To recap, here is the announcement that came out of eBay HQ yesterday:
Update to Feedback Removal Policy – Customs Fees
Many of our cross-border sellers have asked for help when they receive a negative/neutral Feedback rating because they wouldn’t mark an item as “gift” in order to sidestep customs fees. eBay will now remove Feedback if a) the listing meets the Customs Requirements below and b) the seller receives a negative or neutral Feedback comment which references customs delays or customs fees.
The following text, or very similar wording, must be included in the listing and be:
* In the format below
* In a font size no smaller than the majority of the other text in the item description
* Prominently displayed (in the upper half of the description, free-standing, etc.)“International Buyers – Please Note:* Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility.
* Please check with your country’s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying.”In addition, sellers may wish to include additional helpful statements for their buyers, such as:
* “These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up – do not confuse them for additional shipping charges.”
* “We do not mark merchandise values below value or mark items as ‘gifts’ – US and International government regulations prohibit such behavior.”To learn more, please read eBay’s Feedback Removal Policy.
You can read the full announcement here.
I get the issue at hand. Buyers get charged a fee when the item goes through customs. They want the seller to mark everything “gift” or lie about the value which is, like, a federal offense. I understand this entire issue and have lived this debate over with buyers many times. I believe I also have a very informal version of what eBay wants us to add already in my FAQ about why I won’t mark as gift.
But here are the parts that I don’t get:
First off, if buyers is genuinely confused and thinks the customs fees are additional shipping fees from the seller (which is what the eBay recommended text tries to educate them on) then, more than likely, instead of negative feedback, aren’t these people just leaving a low shipping cost DSR? I mean, I don’t have any hard data on this but I know personally that when I buy something from eBay and I like it but I know I got burned on shipping, I leave a positive with all high DSRs but low shipping costs and it seems pretty logical that international buyers would do the same thing.
DSRs have basically created this world of Negative Positive Feedback where I can write “Everything was perfect!” leave a positive feedback and then give 1 stars across the boards. It’s passive aggressive and in a world where we sellers are begging them to not give us negative feedback, it’s the way most people who are unhappy go now since we will never know it was them.
Now, assuming this is what is happening more often than negative feedback, how does this new feedback policy help? DSRs are anonymous! I cannot ask to have a low shipping cost DSR removed because of customs because I don’t know which person left me that message.
That issue aside, let’s look at true negative/neutral feedback in this case. Does that means that, if you have their magic message, you can get any negative feedback removed from an international buyer or does it specifically have to mention customs fees? How can they possibly regulate this? What’s stopping me, as an international buyer, to say “Mark my item as a gift or I will leave negative feedback that says the item arrived broken.” In theory, eBay will only be able to remove the feedback if the message relates to customs.
It’s like sellers asked for something like this to combat buyers who are unscrupulously trying to blackmail them into marking an item as a gift and eBay is trying to combat it with an, everyone is basically good philosophy. “Just educate them in the ways of customs and let us know if they anything in their negative feedback that is specifically about customs and we will help.” That situation is too specific to ever be of any good to anyone.
And yet, even as I sit here and cannot think of a single situation in which is policy will ever help me in any way, I am going to add that recommended text to my listings just the same for the “just in case” part of me and I’ll bet you’re going to do that same.
What do you guys think? I know there are sellers out there who were eager for a customs policy so do you feel like you got what you wanted?
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I’ve never gotten a neg stating customer thought I overcharged because they misunderstood their customs fee. I mean, I guess I could be getting dinged on shipping DSRs for this, but since nobody has said anything to me I’m going to assume that I’m not.
When I first read the suggestions I thought it was a pretty decent idea, then I rolled it around in my head and decided there was no need to lengthen my listings by adding this text to them. So I’m not going to jump to add it, though who knows, I might do it eventually for the same reason, just to cover myself.
What I don’t understand is if eBay is suggesting international sellers more or less add a standardized statement to their TOS, why not just do it for us? They haven’t been shy about including other messages throughout the site. Can’t they just add it to the selling template themselves down by the area giving international shipping quotes? If the seller isn’t offering international shipping then the message doesn’t appear. This is one case where I don’t think sellers would mind.
Thanks,Cliff
I’ve never gotten a neg stating customer thought I overcharged because they misunderstood their customs fee. I mean, I guess I could be getting dinged on shipping DSRs for this, but since nobody has said anything to me I’m going to assume that I’m not.
When I first read the suggestions I thought it was a pretty decent idea, then I rolled it around in my head and decided there was no need to lengthen my listings by adding this text to them. So I’m not going to jump to add it, though who knows, I might do it eventually for the same reason, just to cover myself.
What I don’t understand is if eBay is suggesting international sellers more or less add a standardized statement to their TOS, why not just do it for us? They haven’t been shy about including other messages throughout the site. Can’t they just add it to the selling template themselves down by the area giving international shipping quotes? If the seller isn’t offering international shipping then the message doesn’t appear. This is one case where I don’t think sellers would mind.
Thanks,Cliff
That was my take on this too, Cliff. Firstly, I have never had an issue with the gift thing. Some people ask, I say no, we move on. A few emailed after they got their item to ask about it, I explained, we moved on. I have never had it be a big enough issue that I was clamoring for policy change.
But your bring up a really good point. Why can’t they just add it to the verbiage of the site during international checkout?
It’s like they want to throw the responsibility on the sellers for something that is mostly totally out of our control.
That was my take on this too, Cliff. Firstly, I have never had an issue with the gift thing. Some people ask, I say no, we move on. A few emailed after they got their item to ask about it, I explained, we moved on. I have never had it be a big enough issue that I was clamoring for policy change.
But your bring up a really good point. Why can’t they just add it to the verbiage of the site during international checkout?
It’s like they want to throw the responsibility on the sellers for something that is mostly totally out of our control.
I’m shocked that eBay didn’t come up with a defence stating they made this policy because some sellers prefer to mark the item as gift or agree to pay all customs fees for the buyer. Does any seller do that? If not then just make a global disclaimer that says buyers are responsible for all customs fees like when eBay says “sellers are not responsible for actual transit times.” They could put it right next the international shipping and handling charges.
ebuyerfb’s last blog post..Anonymous Bidding and You
ebuyerfb,
I like your point. I mean, its basically illegal. Rather than making this seller by seller, they should be regulating this on a site wide level. If they really cared, they would make it a violation of the TOS to even mark a package as GIFT.
I know that some sellers do this for buyers but the fact is that they shouldn’t be. It’s like the people doing the right thing are now being punished rather than the other way around.
This honestly makes less sense the more I talk about it.
I’m shocked that eBay didn’t come up with a defence stating they made this policy because some sellers prefer to mark the item as gift or agree to pay all customs fees for the buyer. Does any seller do that? If not then just make a global disclaimer that says buyers are responsible for all customs fees like when eBay says “sellers are not responsible for actual transit times.” They could put it right next the international shipping and handling charges.
ebuyerfb’s last blog post..Anonymous Bidding and You
ebuyerfb,
I like your point. I mean, its basically illegal. Rather than making this seller by seller, they should be regulating this on a site wide level. If they really cared, they would make it a violation of the TOS to even mark a package as GIFT.
I know that some sellers do this for buyers but the fact is that they shouldn’t be. It’s like the people doing the right thing are now being punished rather than the other way around.
This honestly makes less sense the more I talk about it.
i am always facing custom issues with my buyers. i had some buyers who brought from me and when they are being taxed, they do not want to pick up the item and filed a item not received dispute. i lose my money and it is not even my fault…
Courier Services – Always Deliver!
i am always facing custom issues with my buyers. i had some buyers who brought from me and when they are being taxed, they do not want to pick up the item and filed a item not received dispute. i lose my money and it is not even my fault…
Courier Services – Always Deliver!
Ive just been hit by this situation, UK buyer paid $12.00 Customs Fee, left me a neg and '1' all my DSR's. …why is his countries 5% gst policy my problem?
She has basically may have ruined my business(small seller), sales in the trash for christmas, and I maybe suspended.
Crazy, I blame eBay for this, buyers will inevitably act irrational at times, especially female ones(sorry but its true). 5 negs in nine years, 4 outa 5 from woman. Ebay has created this ridiculous system, now im spending my day filing disputes, refunding fees Im not responsible for, ebay is reviewing the case, of course again 'work from home' employee of ebay deciding fate of my business between a bag of doritos…. stupid ebay.[end rant]
it's so weird you find that women are more of the problem. It must be specifically the way you interact with them. I have had an equal # of problems with both sexes but 9 out of 10 we are more likely to come to a good resolution with female customers regardless of the sex of the operator handling the case. This is true of my own company and the work I have done elsewhere.
Maybe you need to rethink the way you a approaching your customer service?
There was no interaction, or opportunity for interaction, she just slammed me with no warning, irrational impulsive attack without chance of discussion…as it was in every case. Your just defending woman, it had nothing to do with customer service nice try.
it’s so weird you find that women are more of the problem. It must be specifically the way you interact with them. I have had an equal # of problems with both sexes but 9 out of 10 we are more likely to come to a good resolution with female customers regardless of the sex of the operator handling the case. This is true of my own company and the work I have done elsewhere. nnMaybe you need to rethink the way you a approaching your customer service?
There was no interaction, or opportunity for interaction, she just slammed me with no warning, irrational impulsive attack without chance of discussion…as it was in every case. Your just defending woman, it had nothing to do with customer service nice try.