What I Have Learned So Far - eBay and My Returned Orders

Before I get started, it is best to qualify that I have only been doing eBay and online selling for a little over 7 months. So I am going to do a series on lessons learned / tips and tricks over that time and plans going forward. Every day I learn something new whether it is about eBay itself or learning about a new area of products.

I will refer to this series as “What I Have Learned So Far”…for obvious reasons. Some of the things I learn are by mistake/error, some are unexpected buyer outcome/expectations and others by just having identified a new business need. This blog post will be specifically about the returns I have had over the last 7 months.  It is also worth noting that I am very gracious on returns, if someone doesn’t like it, for any reason whatsoever, I will offer them a full refund including shipping as well as pay for the return shipping should I want the item back. Normally, if an item is <$20 sale, then the return will just put more cost into the listing and I will normally just tell them to keep it unless I feel that they are taking advantage of the situation. Until such time that happens (if it happens), I will keep this policy going forward. You need to support 30 day returns for Top Seller status, but whether you request item back or allow them to keep it is within your control. 

Let’s get started!

1. Vintage Lantern

A buyer had purchased a vintage lantern, I had copied the listing from an identical one (or so I thought), although missed that the copied listing was for a Pennsylvania lantern, while what I had was a Chicago lantern (or something to that effect), the item sale price was about $60 and apparently the Chicago vs. Pennsylvania thing was important. While my photos showed the proper lantern and imprint as well as have a statement that the pictures override the description, it really didn’t matter.  I will say it was not “in your face” in the picture and in the end, his expectations were not met and since this was my first return, I opted to do a full refund including shipping and let him keep the lantern. I still think that was the right choice because he probably wouldn’t have packed it properly anyway and the globe likely would have broken, but more importantly I wanted to start off with the right brand attitude. I was a little ticked off that when I told him to keep it and give a full refund, …nothing. I suspect he might have been gaming the situation, but going to assume the best in people unless I have proof otherwise. Also worth noting that with this policy of 30 day returns for any reason and pay return shipping, my return rate is < 0.5%..what you see below are all of them over about 1000 sales. I haven’t bought or sold another lantern since.

Learned: Don’t expect any thanks if they issue a return request and you bend over backwards to make it right. 

Learned: Be careful copying someone else’s listing, details matter. Do your homework and make it your own.

2. Pink nesting boxes

This was a set of furish nesting boxes, 3 of them and they were reddish in color, the color was a little different from which angle you looked at it or photographed it as well. The buyer asked what color they were specifically and if they were magenta. So I googled Magenta and it matched pretty close. She returned them stating they were not magenta. Point is that color is subjective to the viewer….while I called it red initially, Zabrina called it cranberry, it could have also been a purple or hot pink or, yes, even red. I refunded the money with shipping and asked her not to ship the item back (it was only a $10 item or so, so shipping would have put me in the negative). She did not read my request and shipped it back. I threw it away.

Learned: Don’t assume the buyer will read a note on a refund notice. Send a separate note to them before you issue it to confirm they will not return the item.

Learned: If any color of an item is in question, I will put into the listing something to the effect that the color is as pictured, I feel its x and others may view it as y, and the pictures depict the color fairly accurate. 

3. Vera Bradley purse

Buyer purchased a purse and I documented the dimensions and even put a ruler in the pictures to show. Her disappointment was that she could not put an object as big as the dimensions into the purse. Duh. Zippers don’t open to 100%, quilted material has a thickness, etc. etc. Refunded her with shipping and told her to keep the purse. That was the right call in my mind. I could have made a beef on the size being the outer dimensions, but it wasn’t worth it, the damage was done.

Learned: You can only do so much realistically, move on. Maybe throw in some more key measurements like opening size or an estimate of what size object will fit inside something. I don’t think I would have done anything differently though.

4. Grisham signed book

This was a $30 signed John Grisham book and normally all books go USPS Media Mail. Media mail moves based on availability and considered a bulk mail (I got the book for $2, so losing was not a financial pain really). It is also not insured, but normally you will see it move along at a snails pace in the tracking information. In this case, it had not moved in over 2 weeks from the Greensboro, NC distribution center. I opened a trace request with USPS and when they reported back, they stated it was essentially lost so I refunded the buyer with shipping, and the next day it appeared moving and he got it a few days later. The buyer offered to pay for it which restored my faith in mankind, but I declined his offer and considered the book payment for pain and suffering. He thanked me…right call again.

Learned: You can open a trace request online with USPS, they are reasonably prompt in all communication, but it will take them 3-5 days to give the outcome. 

Learned: People are generally good. You will get a bad apple here and there, but I can’t operate thinking everyone is out to get me with no proof of a pattern.

Learned: USPS generally won’t even do much unless it has been at least 2 weeks from the shipping date. Percentage wise, I have actually only truly lost 1 package (#5 below, which was also USPS Media Mail)…I encourage the buyer to sit for 5 more days to see if it moves and if not, offer the refund. Most people just want the item and are ok to wait, provided you communicate often on status and do your follow up.

5. Deepak Chopra book

Buyer bought a 1st edition Deepak Chopra book (which was only worth $5 or so anyway) and didn’t get it.  I didn’t know about the online trace request at the time, but they never got the book and I issued them a full refund with shipping. To date, this is my only truly lost package.

Learned: Stuff happens, some things are out of your control. But if its really valuable, have it insured and send via Priority Mail or some other insured method…then you can file a claim (you can’t do that with Media Mail).

6. Heavenly Harmony Porcelain Music Boxes

This has been my only shipping damage to date. I’m pretty sure it was well packed with sufficient packaging, and I can’t ship things in a box 10 times there size. Used fragile tape and ensured visible on all sides.

Learned: another Stuff happens and Trying to get feedback from buyer.

Wrap up

These are the types of returns I have seen so far and probably plenty of new situations yet to come. The types of decisions that were made were right for me and the brand I am trying to promote, your needs and decisions may have been different, that’s OK.

John