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Last Post Sep 22, 2006 12:10 PM by: pal@ebay.com
Replies: 48
deirdre@ebay.com
Posts: 3,846

eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Aug 31, 2006 2:30 PM
Topic: eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on eBay and PayPal

Host: PayPal and eBay Staff
Date: Friday 09/22
Time: 11:00 am to 12:00 pm PT
Location: Workshop Board

Description: This workshop is designed for new and experienced sellers who would like to learn how to avoid, manage, and respond to buyer disputes. While a vast majority of transactions occur without a hitch, there are those rare instances when something goes wrong, such as the item never arriving or the buyer feeling that the item is different from the original description. In this workshop you’ll learn some best practices for dealing with situations like these. Also included in the workshop will be pointers on how to use the Item Not Received Process on eBay and the PayPal Dispute Resolution process on PayPal. Whether you just received your first buyer complaint or have tried to communicate with a difficult buyer dozens of times, this workshop can help you ensure your response is effective.

Cheers,

Deirdre
eBay Community Development
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pal@ebay.com
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 10:54 AM
Hi Everyone -- I’m Larry with PayPal Marketing. I’m joined by Colin Rule, Director of Online Dispute Resolution at PayPal, Steve Oglethorpe, Product Marketing Manager with eBay, Sarah Livnat, Senior Product Marketing Manager at PayPal and a team of other PayPal and eBay staffers. We would like to answer your questions and invite other members of the Community to answer your questions. We also have some questions we’d like to ask you;). Before we get into it, let me post a couple of helpful links, followed by a few suggestions for how to address disputes – regardless of where they occur:
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pal@ebay.com
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 10:54 AM
Helpful Links:

eBay Item Not Received Process: Link
PayPal Dispute Resolution: Link
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pal@ebay.com
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 10:55 AM
Suggestions:

Communicate, communicate, communicate
I’ve heard from dozens of experienced buyers and sellers that communication is the key to avoiding and resolving disputes on eBay. Send out friendly payment reminders, and provide detailed shipment status information to your buyers once they pay. You can even draft polite but clear messages and re-use them (or better, automate them) and share language that works for you with other sellers. Once your transaction partner has expressed a concern or filed a dispute, the best way to respond is to communicate every step of the way in a respectful and courteous manner.


Create a Resolution Plan
Craft a plan in advance to both prevent disputes from occurring in the first place, and to get them resolved quickly when they do arise. Decide on a specific number of email contacts, phone calls, and waiting periods you’ll engage in before filing a dispute, and then lay out your process clearly in your listings. Buyers appreciate clarity, and it gives your actions additional legitimacy if they were detailed up front in the listing. (For more information, go to Link
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pal@ebay.com
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 10:56 AM
More Suggestions:

Pick up the phone
One of the best ways to deal with transaction problems is to simply pick up the phone and call your buyer or seller. Many problems can be worked out with a simple, friendly, one minute phone call. I’ve seen many issues where a buyer and seller have exchanged a dozen angry emails without finding a solution, but once they get on the phone, they work it out quickly. eBay will give any buyer or seller the phone number of their transaction partner – just visit Link

Fill in your Customer Service Message
Sellers should definitely take advantage of PayPal’s new Customer Service Message functionality to proactively message buyers who want to open a dispute. This message from the seller appears in front of the buyer right when they begin the filing process. Sellers can use the message to inform buyers of temporary delays (maybe as a result of weather or shipping problems) or to provide suggested steps for the buyer to go through before filing (including a phone number to call, web form to visit, etc.) To post a Customer Service Message just log into your PayPal account and visit My Account > Profile > Selling Preferences > Customer Service Message. You can see a sample message on that page and enter whatever text you’d like.

Use PayPal Shipping
I’ve said many times that the number one dispute resolution mechanism on PayPal is our shipping functionality. The most common buyer problem on PayPal is concern about an item that has not arrived. When you ship with PayPal, your package gets free delivery confirmation, which can go a long way toward addressing buyer unease. Your buyer will get an email when you purchase the shipping through PayPal, and when they try to file the dispute, the tracking number for your package will automatically be checked with the shipper’s online tracking system and the results will be shared with the buyer. Many buyers decide not to file claims as a result of seeing this information. To get to the shipping center, type Link into your web browser. Then log in to your PayPal account. Once you have logged in, you will automatically be taken to the Shipping Center page.
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pal@ebay.com
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 10:56 AM
Questions for you to consider:

1. We’d love to hear some of your stories of transaction problems you’ve encountered, both ones that went well (you worked it out quickly and effectively) and didn’t go well.

Here’s another:

2. Have any of the sellers in the workshop filled out their customer service messages in their PayPal seller profile? If so, please share the language you’ve put in there. Maybe it will spark some ideas in the other sellers in the workshop.
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pal@ebay.com
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 10:58 AM
So, let's hear from you. And thanks for joining us this morning!
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amanda@paypal.com
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 11:01 AM
*Stealing Deirdre's line* :)

Welcome and thanks for joining us today!

We love workshops to be interactive, so please feel free to ask your questions that directly relate to this topic.

Added note: If you click on the "Watch this discussion" link, you will receive an email each time someone posts to the workshop.

Stop Watching: If at any time you no longer want to receive updates on a thread you are watching, just click on the link titled "Stop Watching Thread" found in the specific thread being watched. Also you can remove any watched thread by clicking on the "Watched Discussions" link located in the log in bar and deleting the watched thread.

If you're new to the discussion boards, please be sure to check out the board tutorial:

Link

Thanks,

Amanda
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deirdre@ebay.com
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 11:09 AM
Hi everyone:

There's some great content here. We'd love to hear your questions.

Thanks,

Deirdre
eBay Community Development
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minniealdinger
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 11:10 AM
My nightmare is with shipping by payment online with Paypal or USPS for all packages with delivery confirmation. If I take a package to the post office and pay postage there they will scan the package delivery confirmation bar code as they receive it to send to the customer. If I prepay online and print the barcode label and mail the package they will NOT scan the package until it is delivered. Thus if the package is lost by USPS I have no way to prove that it was mailed.

I had this happen with a package earlier this summer and had a very upset customer. The customer did not pay for insurance either. I was threatend with negative feedback and even called a liar concerning shipping. I had to send the customer a replacement item to avoid negative feedback. USPS still has not found the orginal package that was sent by Priority Mail in a Priority Mail box with the Paypal USPS label that had delivery confirmation.

This has been an ongoing concern for me with packages when I generate labels using the USPS system. Why do the only scan the bar code when I pay at the post office even when I use printed labels from the USPS website with free delivery confirmation but not on all packages that online postage is prepaid. Seems to be a big desrepency in the system.

I have talked with a number of ebay sellers that are experiencing the same problem with USPS. It also varies from Post Offices with in the US. I was even told by USPS customer service that it is USPS policy to not scan prepaid packages as they leave the sending post office only to scan them when they are delivered.
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mojogeno
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 11:14 AM
I had the same concern and question as minniealdinger who put it all so well that I will just wait for the answer :)

Molly Jo aka MoJo



Molly Jo

clicky clicky
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amridge
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 11:16 AM
Hello, I had a problem with a buyer, sent the pkg with DC, he filed with PP, I entered the DC # incorrectly, added to the info with the correct DC, pkg delivered, and PP still gave him back his $$. So, he has the item, and $$.

I tried emailing PP, I emailed Amanda, I tried the 'appeal' button (it NEVER worked).

Why, for a INR dispute did PP give them back the $$, and how could I have handled it differently?

"Optimism is best fueled by thought, and planning...."




I AM A LIBERAL

Work your fingers to the bone - whadda ya get? Boney fingers - boney fingers...
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mrpayne2
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 11:17 AM
Your link on the Powerseller Board is not working...






Charise...:-D

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m-pops
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 11:19 AM
My question is how the "unauthorized use" claim can be placed AGAINST a buyer. I bought goods from a seller, and was promised cash rebates. More than 3 months after the original purchase they finally sent me the final rebate through Paypal. Then, one month after that I get a notice that there is a freeze on my account for that final rebate because of "unauthorized use". I see a lot of messages where this happens to sellers, but how can this happen to me when I am the buyer?
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pal@ebay.com
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eBay Workshop: Buyer Disputes: How to Avoid, Manage and Respond to Them on

Sep 22, 2006 11:19 AM
We'll check into the link on the Powerseller Board. Thanks for the heads up.
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