eBay are at last mandating that sellers obey the law and so are introducing a standard returns policy for all business sellers on eBay UK. All sellers will have to:
- Accept returns for a minimum 14 days after the buyer receives the goods
- State who pays return costs
- Accept returns for ANY reason
- No restocking fees
From September sellers will also have to use the two new returns fields to specify the returns period and whether the buyer or the seller pays the return carriage costs.
Managed Returns to make it easy
To make life easier eBay are introducing a new managed returns process which you can opt in from September.
It basically enables you to manage all returns from My eBay and at the same time gives eBay the ability to protect sellers from buyer abuse as all returns information is fully recorded within the process.
eBay say that by offering a simple clear returns process and policies sellers have seen up to 9% in additional sales. We already have the new fields to specify the returns period and who pays for return shipping, but the new Managed Returns process goes a step further.
There should be less communications with buyers as the Managed Returns process is almost automated for sellers – the buyer prints out the returns shipping label and the seller is notified when the item is on it’s way and reminded when they should have received it.
As a bonus you’ll also get automatic final value fee refunds and there are no relist fees if you use the new process. Of course few of us are worried about relist fees if we’re using Fixed Price multi-quantity listings, but with the new lower insertion fees it’s possible we’ll see more business sellers using auctions in which case free relists are welcome.
In order to use the new returns process items must be sub-10kg, dimensions under 60x50x50cm and PayPal must be used.
Here’s a video of how Managed Returns works on eBay.com (When watching bear in mind that in the UK things like restocking fees are NOT allowed)
15 Responses
Does anyone know cost per parcel for this service?
If it’s going to be against ebay policy to charge a restocking fee then why does ebay use that as an example in the video?
No restocking fees? Then have reestocking fees in the video, ARRRGGGHHHHH! eBay you make me want to swear! Get it right!
In fairness to eBay, that’s a US video, and restocking fees are permitted in the US.
Are restocking fees common in the US?
Ok, so excuse me if I am being stupid here. BUT this video makes it look like eBay book the parcel in with a courier etc.
Who is sending this, what is the cost?
I dont like the idea that the seller is given no control over their OWN business returns. We all know that some buyers return products when they shouldnt (used etc) – whats going to stop buyers returning a used product and getting an automatic refund just because they have a tracking number through ebay etc.
Whilst I believe there needs to be some sort of RMA system, I think it still needs to be managed by the seller, not eBay.
One major issue with the ebay returns system, is that it forces you to enter a post town and postcode for the return address.
Our return address is simply “FREEPOST [COMPANYNAME]” which ebay do not accept as a valid address.