Do not rely on ANY protection from Ebay if you are a seller.

[ampmaster.uk]

Many complaints about this already. I have been using Ebay a long time and had a few problems over that time. Ebay almost always side with the buyer even when they are clearly wrong or lying.

My latest was only a small amount but it was a large item so the postage was high.

I had no information on the item so listed it as a "Mystery" listed in and advertised as "spares or repairs" and included 8 high resolution pictures of it. I also clearly stated "No returns"

It sold within minutes of going live. The buyer did not read the listing or check the other 7photos, he just clocked "by it now" thinking he had spotted some amazing bargain for a few £.

After I posted it, I get an email telling me he is opening a "not as described" case. The buyer claims I had not added information he feels I should have?

I get the usual email from Ebay telling me to accept the return, pay the postage and then issue a full refund. For an easy life I would usually do that but in this case the postage was high and paying for it both ways was more than the item sold for.

I would have been £22 better off throwing the item in the bin! Good ole Ebay!

Anyway, Ebay took 2 minutes to decide in the buyers favour. I know they usually do but a few years ago if it was listed in spares or repairs it did not really have that protection. Something must have changed.

I phoned Ebay and asked why they had made this decision, no answer just waffle, nothing useful. I said I wanted to appeal but the option is not available.  The agent kept telling that the case is not closed. Until it is closed the option does not appear. It will close once I get the item back and have inspected it Blah blah, like that is going to make any difference. 

Isn't it a bit late and pointless once the item has been returned? 

I could not get a straight answer. Have patience, wait and see is all he could say.

It is obvious what is going to happen. Once Ebay instruct the buyer to return the item it is all over. No, not at all he said. This nonsense went on far too long and I was obviously wasting my breath.

I asked the Ebay agent what I had done wrong as I could not work it out and would like to know for next time. He looked at the advert and the comms etc and said he could not see that I had done anything wrong.

I also asked several Ebay members to look at it and tell me without holding back. None of them could see anything either.

The agent said its clear the buyer had not read the ad or looked at pictures.

He said if I appeal, I will probably get reimbursed by Ebay themselves and will be able to keep the item. 

The thing is, even if that happens, I'm not happy:

How can you try and do business like this?

What if I sell some vintage item that cost £75 to post and it happens again?

I don't really want the item back, hence the reason I sold it.

The small amount of money involved here does not make any difference to me, it is the principle of the whole thing that is just so wrong.

The buyer gets away with it and thinks he is clever or worse, that he was correct. Both bad.

The buyer will no doubt go on to do this again.

Even if Ebay do reimburse me, I don't really get my money back as Ebay only get their money from our fees so our fees are higher just so Ebay can cover off things like this.

[coolections]

You need to read up on selling on Ebay.

You cannot list something and say "mystery".

There is no such thing as no returns.

Postage cost has nothing to do with accepting a return, that is on you.

[fashunu4eeuh]

 
“…I had no information on the item so listed it as a "Mystery" listed in and advertised as "spares or repairs" and included 8 high resolution pictures of it. I also clearly stated "No returns"..”

This is the US board. Did you list your item here or in the UK eBay?

Below is how to open an appeal. Not sure why you were told it was not an option. You may have a road block since your listing had a violation.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/appeal-outcome-case-seller?id=4369#sectio...

[luckythewinner]

a few years ago if it was listed in spares or repairs it did not really have that protection. Something must have changed

Your recollection is wrong. That was never the case.

eBay has always wisely recognized that a "Part or Repair/Not working" listing can still be described incorrectly.

[soh.maryl]

Did you think that "No Returns" meant "no returns for any reason whatsoever"?

Have you read eBay's Money Back Guarantee for buyers?

Put yourself in a buyer's shoes.  You buy, pay lots of money, perhaps a thousand dollars, and receive an item.  Unfortunately, it's broken and not fixable.  You aren't allowed to open an item not as described case because the seller said "no returns".  Describe your feelings at that point.  

[tobaccocardyahoo]

I learned long ago that when selling online, many items you offer which are not functional either do not sell or boomerang. If the boomerang they may arrive in worse shape than they were in.

Even if Ebay ruled in your favor on a NAD claim, the buyer would probably succeed if they opened a credit card chargeback dispute. Ebay will probably assess a fee on that dispute, so you would be worse off.

Sometimes it helps to have assimilated Murphy's Law into your DNA. "Anything which can go wrong, will go wrong."

[robbie31415]

You need to actually look at your listing.

It does not say no returns for any reason, nor does it say no refunds.

 

[house*of*paws]

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

a few years ago if it was listed in spares or repairs it did not really have that protection. Something must have changed

Your recollection is wrong. That was never the case.

eBay has always wisely recognized that a "Part or Repair/Not working" listing can still be described incorrectly.

---

My recollection must be faulty as well.  I've noticed a significant increase in the number of sellers' complaints about having to accept return of a 'For parts or not working' item.

While a wily buyer has always been able to find a reason why an item is NAD ... eBay used to uphold a seller's 'no return' policy IF the buyer complained that a 'not working' item 'doesn't work'.  [The change seems to have occurred within the past year IMHO.]  Just sayin'.  

[pjcdn2005 · Accepted solution]

I remember it being like that too but I think that it changed quite a few years ago.  eBay reps used to actually look at a listing and the correspondence between seller and buyer if the seller disagreed with the nad claim.  Sellers often won if the item listed in the for parts or not working category and the buyer's complaint about the item was that it didn't work. 

[ten_o_nine]

"No returns" means nothing, so you'd better revise all your listings to make them customer friendly, I am a seller and I can return any item that I think was not what I ordered on eBay or any site. Period

[robbie31415]

They have honored that in the past. Who knows if they do today.

However, it can still be INAD even if it's for parts not working. Like sending the wrong broken model etc.

But yeah I've had eBay side with me before when someone opened a return request because it 'doesn't turn on' when clearly listed in for parts.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

Same as if say a buyer claimed SNAD for broken zipper, the rep would look at the listing and say 'well it states broken zipper' and deny the return/refund.

Not anymore. It's open season on sellers these days and your description etc mean zip. No wonder a lot of sellers don't bother with one nowadays.

[robertscloset1]

This is the mentality now.  Return any reason whatsoever.  This is why there is far few sellers on eBay and traffic isn't that great either.  Who as a seller want to be charged the high fees eBay charges and still have to put up with eBay automatically siding with the buyer? I get they want customers who are happy however at the end of the day if the sellers leave eBay closes down.  Some other company will spring forward and sellers may very well flock to that venue.  I also do not understand the life of me that eBay charges a fee on shipping and they charge you the seller same fee on sales tax they collect.  Sales tax is not profit for a seller but they do it anyway.

[robbie31415]

Ebay has no way to regulate how much the shipping was/is, unless everyone buys the label on eBay.

Free shipping sellers who bake in shipping would hurt while sellers who charge 99 dollar shipping and 1 dollar for item for 100 dollar purchase would fee avoid.

Ebay performs a service to stay up to date with all the new tax regs, rules, filings, for all the different states is a cost I'm willing to pay.

Ebays fee is pretty much the same as it was 20 years ago, people just always like to complain.

[ampmaster.uk]

Thanks for the link.