Online selling via popular e-commerce platforms has become an appealing option for Indian entrepreneurs. These global platforms facilitate goods exported from India. They sell these goods to international buyers with remarkable profitability and business growth.
However, it is essential to note that export involves greater distances, varied legalities/regulations, different languages, and multiple currencies compared to domestic sales. It also incurs more significant shipping/logistical challenges and different customer expectations. Thus, joining a seller-friendly platform that protects sellers from fraud, chargebacks, and other risks is necessary.
Importance of Seller Protection
For goods exported from India, online selling platforms ensure that sellers are protected from payment disputes, items not received as claimed by buyers, and items not as described, which is yet another possible claim by buyers. The importance of seller protection can be highlighted as follows:
- Protects sellers from financial losses, abusive buyer behaviour, negative reviews, and uncontrollable circumstances that affect order delivery.
- Provides a fair and prompt resolution for disputes between buyers and sellers.
- Improves buyer satisfaction because this protection is mutually beneficial for buyers and sellers.
- Boosts sales owing to a robust safety net for both parties.
- Gives peace of mind and confidence to aspiring sellers and exporters to scale their businesses.
Prerequisites for Seller Protection
Although leading global marketplaces are renowned for their well-devised seller protection policies, you must be proactive and display your credibility as a seller. The prerequisites to avail seller protection are as follows:
- Always hire shipping services that provide end-to-end shipment tracking. This will serve as delivery proof if buyers complain about late or no delivery.
- Provide 100% accurate product descriptions and authentic, high-quality images. This is crucial to resolve cases where buyers claim they haven’t received the product as promised. It will also clear all misunderstandings and ensure that only the right buyers place an order for the product.
- Follow the online selling platform’s policies and guidelines. Proper compliance will ensure complete seller protection, especially with goods exported from India, where the sales and delivery cycle are longer and more complex.
Important Aspects of Seller Protection for Goods Exported From India
- Item shipped on time but arrived late as per buyer– With a carrier scan that shows you have dispatched the product on time, the online selling platform will adjust your late shipment rate and remove the negative feedback. In alternate cases, where you have dispatched the shipment late, but the buyer doesn’t dispute, the late delivery will not reflect in your account.
- Weather-related transit disruptions– There can be a special clause for weather-related transit disruptions under an online selling platform’s seller protection policy. When there is a slight delivery delay caused by weather, the late shipment fee will be adjusted. In case of major delays due to extreme weather, the online selling platform can instruct you to place the shipment on hold or cancel it.
- Abusive buyer policy– Online selling platforms have comprehensive provisions for sellers who face losses because of abusive buyers. This includes false compensation claims, wilful negative ratings, and negative reviews. The platform investigates and reviews each case systematically. If the buyer is at fault, the seller is compensated for financial or reputational losses.
- Cross-border shipping insurance– Sellers can access the best service providers for cross-border logistics, shipping, and insurance through cross-border shipping.
Conclusion
Owing to its full-fledged seller protection policies, reputed online selling platforms like eBay in India, Flipkart or Amazon are the most preferred e-commerce platform for online sellers/exporters from India. Their seller-friendliness is also depicted by the fact that they don’t place any caps on seller pricing or compete with sellers by selling/promoting any in-house brands.As an online seller, you are bound to make certain promises to buyers to ensure a positive buying experience. If the promises do not get fulfilled because of inadvertent circumstances, being registered with a reputed global platform with holistic seller protection can help you avoid unnecessary losses and fallback.