To measure or not to measure?

[black*poppy]

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??!!

[dresscode2479]

As a seller - I am one seller that has had an item not as described with sandals due to buyer lying over measurements - now days I photograph all shoes with the tape measure. I will never put actual measurements in a shoe listing again.

As OP mentioned this process is just way too time consuming to do with clothing.

I will continue to put the 'approx' measurements for clothes in though, because:-

As a buyer - I get frustrated by sellers who dont. For example, I was looking last night to replicate a favourite skirt that I have. It fits perfectly, both around the waist and in length.

I browsed by brand name last night without any restrictions on size as I know that the actual size of the garment can vary from what size is on the tag with this particular brand. I have many of their items and I can be one of three different sizes. I measured my favourite skirt and set about finding one with similar measurements.

There would have been at least 5 that I was interested in but the sellers did not include measurements. Sorry but I dont have the time to message each seller asking for measurements and then wait for the reply. A couple were ending within 12 hours anyway so the chance of getting a reply were diminished.

There are too many others out there with measurements. 

So in summary, it is my opinion that any seller who does not include measurements will surely be losing customers.

I am listing my clothes in the hope that saying approx will help me in any SNAD dispute. 

[staypeachy]

hi i always measure and say laying flat from side to side and i do legs and arms its painful but i like to cover myself i also stretch it out and put stretches comfortably to such and such  measurement i agree with other poster i get sick of asking for measurements and alot of time sellers dont answer so thats their loss and i do put approx as well i sell costumes but am thinking of giving that a miss on here as most people only want them once and im sure theyll end up with a reason to be returned i must admit im dreading 1st nov

[bellabelinda2000]

I would really like to be able to read posts without wondering if English really is my first language.  Acronyms have become so commonplace that people think they don't have to explain what they are. In legal documents, definitions are set out thus - Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and thereafter referred to as SEC, so everyone knows what is being referred to. In this instance, I have no idea what SNADs means and I can only assume that mm refers to millimetres (used everywhere except in the US).  I recently had to email an ebay seller to ask what BNWT meant.  I was astonished to learn that it meant "brand new without tags:)!  Who would have guessed??

If sellers want to use acronyms instead of spelling out what they really mean, can we have a dictionary somewhere on ebay so buyers/sellers can look up what an acronym means?  When selling, I always post measurements, because when buying I always want to know the dimensions of an item I am going to buy.  Both Imperial and Metric systems are used in Australia because metric was introduced gradually from about 1970 and there are still people who don't understand the metric system fully and so it is easier to post both, especially for the benefit of the US market.

I would never buy an item unless I knew all about it, especially its dimensions - for instance, I don't want a vase that is 3ft. tall and 2ft wide, but I might want one that is 15cm x 6cm.

[bigbrickshop]

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@bellabelinda2000 wrote:

If sellers want to use acronyms instead of spelling out what they really mean, can we have a dictionary somewhere on ebay so buyers/sellers can look up what an acronym means?  .

---

Here you go  ..

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/account/acronyms.html

[bellabelinda2000]

Oh, Great One! Your reward will be many buyers!!

[staypeachy]

hi no isnt it BNWT brand new with tags and BNWOT brand new without tags ahh it can all be very confusing

[2011.narelle]

Clothing will be the worst hit under the HFR system,someone quoted a 28% return rate on clothing.eBay wants buyers to have returns for any reason so if you don't return for change of mind (no defect),the buyer will make up an INR so you will be returning & refunding with a defect as well.

I put measurements in flat cm as it is most easily understood & is easier with a tapemeasure for buyer & seller.Peoples left to their own devices to convert mm to cm may get it wrong & well it does make the measurement look bigger.

People are obsessed with tag sizing despite the fact that it is nearly never accurate.I write tag Sz in the main title,then in the listing i also add- fits like a Sz..or fits true to size.& mannequin is a tall Sz8-10 so they can see how it fits.I also add if i have pinned it when it's a larger size.

I'm happy with this system & my only neg about this was from a serial neg leaver,1 month after she bought it.Never had a compaint or email from a buyer about sizing,so it works for me.

I don't see that i would include pics with the tapemeasue as it would be tedious & waste pic space.

eBay rarely look at evidence in the current system in the U.S so i don't see this as helpful in avoiding a SNAD.

I think clothes selling will be a bit of pot luck with returns,defects & negs which will be extremely difficult to avoid.

[black*poppy]

Thanks to all those who responded to the discussion!  

So my take from all this is that it is better to continue to put in measurements (mm) to promote more sales, rather than being defensive by omitting them for the fewer possible SNAD cases.

Because more sales is the point after all, and there are going to be cases anyway, for all sorts of stupid reasons.

Ghost, that was beautifully put "..... 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".

I'm a bit suprised actually, I thought there would be more support for not putting in measurements.  I think on another thread someone said that their sales improved since dropping them.  It's encouraging to hear that people do use them when buying clothing (I have to admit I rarely do, I prob keep buying familiar brands instead) so it doesn't seem such a waste of time.  

[egglesdtp]

The only further suggestion I would make is to put the measurements in centimetres, not millimetres. (Why would you choose to use mm? - these are never used on actual labels when they are provided)

I wouldn't dream of not putting measurments in my clothing listings, and as a buyer, if measurements are not included, I don't bother looking any further unless it is something that really interests me. So if I have to ask, the seller has usually lost me.

As I sell primarily one-off women's clothing, I am not going to make any new lisitngs until December, after gauging how the new conditions are working.

[cherry*135]

How would a prospective buyer know if a pair of long pants/jeans was described as Size 12  would fit them? With no measurements given.. they could be a bit small around the waist, a bit short in the leg etc. Bearing in mind (especially if buying pre-owned clothing) the eBay buyer can't just pack them up and send them back if they don't fit and ask for the next size up or down like you can if you buy new items from larger online retailers.

If measurements are given the buyer can compare the item listed to a similar item of clothing they already own.

Yes, cm is used normally for clothes measurements.