My biggest problem with the 2014 eBay Spring Seller Updates is the new policy where they are including cases opened by buyers as a "defect." You see I sell lots of different things on eBay but mostly I sell intimates.. you know bras? 🙂 This is a high return category. I believe because 80% of women do not know their real bra size. I contacted eBay about this, and they confirmed what I read, that cases opened will be counted as a mark against me. EVEN if I satisfy the buyer by refunding their money, answering their question etc. Any case opened = a defect and a mark on my account. I currently am a Top Rated Seller with 4.9 or 5 in all my DSR categories. When I spoke to eBay on the phone they confirmed that in August because of the case that are AUTOMATICALLY opened when a buyer asks a question, I would be below standard instead of Top Rated as I am now.
Probably around 14 months ago I noticed a serious increase in the number of cases that were being opened on eBay without a single email from the buyer first. (I also wrote about this issue HERE) I contacted eBay about it, and the first customer service dude said it was a glitch, a couple of days later I called back, and that customer service person told me it was automatic. I've talked to lots of eBayers in the last few days (since the Spring Seller release) and most the people I spoke to, wanted to see how easy it is for a buyer to open a case INSTEAD of emailing the seller.
Example #1 "I want to return my item"
You have 3 choices: Contact Seller, Return this item, Resolve a problem. I selected "Return this item"
I selected: "I want to return this item"
I agreed that I wanted to "return the item"
It took me to "open a case"
Example #2 "Contact the Seller"
I selected "Contact Seller"
Funny thing it didn't take me to ask a seller a question. It took me to this page. I selected:" I want to return the item"
I selected "continue"
It took me to "open a case"
EXAMPLE #3 Resolve a Problem
I've selected "resolve a problem" (instead of contact seller or return this item)
The I selected "I received an item that wasn't as described."
I selected "report that you received an item that wasn't as described."
The next option OPEN A CASE
Here are 3 examples of cases being opened automatically, instead of the buyer asking the seller a question FIRST. If any open case counts against the seller we are doomed if eBay does not change something in the way cases are opened, or the way they score a case.