30 times? Why do you do this? Surely you could find something more constructive to do with your time?

Maybe once they reach that level they drop the account and start another one.

Easy returns makes it easy….

Slightly OT but why are Chinese sellers not ‘business sellers’? Anyone know? It seems incredible that there are now hundreds of ‘private’ sellers in China flooding the Beads catagory with FREE under 99p auction listings….

(They must be free as only about 5% sell… if that .)

Not to mention the websites that don’t display a phone number and say that the reason is that “we can answer your questions quicker via email” …?!?

Sue I always exchange the item and make no issues. I have not met a customer yet who did not think it was reasonable to only refund the cost of the item. I always make sure customers are delighted.

If you follow DSR to the letter of the law they are allowed to actually use the item and then return without the box meaning it can not be resold. I would go bust if a large number of buyers did this.

Most Buy It Now purchases are protected by the Distance Selling Regulations, which allow you to cancel the purchase within seven working days after the day you receive the item.

and anyone signed into the new Smart FAQs seems to have a much more detailed answer that boils down to the same thing.

If eBay took it any further, of course, they’d have to offer an easy buyer-initiated cancellation process (one-click cancellation before dispatch, like Amazon, maybe), which I suspect they’re avoiding because they’re scared people would use it to get around eBay fees.

And FWIW, this is a European issue, not just a UK one, as the UK DSRs are based on an EU directive and all member states have similar laws in place.

#29 Looks like you’re right. I thought you only had to make customers aware that their statutory rights are unaffected. We go beyond this anyway but most “webshops” are a very long way from being compliant.

As I’m understanding it, you have to inform your buyers that they have the right to cancel. The 3 months + 7 days is a different issue – the cancellation *period* if you do not specify a different length of time. I’m prepared to stand corrected, but that’s how I read it so far.

You don’t have to inform the customers of their cancellation rights, however if you don’t then the terms of return are skewed into the buyers favour (3 months + etc days blah blah).

If you don’t have any terms and conditions then the maximum is applied under the DSRs.

“I don’t refund postage costs”

But, you must also state that it does not affect your statutory rights, which are that you are entitled to a FULL refund including postage costs.

The seller is only breaking the law if he refuses to give a full refund when asked.

The buyer needs to know their rights. However it’s good business practice to go beyond the minimum that the law requires.

That is what worries me. I know the regulations say that but I don’t do that. I have not had a customer yet who has raised an issue. I don’t want the new process to force me into changing my policy.

#17, if you do it the old way (claim fees back through unpaid item dispute), then your fees are credited on your next invoice anyway.

If the item isn’t faulty, and they’ve just changed their minds, then we ask them to send it back to us themselves, and always say that as it isn’t faulty, we aren’t able to refund any postage costs.

seems to work ok

If an item is faulty/mis-sold/sent in error I normally return the postage cost but if the item is returned because the customer has changed their mind I don’t,

Aaaaargh!!!

In practical terms it is always good for the seller to refund the return postage ( helps turn a bad sale into a returning customer)