EcommerceBytes-NewsFlash, Number 2998 - February 11, 2013     3 of 5

eBay Nudges UK Sellers to Offer Generous Returns Policy

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eBay has been using a carrot-and-stick policy to get sellers to adopt shopper-friendly policies such as quick handling times, free shipping and generous returns policies. The latest effort by eBay came on a post on the eBay UK announcement board where it provided information about specifying a returns policy.

According to the announcement, eBay sellers in the UK can now specify the following returns information when listing items: returns time frame (how long the buyer has to return the item - now at least 14 days); and who pays for return postage (the seller or the buyer).

The fields will be available on eBay selling tools including the Advanced sell ("Sell Your Item") form, bulk editing and relisting in My eBay, Turbo Lister, and Selling Manager/Selling Manager Pro. eBay UK said the new drop-down options "make it simpler for you to manage the returns information on your listings, and give buyers clear, consistent information about a seller's returns policy," and it said later this year, it will require business sellers to enter returns information for all listings.

In the UK, sellers who operate as a business are legally obligated to offer certain policies, and consumers have the right to return an item if they change their mind. eBay UK explained, "We are setting 14 days as the minimum period that sellers can specify for accepting returns. While this is a longer time frame than the 7-day cancellation period that applies under current UK and Irish distance selling rules, a 14-day returns period will be required under UK and Irish selling regulations that will become effective in December 2013."

All sellers on eBay must specify a returns policy for their items, whether their policy is to accept returns or not. "Research shows that buyers appreciate the peace of mind of shopping from sellers who offer returns, and that items with a clear returns policy typically sell better than items without one," eBay UK advised.

See also, eBay Forces Some Sellers to Pay for Return Shipping.

About the author:

Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com.

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