Refund for change of mind?

[press_play_au]

Hi all,

I am having an issue with a buyer wanting a return. Lately ebay returns seem to be getting really out of hand.  I am finding it very difficult to work out how to make any of these buyers happy. Is it just me?

I sell clothes for young women and they don't seem to be able to understand that we don't refund for purchases because they don't like how the item fits them. They seem to think it is entirely natural to buy a dress online, have it sent to them, try it on, then return it for their money back. Since when did ebay become a virtual change room? 

Check out this message;

Hello I would like to return the dress because I am not a fan of it. I also do not like the zipper on the dress it is not an easy zipper to unzip and zip. Please give me the address that I should return the dress to. I will be sending it back right away has not been worn at all.

Is it just me or is this crazy? 

Does anybody think that it would be wrong for me to refuse? And if I do refuse how do I word the reply without this buyer getting **bleep** off at me?

[digital*ghost]

Your return policy states that you accept returns, so you can't turn them down I'm afraid - you need to honour your terms.

If you do not want to accept change of mind returns, I would advise either changing your return policy to no returns accepted (as that is technically meant to only be for what you offer buyers in addition to their basic consumer rights), or, as some other sellers do, state that returns are accpted but only on certain conditions, and be very clear about what those conditions are, so that if you get a buyer wanting to make a change of mind return in the future, you can refer them to your terms as they are displayed on listings.

Personally, on listings where I do not want to accept change of mind returns, I select "No returns accepted", then clarify in the listing in big, bold type that even though I won't accept a COM return, I will be more than happy to assist if the item is faulty or doesn't match the description.

[press_play_au]

my returns policy says that we don't accept returns for items that do not fit the way you would like them to and in my listing i have elaborated onthe fact that we don't accept returns for change of mind. I assumed the returns policy was to outline how long the seller has to return the item in the case of fault and similiar.

[robinsonmarineparts]

Hi,

I feel for you, in my game i get it because people can't read, eg- suits  2/stroke 1989-2004

Someone buys it then **bleep**es because it wont fit, i talk to then and find out it's a 4/stroke 2007 model!

So to save the you know what i'll replace the item but the buyers won't pay me for the second lot of postage, so i get stung with the expense of there mistake.

[digital*ghost]

I just wanted to add...

I know your policy states "We will not offer returns for items that do not fit the way you would like them to or because you failed to check your measurements", so you do have some conditions, but the buyer's issue seems to be more than that and I think you would be better off covering a few more bases, eg start by stating that you will not accept change of mind returns, then provide some examples of what constitues change of mind - not fitting when it matches the measurements, not liking the colour or pattern, doesn't match shoes bought previously or scared the cat..etc. 😉

[press_play_au]

hahaha, this is gold! I love it. I am adding it to my policy straight away.

[press_play_au]

thanks robinsonmarineparts. It really does suck, i spend so much time trying to carefully reply to these customers because they get quite nasty.

I have another buyer today requesting a refund because they washed a dress they purchased and the colour has run. I don't even know how to reply to this. The dress has washing instructions on the tag. I also state in the listing the item needs to be handwashed (not machine washed and not soaked which is what i assume they have done) and I send a printed card with a thank you message and washing instructions in the parcel. Why is it that I am somehow responsible for their lack of knowledge in the laundry?

Aaargh!

[digital*ghost]

I developed a kind of formula for replying to customers when an issue came up, and I don't mean that I have a copy/paste response that's intended as a catch-all reply (I do for some circumstances, but not for replies to specific issues).

The formula is basically this: Thank them for contacting me, acknowledge the issue, state specifically what I am able  to do about it. If there's nothing I can (or perhaps will) do about it, I may say something like Unfortunately, I will not be able to accept a return for this item due to [eg outside of my stated time frame, or otherwise doesn't meet  a return condition etc], but you are welcome to have full use of my listing images and description if you wish to onsell the item. 

[press_play_au]

Thanks, digitalghost. I can't express how helpful that was. I've been sitting here thinking that i wish someone would write my email for me because I just dont know what to say anymore and its almost as though my perception of my responsibilities as a seller are becoming blurred in the past few months. I am having trouble defining what is right and wrong especially through the eyes of ebay. Or maybe i should just accept that on ebay as a seller i am always wrong.

[press_play_au]

so now that you have done an oustanding job rewriting my returns policy and response to refund emails for me, would you consider writing the rest of my new listings? Hahaha