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So many recent bad experiences
Summary: mac*geek discussed their long-term experience with a popular online platform since 1999, expressing frustration over recent negative experiences with sellers. They highlighted issues with delayed interventions by the platform and problems like counterfeit items and unshipped goods. eburtonlab suggested better vetting of sellers, while gosimus pointed out the unpredictability of tracking updates. mac*geek felt the responses missed the main issue of policy changes and seller vetting by the platform. tenbigdogs noted that mac*geek seemed more interested in expressing grievances than seeking solutions, and advised avoiding problematic sellers from certain regions.
I've been a member since 1999. I know this platform inside and out. I know exactly how to use it and every piece of it. I don't even know how many 100s upon 100s of items I've purchased.
BUT... I've noticed an uptick this year in really bad experiences with sellers and with eBay taking so long to intervene.
The seller can make a claim on when the item will arrive. You have to wait to see if it arrives. Then you have to wait a few days to make a claim before they even get involved. So in the end you can spend more than 10 to 14 days waiting to get a resolution for something you've already paid for.
Just one example of numerous examples I've had happen this year... I buy something, the seller creates the tracking number, the item is never shipped, it has a supposed arrival date 10 days after the purchase, but the item never shipped so there's no chance it's going to make it during that window. But yet you still have to wait until that window ends and then 3 days before you can even open an issue. But just look at the purchase date just look at the shipping arrival time and you can see there's no chance it's going to make it because it was never shipped. So why play this game of making the seller wait for it to all play out when it's obvious it's not going to play out positively.
So eBay is essentially penalizing the buyer by making them wait the whole time to not get the item that was never shipped, then wait more time before they allow you to open a claim, and then wait more time while they make the decision about the claim.
I'm in the process of another bad purchase yet this year from a bad seller. At least my 4th negative experience with bad sellers on eBay just this year; a) Sellers getting away with selling clone or counterfeit electronics b) Providing tracking numbers that are bogus and fake and already dated from some other shipping it was used on. C) Items never even being shipped. These things use to never happen. Now I feel like it's the norm and I prepare for the fact there is a 50/50 chance the purchase is going to be a eBay bad experience. And It All leads to a colossal waste of the buyer's time going back and forth, submitting forms, waiting to hear back, having to follow up. It used to never be like this. If there was an issue it was handled quickly and smoothly but now it's just hoop after hoop after waiting.
monroe67
Mentor3 days ago"At least my 4th negative experience with bad sellers on eBay just this year; a) Sellers getting away with selling clone or counterfeit electronics . . . ."
Electronics are a risky category on eBay.
eBay does punish sellers who violate the rules, but eBay does not publish their names.
With millions of sellers, eBay simply cannot take the time to verify each seller and each of their listings.
I agree that -- "It used to never be like this."
Most things were never, in the past, like they are today.
What do you think eBay should do about sellers you claim are "getting away with selling clone or counterfeit electronics" ??
Do you think there should be a list somewhere? Maybe a page of eBay IDs and/or mugshots so that other potential buyers don't get scammed?
tenbigdogs
Mentor3 days ago · EditedHi @mac*geek You really shouldn't complain about not getting definite answers, because it's obvious you really didn't come here for answers. You came here to complain in general. No problem, members do it all the time. But when responders sincerely try to help you nevertheless, you could be a bit more gracious.
You posted >> supposed arrival date 10 days after the purchase << Ten days? Sounds like you're ordering from China. For someone familiar with online transactions, you should know better than to order from China. Once in a while a China transaction goes well, I've successfully purchased from China myself for hard to replace small parts. But way too often the transactions are troublesome. If you want to go back to enjoying your eBay experience, order from US sellers. They may order their items from China anyway, but let them be the ones to hassle the China sellers. Good luck!
mac*geek
OP3 days agoSo I made a mistake. Shouldn't have come here. I knew better about how this would go. I think I was just hoping that eBay would get eyes on the title and maybe scan it and realize another long-term buyers having issues with questionable sellers that if infiltrated their system.
Not to mention their policies that have changed to make the buyer have to jump through hoops, get contradictory information (the web version will tell you different functions and features that are available that the app doesn't tell you and then sometimes it all just circles back to endless FAQ) pages, waste copious amounts of time dealing with it all just to get a refund weeks after a purchase that obviously isn't coming.
I believe these systems get change in design This Way hoping that the buyer will just find so much aggravation they'll just forget about it and move on because it never used to be as complicated as is now to open a case and you never had to wait as long as you do now to open a case and you're not clicking various pieces in the app versus the browser to get contradictory information and sent in big circles about where to go click here read this select this drop-down find this.. blah blah
I'll just leave it at this and close this if I can because it's going to be nothing but a ridiculous bit of advice by mentors just trying to pad their response or kudos type numbers but giving you totally useless feedback like... Did you vet the seller? The shipping company may have messed up. Oh come on... 27 years and you don't think I know how this whole system works. Pssh
gosimus
Mentor3 days ago@mac*geek
< I buy something, the seller creates the tracking number, the item is never shipped >
Correction to the above. The item isn't scanned. That's pretty elementary to somebody who knows the procedures inside and out. There's no way to know anything about the shipping except what is documented by tracking; or, if there is, I'd be grateful if you'd enlighten me.
The postal clerk could neglect to scan the package in, it happens sometimes, but the package could still be processed and delivered. Intermediate scans possibly track the package being routed from one distribution center to the next, but it has been my experience that even those aren't a certainty.
mac*geek
OP3 days agoYou're trying to give a positive explanation on a negative experience. You're just throwing out random "what ifs" "could be" "might have" in an effort to take the focus away from how eBay is vetting sellers.
I know all these examples but they're all nonsense. Nobody failed to scan anything. FedEx handles millions of packages they know exactly how to scan a package.
The package was never sent. The system can automatically assign a FedEx tracking number. That doesn't mean the seller is going to actually ship it. That's the end of the story. There's no if and maybe or butts about it.
These types of comments read to me like somebody who wants to protect eBay and he's not really considering the entire story as it's been laid out because you're just giving me cut and paste basic responses about shipping.
Ultimately this isn't even about shipping.
gosimus
Mentor3 days ago@mac*geek
< You're just throwing out random "what ifs" "could be" "might have" >
Of course I am, I have to because I'm not a witness to any of the activity or inactivity, and remarking on it necessarily involves an amount of guesswork. Just trying to help you. But you're wrong about one thing, it isn't random. Every possibility, every "could be" that I noted, I have personally experienced in my more than 1598 purchases. But, like the BK ad says, have it your own way. Good luck.
mac*geek
OP3 days ago · EditedWell then don't spend people's time or your time with basic obvious responses like this. They serve no value and you didn't even address the bigger issue of play that I'm really talking about...
1) eBay changing his policies on how and when it will get involved and delaying that time
2) eBay not vetting people well enough to allow them to sell on the platform which is increasing negative experiences
I've used this platform for 27 years I know exactly what I'm talking about. But I feel like responses like this are moderators or approved people just trying to chime in to bump their kudos type numbers but you're not really adding anything of any value or answering any question directly.
gosimus
Mentor3 days ago@mac*geek
< I know this platform inside and out . . . I know exactly what I'm talking about >
I hope you don't sprain your arm patting yourself on the back. Regarding (1), eBay has changed these policies, and continues to change policies all the time; it's an attempt to improve the site and make the processes better for their customers.
Number (2) is more difficult. I'm not a seller so I can't speak to it first hand. But, I read complaints and plaints from sellers every day and I have a pretty good idea the extensive vetting potential sellers are subjected to and the difficulties meeting eBay's requirements of them before they can even list the first pencil. Sure, with millions of sellers, there's no doubt some bad actors will slip through the cracks, but all in all, I think eBay does a commendable job.
eburtonlab
Mentor3 days ago@mac*geek
How are you choosing which sellers you purchase from?
If you purchase from experienced sellers with good feedback from actual buyers for selling and delivering similar items, that are registered in the same country they ship from and do not appear to be drop-shipping, that are not offering deals that are obviously "too good to be true", and that show no signs of drastic changes in behavior recently, you should do pretty well most of the time.
If you are picking sellers at random without vetting, particularly in certain high-risk categories, your results will be much more uneven.
Not every package gets timely tracking updates, so just because tracking does not show progress does not necessarily mean the package has not been shipped or that you will not receive it by the last estimated delivery date. That is why buyers have to wait until after the last estimated delivery date to file an "item not received" case and ask eBay to step in three business days later to get a refund if the seller cannot provide tracking that shows delivery.
Long-term sellers that don't routinely ship on time (or at all) typically wind up getting feedback that reflects that. Likewise sellers that routinely sell counterfeits or that don't pack their delicate shipments very well. False tracking seems to be primarily connected with new or hijacked accounts, since the accounts that provide false tracking don't last very long on eBay once they start doing that.
mac*geek
OP3 days agoIs this supposed to pass as an answer? I mean this is so glaringly obvious. Did you miss the part about the fact I've been here since 1999? What's that 27 years?? Like I don't know this and this is supposed to be a meaningful response?
Of course I look at Sellers feedback. Of course I look at their history. Do I read every single feedback about them? No.
And your response totally fails to consider the fact that some items you're after are so rare and come up so rarely if you want them you kind of have to take it when it's available. This isn't an item where I have 50 choices I can pick the best seller with the best feedback. This is one item in 3 months of searching that popped up.
And your response doesn't even consider the fact I went through three purchases of earbuds and all ended up being clones and counterfeits and one didn't even get sent.
So you're taking an entire story I told picking one piece out and telling me to vet the sellers better?? Come on man.