10 Tips on Staying Under the Radar & Getting Fewer Violations

Next we’ll discuss best selling practices, how to stay under eBay’s radar and tips for getting fewer violations… let’s get to it!

Let’s be frank.. some buyers can be rude and obnoxious. Unfortunately you cannot afford to stoop to their level. In every communication with your buyers you must remain cool and collected, responding to them in a professional, non-confrontational manner. Leave your emotions out of it if possible. Let buyers spout off all they want about how you are a terrible seller and how they are going to report you to eBay and PayPal. Think your response through and use only facts when responding. Never threaten the buyer in any way. Never use foul language. Never be insulting or condescending, even if a potential buyer asks silly questions. Stick to the facts and you will be fine. This same advice applies to communications with employees of eBay and PayPal.

Naturally, you’ll want to list your item(s) in the best possible light. However to protect account you must avoid making claims that you cannot back up. For example, if you are selling a software program don’t say “easy installation” if it comes with thirty pages of instructions on how to install it. Never list your items as “Brand New” unless they really are brand new. If your items are used, avoid the temptation to overstate the condition of your items. Honesty in your listings will go a long way toward avoiding returns for “Item Not as Described”.

Today’s buyers expect to receive their items quickly and in good condition. If you only go to the Post Office once a week, you are going to have problems with buyer complaints. You’ll also want to use tracking as often as possible. Tracking allows the buyer and eBay to see that the items were shipped and the current status. It builds trust and that is key to building an account that will last.

At some point, you will be called. If not by eBay or PayPal, a customer may request your information (on eBay) and try to call you. If the number is disconnected, or has been re-assigned to someone else, they may report that and it could bring scrutiny to your account. You may also have problems getting your money out of PayPal after your account has been suspended if you no longer have access to the original phone number that you gave them. Many low cost numbers are available (Listed in Step 5: New Phone Number).

If you have an item that is generating multiple complaints due to the quality of the item, you might want to re-think selling that item. Low quality items cause headaches and lost accounts. That “great deal” you got on those items from China is only a “great deal” if they do not break down quickly and are not easily damaged in shipping. A remote control for your Television may be a bargain at $2, but not if it falls apart after a week.

The average return rate for online retailers across the board is 3.2%. Ideally, you will want to keep your return rate lower than that, in fact under 1% is ideal. That can be difficult, especially in certain categories, but it should be your goal. Returns mean lost profits, customer complaints and lost accounts. One thing you can do to lower the return rate is to try to work something out if the buyer is not happy. For example, if a buyer contacts you and claims there were only 95 pieces of chalk in the box and your listing said it was 100 pieces, you should apologize and ask them if they want to return it OR if they would like a partial refund. It is much better to refund 20% (or whatever it fair and appropriate) of the order than to have to deal with the return and ending up with a black mark on your account.

Nobody likes refunds, but they are a part of doing business. If you refuse a refund to a buyer they can put in a claim. Most buyers are smart enough to claim there was something wrong with the item, or that it was not as described. EBay will side with the buyer the vast majority of the time and tell them to send the item back for a refund. If you let it get to this point, your account will have a black mark on it. As a seller, you must avoid any Buyer Protection claims on eBay. The best way to do this is to just allow the buyer to return the item for a refund as soon as they let you know they are not happy.

You don’t want to leave too much money in your PayPal account, because if it gets shut down, you will not have access to that money for 180 days. However, you should always leave enough money in your account to cover any potential refunds and to pay your eBay fees (as discussed earlier).

Many people will disagree with this, but it is always better to leave a positive feedback for the buyer as soon as they pay you. When a buyer sees your positive feedback, they are less likely to leave you a negative feedback. And feedback really no longer matters when it comes to buyers. On eBay, you cannot leave a negative feedback for a buyer, so there is no point in waiting to see if everything goes smoothly.

On every order you send, you should enclose a note thanking the buyer for their order. On this note, you can also include your phone number or an email address where they can reach you if they have a problem with their order. If you are not comfortable talking to people on the phone, leaving an email address only is OK. Lastly, ask them for positive feedback if they are happy with their transaction. The reason for these notes is that you are hoping to avoid any problems being handled through eBay or PayPal. Anything the buyer enters into their messaging systems is there forever. It is much better to keep any negative comments between you and the buyer if at all possible. Of course, not every buyer will do this, but some of them will.

Next we’ll talk about Suspensions / Violations / Limitations + Getting Reinstated. Let’s get to it!