Can wording of listings cause suspension?

Ibjulieb · #1 10-04-2013

I do mostly drop-shipping using a variety of sources. I know that eBay allows drop-shipping, but I have been told that if I use this wording in my listings, I am subject to suspension....

"We are a clearinghouse for several major retailers. The item will be shipped directly from our supplier. In the unlikely event that the item is sold out or on backorder, we will refund 100% of your money.

Anybody have any experience with this?

zoneout · #2 10-04-2013

Uh, eBay allows dropshipping? Says who?

jeffweico · #3 10-04-2013

TECHNICALLY eBay DOES allow drop-shipping. However, they highly frown upon it.

I would avoid using any wording in your listings that would lead the average person to believe the items was being drop-shipped.

Ibjulieb · #4 10-05-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoneout

Uh, eBay allows dropshipping? Says who?

Says eBay....this is taken from the site....eBays HELP pages in particular, for those who didn't know....there are many many dropshippers on Ebay.

Product sourcing (sometimes called drop shipping) is one way to sell items on eBay. Sellers using a product sourcing service never handle the item—instead it is sent directly from a warehouse to the buyer. The seller collects money from the buyer and pays the product sourcer for the item. This benefits both the buyer and seller. By purchasing in bulk from a product sourcer, the seller gets a discount and can pass those savings to the buyer.

Is product sourcing allowed?

Selling using a product sourcing service is allowed on eBay as long as the seller can guarantee that the item will be delivered to the buyer within 30 days of the end of the listing. Sellers who choose to sell using this method are responsible for the item and their buyer's satisfaction just like any other eBay seller. If there is a problem, it's the seller's responsibility to work it out with the buyer.

Do sellers have to tell buyers the item is from a product sourcer?

Sellers don't need to indicate in the listing that an item is from a sourcer.

Should I be concerned about buying an item from a seller using a product sourcer?

All sellers, including those who use sourcers, are responsible for making sure that the correct item reaches the buyer in good condition and within a reasonable amount of time. Buying an item from a seller using a product sourcer is no different from buying any other item. You still get the same eBay Buyer Protection.

GreenBean · #5 10-05-2013

We know there are many drop-shippers on ebay.

We also know they get penalized by that company even though it supposedly supports the pratice.

Avoid wording that may harm your account.

It is that simple.

Ibjulieb · #6 10-05-2013

Wow...well OK, then....forgive my "naivete". I am approaching my 90 day anniversary....silly me for thinking that when a company makes note of a practice and actually supplies links to suppliers, that they would suspend me for practicing that which they have acknowledged as allowable. Such is the mystery of eBay...which I am sadly discovering!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenie

We know there are many drop-shippers on ebay.

We also know they get penalized by that company even though it supposedly supports the pratice.

Avoid wording that may harm your account.

It is that simple.

GreenBean · #7 10-05-2013

Trust me, there is a great many users here who got suckered by ebay.

That is their speciality.

A rule for you to consider: if you get told something by ebay VERBALLY as for them to put that in writing. Always get their name and staff number.

You will be stunned at their tricks.

Forum has had power-sellers with accounts of long standing thrown out for reasons that are not equitable.

Now, you can use the forum to learn to beat them and so protect your account(s)

jeffweico · #8 10-05-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibjulieb

Wow...well OK, then....forgive my "naivete". I am approaching my 90 day anniversary....silly me for thinking that when a company makes note of a practice and actually supplies links to suppliers, that they would suspend me for practicing that which they have acknowledged as allowable. Such is the mystery of eBay...which I am sadly discovering!

Here is the short version of why eBay does not like drop-shipping.

Originally, drop-shipping was used by real world retailers to increase their marginal sales. For example, a piano store might carry 20 different pianos, but have the ability to order others that were less popular (or more expensive). It would not pay for them to stock the item, but they wanted to have it available should a customer be interested.

These days, it applies to ANY sale where the seller uses a 3rd party supplier.

There are a lot of scammers out there claiming to be wholesale sources for products. They are actually middlemen who will take your order and then send it on to THEIR supplier. Sometimes, these relationships end up being 3 or 4 deep. Your customer orders from you, you order from your supplier, they order from THEIR supplier, and on and on... So, the item takes forever to arrive. Or, a week later, you find out the product is out of stock and your customer is angry, wanting to know WHY you didn't let them know sooner.

To be successful using drop-shipping, you MUST have a RELIABLE source of goods.

The second problem is that this business model attracts many people who have very limited funds and are looking at drop-shipping as a way to make money without having any money to invest. Their intent is to take the order and make the customer wait until PayPal releases their funds. Only THEN will they order from their supplier and fill the order. Again, the customer is upset as delivery took a very long time. And if something goes wrong, too often, the original seller does NOT want to take any responsibility for the sale. They want to refer the customer to their drop-shipper. Of course, it is NOT your customer's responsibility to do this.

The bottom lone is, if you are going to use drop-shipping, you should:

Have a RELIABLE supplier
Place the order IMMEDIATELY when your customer orders from you
Realize that YOU are responsible for making sure Your customer gets their order quickly and in the promised condition.
NEVER tell as customer to go talk to anyone else about a problem
Be prepared to lose the ENTIRE sale amount if necessary. It happens!

rsot · #9 10-06-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibjulieb

"We are a clearinghouse for several major retailers. The item will be shipped directly from our supplier. In the unlikely event that the item is sold out or on backorder, we will refund 100% of your money.

If buyers complain about not receiving item - and there will ALWAYS be those who will - your cover-all statement will not protect the status of your account.

Wording does not always protect.

jeffweico · #10 10-06-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsot

If buyers complain about not receiving item - and there will ALWAYS be those who will - your cover-all statement will not protect the status of your account.

Wording does not always protect.

I have used drop-shipping in the past to add some titles to my inventory that I would never stock, because I would only have 1 sale per year. These were on my website. I never used any wording on my site except on the FAQ page:

Please note that we sell on multiple venues and it is possible, though unlikely, that an item may occasionally be out of stock. If this happens, we will notify you immediately to determine if you would like to wait for the item, or if you would prefer a refund.

But the fact is, wording - even clever wording - will NOT absolve you of any responsibilities as a seller, nor will it allow you to commit fraud.

Here is a clip where a NASTY, HORRIBLE, DISGUSTING, ENTITLED, ROTTEN, SCUMMY CREATURE was arguing that it was OK to set up eBay ads making people think they were buying a cell phone, and using clever wording to say she was actually selling a PICTURE of the cell phone. Needless to say, Judge Judy was not buying her bu**sh*t. Neither would any US court. Regardless of what you may write in an advertisement, or even in a contract for that matter, EVERY STATE IN THE USA has some form of a "Deceptive Practices Law" which prohibits morons who THINK they are geniuses from using such tactics to scam people.

Ebay scammer owned - YouTube

The bottom line is, if you sell an item to a customer, YOU are responsible for making sure the item gets to your customer in a timely manner and in the promised condition. NOT your drop-shipper, NOT the post office, NOT eBay and NOT PayPal. The post office may be responsible to YOU for damage, or the drop-shipper may be responsible to YOU if they do not send an item, but as far as the customer is concerned, it is YOU who are responsible to them and you have to live up to it.

If someone calls themselves a wholesaler and scams you, that is YOUR problem, not your customer's problem. If your item gets lost in the mail, it is YOUR problem, not your customer's problem. That is just retailing 101.

MM78 · #11 10-06-2013

I personally dropship a specific item and I do word my listing in a way the customer knows that the item is shipped from a different location, but I know that the shipper will ship on time and with tracking number.

If the customer doesn't get the product It's my butt on the line and I have to respond to the customer.

Make sure you get tracings for all your items.

GreenBean · #12 10-06-2013

Crux of this is protecting yourself as the seller with however the item gets to the buyer.

rsot · #13 10-07-2013

Essentially, don't oversell - keep stock on hand - if you don't have stock, don't sell it. Keep buyers happy.

@jeffweico, hah Judge Judy...she still on the tube...wow

Sandy D · #14 10-07-2013

As a buyer myself of many things on ebay if I redad this I would not waste my time because you have no control of the product.

Don't forget ebay is on a mc999 roll and one question they haveasked our members do you have the item in your possession?