ebay doesn't value its sellers

[buck4643]

Ebay has totally turned its back on its sellers!  Has anyone else had a similar experience to mine?  I had a buyer contact me because his post office had marked his package as needing special handling and charged him extra postage.  When he contacted ebay, he was told to file a claim on me stating the reason as item "not as described", even though he told them the item was fine and undamaged, and he was very happy with the item!  In this case, the buyer was nice and contacted me first.  But this is absurd!  What  has happened to the ebay I knew that made fair judgements.  In the past year or so, all judgements have gone against me as a seller with no opportunity to even tell my side of the issue... total lack of respect for their sellers.

[#2]

Ebay has totally turned its back on its sellers!  Has anyone else had a similar experience to mine?  I had a buyer contact me because his post office had marked his package as needing special handling and charged him extra postage.  When he contacted ebay, he was told to file a claim on me stating the reason as item "not as described", even though he told them the item was fine and undamaged, and he was very happy with the item!  In this case, the buyer was nice and contacted me first.  But this is absurd!  What  has happened to the ebay I knew that made fair judgements.  In the past year or so, all judgements have gone against me as a seller with no opportunity to even tell my side of the issue... total lack of respect for their sellers.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Did you use a USPS fragile sticker? There is an upcharge for that kind of special handling.

Is the buyer asking for the extra shipping they had to pay? That is their right. They paid for shipping when they won and paid. Any extra is on you.

Ebay follows the money. How do you feel this situation devalued you?

[myboardid]

eBay knows that if the buyers come, the sellers will follow them.  Sellers are willing to take risks to make money.  They are plentiful.  For every one that quits, ten more come.  In a he said-she said situation, they will always take the buyer's side of the issue.  This has led to fraud big time. 

In addition, they do not train their customer service reps to handle different types of situations.  They give them a script and tell them to find the answer closest to the issue.  The reps are paid by the number of calls they take, and try to get callers off the phone as fast as possible, so they say what they think you will want to hear. 

eBay has NEVER truly had the seller's back, as their eggs are in a different basket.  Don't expect any help from them.

[buck4643]

Of course I paid my seller the extra postage as soon as he contacted me. The devaluing comes from ebay customer service telling the buyer to file a "not as described" case when it was clear that was not the case. My example turned out okay for me because of a nice and savvy buyer who understood that filing a claim as recommended would reflect negatively on me. My complaint is that the cs rep should not have made such a recommendation? That is where the devaluing comes in and why I bring up this issue up.

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Not as described cases no longer count against sellers unless they are unresolved. They are the Ebay preferred method for buyers and sellers to resolve problems.

[buck4643]

In my experience for the past year or so, a "not as described" case ALWAYS results in a judgement against me, the seller, and I must issue a total refund as well as paying for return shipping if I want the item back.  In my book, that is a definite negative!

[chrysylys]

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@buck4643 wrote:
Of course I paid my seller the extra postage as soon as he contacted me. The devaluing comes from ebay customer service telling the buyer to file a "not as described" case when it was clear that was not the case.

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That IS the case since shipping is part of the transaction.  If the carrier charges the buyer more because the seller didn't pay the correct rate, the transaction is 'not as described' and paid for.

[papyruspapillo]

Many local postal stations incorrectly assess additional postage. This has happened to me more than once, and to other buyers/sellers I've talked to. Most often, the postage was calculated and affixed at the PO counter; if a mistake was made, it was made by a postal clerk. USPS should bite the bullet and not charge the recipient or the sender additional fees in such cases.

[buck4643]

You are wrong.  That would be the case if I put too little postage on the package or used the wrong type of Priority Mail box.  However,  I DID pay the correct rate - weighed & measured correctly and label printed thru ebay for correct ship method, etc.  But as stated previously, none of that is relevant, as my issue  is not having to reimburse the buyer.   Rather, my issue is that the cs rep told the buyer to file a "not as described" case, even while the buyer stated that was dedinitely not the case!

[*eponymous*]

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@myboardid wrote:

eBay knows that if the buyers come, the sellers will follow them.  Sellers are willing to take risks to make money.  They are plentiful.  For every one that quits, ten more come.  In a he said-she said situation, they will always take the buyer's side of the issue.  This has led to fraud big time. 

In addition, they do not train their customer service reps to handle different types of situations.  They give them a script and tell them to find the answer closest to the issue.  The reps are paid by the number of calls they take, and try to get callers off the phone as fast as possible, so they say what they think you will want to hear. 

eBay has NEVER truly had the seller's back, as their eggs are in a different basket.  Don't expect any help from them.

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Where does your info come from that reps are paid based on call volume? That is incorrect, and reps are underpaid and horribly abused, both by call center personnel (who are employed by the contractor, in the case by eBay). and by callers!

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

If the buyer had to pay extra money to get their item they didn't get what they paid for. They didn't get what was listed in the listing (a certain item for a certain price). So it is indeed not as described. That applies to the delivery method and shipping payment as well as the item itself.

Once again, cases don't count against you unless you refuse to fix the problem. Ebay now uses cases to facilitate communication between buyer and seller. They want buyers to file cases so that all the documentation regarding the problem is in one place and easy to deal with.

[*eponymous*]

Don't make the mistake of conflating personal philosophies with business practices.

When a buyer  calls CS, the rep assists the buyer. Ditto for sellers, but all corps are buyer-centric because buyers' money is the only scarce resource.

Sellers  cost eBay money in the form of CS personnel when a seller calls. Money you pay eBay after an item is purchased is offset by eBay's costs to support you. All of us are only worth that net value to a business, whether buyer or 3P seller, and not a penny more. That's why Amazon and etsy and the ranch don't provide any service. eBay is the only big player who does provide it.

[couldabeenworse]

My complaint is that the cs rep should not have made such a recommendation?

That's a valid complaint.  In the Olden Days, customer service would have told buyer to start by contacting you through the messaging system.   It does seem like nowadays eBay's preferred method of post-sale contact is through the return/dispute console.

Of the two options - Not As Described and Not Received,  Not as Described was the correct choice.

Had the buyer filed the claim, you should have been able to offer a partial refund, and a satisfied claim does not count against your eBay standing.  So the outcome could have been the same, even though it seems a bit overboard to file an official complaint before working directly with the seller.