An odd thing happened this holiday season on Ebay. I had an buyer that decided the Amazon return policy was much better than my return policy. I have to admit that having 30 days (Amazon’s policy) to return an item is much better than 7 days (my policy), and I did refund my customers money when the item arrived 30 days after we agreed she would return the item. But the incident got me thinking.
Is Amazon setting the standard now for internet buying customer service? Other Ebay sellers have reported that buyers are asking to return items up to 60 days after a sale. Some Amazon sellers are reporting packages being returned from Amazon buyers more than 30 days after the buyer received it.
I have to admit that a year ago I would never have dreamed of asking this question. Is the Amazon return policy going to become the default policy in the internet buyers subconscious? Will buyers hesitate to purchase unless they can expect to get a 30 day return policy?
I think a year ago many Ebay sellers believed Ebay was the only place to sell, and would remain the “main” selling venue. Times have obviously changed. Now Amazon may be setting trends in internet buying that affect sellers who don’t even sell on Amazon.
If you have any stories of how Amazon has affected your sales on Ebay, please post them. I would like to know if other sellers have noticed the same trends I have.
Jennie
Well as a buyer, if I can get a very similar price from Amazon, compared to the marketplace, then I would always buy from Amazon, due to their superior and dependable customer service. Similarly, I would avoid eBay merchants that offer no refunds, or charge restocking fees.
Of course, this is all relative to price. If a £200/$400 item can be bought for say £20/$40 less at a store, then I would care less about the policy, than if I bought a £2000/$4000 item.