Extra 4% FVF Fee on INAD Returns

[mmmbop]

How is everyone feeling about ebays new little money earner to bump up their profits? Much like the charging fees on Postage, but much more to the detriment of sellers, considering a huge majority of INAD returns are so the buyer can utilise a free paid for return for a change of mind or incorrectly bought item.

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Busi...D/td-p/6003379

[JamesNorth101]

Its not good news... Its going to be interesting to see how everyone as a whole reacts to this long term

[yankee]

I get about 1 in 400 items sold in one nitch that get returned this way. When they return the items, the package is destroyed and usually the item also. For me, it is almost always a retail store owner that feels but hurt I can sell much cheaper. I always consider it a cost of doing business online. The 4% will be insignificant to me.

But when I sold $400-3000K items that were absolutely never anything wrong except for ignorant buyers.....4% would have been devastating. I was almost always able to call in and win the case anyways on those but I can see how that can really kill profit margins for high return items.

May as well get used to it, its not going to get any better!

Every year they take a little more, and make it a little harder.

[mmmbop]

Its absolutely brutal.

Sadly, my main selling fields are in an area which attract some of the most dregs of society, meaning, I get a fair number of INAD when I deal with Council Estate Trash (literally I google every one of these and end up on an estate somewhere), and like Yankee, they get returned battered, used, packaging destroying etc.

I sell so many of the item, that I always know its a setup when theres a return because they work perfectly on the applications, its just the idiots who can't read, or want to try something, or are too dumb to fit/use it correctly that opt for their free return.

There has been some such severe changes over the past year, things are going to get so much harder with this in place as profits are already limited because of their ever increasing take.

[donkeykong2012]

Here below is the actual quote from EBay's Business Seller News.

"Later this year, for sellers with a very high number of “item not as described” claims in a category when compared to their peers, or “item not received” claims for a particular postage destination when compared to their peers, we may add an additional 4 percentage points surcharge on final value fees in that category, or extend the estimated delivery time for that postage destination, respectively."

This is as clear as mud. Who will it apply to? How long will it apply for? How will seller's find out if it does apply? I hear emails are being sent out, but it appears to be be that Ebay can simply charge what they want when they want to me. Is this even legal? Very aggressive and underhand tactics.

[yankee]

pretty vague. Hopefully it is a tax on ****ty sellers.

[mmmbop]

Originally Posted by donkeykong2012

Here below is the actual quote from EBay's Business Seller News.

"Later this year, for sellers with a very high number of “item not as described” claims in a category when compared to their peers, or “item not received” claims for a particular postage destination when compared to their peers, we may add an additional 4 percentage points surcharge on final value fees in that category, or extend the estimated delivery time for that postage destination, respectively."

This is as clear as mud. Who will it apply to? How long will it apply for? How will seller's find out if it does apply? I hear emails are being sent out, but it appears to be be that Ebay can simply charge what they want when they want to me. Is this even legal? Very aggressive and underhand tactics.

"Clear as mud" is the strapline to the eBay policies department!

It looks like they are introducing a new metrics system

'From July 2018, we’ll add a new seller metrics and benchmarks tool in Seller Hub’s performance tab. You’ll be able to clearly see how often you receive “item not as described” and “item not received” after-sale requests.'

I imagine that will have a 'red' zone.

First off FVF rises, then shop subscription raises, then 'sponsored listings' pay more or you'll be invisible 90% of the time, then the new Premium Status metrics, now this..

[Play]

The only way to see how it will work out is when it comes into force. Since you're compared with your "peers", others in the same niche/location etc., I would presume this wouldn't be much of a big deal for most sellers.

However those who are getting too many cases against them, it'll definitely weed them out. It might be a good thing?

[yankee]

Originally Posted by Play

It might be a good thing?

Hopefully reduce the crappy Chinese sellers and hack ebay users such as turn and burn selling junk items.

Hopefully....

[Play]

Originally Posted by yankee

Hopefully reduce the crappy Chinese sellers and hack ebay users such as turn and burn selling junk items.

Hopefully....

Yep. I know its a bold move, but it should improve customer satisfaction (theoretically speaking).

Bear in mind, eBay is up against Amazon. They'll just keep doing whatever it takes to keep their slice of the pie.

[james_112233]

Change your business policies / practice / margins to account for it. Or go back to working a 9-5 for some one else. I know what I would rather not do.

[mmmbop]

Originally Posted by james_112233

Change your business policies / practice / margins to account for it. Or go back to working a 9-5 for some one else. I know what I would rather not do.

While, I agree with the sentiments, its more to document the exploitation of eBay with these rules and regs.

You can't change your policies to avoid scam buyers, thats impossible. We can do our best to seek them out but eventually, they will always win if they know how to play the game. Now eBay are charging you for the scam.

I dont think anyone on eBay or the forum object to paying eBay fees - The platform has served me very well over the years, its these stealth charges that are not avoidable is the annoyance. But it won't be the last, next year they will plan to start charging on internet use - pay per minute for the time you are logged on to the website.