Avoiding a Defect on eBay When You Can't Ship an Item

If you are an eBay seller, at some point one of these things will happen when an item sells:

1. You can't find it in your storage area.

2. You notice a stain, hole, or other defect when preparing it for shipping.

3. You accidentally break it (or otherwise damage it) when packing it for shipping.

If you don't ship the item, eBay will place a defect on your account. Seller canceled transactions are now a big no-no on eBay. The reason is because eBay wants the customer to have an exceptional buying experience and return to buy more. eBay looks bad when sellers can't fill orders.

The best way to avoid a defect if this happens to you is to explain the situation to the customer and offer them a replacement item. Let's say they bought a $50 sweater and you found a hole or stain - you don't want to ship a defective item. Ask the buyer to look through your store and choose $50 worth of product as a replacement. This way you don't have to cancel the transaction, you won't receive a defect, and the customer still gets something they want.

Your goal is 100% customer satisfaction as well as avoiding a defect on your account.

Learn more about the eBay defect system here.

Related Articles:

How to Reduce Returns on eBay

How to Avoid Long Hold Times When Calling eBay