How many requests can a buyer open for one transaction?

randomlygenerated · #1 12-18-2016

Short: Does getting buyers to open an item not received request stop them from opening an returns request for the same item? (eBay UK)

We have been selling cosmetics on eBay for quite some time but the INR and returns just seem to be getting worse.
To stay profitable we started selling items in packs (2, 6, etc) and if the cost of the items to us is more than the cost of tracking we use it. We also use separate listings for the same item of multiple quantities (so one listing for 2 and another for 6) and put the total weight of the 2 or 6 items in the listing.
But now it’s created a new problem we have an influx of people claiming they bought a 6 of X and we only sent them a 2 of X.
So when a buyer contacts us we draw attention to the weight in the listing and how it matches that on the receipt. This seems to deter most of them. But we still have an increasing number claiming they only needed 6 and now want to return 2 and what they return is usually nothing in a prepaid envelope at our expense.
If we got these buyers to open INR would it not only cancel out the negative feedback but also the chance of them opening return requests?

oompaloompa · #2 12-19-2016

INR request would not stop neg feedback.

INR request, can turn in to a return request, eg it can turn in to a SNAD, if the buyer contacted customer support. They probably would not contact CS though, as they are getting all their money back straight away on the INR...

however you cannot stop a buyer starting with a SNAD and therefore you either do a return or a refund....have you thought about negotiating a partial refund on the SNAD case?

are you wanting INR, as you can claim from the postal service - or is it just to avoid the costly return of partial goods?

is a partial refund better than a partial return?

.but generally customers who get their money back just go away without complaint......plus they tend not to leave negs...

randomlygenerated · #3 12-19-2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by oompaloompa

INR request would not stop neg feedback.

INR request, can turn in to a return request, eg it can turn in to a SNAD, if the buyer contacted customer support. They probably would not contact CS though, as they are getting all their money back straight away on the INR...

however you cannot stop a buyer starting with a SNAD and therefore you either do a return or a refund....have you thought about negotiating a partial refund on the SNAD case?

are you wanting INR, as you can claim from the postal service - or is it just to avoid the costly return of partial goods?

is a partial refund better than a partial return?

.but generally customers who get their money back just go away without complaint......plus they tend not to leave negs...

We rarely get INR for low value goods, less than 5 a year, we send these by standard post without tracking. So we always refund those and move on.

I would say nearly all our INR are for the higher value goods, sale price of £10+, we send all these tracked so if an INR was opened we can prove delivery. As delivery can be proved they wouldn’t get refunded. But would this cancel out the option of opening a returns request?
Most people who try this on threaten negative feedback and returns, so in a way it is trying to play them at their own game. It's the people who order 6 and say they only received 2 that really hurt the accounts and it's becoming an increasing problem.

oompaloompa · #4 12-20-2016

an INR can turn in to a SNAD.

A SNAD cannot turn in to an INR (usually)

If someone is a scammer or buyers remorse, they will see there was tracking and open a SNAD because they know they would lose an INR.

People open cases without telling you first, so I am not sure how you get most of them to do the type of case that you prefer....

randomlygenerated · #5 12-20-2016

Most of the time we get this problem the buyer usually emails us to say we sent them the wrong quantity, sometimes it goes straight to INR strangely we never seem to get SNAD. Today we had a buyer emailing saying we only sent them 1 lipstick instead of a set of 3, these items in particular are sold as a pack of 3 because they are in sealed moulded retail packaging as a set. It is impossible we could have only sent them 1.

Some of these buyers are quite persistent and use negative feedback to extort replacements / refunds, so I guess in a way we were hoping to suggest to the buyer if they were not happy they could open an INR (which we would win) and this would cancel out another request (SNAD or return) being opened for the same item and also the take away the negative feedback but I guess this is not the case. I also think when people are trying their luck seeing they lost an INR might stop them in their tracks.

I always thought INR (when delivery can be proved) was better than SNAD because SNAD does encourage returns?

oompaloompa · #6 12-20-2016

INR with proof of delivery is definately better, I agree..........as you normally win.

so you want to suggest they open an INR when they contact you, knowing you will win due to delivery......but what happens when the buyer then contact CS and changes it to SNAD due to saying they received less....they can say they opened wrong case, cos you told them to, or they received it after INR already opened but less were delivered...

....I agree though, the more stages you put in front of them, they might not update or bother to keep going with it....

my problem is often the ones with questions from the get go or neurotic types or scammer, asking each day, where their item is, even though it is only 3 days or so since dispatch.....I always just ignore them and then refund at last possible moment.....and do not reply, because I know they received it.....if they neg me, it does upset me, as I try really hard to give great service, but in the end, so what, there is 100 times more positives anyway...

randomlygenerated · #7 12-21-2016

We have template emails already in place for this. I always make sure to reply to the buyers (even the people just asking where there item is) it only takes a few seconds to copy and paste the template emails into eBay. I like the kill them with kindness approach and if they do ever run to eBay it stops them being able to say we ignored them.

I know some buyers are determined to do whatever it takes to get their order for free but then I know others are aware that opening too many cases is bad for their account. And others who are just trying it on might get deterred if they lose an INR case. I was going to word an email saying we had proof we sent the correct item (by the shipping weight) and if they weren’t happy they could contact eBay through an INR, because technically if they say they order 6 and received 2 they haven’t received 4.
I was really just hoping if a buyer opened an INR first it would cancel out the the possibility of a return request being opened for the same transaction.

We’ve been selling on eBay for a long time, I remember the days when people used to pay each other by cheques and still get their item. But increasingly it seems like a game of self defence.