eBay Motors Parts & Accessories Category Update Disables Returns
A seller in the weekly eBay community chat brought to light a difficult problem being experienced as a result of the recent category and item specifics changes - they are no longer able to set a return policy for their listings.
The new categories in Motors Parts & Accessories are messed up. Most do not have return policies turned on, so listings can only be made WITHOUT a return policy. I know the stock answer is "wait a few weeks for the new categories to be sorted out" but when will this actually be fixed? It is a huge problem that has been present for over a week now.
Velvet@eBay responded, but gave a generic answer saying the problem was already fixed, which didn't acknowledge that the seller was in fact saying it was still a problem that had not been fixed.
The changes were finalized yesterday and you can refer to the updated posted here for more on that. At this point though, like past category changes, it's now going to be best to edit listings as necessary. I know it's not ideal but hopefully things like return policies can be added back-in using the bulk listing/editing options within the Seller Hub.
The seller responded
I read the update and have no problem editing existing listings. But there are many new categories in Parts & Accessories that do not accept return policies right now (mostly the new "Other..." categories).
Take a look at the eBay Technical Issues forum here, there are many sellers talking about it.
An example is 9887 - Other Interior Parts & Accessories . The API spits out this error: "Return policy is not supported for this category." If you go through the Sell Your Item form, the returns section is completely missing.
There are many others. 9886,
Here are a few of the threads from the Technical Issues forum.
After the chat closed, Velvet@eBay responded again:
I'm replying here to try to keep the post thread as easy to follow as possible. I have good news though, I've heard back that this is not a permanent thing! They're working on a fix to allow for return policies in those categories
No timeline was given for the fix that is being worked on.
Not being able to select a return option is a huge problem, for multiple reasons.
First and foremost is customer experience - eBay highly recommends that sellers accept returns because it increases trust and provides great service to buyers. How many sales have these sellers lost due to potential buyers perceiving the lack of a return policy as a negative mark against the seller?
On the seller side, this could also impact the fees that sellers pay. This seller who asked this question is a Top Rated Seller who may normally qualify for the Top Rated Seller Plus discount on Final Value Fees.
As a Top Rated Seller, if your listings meet the TRS Plus qualification, you receive a 10% discount on Final Value Fees.
Take Your Seller Performance to the Next Level with Top Rated Plus
As a Top Rated Seller, you can qualify for a Top Rated Plus seal and additional benefits when your listings offer the following services:
- Same or one-business-day handling, and
- A 30-day-or-longer free return period with money back option.
You can choose to offer these in some or all listings. For listings that qualify, you earn the following benefits
- The Top Rated Plus seal, displayed prominently in search results and your listing description.
- A 10% discount on final value fees.
Presumably, during the more than a week this technical issue has persisted, affected sellers who would normally qualify may not be receiving the discount on listings if they do not have a 30 day or longer return policy set - even if that is no fault of their own.
If that is the case - eBay must provide these sellers with courtesy credits matching any TRS+ discounts they would have received otherwise.
Are you an eBay Motors Parts & Accessories seller who has been affected by this glitch? If so, are you still receiving any Top Rated Seller Plus discounts you would normally receive?
Let me know in the comments below!
