eBay

uncleolliescollection · ‎12-03-2020

eBay does not have it's sellers best interest in mind, PERIOD. I sold 42 magazines with free returns to a buyer who abused the system. He requested a return on all 42 magazines that were all sold separately but bulk shipped as one shipment. When I reached out to find out the problem, buyer went dark. He requested a return, EBAY, rather than sending back 1 individual label, SENT 42 first class labels. The buyer then abused the system by shipped each one in a priority mail flat rate envelope which compounded the issue. So now I have 42 envelopes at the post office with $174 postage due before i can recover my merchandise. Because the post office left a receipt on my door, it shows up in ebay that the items were returned. Buyers original purchase price was $240. My original shipping $36.00 Return shipping for all 42 packages was $223.00 USPS postage due $174.

So, ebay refunded buyer, they failed to comprehend that i never received my merchandise, they refused to help whatsoever, they told me it was my fault because of how i listed. I am out my entire collection AND have paid $499.00. If i want my collection back, it will cost another $174.00

EBAY SUCKS - SOMEBODY NEEDS TO CHECK INTO THIS. EBAY SHOULD HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT SEES ISSUES LIKE THIS AND MAKES DECISIONS TO HELP SELLERS. SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE SEEN THAT THEY WERE SENT AS A BULK SHIPMENT AND SENT 1 LABEL INSTEAD OF 42.

No help.

coffeebean832 · ‎12-03-2020

@ronsam-197 wrote:
I have no idea if the use of return labels precludes using any flat rate materials.

My post office gave me an issue with that once. I received an item in a small flat rate box, but the retailer sent the wrong item. They provided a generic Priority Mail return service label.

I packed it in the same small flat rate box to return and the PO rejected it- they said even though it's Priority return service I couldn't use a flat rate package to ship it back. I had to take it home, re-pack and ship the next day with non-flat rate packaging.

I agree that's probably the reason why the PO is requesting postage due.

purple-rain-store · ‎12-03-2020

That sounds like something that could have easily been stopped had the USPS done their job. Those shouldn't have ever been allowed to be accepted from the first place of sending out with First Class labels on Priority Mail Envelopes. Why should you have to pay for that, when someone with the USPS allowing improperly packaged mail at a Priority Mail Rate that was clearly supposed to be First Class. I'd go back to the PO and point that out, that you shouldn't have to owe anything as it's the USPS job to not allow this sort of mailing to begin with. If that doesn't get you your items back call the 800 number to USPS & ask for a higher up. I'd ask to see mailers and take a video of them in how they are in Priority Mailers with the First Class prepaid labels on them with a bill they are trying to bill you with as well. Even if they won't just hand them over ask them to lay them out and cycle thru them so you can video them. Making sure it's clear , close enough to make out the First Class on all of them and being able to see how they were allowed to go out in those Priority Mailers. Somebody would get the point! I'd put my energies into the USPS on this one. You can't do anything about ebay issuing out all those individual First Class labels for 42 magazines, but you can sure & the heck make the USPS make it right with you given somebody with them didn't do their job! If they don't make it right with you, take them to small claims court. They should also be going after the buyer/return sender for pulling that abuse as well.

purple-rain-store · ‎12-03-2020

Does this have something to do with Adult magazines & the packaging being busted open upon arrival & customer being **bleep** off because he was embarrassed knowing others seen he'd ordered Adult Magazines?

lamber9347 · ‎12-03-2020

@uncleolliescollection - I'm posting so that you can read one more sympathy post. I'm so sorry this happened to you. It made me angry just reading about it. I'm trying to decide how I would have handled this and whether I would go pick up those 42 magazines. You have my sympathies and I hope you can quickly put this behind you and move on from it. Best of luck to you....

dbfolks166mt · ‎12-03-2020

If I had been the buyer and received 42 labels my first action would have been to contact the seller or eBay and ask them what the heck is going on. Even if I had been vindictive there is no way I would want to mess with printing 42 labels, packing up 42 separate packages and sending 42 items through the post office. USPS should never had sent these forward with postage due they should have been returned to the buyer for proper packing as a first class package.

portkoop-0 · ‎12-03-2020

@purple-rain-store wrote:
That sounds like something that could have easily been stopped had the USPS done their job. Those shouldn't have ever been allowed to be accepted from the first place of sending out with First Class labels on Priority Mail Envelopes. Why should you have to pay for that, when someone with the USPS allowing improperly packaged mail at a Priority Mail Rate that was clearly supposed to be First Class. I'd go back to the PO and point that out, that you shouldn't have to owe anything as it's the USPS job to not allow this sort of mailing to begin with. If that doesn't get you your items back call the 800 number to USPS & ask for a higher up. I'd ask to see mailers and take a video of them in how they are in Priority Mailers with the First Class prepaid labels on them with a bill they are trying to bill you with as well. Even if they won't just hand them over ask them to lay them out and cycle thru them so you can video them. Making sure it's clear , close enough to make out the First Class on all of them and being able to see how they were allowed to go out in those Priority Mailers. Somebody would get the point! I'd put my energies into the USPS on this one. You can't do anything about ebay issuing out all those individual First Class labels for 42 magazines, but you can sure & the heck make the USPS make it right with you given somebody with them didn't do their job! If they don't make it right with you, take them to small claims court. They should also be going after the buyer/return sender for pulling that abuse as well.

I hear you but I've been down that road myself, they will simply say they can intercept the package anywhere in transit, that's their answer and it makes no difference. That is what the person behind the counter will say and then they will move on like robots toiling in that drab grey environment where all sense of humor and humanity have been removed.
NEXT!

I personally believe this is a really unfortunate turn of events, starting with ebay's failure to see the entire order was shipped as one. This is a programming issue at this stage, there are no human beings involved and this isn't new... Once again the API is not smart enough to handle returns that were combined shipping.

Not a problem if it's 2-3 parcels, also great if the buyer is only returning part of the order...

But obviously a huge problem with a multi-parcel combined shipping return.

The next part goes into why the buyer chose Priority Mail "free" shipping supplies, I believe there is fault here even if the buyer was unaware of this issue. Having studied past and present discussions it does appear it was the use of Flat Rate envelopes that caused the problem at the USPS level with the First Class return labels.

Do we want to blame the buyer, do we want to blame ebay?
They will say, why did the seller combine shipping?

It's a really tough, tricky situation everyone just glad-hands it on down to the one who is least capable of defending themselves, the seller.

This could happen to any one of us.

I will say this...

Problems such as these is why I have a limit on how many orders a buyer can place every 10? days.

caldreamer · ‎12-03-2020

Why offer FREE RETURNS on magazines? Dishonest buyers will just "read the magazine" and then return it.

purple-rain-store · ‎12-03-2020

Raises red flags with me that the buyer was able to have 42 PFRE's to begin with. Had to have them on hand. To have that many you'd have to had to of ordered them from USPS website, which makes me think it's another reseller. I've never seen USPS have out in PO's that many PFRE's to be picked up by customers. Warnings are marked on all PFRE's about how to properly use them for Priority Mail only or they can be in violation of federal laws.

nederlander1 · ‎12-03-2020

The USPS did do their job. This is on the sender. If you use Priority Mail packaging with First Class labels the USPS will send it Priority and charge the receiver on the other end for the difference on the upgraded Priority mailing. That's the policy. Also, with prepaid labels, the buyer probably just dropped all these at once into a mail drop without a counter person ever seeing them. That would have been the opportunity for a correction. Once in the system it will be delivered with the receiver being charged at the delivery point. From a 35 year USPS employee.

highdesertgames · ‎12-03-2020

You wrote this entire reply as if there is never an option to contact ebay or the seller even after you point out the buyer could have very well realized they were faced with a problem. Who would take the time to print out 42 labels when they received in one box without contacting anyone? Seems like a vindictive buyer to me.

vajon · ‎12-04-2020

I always list my items No Returns. If there is something wrong with the item and the seller has a valid reason for returning the item or requesting a refund, then I would happily refund or accept a return. Otherwise, it's NO RETURNS.