posted on December 11, 2008 04:00:13 PM new
I am finding I am getting less feedbacks in the last couple of months, and I am wondering if buyers can't be bothered with all the ratings.
Last week I had to file 7 NPB's, and there will be 2 more tomorrow. It seems to me that people are bidding, and then deciding if they want the item or not. It has been so much worse since there are no negatives for buyers. Does anyone know if buyers are still suspended after 3 non-payments?
posted on December 12, 2008 09:10:30 AM new
I have not had that many NPB's (much more than last year but not too bad) but I have notice that some buyers aren't replying to any of my emails etc. It's like they just don't want to communicate with us sellers anymore.
I think it's just as rude to ignore an email as it is a phone call.
I don't want to be their best friend but if I send a refund and then email - the least they could do is let me know they got the refund.
posted on December 12, 2008 10:36:10 AM new
I agree about the lack of emails. I sell yarn by the skein, so I have a problem with shipping because it comes up as a multiple of one skein. I ask buyers to wait for me to adjust the invoice, of course, many don't and send payment with the way too high shipping cost, and I have to send a refund, maybe 6 or 7 a week. NOT ONE person has thanked me for sending the refund.
posted on December 12, 2008 11:06:37 AM new
But why would they thank you, Amber?
It's your chosen method of doing business that created the need for a refund in the first place.
You might want to be thinking about a different way to sell. Processing that many refunds probably triggers a red flag. Some wacko at Trust and Safety may decide that you're sending out a lot of refunds because you're trying to avoid paying higher PayPal fees. No matter that it doesn't make sense...
fLufF
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posted on December 12, 2008 12:03:11 PM new
fluffy: I would love to know a better way to do it. I have called eBay several times, and do it the way they suggest. Something like yarn needs to be sold by individual skeins because buyers need a specific amount. I have to put the shipping cost in for the one skein listed. I clearly have in my descriptions the cost of each multiple amount up to about 20, and in large red capital letters to contact me if they have bid on more than one item. You would think if they buy 10 skeins, and the shipping comes out to $50 plus, they would contact me to ask the correct amount.
Many yarn sellers are complaining about the same thing. There are few items sold on eBay where a buyer requires several identical items.
I sincerely hope that it does raise a red flag with eBay, maybe they will wake up and exclude certain categories like this. Also, they have the "more than 10" rule in amount of items for sale,which is rediculous for a category like thism where buyers need quite a few of the same thing, they have no idea how many I actually have listed, so have to write and ask each time. I was told they did this because "buyers are confused if there are more than 10 identical items listed". Well, my buyers are confused because they have no idea how may skeins I have listed.
posted on December 12, 2008 12:46:38 PM new
How awful Amber! Do you suppose you have so many NPB's because they freak out when they get to check out and see the inflated shipping total?
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posted on December 12, 2008 01:58:43 PM new
Amber,
"You would think" doesn't work on eBay any more. People want a clean hassle-free shopping experience. To some degree eBay is right: A lot of people want an Amazon-like shopping experience.
I realize that you are doing the best you can with what eBay recommends. However, a high number of refunds is a red flag for customer dissatisfaction and we all know how eBay feels about that. I believe the official policy is "Off With Their Heads!"
I guess I'm missing something -- I don't understand why you don't have Store listings for each quantity configuration:
1 skein Baa Baa Black Sheep Yarn
2 skeins Baa Baa Black Sheep Yarn
5 skeins Extra Itchy Red Flag Wool Yarn
etc.
I just bought 12 boxes of Quaker cereal on Amazon. It was sold by the 6-box case.
fLufF
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posted on December 12, 2008 02:04:50 PM new
fluffy: Yes, I do have the shipping for the number of skeins from 1 up to about 20 in my listings, but many people don't read the descriptions. The NPB's I have filed were almost all for auction style listings with the shipping clearly marked, so it is not that. The refunds I make are partial refunds because of overpayment. I think I will call eBay again and tell them I have having to do this because of the shipping policy.
posted on December 12, 2008 02:44:53 PM new
Amber - I notice some yarn sellers are running lot listings. Have you thought about taking common quantities (enough maybe for a sweater or an afghan) and listing a lot of that many skeins with set shipping? Then you could also run the single skein listings for those who just one or two skeins. With the FP30 multiple quantity listings with sales getting preference in search, I can see how you could approach it both ways. Or you could set up singles in your store. Is your shipping setting fixed price or calculated? I know that with Fixed price shipping you can set it to add a certain $ amount to increase with each additional item ordered (does not have to be the same as the first item ordered.)
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posted on December 12, 2008 03:56:51 PM new
neglus: I have tried or considered all those things. I do run some multiple amount auctions, they don't sell nearly as well as the single skeins. A sweater can be for a child, adult, large or small, and a specific # of skeins is needed. Buyers don't want to buy more than they need, and won't buy less than they need.
I ship from Canada, so I have to put our lowest small package rate for 1 skein, but if someone wants 4, that is multiplied 4 times, but I can usually ship 4 skeins for the same amount. I have called eBay several times, they are sympathetic, but all they can suggest is explaining the the amount that comes up for multiple amounts is wrong, and to contact me, and to add what different amounts would cost. That does work for about half the buyers, that is the ones that read the description.
I appreciate your suggestions.
posted on December 14, 2008 11:56:03 AM new
I have had a similar situation, except my buyers are leaving DSR's. My NPB have increased as well. The worst part is eBay isn't giving the "possible" free relist any more so if you have a NPB, you are stuck.
posted on December 14, 2008 12:39:53 PM new
Well fluffy, I keep filing NPB's. If sellers don't do that, these buyers are not going to be suspended. If they don't reply to the NPB, you can get the neg. feedback removed anyway.
posted on December 14, 2008 01:18:34 PM newYou're stuck with an NPB anyway, since you don't dare file a UPI claim for fear of feedback reprisal.
I'm with Amber on this one. I file the UPI on every deadbeat. I can't worry about DSR feedback or anything else that isn't in my control. Also a UPI will give the deadbeat a strike which as a seller I would hope that every seller would do. If all sellers do it, then we as other sellers would have some protection, even if it is a very small amount.
