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@workhorse
Returners gonna return.Returns are going to happen no matter how you have your store set up. You might as well get the extra savings on fees that come along with free shipping.
This year, I sold 1,165 unique items (if it’s not nailed down, I sell it – no commodity items here).
Out of those 1k + sales, I have had exactly one return based on a buyer changing their mind.
In addition to that one return, I have had about eight other instances where customers complained, fished for refunds, etc. Some I felt were valid, and some were ridiculous. Those eight returns would have happened regardless of my store policies.Because I offer next-day shipping with free returns, I saved approximately $500.00 in seller fees this year. The savings have more than covered my losses for those nine returns/refunds.
Thanks all for the excellent input. I have updated my listing according to your notes.
@zach on a jacket like this one, where does the sleeve start and end? I measured the leather portion, as I wasn’t sure if I should include the length of the cuffs.@Amatino Smart! I don’t think I have the energy to photograph a tape measure but I like the idea of reminding people where to look for the measurements.
Thanks Jay.
Thats about what I figured. Just want to make sure I shouldn’t be including some magical measurement that will help increase my chances of not getting a return.
Yeah I didn’t find any information about the artist. Every other person and their Mom her in the Southwest makes pottery. I’ve found some online resources to identify signatures, but usually dind them to be underwhelming.
Thanks guys I think I cracked it!
It’s amazing how easily someone else’s input can spark you to move something from the death pile to a listing.
@Jay “At the end of the day, I just dont need to be involved in a man and his hatred of taxation.”
Ahmen!
In the last ten years of selling stuff online, I have had one item opened and inspected. This was back when half.com would allow the seller to add a comment to the front of the shipping label. I printed the book’s title (something like) “History of Greeting Cards” on the shipping label. The postal office decided the package contained greeting cards (It didn’t. It was a book ABOUT greeting cards).
In 10 years, that is the one item that got returned, and when I brought it to the post office and explained their error, they sent it via priority mail for free.
My general policy is to err on the side of Media Mail and don’t worry about it too much. If you feel like you need a team of Talmudic scholars to decide whether or not it’s media mail – it’s probably not. But whatever, go for it.
I’ve sent out at least 1,000 media packages in the last ten years; if one out of every thousand is delayed or I lose a sale, I am still way ahead of the game.
In the case of the 8-tracks shipped with a case, you might want to look at UPS ground and Fed Ground. Since the recent USPS rate hikes, UPS & Fed Ex rates are surprisingly competitive, and shipping times are more reliable.
I seldom sell clothing. I don’t know if that category makes a difference. I have free returns turned on for almost everything in my inventory. I get a return request once every 2 or 3 months. And those are usually for small things that I can’t believe people would bother wanting to send back It’s worth the discount on the fees, and since you can’t avoid the crazies filing INADs it just makes sense.
The only items I don’t do free returns on are things that can be easily copied like DVDs (which have been opened).
I think we scavengers often forget we have a super power. We know how to send things in the mail. Do you realize how stressful shipping is for 90% of the population. Most people do not want to be bothered sending something back, they think it involves magic.
Thanks all – @Dahlyla – Yes!!! “puffy quilted textile wall art” my poor brain just could not pull those words together!
Very strange indeed. I had notice a glitch with the global shipping program. If my listing did not have package size indicated in the listing (even if shipping was free) – international buyers would be told to contact me to calculate shipping.
Curious if you are entering the box dimensions in your listings?
Just make sure you don’t share the story with someone who would kill rattlesnakes for profit. Mine was roadkill!
