In our previous article about De-Labeling Basics we discussed how to de-label, what specifically should be de-labeled and how to inform your buyers in advance that the item has been de-labeled. Today we are going to discuss a few more helpful De-Labeling pointers.

The reality is that most people have absolutely no problem with De-Labeled merchandise purchasing as long as you are not completely removing the manufacturers tag. But, everyone gets that one insane customer once in a while and here’s a few ways to try to prevent confusion in addition to dealing with the customer.

1. As we discussed in our last article, make sure your listing clearly states that the item has been de-labeled, which means the interior manufacturers tag will be cut vertically in half, but will remain attached to the garment or a black line will be drawn with a PERMANENT marker though the interior manufacturers tag.  There's no specific thickness of line you have to draw, so the line can be thin, but it MUST be visible.  If the person dishonestly tries to return the sweater to N*RDSTR*M, the cashier needs to be able to quickly and easily see the line.  Amazon has a great 2-pack of Fine Point Sharpies for under $2:

2. As far as the paper store tags go, if you have an item that requires paper tag removal, a very simple method is to assign your listing a SKU number. Let’s say you are listing a sweater; you can assign the sweater “SKU #100”. When you remove the tags, put them into a white envelope and on the front of the envelope, write “#100” with your Sharpie. You can grab envelopes super cheap on Amazon:

(Here's 500 for under $15:)

You can store your envelopes in a box. This nifty box holds 1,000 envelopes and is only like $11:

I suggest storing your envelopes by month because after 180 has passed, destroy them. The reason you want to wait 180 days is because this is the time-frame an individual has to file a chargeback with their credit card company. So even if the idiot pays with PayPal and the refund time has passed, the individual can still open the dispute directly with Visa.  So, if you list Sweater #100 on January 1st, make sure you keep the tags until July 2nd.  It's seriously not hard at all and you will sleep better at night knowing you have all of your proof needed.

Now, should your psycho buyer complain the item isn’t authentic because it doesn’t have the tags, you can send them a photo of the correct tags that went with the item. Remember, you can NEVER send them the actual tags if the sweater is on the “Must be De-Labeled List”. 

4. You could also include a little note in the outgoing parcel about the de-labeling, because you and I both know that some people don’t bother to read anything in the listing, no matter how large you make the font. These tend to be the same customers who complain…. Which I suppose makes perfect sense; if you don’t read the listing you run a much higher chance of disliking the purchase. Anyhoo, you can print a little note like this

This item is a 100% Authentic Designer Brand. Because of this, we are required to “De-Label” this specific item. The reason for De-Labeling is so it can not be returned to the store. If you have any questions about this item please contact us. Our goal is to make you a happy, repeat buyer.

You can print these on pc paper or, you can even print them on cardstock.  Avery makes a great product:

and make your own tags then apply them to the item with a ($6.99) tagging gun:

5. With that being said, if the customer is really bent out of shape about the De-Labeled item, it’s usually best to ask them if their goal is for you to prove to them that it is Authentic or if their goal is to Return it. If all the customer wants is to know it’s authentic, all you have to do is go to your envelope with the SKU # and get photos of the original tags. Also, you can look up the UPC and the RN Number for the buyer. This should be more than sufficient evidence. BUT if their goal is to Return it, then just let them. Chances are they tried the item on and just don’t like it so they are fishing for excuses instead of just outright saying “It looks bad on me”. It’s much better to just offer the return than to have the buyer intentionally ruin it so they can claim you shipped defective merchandise. Remember, you are dealing with a person who is uncooperative from the start (refused to read the listing), so the chances of making them happy are marginal, at best.