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The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

consignsite
Enthusiast

(sorry for the long thread)Ever since Ebay changed there feedback format to no more Negs to bidder's, I've had a lot of problems now. Back in the day when we could leave Negs to unruly, or non-paying bidder's, there wasn't to much trouble. I had about 7 bidder's not follow through (from 1999) with there bid's and a few mean bidder's. NOW..11 non-paying bidders, 3 rude bidder's and 1 other bidder from May 2011, that still harrasses me to this day. At least Ebay suspended him for good. I can't be the only seller being affected by this so called "new and improved" Ebay format. I long for the good ole days when I could tell if a bidder was good or not, now..we have no idea who the problem makers are?? Because of this one bidder, I no longer sell under my consignsite name and don't enjoy selling on Ebay as I once did. Now, when I see a message on Ebay Intranet, I get a little nervous and wonder "what it is now". I can no longer warn fellow seller's of any potential problems with a bidder. I also never bother a bidder anymore if they don't follow through with there bid, what's the point. They'll just say they didn't get it and we're stuck giving them there money back, whether we like it or not. I'm an excellent honst seller and don't deserve they way I am now treated by bidder's that know they have us all under a barrel. I see that this change has done nothing to improve Ebay's bottom line at the stock market, only there botom line with all the increases in fee's we now pay. Please tell me your stories and any solution idea's..I sincerly do feel my hands are tied and can no longer defend myself when I take a beating from a bidder. Be safe and thanks for reading...
G

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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

For the last few months I have had multiple events were buyers have ripped me off and then the gall to leave negative feedback with the assistance of ebay! Every time I get the run around with phone calls. Some snide boy on the other line with the resolution dept saying" Yes ma'am I see that your photos show a new pair of shoes with the tags attached all showing they are a size 6, but we can't use that in our decision. We believe the buyer when she says they are not a six." I asked if Jesus came down to profess the truth would he believe it then and he said they'd still always side with the buyers. I've been with ebayer from day one of their existence and now its a racket to rip sellers off. I hope America wakes up and joins me in boycotting this company until they instill safety measures for sellers. I will be closing my account and instructed the snide boy he could kiss it! eBay is a criminal organization now!!!!!
Message 31 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

I agree. Well said!
Message 32 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

I've been a seller on eBay since June of 1999!  At that time, buyers sent in checks, and once the checks cleared we sent out the merchandize.  Everyone was sooo happy and honest, and the system worked because both buyers and sellers could leave negative feedback.  If anyone asked me something about a listing, and I saw they had had problems with other sellers, I would block them before they could try to rip me off as well.  If a buyer with a lot of negative FB made a purchase, I would take photos, get signature confirmation on delivery, and protect myself as much as possible.  A few times, I even cancelled the transaction on large items bc I preferred possibly receiving NFB as compared to losing the value of my item and getting negative FB anyway. 

 

eBay has thrown perfect sellers to the wolves.  Although most buyers are honest, many are not.  And they screw us with imputnity.  As an example, a buyer reported that a $200 cashmere poncho had holes and no tags.  She posted some photos of something around the same color as the poncho with some blurry areas that honestly looked like a different garment with dirt on it, not holes.  The poncho was huge, and she returned my "poncho" in a first class envelope that turned out to be a tee shirt. I took photos of the envelope with her return address and the postmark dates.   Although eBay covered my loss, after many hours of my work negotiating the situation, this buyer is still on eBay.  The envelope she used didn't count bc it could have been "altered" (obviously meaning by me, the seller with 19 years of honest transacrions!  But the crooks bogus photos did count!)  The crook sells and had about 8 or 9 negative feedback on her sales.  Then she left ME negative FB that eBay would not remove, even though I had proven the fruad, and they had paid for the transaction.  DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?

 

I am leaving eBay as soon as possible, as now making a sale does not feel great like it used to feel.  I used to be thrilled that someone would soon enjoy a pristine, unique item, which I had inspected two or three times inch by inch by the time is was shipped, at a great price, knowing I could defend myself if a rotten apple had made the purchase.  Now, when I sell, the worry and anxiety kick in.  Is there going to be days of trying to prove that I'm being ripped off again, only to loose in the end? 

 

I now truly hate selling on eBay, after riding out all of the changes they have made over the years, most of which have been made by obviously ignorant people at the top who do not live in the real world of buying and selling.  I am no longer sourcing and cannot wait to sell my very last item and leave here.  Or maybe I'll donate it all soon. 

 

Good-bye eBay!!! You've thrown your sellers under the bus.  I know dozens of honest SELLERS who have left over the years and are so unhappy with their experiences here, they wouldn't even buy a loaf of bread here if it was the last one in the world and they were straving to death.  A few of them are members of my family, and are now selling elsewhere. 

 

The only items eBay may have listed here soon will be trinkets from China and surplus **bleep** that mega companies want to give away instead of donating it.  The unique, one-of-a-kind, high quality items that many of us spend a huge amount of time sourcing, examining, listing, and shipping (and taking back under false pretenses) here will be gone and then, so will eBay. 

 

 

Message 33 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

I will never buy or sell anything on eBay again. When the company sides-at all costs- with the lying buyer there's no point even listing a couple of purses you haven't used in a couple of years. They are losing both a buyer and a seller, as I'm more of a buyer than sell. I don't need any more junk and Good Will has a drive through drop off. So long! 

“I was naive, but I certainly was not duplicitous.” Ann Lander
Message 34 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

What it comes to down to is market share. This is something Ebay had a good head start over Amazon when they started the e-commerce world around the same time.

 

Downside to market share is Ebay no longer has sufficient numbers. Amazon has a 10:1 in pretty much every aspect of the business models the two companies work from.

 

Seems rather than looking at long term ways to improve the company's value, Ebay only considers short term gains and as a result takes its losses out on sellers by either raising their fees or the requirements (maybe other sellers know the feeling of being a hamster running in one of those wheels?). Either way, now has inadvertently allowed buyer abuse.

 

The only person with a true vision and a plan to boot was Carl Icahn who came in a couple of years ago as in investor and saw like most people that PayPal was the only profitable part of the company. End result is a spin-off and a lot of return on his investment. As for the small sellers who have always been loyal to brand management, hate to say it but we're screwed blue and tattood. 

 

I have offered Ebay Labs (the department that develops its code) some ideas but their policy is to have suggestions do nothing more than fall on deaf ears. 

If other sellers have found e-commerce sites separate from Ebay or Amazon that is worth reviewing, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Message 35 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

I am closing my eBay account after having been on the site since its inception.  I have 5241 feedback entries and am a Top Rated Plus Seller.  My feedback comments confirm that I provide stellar customer service. Out of $21,000 in sales in a 30 day period, I'm facing $13,000 in bogus, fraudulent returns/cases. The only claims submitted to eBay by my buyers are from those whose intent it is to defraud.  Pierre Omidyar's belief that, "people are basically good," was entirely correct until eBay taught and encouraged buyers to be online shoplifters.  I didn’t choose to be in the free rental business, which eBay demands of its sellers.  I have been told by eBay’s staff that, “We have a buying practices policy, and buyers who do not follow this policy are subject to losing their eBay Money Back Guarantee privileges or their ability to transact on eBay altogether.”  I don’t believe it for a second.  One of my daughter's acquaintances purchased everything she needed for her wedding through eBay, used it, and then filed Not as Described claims so she wouldn't be out any money.  The poor, unsuspecting and victimized sellers (by both buyer and eBay) not only had to refund the buyer, but also had to pay for return shipping.  The buyer remains a member in good standing and continues to defraud unsuspecting sellers.  There is something seriously wrong with this picture.  I have too much self-respect to continue selling on eBay.  eBay's social experiment has failed miserably.  With what eBay will lose in fees from me, they could have paid someone's salary for a month or more to serve in the capacity of seller advocate.  eBay throws even its best sellers under the bus.  The canned answers from eBay customer service are meaningless.  Regarding eBay’s so-called “customer service,” what a laughingstock that is.  Advice varies from agent to agent, and often advice given results in great harm to the seller.  eBay has caused buyers and sellers to distrust and unequivocally loathe one another.  You don't have to look far to find blogs including terms such as "liar buyer" and "scammer seller."  It didn't used to be this way when eBay treated buyers and sellers respectfully and equitably.  An eBay staff member recently told me that “eBay takes the buyer at his or her word.”  When eBay began “taking the buyer at his or her own word,” it was akin to declaring open season on sellers.  It is difficult to imagine how not so much as one person at eBay considered the inherent dangers naturally associated with an inane program that clearly discriminates against sellers and supports rampant buyer fraud.  Nobody can be reasonably expected to run a successful business when they are constantly at war with buyers and eBay staff.  To add insult to an already horrible situation, eBay’s tyrants wrongfully and indiscriminately place defects on sellers’ accounts, and narcissistic buyers leave sellers unwarranted negative feedback in an attempt to deny culpability and wrongfully deflect it onto the seller.  Sellers have no defense against buyers willing to tell a lie. eBay’s current attitude toward and treatment of its sellers is shameful. What I find baffling is that nobody at the corporate level seems to be interested or concerned.  Were eBay my business, and I saw that the San Jose Better Business Bureau Customer Reviews include 1 positive, 1 neutral and 43 negative, I would be terrified.

 

Message 36 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

my absolute sympathay, ebay has become big brother, taking over peoples accounts and  its demoralising. think i might be closing my account too, i have completely lost heart with ebay over a similar situation

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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

COMPLETELY AGREE. I now understand why their stock price dropped.  They don't care about anyone but the buyers.  When you lose the sellers the buyers leave too!  The powers that be are not the brightest.

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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

Please every seller, report fraudulent buyers. eBay gives us this option and this is the only way eBay can know about issues with scamming buyers. If we don't take the time to report buyers who take advantage of the buyer protection program or so on, how is eBay going to know which eBay users are scammers? And if eBay isn't told which eBay users are scammers then how do you sellers suppose eBay is going to be able to do anything about this issue?

 

Report a fraudulent eBay buyer by going here: http://spd.ebay.com/RBASellerHub

Message 39 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

Unfortunately, I am almost certain that the reports are never going to be read by an Ebay person. I have filed 2 separate reports in 2 months, and both came back the the same sick excuse --- Form Letter..  I guess we will just have to take smaller portions of food out of our children's lunch to feed the insatiable greed that Ebay seems to be protecting... VERY SAD,,, from a 15 year old Ebayer.

Message 40 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

Amen to you,  the idiots who post in ebays defense have nothing better to do and don't sell on ebay to make a living so they don't care.  After 12 yrs i will finsh out my stuff and off i go onto another site and i will build my business ensewhere if possible, 

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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

I have been a member of eBay for a very long time. Sometimes I sold and sometimes I bought from other members. I have always abided by the rules and conducted myself to the highest standards.

 

YES...I believe it has become worse for sellers in more than one way. Most importantly though is the indisputable fact that eBay sellers are subject to feedback abuse.  Abuse in the form of unwarrented negative feedback.  Feedback from members who should not even be allowed on ebay and would probably not be allowed in most retail businersses.

 

What eBay really needs, in my view, is a fair and honest arbitration system. NO ONE should be allowed to leave permanent negative feedback about another member with out being factually able to prove the claim.  Lets not forget many sellers are small mom and pop operations and this negative feedback damages their small scale selling. 

 

Bad players (buyers or sellers) must be removed from ebay.

 

Good sellers have no real defense to abusive buyers at this time. A decent and honest seller cannot even give a disruptive or scamming buyer negative feedback to warn other members.

 

If this does not change I do not believe that eBay will flourish in its current model.

 

 

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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

   I could just rant and rant.    Ebay has gotten way too big for their  britches,   and they really abuse sellers.    I sell a lot of vehicles,   which are big ticket items, obviously,  and the listing fees are high.   I would say at the very least,  75% of the time one of my auctions is 'successful' to a high bidder,   they do not pay, do not contact me whatsoever,  and it is up to me to file the pathetic non-paying-buyer form,  then pay to re-list my item.  In the meantime,  most of the people watching my auction who see the thing relisted again (who do not sell a lot on ebay, so do not understand this) think that my car is a lemon,  as they are under the impression someone came to look at it and did not buy it.   As a result,  I now try to ask interested parties to call me with any questions, and if someone is new to ebay,  with zero feedback to be sure to contact me before bidding...    If I put my phone # in the ad ebay removes my ad.  They tell me it is to protect buyers from off-site sales,   but we all know what they are really worried about - losing a few bucks of fees.   Another extra frustrating aspect to this is that I can find that most other people selling cars manage to get their phone # in their ads,  and/or a link to their   webiste offering off site sales, etc ,  which ebay allows for some reason.  Why do I get targeted, but not the other 4700 sellers this week selling cars?   I really wish there was another website for selling vehicles  (or anything for that matter) that got as much trafiic,  that vetted 'buyers'  with a fee in order to bid on an item...  This would greatly diminish the number of bids,  but those left would be by the few real buyers who intend to follow through.   Ebay says their policies are put in place for the 'safety' of their community,  but it is so clear that the only policies they create and enforce are those which make them more money.   The people who lose, consistently here are the sellers.  I am not even getting into all the other insults which have been added in the past 6 years or so, like rising fees,  charging fees on  actual shipping costs,  no ability to leave feedback for non-paying 'buyers' , etc ...  Ebay does not care one bit about protecting or helping their sellers, they only care about generating more profit for ebay.  What can we do?   IS there a viable alternative?

Message 43 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

Where else is there to go? Take me with you!
Message 44 of 55
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Re: The Abuse we now take as sellers on Ebay :-( Should Read Seller

I'll just add that government invests in roughly 70% of the blue chip corporations, so in no way is government going to save anyone from "the corporations". eBay is in that bunch, and I can't see a union becoming a reality let alone a viable solution. I

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it but not holding my breath.

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