New Seller Dashboard

[nevillesdaughter]

I just spent a reasonable amount of time with eBay's customer service department attempting to clarify how the new seller dashboard will operate and was told some things I didn't understand before.

On looking at the pop-up page i was surprised so see that I had an open case against me that I had never been aware of. I was told it was from May 2013 and which sale it related to. The sale in question related to a new garment which the seller found had a damaged press stud. She contacted me, I immediately offered a partial refund to have it repaired, or an immediate full refund. She chose the full refund which I processed immediately through Paypal, and posted her an addressed pre-paid satchel to return the item, which she did. Apparantly she also opened an item not as described case (which I was never informed about - possibly because the money had already been refunded), and the record remains against my account as an "unresolved  case". When I complained about this I was told to talk to Paypal.

My next question was about the defect rate for "items out of stock or sold to someone else". I had already spoken to them about this because I had some recorded, when I had never given this reason for refunding, mainly because I don't carry lines of stock, or sell anywhere else.

It was explained to me that from now on, ANY refund through Paypal will automatically count as a defect against the seller, ANY case open against a seller - no matter whose favour the dispute is resolved in - will be counted as a defect against the seller, AND the buyer can still go on and leave negative feedback. The person I spoke to could not give me an example of a case where such a dispute would NOT count as a defect against the seller.

I was told this system was to encourage sellers and buyers to resolve issues themselves. I said "But if I do that and refund all or part of a buyer's money, I still get a defect for processing a refund through Paypal, and if I don't refund and the buyer opens a case, I get a defect automatically - regardless of the outcome". CORRECT.

She also told me that there was no "work around" of this in a case where the seller is not at all at fault.

In the past I have given people their money back for whatever reason, just to keep the peace and my feedback intact but right now I don't know what to do. If someone asks me to cancel a transaction - I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't....

I don't know about the rest of my fellow travellers in the selling game, but this scares the bejesus out of me....

Marina.

[go-tazz]

If they bring that in they will lose the majority of their sellers,(Chinese sellers should all be gone within the first

month),

[horizon1907]

Agree with you entirely on your post  I also have tried to untwist the information and am more confused. The word "DEFECT" is just bizarre to say the least. 

Anyone else have a clearer view than I ? 

[digital*ghost]

If that is true, their TRS+ standards are setting sellers up to be defective... (wherein you have to provide 30-day money back returns). 

To be honest, I think (make that I hope like heck) come August 20, some of these things will be ironed out properly and eBay staff will be comprehensively informed, and in turn, so will we...

  

[go-tazz]

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@digital*ghost wrote:

If that is true, their TRS+ standards are setting sellers up to be defective... (wherein you have to provide 30-day money back returns). 

To be honest, I think (make that I hope like heck) come August 20, some of these things will be ironed out properly and eBay staff will be comprehensively informed, and in turn, so will we...

  

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Hopefully they will see that it just wont work the way they plan to set it up,

[nevillesdaughter]

Me too - because right this minute I've received and email from a buyer who bought a snowboard glove/neckwarmer set - both items listed and tagged asXL with measurements included in the listing.

She says the gloves sre too big - do I have them in Medium? I don't, and in the past I would have taken them back and refunded if a customer was willing to cover the return post, and I would have sent a cancellation request with "sizing issue" as the reason and we all could have gone on with our lives.

Now I find myself trying to word a response that basically says "Tough luck, love" and hope I don't get dinged, for something that is in no way my fault....

Here's hoping,

Marina.

[cq_tech]

Marina, I'd be far more concerned about the possibility that the buyer will leave negative feedback if you don't replace the gloves with the size she really needs. I know it's not your fault as the measurements were in the listing, but an unhappy (and therefore angry) buyer is the last thing you need.

Anyway, as this ridiculously thought out "defect"system doesn't come into effect until August, there's no reason not to treat this buyer as you would have in the past, thereby guaranteeing a happy customer and positive feedback.

[nevillesdaughter]

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@cq_tech wrote:
Marina, I'd be far more concerned about the possibility that the buyer will leave negative feedback if you don't replace the gloves with the size she really needs. I know it's not your fault as the measurements were in the listing, but an unhappy (and therefore angry) buyer is the last thing you need.

Anyway, as this ridiculously thought out "defect"system doesn't come into effect until August, there's no reason not to treat this buyer as you would have in the past, thereby guaranteeing a happy customer and positive feedback.

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But my understanding is that the "statistics" for the new dashboard are being accrued and compiled now, and will be quoted for the 12 months leading up to August 2014 - it's not like we'll all start with a clean slate from August onwards. The same story applies to a rating of 3 in the stars now being considered a low rating.

If I refund this lady anything, I will receive a "defect" - even though the XL on my listing was in the Title, Item Specifics, and the Item description, along with actual measurements.

If I cop a negative, I will be on the phone to do my best to have it removed, whereas if I refund or send a mutual cancellation, there's nothing I can do to have an automatic "defect" removed - that's what they told me today.

Marina.

[cq_tech]

That's precisely the reason I called it a ridiculously thought out system. Seems that your dammed if you do, and dammed if you don't (I had to spell it as 'mm' or else ebay would have childishly bleeped it). 😞

[go-tazz]

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@nevillesdaughter wrote:

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@cq_tech wrote:
Marina, I'd be far more concerned about the possibility that the buyer will leave negative feedback if you don't replace the gloves with the size she really needs. I know it's not your fault as the measurements were in the listing, but an unhappy (and therefore angry) buyer is the last thing you need.

Anyway, as this ridiculously thought out "defect"system doesn't come into effect until August, there's no reason not to treat this buyer as you would have in the past, thereby guaranteeing a happy customer and positive feedback.

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But my understanding is that the "statistics" for the new dashboard are being accrued and compiled now, and will be quoted for the 12 months leading up to August 2014 - it's not like we'll all start with a clean slate from August onwards. The same story applies to a rating of 3 in the stars now being considered a low rating.

If I refund this lady anything, I will receive a "defect" - even though the XL on my listing was in the Title, Item Specifics, and the Item description, along with actual measurements.

If I cop a negative, I will be on the phone to do my best to have it removed, whereas if I refund or send a mutual cancellation, there's nothing I can do to have an automatic "defect" removed - that's what they told me today.

Marina.

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