RETURN ITEM is too much in a buyer's face.

[Anonymous]

Why does ebay feel that buyers need to see 'Return Item' so prominantly.

It has been suggested that ebay stands to benefit from increased returns.

Sellers who exceed a certain % of SNAD's or INR's will have to pay an extra

4% FVF ( which is equivalent of a 30-40% increase in FVF ).

I doctored a screenshot. A & B ?

[Anonymous]

I know that ebay has had the button prominance since way

before this Service Metric system was implimented but

now there is a direct benefit for ebay when sellers are penalised

for having too many returns.

I just can't think of an analogy for it 😞

[digital*ghost]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I know that ebay has had the button prominance since way

before this Service Metric system was implimented

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This is the pertinent part - and it means that the only thing that can genuinely provide some insight and / or something to base a theory on is hard data on whether return rates increased once that button was introduced. (And by hard data I mean verified stats collected from a large sample over a long enough period of time, pre & post the introduction of the button, and properly contextualised, eg there should be separate data on sellers who accepted returns and sellers who didn't). 

[silver-fox-bullion]

That why you have a returns policy on your listings and make hard as possible for the return to happen while being with in the laws....   EG a term for example buyer has to get a stat dec works well.     As long as you offer a returns policy you meet australian laws which you must as an australian seller.   Ebay CAN NOT go you if the buyer fails to meet one of your terms on your return policy 

[Anonymous]

"whether return rates increased"

Not sure when you interpreted my words to mean that returns had increased.
Strike "It has been suggested that ebay stands to benefit from increased returns." from the OP.
I should have more correctly stated

"It has been suggested that ebay stands to benefit from a certain % of returns when compared to a peer average"

Well let us assume that there was no increase in returns at all following the introduction of the button.

The same 'normal' level of returns in some sellers' cases would 'now' result in a FVF penalty.

Why would ebay not want a buyer to seek a solution by direct communication with a seller in the 'first instance ?

Perhaps ebay staff experience arbitrating between buyer and seller as the ultimate pleasure.

Ultimately ebay is not trying to eliminate 'seemingly' bad sellers but rather capitalising on them.

No hard data was harmed during the typing of this post.

[Anonymous]

Sorry Fox.

If a buyer pushes that 'Return Item' button and it's not for 'change of mind'

a SNAD is counted in your return metrics. It can not be removed.

The % can of course be diluted as more 'return free' sales are tallied. 

Does the law actually protect you from a buyer pushing the button?
Have you put it to the test ?

Just curious.

[sugar249]

Must admit I looked at your picture and the Return button is just as prominent as the Buy again button,  did I miss something.  Both in your face,  both legitimate options.

[Anonymous]

Yes both legitimate options.

If you sell on ebay wouldn't you prefer your buyer to contact you if they

have a problem or would you rather they initiate a return dispute,

denting your reputation and possibly costing you an extra 4% FVF

My argument is that Contact Seller should be most prominent.

The return button is practically a neon sign in single item purchases.

[digital*ghost]

From your OP: "It has been suggested that ebay stands to benefit from increased returns." This in turn implies that the visibility of an option to return items has increased return rates, and that eBay devised a system so that they benefit from said increase. 

Buyers have to select an INAD reason for the return in order for the request to count against the seller in their service metrics, and I honestly don't think any buyer is convinced or compelled to ask to return something based on the prominence or visibility of the option to do so.

Don't forget that eBay is a global site, and some countries actually have laws in place that are there to make things super easy for the buyer when shopping online, especially when it comes to returns (the EU's distance selling regulations, for example). The visibility and ease of access to an option to officially return an item isn't something that's unique to eBay (it can largely be considered - to use one of eBay's favourite terms - "industry standard" for a lot of the major shopping sites).

The service metrics stuff and potential consequences is something I personally take issue with, particularly because the comparison data is not shared. On mine, I have a return recorded for INAD, and while I'm sitting on "very low" on eBay's little bar, there is only 0.01% of a difference between that and "average" for my "peers", whoever they are. That isn't even one order, it's about 10% of one order for me. 

[sugar249]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Yes both legitimate options.

If you sell on ebay wouldn't you prefer your buyer to contact you if they

have a problem or would you rather they initiate a return dispute,

denting your reputation and possibly costing you an extra 4% FVF

My argument is that Contact Seller should be most prominent.

The return button is practically a neon sign in single item purchases.

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I do sell on Ebay, about 20 or 30 things a week,  and I must admit, buyers have often used the contact seller or buy again button, but never the Return buttons.