Snapdeal Changes Seller Policies To Make It More Transparent

In an effort to make selling more transparent and frictionless on its platform, e-tailer Snapdeal has said it will update its policies for sellers effective July 16. The new policy is expected to benefit sellers who traditionally have had to solely bear the additional operational costs for goods returned which typically accounts for 10-15 per cent of the goods sold.

As part of the policy update, Snapdeal will bear the cost for reverse pickup and payment collection, while packaging and shipping will still be borne by the sellers. Even in case of replacements or exchanges, reverse pick up costs will be borne by Snapdeal.

Snapdeal has also reduced the marketing fees for 120+ sub categories, including electronics, women’s fashion, FMCG products, sports, fashion jewelry, kitchen appliances, automotive accessories etc. Post this change, Snapdeal claims to have the lowest marketing fee for about 300 sub-categories out of the about 600 sub-categories, across all leading marketplaces. The marketing fee for nearly 30 sub categories has been increased marginally. While the reduction in fee ranges from 0.2 – 18 per cent, the increase ranges from 0.5 to 5.5 per cent.

Building on the success of its self-serve platform for sellers, Snapdeal has unveiled a simpler framework of ‘do’s and don’ts’ for its sellers which helps sellers resolve their queries easily. With the simplified policies, this is expected to enable the sellers to avoid imposition of penalties due to ignorance or complexities.

 “We believe reduction in marketing fees will foster growth for our sellers. We have worked closely with our sellers and basis their feedback, we have made these policy changes to make them in-line with ecommerce industry best practices,” said Vishal Chadha, Senior Vice President, Market Development, Snapdeal.

The Economic Times reported that as per the new policies, returning of electronic goods will be difficult as Snapdeal’s customers will have to furnish a document within seven days from the brand’s authorised service centre declaring it defective. Post that, Snapdeal will carry out a quality check to validate the complaint before processing any request for refund/replacement.

Meanwhile, Snapdeal has only stated that “Detailed policies have been communicated to sellers to help them prepare for the changes.”