Free Returns Ebay Promotion

May I ask what seller level you are at? Just wondering if that prompted the offer.

That promotion was in my Ebay messages today, too. I wasn’t even considering going free returns until I saw how it was working for others, but this promotion prompted me to switch all my listings to free returns.

They say they’ll only reimburse up to a maximum of $200 and they’ll only cover returns for buyers remorse, fit, etc., not for INAD. We have to pay for the return shipping up front and we’ll be reimbursed at the end of the promotion (or possibly sooner, I think it said).

I figure if I start getting close to the $200 amount and I’m not seeing enough increase in sales to support the free returns, I’ll change everything back.

Yes, I got the same message yesterday. Looks like a carrot to get those not currently offering free returns to try free returns. I’ll probably bite.

Looks like it only covers items listed between June 1st and June 15th though, so kind of misleading I think. At first glance I thought it would cover everything I listed from now through August.

Yes, I saw that so I will change over my current listings to free 30 day returns.

Interesting…we didn’t get that message at all.

I wonder who they targeted for this?

I was not offered this.

T-Satt,

If I recall correctly, havn’t you had free returns on?

I think they are doing it now because of the push they are making on free returns. Maybe they received negative feedback about free returns and decided to encourage it through this offer. In addition, I think it is a marketing push. You can not have a good free returns program if not enough sellers are participating. It could also be a data collection opportunity for them. If they are trying to dive deep into data collection, 3 months is a good time period in which to collect data in order to identify any trends and/or changes.

I do wonder what criteria they used (beside seperating out those who already offer free returns) to make the offers. Was it those with low return rates, those with a specific level of feedback, those with a certain level of store, those with a certain number of listings or was it a randomized pulling of stores who received offers? Only those deep inside the world of ebay (at the administrative level) know how sellers were chosen.

I received this email as well, and am in the process of switching my listings over to free returns just to try it out til August at least. I’m having a problem with my restocking fee still showing up on my current listings. I just spoke with an Ebay rep and they said that since my listings are good-til-cancelled, there is no way to turn off the restocking fee other than ending/re-listing the listing.

Does anyone know if there’s a way to turn off restocking fees without ending all of my items?

No, I do not think there is. If it is grayed out, it is locked into the listing. I think it is like the Good Till Canceled feature which becomes locked in once the listing is submitted. Actually, it looks like ebay has taken the restocking fee choice off of the listing page.

I would offer that you do not end all of your listings. I would offer that you only relist items with flaws that have been sitting around, and/or summer related items. Maybe even the ones with alot of views or with watchers. Then work on adding new listings -especially any higher priced items.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 10 months ago by AdventureE.

Okay, thank you! That makes sense. I have at least started ending and re-listing old listings that I should have updated before!

Hello All – T-Satt, I think eBay targeted top rated sellers with very low return rates and fast handling times who were NOT currently offering free returns. Which makes sense – eBay’s risk of paying for any returns will be low but eBay can still entice some hold-out sellers into trying free returns. I think eBay is hoping to show hold-out sellers that free returns are not going to have a negative impact on their business. Only time will tell if that is actually the case of course. I don’t think the offer is as good as it seems at first glance. It looks like it only covers items I LIST between June 1-15.

I’m guessing about the target criteria based on a message I recently got from eBay that said something about good job on my low return rate and fast handling time. I don’t remember what it said exactly as I ignore most stuff from eBay and just keep plugging away at listing. But I know I’d never gotten a good job message before and I’ve been at the same level on eBay for many years.

I did not get this message – and I have 3 different ebay accounts, so kind of bummed about that.

On top of that – I got a return request for an $80 designer piece and I’m starting to feel like buyers are treating ebay with free shipping and free returns like a free rent the runway. The buyer said it didn’t fit – but this was a stretchy thing and I included measurements – seemed like it would fit pretty much any woman – so I’m thinking they wore it once and now want to return it for free. Trying not to get crazy forum upset about this, but this is a bummer on my birthday. Grrr.

VT, I think you had to have a certain minimum amount of sales. I’m TRS with a perfect shipping record and hardly any returns but didn’t get the offer. I’m only Bronze level because of lower sales volume.

Can’t figure out who they targeted. I’m like you, Christine, TRS with good shipping and returns record and I’m also only a bronze level. Generally have somewhere between 200-250 items listed and usually only sell about 20-25 items per month.

Carrot. Donkey. Just say no!