When will "No Returns Accepted" become a thing of the past?

marking_bad

Just thinking of more ways ebay can castrate sellers

Got to be honest though, as a buyer (as well as someone who sells who doesn't offer returns), I'm not sure it would be a bad thing.

A level playing field, a more secure confident environment created for buyers.

If they did implement this, ebay would need a better 'block bidder' system than the current one, to stop abuse.

Crowqueen

If they did implement this, ebay would need a better 'block bidder' system than the current one, to stop abuse.

Given the number of legitimate complaints someone could have, then you would run the risk of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. If you stitch the site up too securely, you run the risk of buyers just abandoning eBay completely - there's too much competition out there for eBay to be putting tighter restrictions on who can buy.

As a seller who has had a worse year on eBay than they have had on Amazon - no thanks.

As a buyer - I have a lot more confidence buying things on other sites and eBay is always a minefield where I buy sparingly if at all in most categories. Many independent websites concentrate more on making people happy as they don't have the huge buyer turnover as they do on eBay and actually have to promote their site, ensure they have enough repeat custom and make sure their reputation is good - a bit less finite than feedback becomes but certainly important when running a business. I'm coming rather to the conclusion that eBay sellers just think that keeping buyers happy seems to be a low priority, because even if someone is unhappy and leaves them, there is another person along in a second. The object seems to milk people for their spare cash, give them a mediocre experience, and throw them out the other end of the sausage machine. Given their new blanket returns policy for marketplace and third-party sellers, Amazon show how tight you can go and still attract people listing there, without putting off buyers or blocking them without good reason. People don't want to be treated as walking wallets - they want a bit of decent treatment and it's time eBay improved the quality of sellers' service.

As for 'No returns', I agree, I think eBay should have a blanket policy at least for business sellers that is the minimum they have to post to comply with the DSRs (given those will apply all business sales from sometime next year) and make sure it's clear on private sellers' listings that returns are possible if the item is faulty or not-as-described.

A way of paying returns postage should be found, at the sellers' expense but offering them the purchasing power of eBay as opposed to ordinary retail prices, so that it offers an incentive.

Buyers should be able to cancel transactions from their end which will put an end to them being hit with unpaid item disputes for exercising a legal right - it will also stop sellers wasting their time having to wait a week to close a dispute when someone obviously doesn't want something.

Then sellers can offer additional time etc if they want to improve, but there is a baseline from which everyone is working.

techspec

If you pay with Paypal - there is no such thing as no returns on Ebay - its a myth. Buyer just files a SNAD.

Most sellers have just never stipulated if they do - and in such cases Ebays default setting as always been 'no returns accepted'. Thats Ebays fault.

Things are changing i think - and ALL sellers will have to choose which option they want.

Ebays default should have been 'returns accepted'. Sellers would have soon changed it if they wanted.

techspec

Crowqueen wrote: »

As a buyer - I have a lot more confidence buying things on other sites and eBay is always a minefield.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:You are kidding. Buyers hold all the cards. Ive had many sales cancelled by sellers on Amazon - and i can't even leave feedback. Feddback, SNAD, INR ...... how many more ways to get the seller do you want? I know when i buy on Ebay with paypal - I CANNOT LOOSE. A seller tried it on this week - but lost.

Buyers should be able to cancel transactions from their end which will put an end to them being hit with unpaid item disputes for exercising a legal right - it will also stop sellers wasting their time having to wait a week to close a dispute when someone obviously doesn't want something.

Thats been implemented in the USA i think. No doubt it will follow here, if so. I don't agree with it for private sales though. Sellers lose listing fees - and many sell in desperation to pay their mortgage etc. Timewasters are the dregs of Ebay.

I love being a buyer on Ebay. But as a seller, i see it as giving my stuff away - with a chance i might end up with some money at the end.

marking_bad

Yes, I do feel very safe buying on ebay, that is one thing I cannot fault it for. But it comes at a price, and buyers take advantage of it sometimes.

It may be more hassle if the seller plays hardball (such as declining a return for a damaged item), but nearly all of the time, the buyer has their way.

porto_bello

Crowqueen wrote: »

A way of paying returns postage should be found, at the sellers' expense but offering them the purchasing power of eBay as opposed to ordinary retail prices, so that it offers an incentive.

Buyers should be able to cancel transactions from their end which will put an end to them being hit with unpaid item disputes for exercising a legal right - it will also stop sellers wasting their time having to wait a week to close a dispute when someone obviously doesn't want something.

Then sellers can offer additional time etc if they want to improve, but there is a baseline from which everyone is working.

Won't that mean:

If the buyer changes their mind after receiving the item, the seller has to fork out not only for any lost fees, but also for the return postage. :mad:

If they buyer changes their mind before paying, they can walk away from the transaction and the seller has to pick up the cost of any fees. :mad:

If the buyer just doesn't pay, the seller just has to sit back, be patient and pay their selling fees, hoping the buyer will eventually pay up. :mad:

What's to stop a buyer simply bidding and winning dozens of auctions for the same item and then choosing the cheapest one to pay for and ignoring all payment requests from other sellers?

Similarly, if they see the same item cheaper in a week's/month's time, they can purchase it and keep the saving, knowing they can bill the previous seller for the return postage fees.

If sellers are routinely having to entertain return postage fees for no good reason and having to pick up the cost of NPBs, I can see many sellers giving up on eBay.