To measure or not to measure?

So, new changes coming up on eBay November 1st.

 

I will be continuing as I have too much stock to get rid of.

 

Having a think about strategies to prevent SNADs as much as possible.

 

So what is the current thinking about providing measurements for garments - and maybe other stock too? I know it has come up a bit in previous discussions, but I would like to get more ideas.....

 

At the moment I do give mm, which I think is part of good customer service.  Now more interested in survival.  

 

Logically, if mm aren't given, then if there is less for the buyer to dispute?  After all, mm can be a bit arbirary if there is stretch in the fabric, or you take a waist mm from a different place than the buyer, etc etc etc.  Not saying I'm inaccurate, it's just not an exact science.

 

I could state in the listings for buyer to request mm instead.  This would also save alot of time and I could do listings faster.  Then if the buyer wants mm, take a photo of the item with the tape measure when I do it  <<this would be too time-consuming for every garment, I would rather rip my nails out with pliers>>

 

Of course I would provide mm in listings for select reasons, like a really small/large size compared to label, european or designer sizing, etc.

 

OR do others think that NOT giving mm will initiate more SNADs if clothes don't fit?

 

Do people ever read the mm anyway?

 

Thoughts??!!

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To measure or not to measure?

You will see my red dot was because buyer "claimed" the measurement I provided was not accurate.  Call to eBay, they suggested that I put a tape measure next to item I was providing measurement for.  Buyer wins because it is "their opinion".  Seller loses because they can't prove buyers' "opinion"  is wrong.  Smiley Frustrated

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To measure or not to measure?

I understand you have time constraints, but give the measurements, especially if you tended to do so in the past. I have bought many, many clothing items here and appreciate measurements being given upfront. Clothing sizing is so all over the place it is not in itself reliable. If I need to ask for measurements, well, my time is constrained too. I won't unless the item is superspecial. I will move on to the next seller.

 

 

Attention to detail is also the sign of a seller who cares about the buyer. It makes a good impression.

 

Some sellers will also mention if the material has any give, to give a complete picture of how the garment would fit.


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Buttercup: You mock my pain! Man in Black: Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.
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To measure or not to measure?

lyndal1838
Honored Contributor

I buy quite a lot of clothing on ebay and I like measurements....there is just too much variation between brands.

If the fabric has stretch then it should be stated.  As an example elastic waist skirts or pants could be listed with the waist measurement as xx unstretched and xxx fully stretched.

 

I used to buy just brand names that I knew as I had some idea whether they would suit me but I soon found a couple of sellers who listed other brands with measurements so I could check for myself. I now have the confidence to buy from those sellers on measurements alone and rarely do they not fit....I have had a couple of disasters that look awful, but not because they don't fit and not the seller's fault.

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To measure or not to measure?

as a seller: I am just going to continue to write approx. if front of my measurements, so if they are slightly out it's covered.

As a buyer: there are too many sellers who don't give measurements, I get so sick of having to ask.

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To measure or not to measure?

I would suggest measurements with a disclaimer along the lines of the "colour variations due to monitor settings" one - eg if I had included one for my own listings (used to sell clothing), it would be something like:

 

Please note, measurements provided are taken from a single side with the garment lain flat and relaxed. Results may differ according to how the the garment is placed and measured. 

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To measure or not to measure?


@digital*ghost wrote:

I would suggest measurements with a disclaimer along the lines of the "colour variations due to monitor settings" one - eg if I had included one for my own listings (used to sell clothing), it would be something like:

 

Please note, measurements provided are taken from a single side with the garment lain flat and relaxed. Results may differ according to how the the garment is placed and measured. 


I do put the "approx" in my listings, and whether the item has stretch.

 

I've thought of putting a disclaimer too, but I don't know if that would hold any water in a dispute?

 

Also thinking of the seller recently who put mm on a pair of sandals and the buyer claimed SNAD, even though the seller was 100% accurate.  Would she have been better off not having the mm at all?

 

Then it's back to photographing every garment with a measuring tape, which I'm not prepared to do.

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To measure or not to measure?

Please don't put "measurements taken when laying flat" because I always picture the poor selling laying down flat trying to take the pic  😄

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To measure or not to measure?

It's tricky, because there are a lot of variables one could try to account for - everything from the behaviour of the material to how it's supposed to fit (eg a size 10 top can have the same basic measurements as a size 14 top if they are styled to fit differently), but the biggest problem to account for is there's no universal sizing that means something like a size 12 = size L = the same for all brands etc, so ball-park measurements are fairly necessary.  

 

The way I see it, the best way to avoid INAD is to do what you can to let buyers know what to expect, rather than to do what you can to give youself the best chance of winning a dispute (it - theoretically - should be same / same anyway, in a perfect world). If a buyer is hell-bent on getting a refund via a dispute, they'll typically look for ways to do it  regardless of what is or isn't in the description, so the best advice I can really give is to cater for the buyers who will respect the job you do, are interested in the item and provide the info they'd be looking for. (I know it's not the advice you've asked for, but the only other thing I had was at least one image showing the most pertinent measurements with the tape - eg chest for a t-shirt - and as that's ruled out, I got nuthin else Smiley Embarassed Smiley LOL ). 

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To measure or not to measure?

I shall continue to give measurements, both stretched and unstretched if appropriate, as I have always done. I will continue to do everything I have always done until there is a significant change in buyer habits and I start to lose any money.

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