One of the most straightforward ways for eBay sellers to set themselves ahead of other sellers is to have a clear returns policy. In fact, research completed by eBay itself shows that difficulty in returning items is the most common shopping problem encountered by eBay buyers. As a result, those sellers with clearly spelt out customer returns policies can have an edge over the competition.
According to eBay, only a very small percentage of sold items are actually returned. eBay already has a number of rules set in place for business sellers, and sellers are legally bound to offer buyers a ‘cooling off’ period of 7 working days after receipt of all Buy It Now items with few exceptions. Within this period, a buyer can choose to cancel the purchase.
As a seller, you should clearly detail your customer returns policy according to your legal obligations of the business and how the buyer can return the item. Here are some customer returns policy options to consider:
- Refunds (for example, will returns be accepted for a full money back refund or only store credit?)
- Time limits (how long are customer returns accepted for? i.e. 30 days, 10 days, etc)
- Postage and packaging charges – State who will be required to pay for return postage and package
- Item condition – State what condition a returned item must be in for it to be accepted, such as “unopened box” or “opened box with all original materials”.
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