Atrocity that is eBay Customer Service - What is my alternative?

[slxlohocla]

Been selling on eBay for 10 years.  I have 2951 all positive feedbacks on my selling name.  I have had 2 neutrals dropped on me and never a negative.  The neutrals were by new users who did not understand the feedback system.

I used to have an account manager.

This new customer service model is the WORST customer service model I have ever...EVER seen.

Recent experiences:

Called to ask about why I can't raise "buy it now" price above a certain amount without being asked to start a new listing.

Can only get OVERSEAS help.  First try they put me on hold 'cause they didn't know.  I asked for Supervisor when they didn't give adequate answer.  Was told he'd call back in 24 hours.  Took 'em 2 days.  He didn't give adequate answers.

I called back the next day to try again.  Overseas girl answered told me that since I had a starting price of $1500 I couldn't add a "buy it now" feature to my listing.  Seriously?  FAIL.  I literally had to train her on the telephone about the buy it now feature.  She admitted her error and apologized for giving me incorrect information.  She was very sweet.  I felt bad for her.

Ebay called my home number today to tell me about new promotions.  I changed that phone number in the preferences several weeks ago yet they continue to call my home.  I called customer service today to find out what I have to do to be sure they quit calling my home number.  We don't check those messages anymore and only use our cell phones.  Overseas customer support put me on hold for 38 minutes before I hung up.  This was just about changing my number in the preferences ya'll!  

I call again.  Support answers.  I ask, "what country are you in?"  Manilla.  I say, "put me through to the U.S. support."  They say they will help me.  I say no thanks.  They say ok I will connect you.  Someone answers after a few minutes.  She only tells me she is in "Asia."  I say no thanks...and hang up.

I call back again.  Girl answers.  "Where are you located," I ask her.  She says, "our policy does not allow me to tell you where I am located."  I say, "are you kidding me?"  I say, "are you being for real?"  She says, "yes, I am serious."  I laugh so hard in her ear that I can hardly contain myself.  Now, they are telling them to HIDE where they are from!  ahhahahahahhahaa

I call back again.  Guy answers.  "Where are you located," I ask him.  "Manilla," he says.  I hang up.

I give up.

So I come here.

Am I in the TWILIGHT ZONE! ????

What has happened to eBay customer support?  This is as bad as it gets.

I make eBay a LOT of money and offer the stellar service to my customers that they badly want out of a seller yet they don't offer that to me.

I would like to hear of an alternative to eBay?  Coke has Pepsi.  Chevy has Ford.

I don't see a viable alternative to eBay at the moment?  Amazon?  They don't auction do they?  I've never checked Amazon.  Ebay seems scared of Amazon so have any of you guys sold there?  After 10 years and nearly flawless feedback and customer service by me I am now seriously looking for alternatives to what eBay has become.

I will be looking into developing my own website to sell my wares but in the meantime let me know your thoughts.

Has eBay become "too big to fail?"

Thanks for your input.

[mellapmella]

Has anyone given thought that eBay is making their books look good with tons of $$$ generated in order to sell? What they are doing to sellers is robbery. It goes way past greed. Something is going on.

[gideon13]

Sellers should contact the Attorneys General of their states to look into the legality of the ebay holds on paypal funds...

[gideon13]

Read a good eCommerce Bytes article about the Paypal holds not being legal in many states and how sellers can contact their state regulators to get your funds freed up...

[brittneeacarter]

I've posted this several times already, but people need to know what they'll be dealing with should they need to contact customer support.

Tried contacting ebay customer support about an case that had been resolved, but ebay had delivered the wrong return address.  After being transferred around from person to person and finally arriving to the buyer protection center, I was treated like criminal.  I was talked down to, told it was my fault, that I was incorrect, and should have updated my personal information correctly.  When I asked to speak to a supervisor about the way I was being treated, the representative told me no, that there was no one to talk to, and she hung up on me.

I like saving money, but this is totally not worth it.  Ebay should be ashamed.  

[tygerkats-attic]

Prestostores looks like a good Ebay alternative, a lot of sellers from Bonanza including myself are opening stores there, here is a link to check it out :

http://www.prestostore.com/rf.php/soldsnew

[speedyalchemist62]

That's a really good idea.  A decade ago, we could do this on eBay in our listings.   When we started our first selling account back in 1996, you could get someone from the eBay office on the phone.  I realize that's no longer practical, but getting "Nick" from Malaysia who reads from a script and can't do anything that we can't do ourselves on the website blows.

eBay just isn't profitable for sellers any more.  It's really a good place for buyers -- at least for those who want to claim they never got your item, you overcharged them, the items was different than described and give me a big discount (which you'll never get credited for).  It seems Paypal always takes a buyer's side, and it's a PITA to get that which is owed.

I want to go back to Skippy Bucks and 2-for-1 burgers at St. John's.  Or at least to a business model that values its clients.

[246lee]

Malaysia huh? That figures, every time I call I get the same lame ass woman with the most f'd up accent that I've ever heard trying to help me but she can't tell me anything I don't already know. EBay does blow! All the money they make off of us and They can't even hire Americans (that speak English!) to do their customer service.

[davpdcjim]

Q?- Where did you ever find a phone # to call in the first place????.....I spent 2 hrs going in a circle thru their steps and still couldn't find a phone #.....Q? since I read many horror stories about the plight of sellers I wonder if the federal trade commission or the better business bureau has any influence in these matters...I myself was going into the hospital- had replaced the hard drive on my laptop-paypal wouldn't recognize my computer...rather than being late with a delivery dropped it in the mail-- Ebay opened up an unpaid item since the guy never paid me or responded to e-mail or invoices-- they credited me with$.078 and closed the unpaid item case...I cannot get any means to contact customer support---no phone #--they reject any other form of computer contact saying the case was closed....If you do have a phone # that a human answers to for ebay I would appreciate having it -davpdcjim@aol.com

[melburry18]

Seriously!!! Then they think we are stupid!!! OMG I am struggling with their stupidity

[csalvo40]

Okay, after reading all this now I understand why I am having a problem with Customer Service.  I had paid 500.00 for an item which the buyer had done some modifications on after I bought it and then an arm fell off and he said he replaced an arm, but wouldn't tell me which arm and they decided in his favor and I try telling the customer service person that I thought their policy was a seller could not do anything to an item once it was paid for and they acted like they did not understand this.  So the people deciding these cases apparently do not even know Ebay's policies.  They may as well do away with the policies then.  It's horrible.  Makes me think twice about ever buying anything on Ebay again.  

[lasuzanamaison]

They are the rudest bunch I have ever encountered as a seller.  I have had so many problems with them in the short time as a seller that I'm wondering how are they still in business!?  

[shopcoolstuffz]

I came upon this post because I was looking for find where CS was located.  After over 10 emails back and forth and 5 phone calls (each of which the CS rep gave me slightly different if not conflictiong information) I concluded that they either did not understand the emails or they blantanly ignored the main issue which was that they made an error and flat out refused to look at the evidense and correct the issue.  I can only assume if the first is true there might be a language barrier.

Regardless, their error has cost me real money not potentially earned money.

If this runaround is indded ebay policy and judging from postings on numerous websites it appers to be, I question the legality of the money that they make as a result of these issues that they refuse to resolve.  I have read numerous posts where people just "gave up" out of sheer frustration and just let it go.  Good strategy ebay.

I for one will be looking into legal action.  I strongly urge others to do the same if they feel they have been treated unfairly to the benefit of ebay.

Just because they have been getting away with it does not mean it is legal.  There is a reason there have been class action lawsuits against ebay.  I think they are due for a new one.

[cath-rees]

 I had the same thing happen to me yesterday. 6 claims against me for nonpayment when the seller even verified my payment for the THREE that I can't clear out of my shopping cart. ALL have been paid and even shipped, but I was told that since they've been paid, the claims can't be deleted. I knew then that my 100% buyer rating was screwed and I'm going to have trouble from now on. I know that with all of the tech savy gurus out there, there's got to be at least one that create a better site!

[alex1honda]

Yes ive been going through the same **bleep** for about 5 days now they put me on  hold for 20 minutes phone calls for about hour and a half they say they understand then they're talking about something else that doesn't concern the problem yes i too asked better help and then it's  dummy after  dummy next step small claims i guess

[stwalsh2121]

I'm with you bud...I think the alternatives are right around the corner.  Amazon will swallow eBay and then we have such greater access to groups of people and forums i.e. Reddit to reachout directly to consumers and buy, sell and trade.  Not sure when, but its coming.  They have about 3-5 years left, so just short their stock and get rich.  I HATE EBAY.  As a joe shmoe, I always thought of eBay as an international Craigslist.  But the buyer protection is ridiculous.  An item being "defective" is totally SUBJECTIVE???  I've never sold anything on Amazon, but I've bought a lot.  Items that are sold from 3rd party sellers, means you have to abide by the sellers return conditions and maybe not returnable at all.  At the very least you have to pay a restocking fee for their time and money to ship.  On eBay, I sell a $1,000 ASUS monitor and on the 25th day he declared the item defective (its not...I'm actually using it now.  So....got a big party coming up?  By 10 of the biggest and baddest TVs and then declare that they are defective after the party...after all, eBay told me that they can't prove anything about anything.  The fraudulent buyer has to admit to being a fraud.  Stupid.