I received this email from fellow seller Linda:

“I just got off the phone with Paypal. A customer of mine claimed one item out of a multiple item sale was broken in transit. I asked for a picture and he never provided one. I even had paypal request a pic and never got one.

I’ve been paying someone to package and ship my eBay items. He guarantees his work and would reimburse me but I had to provide a picture to prove the damage. The customer escalated to a claim under “Item Not as Described” and Paypal automatically sent determination for customer to return item for full refund except return shipping. When I asked Paypal how we jumped to return the item for a refund, she told me they just changed the policy and from now on all “Item Not as Described” complaints will be resolved like mine.

They are no longer investigating or getting into it at all, simply Paypal will be authorizing a full refund for anyone filing a claim. The only condition is the seller must pay to return the item and provide proof of delivery to Paypal. No need to pay for insurance once sellers find that out and how about the guy who sends back an empty package or one filled with properly weighted rocks? The new policy should be a field day for certain types of buyers. Did you know that and what do you think?”

No, I wasn’t aware of that. I checked on the Paypal site under “Item Not Described Claim” and see that part of the process still includes “Paypal investigates and resolves claim.” Unless now they are just omitting the investigation part. If this is true, I think this is terribly unfair and I hope you were just talking to an employee that was misinformed? Hopefully we will have some comments to shed more light on this as this policy seems like it will open up a world of problems for sellers.

Thanks for your contribution, Linda!

Who are your customers why are they buying from you? Understanding this will help you meet your customers needs, meet the needs of new potential customers, and ultimately increase your sales and your customer base.

To get the most bang for your buck on eBay, you need to be aware of who your customers are, why they need your products, and why they buy your products. eBay Traffic Reports can tell you some of this, but how do you find out the rest? ASK THEM!.

When you feel you have a comfortable and open rapport with a customer, take a moment to find out more about why they buy from you. This is called Conversational Marketing. Often, I send an email like this:

“Hi, Ms. Customer. Thanks again for your purchase. We understand you have lots of choices on eBay, and are curious as to why you chose to buy the item from us. Could you take a minute to respond to this email to help us serve our customers better? Feedback from our customers helps us provide a better product, better service, and more effectively meet our customers’ needs. Thank you again for your purchase and the opportunity to work with you.”

Sometimes you will get an answer, sometimes not. But the answers can be very revealing. Some answers I have received are:

1) The item is not available here.

2) I like the privacy of internet shopping - I don’t buy this product in a store. It is embarrassing for me.

3) I collect these. They are hard to find.

4) I needed this for a special gift and could only find it on eBay.

5) You have a good variety of items that I can buy in one place.

6) These are very hard to find in stores. It is easier and faster for me to pay more on eBay than spend my time driving all over town to find the item.

7) I can get these at (LOCAL STORE NAME) but I have 4 kids and it is just easier to get them on eBay than pack up my kids and go to the store to buy them.

8) I am allergic to a lot of fabrics. I can only wear this kind.

9) It is for my (mom, grandmother, etc). She is very particular about clothing and this is what she likes.

10) I am in the service overseas and we don’t have shopping here. It is great to get things from back home!

When you get an answer like these, the light bulb will come on and you’ll think, “Aha! I should offer more of these.” All good information that I can use to make decisions about what to sell in my store! Think about how restaurant owners run their business. They often mill around and ask customers how they can make their food or service better, other items they would like to see on the menu, or other similar questions.

So don’t be afraid to politely ask your customers questions and get their personal feedback. It can help your business.

[Image Source: Flickr.]