Wednesday, May 13, 2009
EBAY'S NEW FAKES POLICY A PUZZLE
EBay's new policy states: "When buyers file a claim alleging that the item is not authentic, we [eBay] require the buyer to destroy the item." Then you can be reimbursed by eBay. Who decides it's a fake? What happens to the seller's loss? How do you prove you destroyed the item? Very puzzling. Visit eBay's website to read its complete "Purchase Protection Policy." Look at the second-to-last Buyers' FAQs.
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49 comments:
The buyer determines it is a fake and may or may not destroy the item. Of course Paypal takes the money from the sellers account and returns it to the buyer. Potentially, the buyer can retain the item and not pay for it. Ebay is more concerned with retaining buyers than retaining sellers..
Ebay Seller
I know what happens to the seller's loss. Paypal will put a hold on the funds and it would escalate into a dispute. The seller will have his/her say to defend themselves and Paypal will take the side of the buyer. It won't matter what the seller says. It's all about the buyer. It doesn't matter what Paypal will say to the seller or guarantee what they will do. They will always decide in favor of the buyer no matter what the emails say. I had a problem. It was all in the emails between myself and the buyer and Paypal still took the side of the buyer. It was obvious that the buyer lied. With each auction Ebay posts guarantee to return selling price and shipping. The seller is at the mercy of Ebay, Paypal and the buyer.
This policy has me incredibly angry, and I'm as confused as you are on how they think they'll get away with this from a legal standpoint. It could result in the destruction of rare treasures, and at the very least, will result in the destruction of evidence in some potentially major cases. It's bad for both the honest seller and buyer, and benefits only the dishonest on both sides.
I sent them an email when it went out, which they forwarded to Paypal after understanding nothing I said. Paypal said that if I thought I had been wronged, I should send them details on the specific order. All involved were clueless.
Can you please post the direct link to the FAQ you mention? I can't find it.
Thanks.
I find this policy to be disturbing at the very least. I've seen experts dispute the authenticity of items and not all eBay buyers are 'experts' or even knowledgeable about the items they buy.
BTW, I recently was confronted with a new eBay policy along this line that sets a limit to the number of 'designer' items a seller can list. (I listed 3 pieces of vintage KJL and Monet jewelry recently along with lots of other collectibles.) According to eBay's Trust and Safety, I can't list any more 'designer' items for 90 days. The reason given is that due to the proliferation of fakes, eBay will block sellers who list such items until buyers leave positive feedback. (I'm a 12 year eBayer with only 3 negatives out of over 8,000 sales in those 12 years!)
I recently went back to eban because there does not seem to be any valid alternative out there for small scale selling. I must admit however, that it pained me to do so. They make their money off of the sellers, not the buyers and yet they treat sellers like red headed step children. Their draconian rules, list of banned items and demand that sellers use pay pal is, like a lot going on in the country today, totally UNAMERICAN. Who owns that outfit anyway?
Wow Just makes you want to run right out (after the policy goes into effect first) and buy the most expensive item you can find and then when said item arrives of course with your well trained eye you can determine whether it's a fake (which I am sure it will turn out to be) and then you can contact Ebay and tell them that you paid $500.00 for this item that was a total fake and that you immediately destroyed said fake in the wood chopper and you want your money back (as you place said destroyed "fake" at local auction house). Oh yeah I can sure see that happening. Ebay is shooting itself in the foot with all their new changes. And the discussion boards? I won't even start with that one!!
another wonder ebay idea LOL,now this will start a great idea for buyers,they can say what they want ,keep there item and get thier money back,if they dont like the items ,its simple send them back,almost all of the sellers on ebay are not experts on what they sell.they go out and buy items they think will sell,either for extra money or to support there hobby,if they make a mistake,oh well we are human,but for a buyer to say it is fake is something else,who say he is telling the truth,just send the item back,and that will be it,simple
now if this is a constant thing with a seller ,get rid of him.period,ebay was so simple 5 years ago,now buyers cannot leave appropiate feedback,if a buyer dosent pay ,all we can do is leave them a positive,,they can buy from us a leave what they want,and now the buyers are starting to be nasty and threating ,and they know they can due to the new feedback policy.well i have had only 3 negatives in 13 years,and we do care about our customers big time,i hope ebay reads this ,i have had 4 friends stop using and selling due to the complications,ebay has created.make it simple again,and quit changing all the time,thanks
I also find the new policy disturbing and incomplete.
There should be a clear set of standards for determining if the item is fake or not.
No item should ever be destroyed unless it's in the presence of someone who has no connection to either buyer or seller and who can authenticate that the item really is a fake.
What's even more disturbing is when you read the entire policy, eBay also states: "...sellers agree to not hold buyers or eBay responsible for the destruction of an item if it is not believed to be authentic....."
That combined with the "double speak" in the remainder of the agreement, leads me to believe I should move all my business to a more reputable selling location like Go Antiques, SeeAuction, Tia's or Ruby Lane. At least I wouldn't have to deal with "cheesy" behavior, flaky policies and constant gimmicks.
I don't like to see fake items sold on eBay or anywhere else, but you can't protect people from everything in this world. When I buy at local estate sales/auctions I have to make an educated guess about the items I'm buying for re-sale. I can't be an expert in everything. However, I will always gladly refund a buyer....even the ship cost....if they are not happy with their purchase.
Requiring a seller to refund 100% would be better than this....and especially if the item really is authentic and it's the buyer who's wrong or simply looking for something for nothing.
Probably one of the single worst policies that eBay has ever hoisted up the flag pole.
I was kicked off ebay three years ago, for warning buyers of fake reproduction or fantasy face 1940's to 1970's advertising clocks. It seems that now, I could just buy the fake item, tell ebay it is a fake, even giving proof, then I can destroy it, and get my money back from eBay. eBay will then charge back the price and shipping to the crooked seller. This seems a good way to get rid of some of the crooked selling going on!
But, I don't see how this could last very long, because eBay has ALWAYS previously ruled in favor of the crooked sellers! They have always acted like they wanted the sales income, in lieu of having satisfied customers. They would not remove fake items unless the complainer was the actual original owner of the rights to the item! That was asinine, as these fake faces (the most valuable part) are being installed on old clocks to make them appear as originals! The original clock makers are out of business, and cannot complain!
Only Coca-Cola from time to time will get their legal dept. involved on fake Coke clock faces, but not always.
So, this seems like a healthy change for buyers who find out they have been swindled, even if by their own stupidity or naivety. Trouble is, most do not even find out within the 45 day filing time to complain. They learn much later when trying to resell their fake item.
If you want to protect yourself, ask seller for a guarantee that the face is old and original before buying! They've been making fake new faces for 20+ years!! If seller will not guarantee it, don't buy! It's a fake!
Here is the link to eBay policy:
http://pages.ebay.com/purchaseprotection/index.html
For the person who said " there is no place for small scale selling" here are a few better options.
Etsy http://etsy.com
Bonanzle http://bonanzle.com
eCrater
Ruby Lane
Here is a great forum post for some ideas as well.
http://www.vintagepulse.com/forum/categories/selling-vintage-on-ebay-ruby/listForCategory
This policy is crazy. It is getting harder and harder to keep up with all the new rules. It is hard enough to make a sale on Ebay with so few people buying and the buyer having to pay higher shipping costs due to the postage hike. For a small seller trying to get rid of their own personal items, all the rules imposed and fees involved will cause fewer and fewer small sellers to use Ebay.
Holy Cow! I am assuming that the Buyer who disputes the authenticity would have to have some proof of the item being a fake such as an expert evaluation.
Otherwise the entire issue is open to fraud. And if one of my items was destroyed just because a buyer said it was not authtentic and they felt they could destroy the item because Ebay said so.....I would go completely "legal" on Ebay and Buyer. I will not state my item is authentic in the future and I will not have a return policy.
Now I know I made the right decision to leave Ebay. Thank heavens for Bonanzle.
Here it is. It's in the USER AGREEMENT. Read the rest and you will get even madder. This isn't even legal! Contract law says that a contract can not make you waive your rights that are protected under a larger jurisdiction. This was NOT in the User Agreement when I started on eBay 10 years ago. It was slipped in at some point. eBay expects Sellers to waive their rights to the item, but this would never hold up in court. The problem is, you would have to go to court.
-----------------------------
Obligations with respect to allegedly non-authentic items:
For covered claims that meet the conditions and are not excluded, buyers are required to destroy an item if they claim it is not authentic. Once a buyer confirms destruction of the item, eBay will reimburse the buyer.
For covered claims that meet the conditions and are not excluded, sellers agree to not hold buyers or eBay responsible for the destruction of an item if it is not believed to be authentic.
There is only one solution. All sellers should stop selling on ebay. Rent a booth in an antique mall. Set up at an open-air flea market. Use craigslist. Then you have more control of the selling process and are less likely to get screwed over by dishonest buyers (and you don't have to give evil ebay an nickel of your money either.) I don't understand why sellers continue to use ebay, after everything ebay has done to them. Don't be a hypocrite -- LEAVE ebay!!!
BONANZLE?
I checked it out, looking for VINTAGE or OLD Soda or Advertising signs, etc. Found them under COLLECTIBLES category, where they should have been.
However, it would be too much time wasted wading thru the listings of which 95% are for NEW items, that for some strange reason possibly otherwise OK people choose to list as COLLECTIBLE!!
What is it about NEW and repro item sellers that they want to include their items in a category which should be for ONLY older than 30 year old items???
If BONANZLE is at fault for not having separate categories for new items, then they will not flourish, and will provide no viable alternative to ebay.
The few minutes I spent looking there were a complete waste of time to try to hunt thru hundreds of new items to actually find 'collectible' items.
I am a seller who experienced this exact problem prior to this change in policy. I sold authentic BABE hoodies and one buyer decided that it was "fake as _ell". I tried everything I could to have ebay remove the negative feedback, return the item, etc to no avail. They just leave the seller out there with no recourse. I've personally grown tired of all the changes ebay is making, all for the benefit of the buyers! So much for those who are keeping ebay in business. You'd think at least they would be fair in working with those who keep them in business. As soon as I can sell out my inventory, I'm leaving, just as many previous sellers have already!
What does any ebay seller expect from a bunch or morons from Calif. I for one would like to see someone destroy evidence following Ebays advice. Now there is a lawsuit that would put them in their place.
What would prevent a dishonest buyer from switching an item, keeping the authentic item sent by the seller, then sending to PayPal the counterfeited item as proof it was fake?
The original observation that ebay or paypal would absorb the cost of destroyed items is not credible. As already posted, this is another way for buyers to swindle sellers.
eBays track record for determining authenticity is dismal. Here's a fun story:
I'm selling for a former sports memorabilia dealer who was very well connected and obtained Mickey Mantle autographs in person (he still knows Mickey's son, who is the primary authority for Mantle authentication).
this person gave me an Mantle autographed 1954 yankees program to sell. I had no doubts about it but spent $100 on authentication from GAI, an ebay-recommended authenticator.
Well, the item didn't sell, probably because it was a contemporary signature on a vintage piece. I thought my price fair, but it didn't matter - no offers, so i let it sit in my ebay store.
Well, ebay canceled it a few months ago, citing questions from one of the ebay authograph consultants (possibly someone from GAI).
So, eBay speaks with forked tongue, insisting on authentation from specific parties but then determining that an authentication from the very same party is invalid.
So, which way is it eBay? Is GAI credible or not credible? Depends on the advantage to eBay i guess.
I think the truth is that they noticed the lack of interest in the piece and used a completely contrived reason to purge an item that had marketability issues. If they had been honest about the reason i could respect that, but I have utter contempt for corporate bs.
Still sell on eBay anyway - no time to learn the ins and outs of another venue. I'll probably be forced to some day ... in the meantime i have no illusions about who eBay serves.
bschmidt
It doesn't matter if you have a return policy or not. Paypal can still take your money and return it to the buyer. I know that from experience. I even had proof of delivery on the item the buyer said wasn't delivered.
Why in the world would anyone still sell on ebay?? They have made it very clear that they do not want sellers of antiques and collectibles. There are many other venues for selling that don't involve risking being ripped off of your money and items. Think about how you used to sell your stuff in the pre-ebay days. Put your money where your mouths are and don't do ANY selling with ebay any more. I have gone back to only selling in my local antique malls and I am much happier now.
What's not understand? It's just another example of how Ebay is the buyer's advocate and, along with their policy to only allow Paypal as payment, consistant with their self serving, monopolistic goals.
I agree with the posters so far. Ebay is making a big mistake with this rule (along with MANY rules they have made the last few years). They are guaranteeing nothing, they will take it from the seller. There are so many crooked buyers out there, always trying to get something for nothing. What a joke, to think they will "destroy" the item!!!
Ebay and Paypal sides with the buyer no matter what proof is submitted by the seller. We are at the mercy of the buyers honesty or dishonesty. .I sold with them 10 years, then last Oct had back to back complaints, with the buyer never contacting me! One person returned the item UNOPENED because she said she could "tell" it couldn't fit in that box!!(It did fit!) One returned an item I told him NOT to send back.On and on, but Ebay sides with buyers, period. Now this. You KNOW some will say its fake, keep the item, get a refund. Ebay better wise up to the sellers who made the company.
I've read several other comments, & they are SO right that ebay sides w/ the buyer...I recently had a dispute filed against me on an item that was
unfounded...my account w/ paypal was frozen & put in the negative, so if
I sold anything I would not be paid,
since ebay now will not allow any
form of payment except pappal, which
they own !I was "held hostage" & had to pay the buyer a tidy sum to to make them go away, knowing that I could fight the claim,but resolution could take months.I've
been selling for over 30 yrs w/ a
near perfect reputation.ebay is the only "game in town".I'm desperate to find other avenues to sell as I'm not able to load & tote like I did for years.Please
establish some sort of "bulletin
board" re: ebay.They have us all by
the throat & this fake policy is
one more rule to make ebay "all
powerful" & sellers at their mercy.
That's the nuttiest policy I've ever heard of. eBay has NO RIGHT to command buyers nor sellers to destroy an item, whether fake or not. eBay is not custom officials, police officers nor copyright holders of those items they demand be destroyed. What they are doing with this policy is advocating the needless (and pointedly unprovable) destruction of property, property which could potentially be evidence for the buyer or the seller in a dispute or lawsuit....
Dishonest buyers will be all over this policy. They'll blackmail sellers, ruin decent people's businesses and get their authentic items for free. eBay has gone so far off the deep end they can't even see the shoreline anymore.....
Wow! How does anyone describe "fake".
It could be simply misidentified, but not something to be destroyed.
My son, years ago, said Ebay was the flea market and the shops on line, like Tias, Ruby Lane & GoAntiques were the place to go for antiques & collectibles.
Thanks for informing us. I was about to put some things on Ebay as sales at the online have slowed. No way now.
A less than honest buyer no longer needs to send back a brick in a box with delivery confirmation. Now they simply "promise" to destroy the "fake" and ebay will reimburse their money, charge the seller's account, with the seller most-likely getting a negative feedback as the icing on the cake. So in a nutshell, the seller loses his widget, ebay charges his account, seller is out his fees and a neg to boot.
And if you "decide" that you do not want to participate with the new policies, 'ebay will help you close your account'. I think that last comment says it all.
The next proposed change is going to be a fixed price venue. Ebay no longer wants this to be an auction setting. I am closing most of my accounts the first week of June. Keeping one for hubby to buy model railroading stuff.
Forget Ebay. It is a just big flea market - which is OK if you are there and able to see & talk to the seller - or buyer.
Preserving antiques & collectibles is so important. It is shocking that Ebay says destroy any item. Return & refund, yes.
Wouldn't destroying an item that, because of the Ebay rule, is not paid for be considered vandalism & possible theft? I can see lawsuits and even arrests ahead.
Try Tias, Ruby Lane, GoAntiques, Trocdero and the other online collectible & antique shops. They all have return policies, screen their dealers and offer many ways a customer can pay.
I find the policy frightening and I think you for pointing it out. I only sell occasional items on ebay, but some of them are quite valuable. Other sites that charge montly fees aren't for me so I'm not sure what recourse there is. I can't risk putting a valuable item on ebay and having a dishonest buyer get it for nothing. Even thought the practice sounds questionable in the legal sense I would not have the money it would take to fight ebay.
Glad to see our readers add to the discussion Thanks for blogging. I hope eBay it reading this
So WHO gets to decide if the item is fake or not? The buyer? Yeah right..... "It's a fake, it's a fake, I want my money back. Oh look at this cool designer purse I got on Ebay! Uh huh!
Ebay better get ready for more lawsuits. My favorite Ebay lawsuit involved a New York state woman who sold a designer purse she had bought at Bloomingdales and used for a season or so. The buyer claimed it was fake. Ebay gave her a raft of grief, gave the payment back to the buyer, shut her account down. She sued Ebay over it because she had her original Bloomingdale bill for the purse and lucky for her she was acquainted with the Bloomingdales buyer who stocked the purse originally. She pulled them in to court to testify on her behalf. She won the case but what a mess to go through, not to mention the expense. I used to love Ebay but now I constantly look for a new online auction place to sell.
A buyer can now truly "have cake and eat it too!"
I haven't sold on Ebay for nearly a year.I was considering trying a few auctions again.
This has reminded me of why I left in the first place.Thank you for helping me come back to my senses.
EBAY AND PAYPAL ARE FOR THE BUYER ONLY...THEY DONT WANT THE LITTLE GUY, I RECENTLY SOLD A $6.50 ITEM (POSTCARD), IT was shipped first class mail so i could not get delivery confirmation...the buyer received it, and posted positive feedback, paypal however, put a hold on my transaction as the buyers bank reversed the transaction as (i was never really told why) but paypal customer service agent thought it was due to insufficient funds...so, i am out the money, dont have the postcard and the buyer wont answer my emails...now here is the kicker, paypal keeps sending me emails asking to me respond or they will undoubtedly find in favor of the buyer...the problem is that my response to the claim has to be one of three options...first one is that i have proof of deliver...hello, one cant get del confirmation on first class..also buyer refused insuracne of 1.70 on a 6.50 item which is understandable, option two is that i have voluntarily refunded the money (why would i ever want to click on that since i sent it, and got positive feedback) and the laugher of them all is no. 3 which states that "i accept full liability for the transaction"...sure why not, i sold it, never got paid and got positive feedback, why shouldnt i take responsibility for the buyer not having enough money in an acct...my god we are talking about 6.50...the good news is that it was not $650...the bad news is that while on the phone with paypal i asked the question "is it true that if a buyer refuses insurance on an item and seller ships it and buyer states it was received damaged (whether it was or wasnt) the seller has to refund the money?"...the answer was YES, IT IS THE OBLIGATION OF THE SELLER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUYER GETS WHAT THEY BID ON AND WON"...so, sellers beware, a buyer can say i dont want insurance and then get their money back when it comes "damaged"...time to look for another site or just sell at an auction house as the fees are catching up with the auction houses...
anonymous
I was just informed by eBay that this "Destroy Fakes" policy was a service to the antique community because it would reduce the number of reproductions in the marketplace and especially on eBay. They said with a lower incidence of fakes on eBay, sellers will feel 'safer' about investing their money in antiques and collectibles. This (they said) would increase confidence in buyers and thereby benefit the sellers as a whole.
Hogwash and psychobabble. eBay is on a power trip. I didn't see a huge outcry when eBay banned all payment forms but PayPal. Cash, money order and cashier's checks are all legal and sellers SHOULD have the freedom to accept any of them if they choose.
This new 'destroy the fakes' policy is just another step down for eBay. Give them a few months to a year and they'll policy themselves right down to the grund.
In the meantime, I'm starting stores on Bonanzle and SeeAuctions. Right now it's very slow on both sites but at least it doesn't cost me a cent unless I sell something. Ebay sales are far and few between lately and I'm paying (sometimes twice) for the privledge of listing there.
A couple years ago I sold a Gucci Purse on eBay. My uncle had worked as a shift supervisor for Gucci for 35 years. He gave my mother a tour of the factory and bought the purse for her. We had the original receipt, pictures of the purse being made, pictures of my Mother and uncle outside of the factory holding the purse. And still eBay sided against its authenticity. Good thing it wasn't destroyed because later Gucci bought it from us for their own in house display collection.
According to Auctionbytes, eBay just reversed their policy on this. I guess it got filed in the stupid idea department along with declaring neutral feedback as negative feedback. Worse than eBay's policies is the management that thinks these things up. I have never seen such a poorly managed company of this size ever. Enron may have been dishonest and AIG greedy, but eBay's management is just embarrassingly stupid.
While I am not happy with a lot of new ebay policies, we can not falsly characterize a new policy of theirs. This is a copy and paste of what the policy says...
While buyers are not obligated to provide third party confirmation that an item is counterfeit in order to open a claim, in cases where there is written confirmation from the manufacturer that the item is counterfeit, or in additional circumstances where eBay elects to exercise its discretion, eBay may request the destruction of the item by an authorized third party and at eBay’s expense.
So a buyer cannot simply break it and get reimbursed. Nor can they just be dissatisfied with a purchase.
Thank you Terry for this blog and your report on this subject. I think you helped a lot....you and Ina Steiner....to get eBay to re-consider their ill conceived "policy without standards". It still has problems, but better than it was yesterday ;)
I'm seriously thinking of moving to Go Antiques. I will probably not pay any more than I would at eBay and won't have to deal with "flaky policies" and a badly managed company. Plus I'll be selling somewhere where they actually know something about the products being sold.
Thanks again!
Before retirement I spent years as a legal assistant. When I read the new eBay policy on FAKES, I couldn't believe any company would make such an enormous public relations blunder. This will be corrected! I have met some wonderful people while spending a lot of money on thousands of eBay items. I have also met some very dishonest Sellers. I check each shipment carefully even the postage costs. If the Seller had to PAY more for postage than s/he expected I SEND the Seller the extra postage cost. The Golden Rule applies to everything in life! I am a Buyer with 100% feedback. I always buy insurance for my purchases. My biggest problem is that the USPS doesn't honor the insurance claims. Their stock response is that "damage was caused by seller's improper wrapping and packing" but this has been the real reason only a few times. It takes USPS months to give me their "official" rejection which makes it too late for me to be reimbursed by PayPal. I have lost a lot of money due to damaged (antiques) glass items. So Sellers please realize that all Buyers are not trying to take advantage of you just as I know that the wonderful Sellers far outnumber the bad ones.
If you do not like a car you do not buy it, If you hate rock music you do not listen to it, if you hate talk-shows on TV you switch the channel.....so if you hate eBay quit complaining and just switch to Bonanzle, OLA or any other sales channel. All are low now but so is eBay, but it cost you nothing till you sell and they do not give you a bible of rediculous rules.
Greetings from an ex-eBay power-seller with over 4,700 positive trans actions.
as usual ebay has not a clue about this business.....only to satisfy the hysteria of the novice and/or shady buyer. They alienated me and most of my friends who used to sell in the early 2000's and now do not even visit the site. Who is the determinate and who is the final arbiter of 'fakery'...yes there is a large population of dealers who sell fakes on line and they need to be dealt with....but....this policy opens the door the the shyster on the other side of the coin who will exploit this as a way to get over on the sellers of legit objects. Shame on Ebay.
Ebay pays for things you do not recieve and them allows the seller to keep the items and the money. Here is what happened to me. On April 16 I ordered 3 books from Price Guides and more. On april 20
I order 3 more books from them.I recieved 2 books about 3 weeks after I payed for them and these were the ones I order on the 20th and one book was missing. I emailed the seller on Sunday and she did not respond. So on Thursday I went on ebay resolution to fill a not recieved complaint.
What happens next well infuriate many of you. Ebay now has a phone number you can call if you want so I call 1-866-643-3720 a lady answered I told her what happened and gave her the item numbers. With in five minutes she refunded me $61.17 the cost and postage for the four books I did not recieve. I asked her if they were going to notify the seller she said no. I asked if the funds were going to be taken out of her account and she said no. A day after I called ebay I recieved an email from the seller so sorry you did not get your books. Has never told me why they were not sent. I recieved an email from her today and ebay has never contacted her I could not beleive this so I call the 866 number again and what ebay did is payed me for my loss and let this seller keep the money and the books.
eBay or as I now call it FEEBAY is out of touch with reality.
I was a power seller for many years, but then I had several people pull fraud on me the seller, and eBay did nothing. When they started to refund money to customers, and were talking about $300-$400 dollars, for this one item, and the item was never returned to me, and after having someone return something that WAS NOT THE SAME ONE I SENT THEM and they got refunded by eBay, after several of these incedents, I decided to quit selling on eBay
Funny they will go after sellers for fraud, but they dont go after the fraudulant buyers. I can suddenly see a whole bunch of "FAKES" being reported to eBay so the con artists who have figured it out will be getting theyre stuff for free,
Ebay definitely seems to stand behind the buyer more than the seller. This dumb policy of destroying an item makes it even easier for the dishonest buyers. And it doesn't matter what proof you have, Ebay will side with the buyer. My first phone call to Ebay about a recent sale was a joke. I sold a fragile figurine. I packed in double large bubble with lots of peanuts and 1" styrofoam lining the box. The lady claimed it was broken. (no damage to the box) Turned it in to Ebay/PayPal. The lady never denied to me that she broke it herself. Ebay put a hold on my account saying "As long as the item is returned, Ebay always refunds to the buyer". I told the employee I was sure this buyer didn't like it and broke it herself to get a refund. He said in a very condescending tone, "Oh...people don't do that sort of thing"! I received my first negative in over 900 sales. The second employee I talked to explained the rules were changed in not allowing sellers to give a negative, to protect the buyer from unethical sellers. Ok...so now we have the unethical buyers taking full advantage. They can do and say what they want and we are left at their mercy if we still want to sell on Ebay. For some of us, online selling is the only way to go if you happen to be confined to home. So...the saga continues. I clicked on the feedback positive as many sellers do and stated this was a buyer to not be trusted. She immediately turned me in for Feedback Abuse. I got a warning and next time would be suspended. Employee stated "You can not say ANYTHING negative if you click on the positive link in the feedback forum." Once again....all for the buyer.
Some attorney out there might be interested in a class action suit, since so many sellers have been taken.
It is not legal for paypal to charge a seller for an item after someone else has determined it is a fake and has not returned the item to the seller.
I would like to hear from any lawyers out there who think that this is a legal practice.
Write to the attorney generals office in california complaining about this practice and the monopoly ebay has by insisting people use paypal.
I would also like to say this to the sellers - STOP SELLING 8-1 thru 8-8. want to make your voice heard? STOP SELLING.
I have had a very unpleasant experience with Ebay I am a seller with 100% rating. I am now looking at posting on Tias or Rubylane. Again sooo true Ebay is for buyers only! Sellers have no recourse and we pay the fees!! So confusing. Ebay over refunded the buyer without me having the merchandise. I would never treat a customer that way. Either way I am moving my business. Would love feedback from anyone using Tias or Rubyland which one you like and why.
Previous Ebay Seller
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