Your selling account is now at risk - why do ebay use such intimidating language?

[rustylt1]

I received an email from ebay yesterday titled "Your selling account is now at risk". Upon investigation, it turns out that since last August I have had 4 cases closed without seller resolution. In all four cases, the items were sent to South American countries - Brazil, Argentina and Chile. The buyers had opened INR cases, but knowing how unreliable the post is in these countries, I had asked each buyer to wait beyond the last expected delivery date to see if their items would be delivered late. This has often worked in the past.

I realise it is my fault for not refunding the cases before they closed, but surely ebay would not suspend my account for this? I have been trading since 2004 on ebay and have a near perfect track record, I always post on time and have excellent feedback. Am I being judged on the performance of the mail delivery companies? 

To use such threatening language as "your selling account is now at risk" is ridiculous. Why not just a friendly email pointing out that I need to resolve cases before they close?  Grrrrrrr.....

[ojewellery]

My international percentage loss rate is less than my domestic one. 

Occasionally I have an issue with customers not realising they've ordered internationally and apparently expecting global next day delivery, no allowances for weekends and bank holidays.  Being demanding and having unreasonable expectations isn't just UK customers - turns out to be nationally indiscriminate.  Fortunately, just like with UK customers, internationally the number of positive transactions very significantly outweigh the stressful ones.

All these things are numbers games.  We all have to run our numbers, choose our options that work best for our business models.

[madeiraexotics33]

Well Thats right.
I can control the quality of the item.
I can pack the item well.
I can send it promptly
But
What control do we have once the item leaves our hands at the Post Office? None.
The only aspect we cannot control gets us a defect a lot of the time.
One has to be very alert.