Ebay Seller Protection at its FINEST!

[theclockandwatchstore]

Sold a watch on 2/5/21 for $1100 to a man in the UK. Shipped the watch same day and a few days later, received a Global Shipping tracking number for the package. Little did I know, the package never arrived to the Global Shipping Hub and buyer notified me on 2/22 that there was no movement on his order. Buyer opened a case as per eBay customer service advised him to do so. On 2/26 I asked them to step in as to release my $1100 so I could get paid. Case closed in buyers favor, funds released to the BUYER! eBay's AWESOME customer service took 5 phone calls before someone finally let me know the item never made it to the hub and I needed to file a claim with USPS insurance. I did just that on the same day. 10 days later, USPS found the package and sent it off to Global Shipping where Global Shipping forwarded it on to the buyer. CASE CLOSED and still sends it off to the buyer? Now, I am out $1100 and the watch. 10 more calls to customer service with 3 calls telling me sorry nothing we can do, 1 call saying sorry, it is eBay's fault we will reimburse you as it should have never been forwarded on, then a notification saying sorry that was denied, nothing we can do and on and on and on. Lastly, eBay sent me a notification saying I would have to hunt down the buyer and see if they would either reimburse me the $1100 or send the watch back. 5/26/21 I have no watch and I have no $1100. THIS is how I am treated after 20yrs of selling and averaging $60k per year in sales with 100% ratings. GOODBYE eBay! Your customer service is horrible and many times, just sends off a computer generated generic response. There is nobody knowledgeable to speak with and eBay sells you Global Shipping "so that when things go wrong, we got your back!" when they don't even know what or how Global Shipping works. This should have NEVER been sent off to the buyer and should have been returned to sender since the case had been closed by eBay some 12 days prior to Global Shipping Center receiving the package. Good luck eBay in your downward spiral to going out of business, one seller at a time!

[rosszonebricks]

I'm sorry that this has happened to you.

Learning Opportunity #1:  As a seller, 'ask eBay to step in' is an automatic loss.

Learning Opportunity #2:  You should have paid the USPS $15 fee for a 'package intercept'.  That way next on next scan, the location is alerted to route it back to sender, not on to it's destination.  That way you would have gotten your item back at least.

[ittybitnot]

@theclockandwatchstore 

The "there is nothing we can do" mantra is the typical response you get when the buyer was already refunded from your proceeds.  Many sellers fell victim to this with slow carrier service that did not update in a timely fashion.  Unfortunately, $1100 was a pretty big hit. 

There is a chance that once your buyer receives the product, they will be willing to repay you.  You could send an invoice through PayPal, for example, but you will need the recipients email address, which I would be looking for at this point.  The buyer does not need an account with PayPal to pay.  

Another option that has been suggested, if your buyer is willing to repay, is to relist the item with some stupid high price and the "best offer" feature.  Buyer can make an offer, and you can accept.  But then you will have NO tracking and be in the same position you were from the start with the additional metric dings associated with this procedure since you will not be shipping. 

eBay will not force the buyer to pay.  That said, it seemed to me that eBay should AT THE VERY LEAST for these circumstances post/or send a message to the buyer: 

Good news!  We have noticed that a item that was refunded to you for not being received has finally arrived!

Click here to pay your seller:    

Well, I can dream. 

[theclockandwatchstore]

The main issue here is that eBay constantly "sells" Global Shipping and Buyer Seller Protection so that when things go wrong, they have your back. They FAILED MISERABLY on both. Ebay does not have a clue what Global Shipping does and I have been told this on a few other issues I had in the past. Bottom line, eBay CLOSED the case therefore, when the package arrived 12 days AFTER CLOSING CASE, it should have been returned to sender and NOT forwarded on to the buyer. Ebay should be responsible because Global Shipping messed up and Seller Protection should step in to "have my back". On the flip side, when that label is scanned, eBay will ALWAYS stand with the buyer saying it was delivered and that tracking number is everything. So, if that tracking number is everything, why did it not register as a cancelled transaction when it was scanned in at Global Shipping? Global messed up and just forwarded it on period. 

[varebelrose]

Sorry this happened to you, hopefully the buyer will have some principles and repay you.

"Sold a watch ... for $1100 to a man in the UK." You are far braver than I ever would be.

[ittybitnot]

The main issue here is.....

@theclockandwatchstore 

While I understand your problem and concerns, the main issue here is 'the entity that controls the money, also dictates or controls the outcome.'  That entity, unfortunately, is NOT you.  The same would have happened to you had you NOT used the GSP and the item temporarily "went missing" for a while. 

I agree totally when eBay tries to "sell" a service a rosy picture is painted to leave an "impression".  The devil is always in the "details" which are often initially left out.  You would be surprised to see how many people come to these boards regarding other  GSP issues as well.  They didn't know that an international buyer can claim SNAD, and the seller has to fund the shipping back to the US for same or give up the item and refund.  They didn't know that they would have to personally contact CS and convince someone that the sale was related to the GSP when a 'damaged in shipping' claim was made by the buyer every time even after all these years. 

The info given you in message #2 is on point for future problems in this area.  Now, I see your options are to either keep on hounding/blaming eBay and their Pitney Bowes service who will not help you, or do something to perhaps recover your funds. 

Good luck. 

[m60driver]

First, I would think twice about shipping anything overseas.  But more importantly, your average sales do not justify your selling of $1,000 or over items.  Use an online statistics calculator to find your average sale and your standard deviation.  Never ever sell anything beyond two standard deviations from your average sale as any loss will wipe out your profits from far too many future sales.

[veronicabooksandart]

Lesson Opportunity #3
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Don't sell anything you can't afford to lose appears nowhere in the terms of service.

[serriyl31]

@veronicabooksandart  it should be common sense

[veronicabooksandart]

All too common.
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The Commons.

[maxine*j]

Ouch!  That's rough hit to take.  I like Bay and sometimes defend its policies when others would not, BUT its customer services representives are woefully poor.  They know almost nothing and have no authority.   The moment any call goes off-script, they are lost and just begin  to make up stuff to say that they hope will get rid of you.  This is eBay's weakest link and it never gets any better;  indeed, I think it has got worse through the years.    (Yes, obviously there are exceptions to this, but I'm speakinh generally of the experiences of far too many.) 

As someone else said, the next time you run into a biggish problem, come here.  You're more likely to get the help / advice you need.

My fingers are crossed that your buyer in the UK is an upright guy and will either return the watch or the refund, with you offering some kind of compensation for his inconvenience in this whole fiasco.

= 

[katzrul15]

Wow.  What a mess.

Seems every time you try to apply "logic" to how e-Bay protocol works, it never quite gets there.

Once a Buyer has been refunded, it is nearly impossible to make a Seller whole again.

As others pointed out, options now are few.

I would post to e-bay on facebook marketplace and plead for someone to at least review the situation.  I doubt it will change anything, but for $1100, I would try anything.

Your only real hope is that your Buyer is honest and will either return the watch or pay you.   

As a Seller, there is a false sense of security in using e-Bay's GSP.   I do think you should press e-Bay to make you whole.  Try accessing someone on facebook for e-Bay and raise awareness of this plight.  Cannot be the 1st time this has happened.

Good luck.  Sorry, again.  Wish you had came here when first an issue.  Some great folks on here could have assisted you with this.

[gracieallen01]

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@serriyl31 wrote:

@veronicabooksandart  it should be common sense

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Common Sense = Oxymoron. 

Sense is not, and has never been, common - unless it is learned from something you have already personally experienced.

[tefka]

Why can't ebay just re-take the funds from the buyer for the item received? Buyer would probably expect that. I just don't get it, and I understand your frustration. Have you sent the invoice to the buyer, appealed with ebay? This just makes NO sense that ebay is asking you to "ask" buyer to pay you, when ebay is the one that has the mechanism to do this. Keep calling, don't give up. 

I send a lot of items via global shipping and have had a good experience. Overseas buyers almost always leave positive feedback too. I track every one of my sold orders (whether it's $4.50 or $300) to make sure they are tracking, moving, and delivered. I send notes to buyers if items are held up.  Even though you didn't track this item from when you first shipped it, what happened wasn't your fault, and you should get paid for the item that was shipped and delivered. Please let us know if you get your money. Very sorry this happened to you. Not fair!

[certifiedcitynet]

You should have files a package intercept case with USPS.

And you should not ship to foreign countries unless you are willing to assume the risk of losses.