eBay

vonandron · ‎01-13-2018

I sold a pair of pre-owned, designer shoes. I was paid immediately, left positive feedback for the buyer and shipped them the next day. Then I got an email from the buyer saying the shoes didn't fit. I replied I was happy to accept the return, but she had to pay the return shipping. She said there was something defective about the shoes since she was "easy to fit" and one strap was tighter than the other and demanded I pay the return shipping. She filed a claim with eBay saying the shoes were defective and eBay sided with her despite the fact that she offered no evidence or proof and by reading the feedback she has left for others, she has done this twice before! I recieved the returned shoes yesterday which she had thrown in a box without wrapping or protecting them in any way, and immediately measured and photographed the straps - they are identical. There is no problem with these shoes, but now I'm out the sale, the initial shipping, the return shipping and since eBay had to "step in" they're still charging me the eBay fees. I can't even leave negative feedback for her in an effort to warn other sellers. You'd think with all of the increasingly viable options out there to eBay they might at least research a little before siding against sellers.

vonandron · ‎01-14-2018

Wow! That's just plain scary!

vonandron · ‎01-14-2018

It could be as simple as the current staff asking for any type of evidence. For example, this woman claimed one strap was smaller than the other. Since eBay can't see the product, they could simply ask for a photograph showing the straps with a measuring tape. If one is provided and shows a difference, side with the buyer. If not, side with the seller. It's not rocket science. The current policy of asking for no evidence but immediately siding against the seller encourages scam artists to play this game and discourages honest sellers.

vintagecraze50 · ‎01-14-2018

The problem is complex, and not limited to Ebay. They do not have the item in their possession so they are at a disadvantage to know exactly what has transpired. Pictures of items can be faked, replaced with another item, photoshopped on and on, by both seller and buyer. Your best protection here is to follow some basic rules you set up for yourself prior to listing an item. Sending items signature tracked helps prevent INR claims. Clear concise descriptions and photographs help to prevent misunderstandings about an item. Having no returns on your listings encourages scammers to call your bluff and fight you over a return. Listing extremely high value highly scam magnet items when you are a new sellers is extremely risky as scammer target people with this profile.

midnight_mystic · ‎01-14-2018

"There is no way to determine which party is lying without having witnessed the entire transaction."

I'd say in most cases, neither party is lying. Both are telling the truth as they see it. Human nature is such that we have a very hard time admitting our own mistakes, and strongly prefer to believe that some evil person is out to get us.

In this particular case, how can any of us say that the OP's buyer does not honestly believe the shoes are defective?

vonandron · ‎01-14-2018

As I said, it's a simple case of measurement. The straps on the shoes both measure the exact same size. There is no question they are identical. It's not a matter of what someone "believes".

midnight_mystic · ‎01-14-2018

"they could simply ask for a photograph showing the straps with a measuring tape. If one is provided and shows a difference, side with the buyer. If not, side with the seller. "

Awesome and so simple! But I missed the part in the eBay User Agreement and Money Back Guarantee where it says that I must have a camera, know how to use it, and know how to upload photos to eBay in order to make a claim. Could you please point that out to me?

I guess if I'm a buyer who gets ripped off by a seller and I don't have a camera, it just sucks to be me, huh? Or if I'm a buyer who's good at PhotoShop, it sucks to be the seller.

So much for fairness.

kattinsanity · ‎01-14-2018

OP~~You say you measured the shoes and they each have the same exact measurements. You measured the straps and they are exact as well. It is common knowledge that with the human body one foot is always a little bigger than the other. Your buyer may NOT be lying in that one strap is too tight~~probably on her bigger foot. Don't be too quick in judging her a liar~~the shoes may very well be defective.

fern*wood · ‎01-14-2018

@kattinsanity wrote:
OP~~You say you measured the shoes and they each have the same exact measurements. You measured the straps and they are exact as well. It is common knowledge that with the human body one foot is always a little bigger than the other. Your buyer may NOT be lying in that one strap is too tight~~probably on her bigger foot. Don't be too quick in judging her a liar~~the shoes may very well be defective.

I agree--one foot can be bigger than the other, but I don't think that makes the shoe defective. That makes my foot defective.

Regardless, this isn't a case that can be won. Photos can be altered, ebay isn't going to put people under oath, it just isn't going to happen. On rare occassions that a buyer puts something in writing that proves they are wrong, ebay might switch a SNAD to a Remorse. I had that happen, but it was still a lenghtly time waste. I just pay the shipping now and work losses into my pricing--pretty much how most in retail do.

Ebay has made attempts to level the playing field. I was put in a beta return program where I could challenge an unjust SNAD, but I never tried using it, so I'm not sure where that stands now.

Thankfully, most of my buyers are honest and pay the return shipping on remorse returns.

couldabeenworse · ‎01-15-2018

@vonandron wrote:
As I said, it's a simple case of measurement. The straps on the shoes both measure the exact same size. There is no question they are identical. It's not a matter of what someone "believes".

She didn't say shorter, she said tighter, which could be caused by other variables in the shoe. Or of course, in the foot as previously mentioned.

But that just highlights how eBay "investigations" wouldn't improve the accuracy of the outcomes. Buyers not savvy enough to take and submit good photos would lose, as would buyers that would rather take their business elsewhere than to screw around for days over a simple return.