraging these buyers? Something you have put in your listings?

Sadly it's not just my listings, Listings of my friends and family have also recently seen a big jump in INR claims.

Whilst I'm a big fan of buyer protection and have needed to use it myself in the past. It seems that eBay don't actually care a jot for their sellers, who pay eBay, in regard to the claims for loss.

The only way you'll ever knowingly win a INR claim is sending special which is out of the question for most items due to cost.

Send it 1st standard and eBay'll refund the buyer every time - Makes me wonder if there are buyers out there who trawl the listings looking for items like jewellery/mobiles or vouchers that are send standard knowing they can make a guaranteed claim when they receive the item using an 'incorrect' postage method that can't be proved :mad:

Sent standard - Possible INR you'll lose - Send special - Heavily marked down on postal charges! :eek:

Crowqueen

Send it 1st standard and eBay'll refund the buyer every time - Makes me wonder if there are buyers out there who trawl the listings looking for items like jewellery/mobiles or vouchers that are send standard knowing they can make a guaranteed claim when they receive the item using an 'incorrect' postage method that can't be proved

If you think that's the case, why are you personally affected by it and why are you therefore not sending items properly?

I've had a couple of non-receipt cases in the last year as a buyer, more than in previous years, so it might not be dishonesty.

If you don't trust your buyers, send tracked. If you do, keep your POPs so you can claim from RM if something does go missing.

Like Oliver when I've sold I've only one problem in hundreds of transactions.

Unless you can prove anything or have taken precautions against losses in the mail - such as clear addressing, non-water-soluble pens used to address envelopes, return addresses, and so on - yourself, you can't take it out on the buyers who might genuinely not have received something.

chickaroonee

I think nos of INR are increasing too - for me at least. I don't sell in high risk categories, have nothing stupid in my listings etc but still seem to have more than I used to. Ironically one of the recent ones was from someone who has "I don't take responsibility for things lost in the post" written all over her listings.

I'm not selling with recorded yet but might in the future if it carries on. I know some people on here always seem to hint that it's the sellers' fault who have higher losses than others, but I don't agree. I know my listings are not to blame, I know things are labelled well and correctly, and I know I have no stupid policies on my listings..and I find it hard to believe RM losses are as high as my proportion over the last couple of years. I have never had an item returned to me either.

Crowqueen

chickaroonee wrote: »

I think nos of INR are increasing too - for me at least. I don't sell in high risk categories, have nothing stupid in my listings etc but still seem to have more than I used to. Ironically one of the recent ones was from someone who has "I don't take responsibility for things lost in the post" written all over her listings.

I'm not selling with recorded yet but might in the future if it carries on. I know some people on here always seem to hint that it's the sellers' fault who have higher losses than others, but I don't agree. I know my listings are not to blame, I know things are labelled well and correctly, and I know I have no stupid policies on my listings..and I find it hard to believe RM losses are as high as my proportion over the last couple of years. I have never had an item returned to me either.

It's not the sellers' faults entirely, but they are responsible, and as such minimising losses due to mislabelling, labels coming off, sending by an appropriate means are all important factors to mention in reducing loss.

If a seller has high rates of loss, then yes, they may be doing something that someone else isn't, or not doing something they are. Bad buyers/dishonest buyers should be even across the whole site, if figures show a spike in one place then you have to try and figure out why that spike is occurring and do something about it. No seller on eBay is truly unique, so you have to take responsibility for your own loss reductions if you seem to get more than your fair share of issues. That goes for other customer service blips too. It's not listings which are the problem - it's how you address packages and how you send things out. If I was experiencing the same rate of loss, I'd be wondering whether something I was doing was causing the issue.

Similarly, when a buyer pays for something and it doesn't arrive, it's not their fault or responsibility either and accusations should not be made unless you have direct proof, as that can be more offputting than just not getting the item and being refunded. Remembering who has the rights and who the responsibilities should be important; taking back control over your own listings is important and the zero-option is - if it is becoming uneconomical for you to sell, you need to think about whether you want to continuing taking that risk.

Similarly, if/when it becomes uneconomical for me to buy because of the rate of loss in the post, I would stop buying online. That's not a problem for me yet, though.

Happy_bunny

"If you think that's the case, why are you personally affected by it and why are you therefore not sending items properly?"

I do trust the majority of my buyers but it does seem somewhat fishy the recent jump in INR claims that have been reported by word of mouth & forums when sellers have acted correctly

My main point is that there's massive support from both eBay & paypal if you wish to make a spurious claim yet virtually nil for a seller, who are eBay's 'real' customers providing listing and FVF payments which seems ridiculous

chickaroonee

I disagree completely with what you say - my packages are well labelled and with return addresses - I am an experienced seller who sends a great deal of packages personally as well as on ebay. Most of my items that have gone missing are written on to jiffy bags - how could that come off?? As I said in my post I know neither my listings nor my labels are to blame, and tbh as you can't see them, I don't particularly appreciate being told otherwise.

I am not (and nor did I in my previous post) accusing individual buyers of lying; however the rate of my losses for ebay sales against other items I send/receive off ebay are not comparable, and I think unrealistic. And I don't know what basis you are saying you know losses across the ebay site - this forum?? There have been quite a few other people posting (the OP here for instance) who have the same feedback as me. I don't understand why that makes us wrong, and others right. It is our experience and I actually am quite insulted to be told I'm wrong and it's my selling practices at fault.

Happy_bunny

Crowqueen wrote: »

It's not the sellers' faults entirely, but they are responsible, and as such minimising losses due to mislabelling, labels coming off, sending by an appropriate means are all important factors to mention in reducing loss.

Similarly, when a buyer pays for something and it doesn't arrive, it's not their fault or responsibility either

The problem with these comments is that if a seller sells an item, posts correctly and fails to arrive its the Seller who's treated like they are in the wrong with immediate holds of funds and eBay looking into account status.

No it's not the (genuine) buyers fault, I'd always refund at the first mention of the item not arriving both to try to be fair and reduce claims for loss against my account. The problem with this is that anyone dodgy enough will know they can have a free item & a refund time after time with no risk of problems from eBay which is hugely frustrating!

Yes i can make loss claims from the RM but there's no guarantee they will be successful and takes months to claim/be refunded.

Obviously_the_best

when something like this happens to me, I generally don't use royal mail, and since I've started using other people especially APC, my loss rates have gone down, and claim success rates for damaged and missing items have gone up! I would highly recommend APC for bulk eBayers, they're great, and the rest of my parcels get sent citysprint or myHermes, who all seem great to me!!!, just an idea you could sent a buyer this message,

you → ← me

Happy_bunny

Obviously_the_best wrote: »

when something like this happens to me, I generally don't use royal mail, and since I've started using other people especially APC, my loss rates have gone down, and claim success rates for damaged and missing items have gone up! I would highly recommend APC for bulk eBayers

The annoying thing is RM generally offer the most realistic price of posting for smaller sellers, like myself, RM have the monopoly on smaller 'letter' type items which parcel companies can't offer

BTW - Just sold a chainsaw on eBay as it wasn't used anymore - now realise my mistake, should have kept it for 'Customer Service'