returning personalised items

Grimbal

I have a couple of items that I sell that are made completely to my buyer's requirements. I've just tried to change the listings of these to "returns not accepted", and (as expected) EBay won't let me - saying that as a business seller I have to accept all returns.

I thought though, that personalised items were exempt from the Distance Selling Regulations (except where faulty). If a buyer wanted to return a personalised item, what would happen and what should happen ?

Browntoa

My understanding is that personalised or made to order items are excluded

If it's badly made or a mistake made in the personalisation however then it's down to you

Grimbal

Browntoa wrote: »

My understanding is that personalised or made to order items are excluded

If it's badly made or a mistake made in the personalisation however then it's down to you

Yup, which is how I understand it. EBay however, are not letting me exclude those listings from their returns policy.

JimmyTheWig

If goods are faulty (or not as described, etc) then the buyer has the right to return them whether personalised or not.

Most goods sold by a business online are returnable. So if you sold something that wasn't excluded and didn't allow a return then you'd be breaking the law. But as you say, personalised goods don't come into this category.

A seller is allowed to offer a returns policy that goes beyond the legal minimum. For example, many shops allow the return of goods if you change your mind, even though they don't have to by law. Likewise, if someone selling personalised goods wants to allow their buyers to return the items they can do.

It sounds like, from what you are saying, that eBay is only wanting sellers of personalised items who go beyond the legal minimum. It sounds like eBay are only interested in business sellers who allow returns, even if they don't have to by law for stuff like personalised goods.
That's eBay's choice.
It's your choice to sell with eBay or elsewhere.

soolin

This might be a time to look at etsy for personalised items if the eBay policy is a bit too severe.

campdave

Sellers do not have to accept peronsalised items as a change of mind return by law.

however, all ebay have to do is ensure that the minimum legal practice is observed by their sellers. They are within their rights to insist that sellers using ebay offer buyers rights over and above the legal minimum.

By listing personalised items on ebay, you are agreeing to accept returns on them. If you disagree, ebay's advice would be to not list them on ebay.

Grimbal

That makes sense - thanks all !

Soolin - I already do sell on Etsy. It's not that EBay's policy are overly onerous on this, I was just curious what the situation was. Luckily (so far), I have great buyers, especially on these personalised items, so not been in this position (yet)

JimmyTheWig

The chances are that no-one actually reads the terms and conditions. So a buyer probably wouldn't even think of returning a personalised item just because they'd changed their mind.
As long as you're not going to be too out of pocket if someone returns them you should be fine. If you sell 100 items at £5 each and one person returns one then you'll still have made £495 which should easily cover your costs of 100 items. But if you sell 1 item at £500 and it gets returned then you might have a problem.

ballisticbrian

The false assumption here was that eBay's policies should match the distance selling regulations rather than abide by them. If they allowed customers to untick returns accepted for whatever reason, then millions of idiots would un-tick it.

Brooker_Dave

Grimbal wrote: »

I thought though, that personalised items were exempt from the Distance Selling Regulations (except where faulty). If a buyer wanted to return a personalised item, what would happen and what should happen ?

It's true they are, as are some items due to hygine reasons, so if you sell personalised stationary or butt plugs on ebay you have no reason to accept returns.

JimmyTheWig

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

It's true they are, as are some items due to hygine reasons, so if you sell personalised stationary or butt plugs on ebay you have no reason to accept returns.

You don't need an eBay account, or pay eBay fees, to sell personalised items.
If you want to sell them on eBay, however, you do.

It's no different.