Resellers don’t want to get returns. Over the last two years, we have only had one return, and today we’re going to talk about how and why we’ve kept that number so low.
Returns will happen in your reselling business, but some things are within your control that you can do to minimize them.
Our Experience With Returns
In the last two years, we’ve had four open cases for returns. We won three of them and ended up having to take one.
The one return we took was completely our fault with the listing, so we took it and resold the item after we relisted it. Out of all four items, it was the cheapest too. It was a $250 issue, so it wasn’t a huge ordeal at the end of the day.
The other open cases were situations where somebody had altered an item. eBay is the middleman in these situations, so it’s essential to have proof of an item’s condition upon shipping to show eBay if you ever need to prove something.
One time a buyer reached out to me on eBay and said something fell off and broke. He contacted us and said it was broken already, but I could tell from the picture that the straps used in the image weren’t mine, which meant someone had already moved it. They asked for a partial refund. I had previously messaged the guy, and he said he didn’t want a forklift and was just going to lift the pallet. It was heavy, so they probably lifted it and dropped it. I wrote back and said, “Yeah, I can see those aren’t my straps. Somebody’s already moved it around,” and then I never heard back from him.
Don’t get upset when someone asks for the return, and immediately jump into giving them a refund. It’s important to dig in and figure out what’s going on.
Under-promise And Over-Deliver
One thing you can do to reduce returns is lower buyer expectations. In your listing, make sure you describe the item accurately. List defects, scrapes, scuffs, and things like that. You almost want to make the item sound worse, so when the buyer gets it, they’re pleasantly surprised. Under-promise and over-deliver is what we live by now.
They are going off my pictures when I’m selling something and don’t have a chance to inspect it, so you need to set proper expectations before the sale even goes through. Take pictures of the imperfections too.
Flip High-Profit Items
This is something to consider regarding your business model. We sell high profit items that are often larger too. Higher-value items tend to attract a serious buyer that is usually easier to work with. If they spend $1,000 to $2,000, they want to read everything, communicate with you, and make a purchase that works for them. They are less likely to be nitpicking and looking for a return if the item is accurately portrayed in the listing.
With those higher value items, you attract a better quality customer. Returns could still happen, so it’s essential to put a reserve of money away, so you’re padded in case they happen.
Low Volume Reduces Returns
Our business model is high profit, low volume. If you can switch your business model to higher-value items but fewer of them, you’re likely to decrease returns. Last year we had around 70 sales. We usually have between 60-100 sales annually. When you increase sales to hundreds or thousands, you increase the potential for return requests. This is a cool model because you are dealing with fewer people.
To avoid mistakes in your reselling business, check out our 5 Mistakes That Resellers Make intro course. Get started reselling on the right foot!
Show Notes
5 Mistakes That Resellers Make
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