Locked
Discussions in this board are limited to the original poster and Community Mentors
Fraud on eBay — Automated systems are enabling sellers to exploit refund loopholes and blocking all paths for buyers to get help.
Summary: scottk18 described their experience with eBay's automated system, which allowed a refund loophole to go unresolved, blocking them from contacting support after receiving only a partial refund for a purchase. Despite trying various channels and spending hours attempting to reach someone, they encountered only automated responses and closed loops, unable to escalate the issue. eburtonlab suggested strategies involving requesting callbacks through the Help page and using social media direct messages, emphasizing that responders on the board are volunteers, not eBay employees. scottk18 expressed dissatisfaction with eBay's customer service, referencing negative reviews on TrustPilot.
Fraud on eBay — Automated systems are enabling sellers to exploit refund loopholes and blocking all paths for buyers to get help.
Here’s what happened to me:
I purchased an item for $560. A couple of days later, the listing was removed by eBay for a policy violation. Shortly after, I received a refund — but only $0.03. Because eBay’s automated system now marks the refund as “complete,” I am completely blocked from opening a case or reaching customer support. Every help path redirects me to the same pages, including the chatbot, which also loops endlessly.
I spent over two hours trying to reach a human being. I even tried business support channels and general email addresses. The only response I received was:
“This email address isn’t monitored, so we won’t receive any messages sent here.
You’ll find information about your issue in our Help pages, as well as ways to contact us if you need further assistance.”
There is literally no way to contact a person or escalate the issue. No phone number, no chat, no email, no case creation — nothing. The system has become so automated that long‑time users like me are getting locked out of support entirely.
If eBay monitors this channel, I hope someone sees this. Because right now, the platform has lost all meaningful contact with its customers, and situations like this make it impossible to resolve even basic issues.
eburtonlab
Mentor3 weeks ago@scottk18
To contact eBay, use the chat assistant to request a call back by starting on the Help & Contact page and following the links for your issue.
What options you see may depend on your particular issue and how busy that department is at the moment.
Try entering "agent" into the chat window. You may have to provide some context to reach the correct department. If you see a "Still need help?" or "More options" choice, either of those should lead to a call back option.
If you are unable to get a call back, try contacting eBay via social media direct message:
https://www.instagram.com/ebay/
scottk18
OP3 weeks agoThank you. I will try, but this time use "Agent". I have been with eBay 26 years, and I'm sad to see what you have done to customer service. Your management should be fired because this is unacceptable. Look at your ratings on TrustPilot - single star out 5 with many commenting they wish they could vote 0 stars.
eburtonlab
Mentor3 weeks agoNo one responding on the Ask A Mentor board works for eBay. This is not customer service; the folks responding here are users who volunteer to answer questions about using eBay.
scottk18
OP3 weeks agoTo those who responded to my post, thank you. I will take my complaints elsewhere. Thank you for your help.