eBay Gives Buyers Slack to Detriment of Seller?

by: iBuyers

This is correct, when a buyer opens a Return for anything that is not a Remorse Reason, the strike remains under your Service Metrics. No matter wether it times out, or the buyer closes it, it closes Neutral or in Seller's Favor. Once opened, it stays as a Strike against your Service Metrics.
This is also true for INRs, no matter what the outcome.
Before anyone comments, Remember Service Metrics are very different than Performance Metrics.

by: iBuyers

*Whether  

by: Xena

Yes, been that way since onset. Service Metric defects cannot be removed (3 months / 1 yr - depending on your account) under any reason.
Ebay's explanation for it is that it is the same for everyone, so that should keep things even in regards to your standing amongst your peers.  

by: my2cents

Correct that it remains as a ding in the Service Metrics, but it does NOT create a defect on your Seller Dashboard.  If the buyer does not return the item, then the case should close in the seller's favor and no refund issued to the buyer.

Make sure you understand the difference between the Service Metrics and the Seller Dashboard as they are both important.

by: Snapped

“ Your service metric ratings for 'Item not received' and 'Item not as described' give you an indication of how well you're preventing buyer issues, compared to your peers.” - directly from the text of the service metrics policy.

eBay, and others who believe they do no wrong, can try to ‘mitigate’ service metrics all they want by trying to maintain that because they are not counted as ‘defects’ they don’t ’count against’ the seller, or that because all are treated ‘equally’ all are impacted the ‘same’.

Neither of those things are true however.  They are definitely counted against the seller.  The fact they represent a ‘defected’ transaction is unavoidable, dashboard count notwithstanding,  Read the policy.  Select help under eBay top banner, search service metrics, and read the policy for yourself.  

Unless everybody gets the same ‘ding’ at the same time for the same transactions, there is no ‘equality’ mitigation to be had. Peer based they say.  But who defines what a ‘peer’ is?  Imagine that.

And as long as there is ANY chance the seller will be held accountable for UNPROVEN or demonstrably false ACCUSATION of false item representation or lack of ‘timely’ delivery based on issues the SELLER CAN NOT CONTROL, or as the policy states even has a chance to act to “prevent buyer issues”, then the  service metrics will remain the same as everything else is on eBay - from feedback, to false return justification, to rewarding impatient buyers regardless of the level of ‘service’ provided by the seller.  False.  Inaccurate.  Incorrect.  Unfair.  

Not that eBay has ever been too concerned with truth.

Effectively, these metrics are recorded AGAINST THE SELLER, and if not substantiated will then remain as an INNACURATE representation of SELLER performance that eBay can then use to manipulate seller visibility and potentially penalize by increased fee assessment and removal of seller benefits, as detailed in the policy text.  

And the FACT remains that a buyer can lie, misrepresent, or make any ‘claim’ they want.  It will be the sellers fault by default, and will remain as an undeserved wound to their reputation, publicly or not,  

There’s no mitigating that.  None.

by: briskimack

I agree with the last poster. Unless you can convince me that eBay never factors Service Metrics into how much often present your listings to buyers, and I don't believe it, the Seller Dashboard vs. Service Metrics argument seems to be a bit of a distinction without a difference.

If you can satisfy a buyer without their returning the product (and yeah, apply that equally to all sellers), then an opened return that is not shipped back by the buyer should not count against you in the Service Metrics.

by: NYSteve

just a note:  
if you work for someone else, chances are they won't evaluate you so finely/minutely.
if you truly are self-employed, your customers will tell you

by: my2cents

I have never liked the Service Metrics since the day Ebay released it.  I think it is too hard to get things removed and it isn't as transparent as it should be.  I could go on, but it won't help.  We do have to deal with it, while letting Ebay know that it is inherently unfair IMHO.

by: iBuyers

Service Metrics do count. If you have "Very High Items Not As Described" due to the scenarios  above which include any return that is opened not as a remorse return..... You will pay additional fees that are substantial.
Erroneous returns  which buyers admitted were incorrect or did not complete cost us over $10,000 last year in additional fees because they put us over the threshold.

by: pace306

Its all BS, and a way for eBay to punish those who wont go along with eBays (evil) plans.

eBay "feels" that YOU the mean nasty horrible seller caused a precious snowflake buyer to leave eBay (or basically it disuades them from buying onsite again) and thats "an unpardonable sin".

YAWN

Being the good mafiosos they are - they do it themselves - mostly by making resolving issues more complex, more one sided, more devious then need be.

What eBay is also afraid of is the chargebacks and associated costs that come with defending them. Boo Hoo however, since eBay kicked Paypal to the curb for exactly this reason - eBay wanted MORE control over buyer/seller issues and felt that Paypal was too lenient in favor of sellers, (then of course there was the money they had to pay them to deal with it all) it was MUCH easier to set up a system where you auto-deny  sellers at every turn then actually deal with problems.

For criminals, crime is best committed at night in the shadows, but when you make $20 billion a year, its easy to do in the day light. Henry FOrd said "you can have any color car you want as long as its black, while eBay says you can have any returns policy you want - except when we override it 30 days later and force the issue aka they give a product or service promised on YOUR nickle. How nice of the thugs.

eBay ALWAYS gives buyers slack - its modus operandi for them. You an have buyers open multiple cases for multiple reasons, buyers can lie cheat and steal (eBays buddies - birds of a feather flock together), and - Ive had cases - where a buyer sends in a picture of a supposed defective item and the attached picture was of another item entirely and eBay said "so what, its just a bad picture!".

eBays corporate mantra is "buyers lies are more important then a sellers truth" - and even the MIGHTY GRIFTER couldnt undo that ......... but until that changes, YES ebay gives buyers slack over the detriment of sellers.