It is very hard for people to feel bad for you, when obviously you purchased your item from China. Allowing China to break the rules (in regard to money back guarantee returns, multiple listings for the same item, and the selling of items grossly not as described) is what has contributed to an overall breakdown in buyer confidence, and indeed, has flawed eBay in such a way that it probably won't ever truly recover. The amount of buyers in your same situation is staggering--eBay has lost tons of buyers because just like you--they say to themselves, "Never again."
Nevermind that the sellers in your very own country are held to such high standards that what happened to you could never happen with a US seller--we have to play by different rules and are not allowed to blatantly rip off customers and give them the run around. However, we still have to feel the ever increasing bad effects of losing customers because of this type of behavior. Not only that, but our items are buried beneath 10 pages worth of cheap garbage and people can't find them. And of course, there is the fact that US sellers get NO break on shipping costs (in fact, we were just given a hearty rate increase [almost an entire dollar more to ship a 16oz first class package in the US] that is killing our sales even more) while Chinese sellers get to ship for pennies to our dollars. You would be astounded at how many small sellers--truly the lifeblood of this site, and the people who made eBay what it is today--are going out of business. No longer able to compete with a dwindling customer base and with the incredibly unfair shipping costs, and no longer able make any kind of a decent living, or even a little bit extra for emergencies. It is sad, truly sad and pitiful. And when I see a complaint like yours I feel I must educate you a little bit.
When you buy from China, not only do you take precious money out of the economy in the US (which we sorely need circulating HERE right now) but you also are contributing to the downfall of the little sellers here, to the poverty in our own country, and to the degredation of eBay's "good" name. Also, as the small sellers go away, so do the unique items, the rare and hard to find stuff, and all of the interesting things to buy and look at--the aspect that made eBay unique and somewhere fun to browse and shop. Truly, I don't write these words to hurt you, but to be honest with you. Please stop buying garbage from China. It isn't worth it--not on any level. They purchase nothing, absolutely nothing, from us--and I don't mean just eBay, I mean nothing at all. They don't help our economy at all, and your money is going into the hands of a couple of greedy business people--there is so much slave and child labor going on over there, it is just heartbreaking.
For anyone who thinks I am being xenophobic, or racist--I am not--I don't hate Chinese people at all. Even though one of my dogs died from the laced dog treats, and even though I personally know people who were basically ruined by the asbestos drywall in Florida--they had to walk away from their homes because it was so toxic, and who really knows what the long term effects will be--cancer, anyone? I also, quite coincidentally, purchased some lead based Barbie toys for my daughter when she was little--thank God she wasn't one to chew on her stuff. Thank God--because the dog treats not only killed my one dog, but also affected the other one's kidneys and he will probably be gone soon too. Over six years he has been ill--and I only fed them 3 (!!!) treats each. I can't imagine what could have happened to my daughter.....
However, I still have no hatred in my heart for them, as a people--in fact, I actually feel very sorry for most of the people in China. Who do you think is making all that cheap junk? It isn't people being paid a living wage--no, it is desperate people who can barely afford to eat. The working conditions are abhorrent, and the quality of life for most people there is pitiful. The facts are the facts. And in this case, the facts are that until people stop supporting a country that cares nothing for our well being, as a country and as individuals--until people realize that the Chinese sellers on here have absolutely no interest in being honest sellers--until you realize just how much buying from there hurts the US economy and the individual sellers on eBay--and until you realize that everything you buy from them comes from a place where human righs violations are the norm, and people are treated worse than dogs--you are just contributing to the problem. The problem here on eBay, the problem with the US economy, and the problem of human decency and fair treatment.
It should be obvious to you by now that they don't care one bit about selling you a qualiy item and standing behind it. I hope you think about that before you put any more money into the hands of people that have taken so much, yet give so little in return. Not only to us, but to their very own people. Please stop supporting Chinese sellers here. Instead support the sellers who are grateful for your business, who stand behind what they sell, and who will bend over backwards to make sure that you are satisfied and taken care of.
