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Unpleasant Experience with Ebay
Summary: bcyan-79 shared their disappointing experiences with eBay's buyer protection after two incidents involving collectible Pokémon cards. In the first case, the item was missing from a damaged USPS package, but eBay did not provide a satisfactory resolution. In the second case, the card received did not match the listing photos, yet eBay closed the case without siding with the buyer. bcyan-79 expressed frustration at the lack of recourse and sought advice from the community on whether the cases were handled correctly and how to escalate them further within eBay. eburtonlab recommended steps for addressing 'not as described' returns and suggested considering recourse through the payment method if eBay's resolution was unsatisfactory.
I would like to share my recent experience as an eBay buyer because, after two separate incidents, I have seriously lost confidence in eBay’s buyer protection process.
I have been buying collectible Pokémon cards on eBay, including expensive graded cards. I understand that buying online carries certain risks, but I always believed that when something genuinely went wrong, eBay would provide a reasonable level of protection to the buyer.
Unfortunately, my recent experiences have been very disappointing.
Case 1 – Item arrived missing in a USPS “WE CARE” damaged package
I purchased an expensive Pokémon card on eBay.
When the package arrived, it was inside a USPS “WE CARE” bag indicating that the parcel had been damaged during transit. The item itself was missing.
I provided evidence and explained repeatedly that I did NOT receive the card. I even pointed out that since USPS had placed the damaged parcel inside a WE CARE bag, there was clear evidence that something happened to the package during shipping.
From my understanding, the seller, as the shipper, should also have been able to pursue the matter with USPS.
Instead, I found myself going back and forth with eBay while the seller did not provide a satisfactory solution. At one point I was even advised to resell the item — which made absolutely no sense because there was no item for me to resell. The card was missing.
Eventually, the case was closed without a satisfactory resolution.
Case 2 – The card I received did not appear to match the condition shown in the seller’s listing
In another transaction, I paid a substantial amount specifically because the card shown in the seller’s listing appeared to be in good condition.
When I received the card, I noticed visible differences between the condition of the card I received and the photographs used in the listing.
I submitted photographs showing the card I received compared with the seller’s listing photos and opened an Item Not as Described case.
The seller declined the return.
I then expected eBay to review the evidence and protect the buyer, particularly because this was not simply a case of changing my mind. My complaint was that the expensive collectible I received did not appear to match what I believed I was purchasing based on the listing.
Again, the case was eventually closed, and I was told the decision was final and could not be appealed.
This is what concerns me most.
These were two completely different situations:
One package was visibly damaged in transit, placed inside a USPS WE CARE bag, and the purchased item was missing.
Another expensive collectible was received, but I believe its condition did not match what was represented in the seller’s listing photographs.
Yet in both situations, I ended up without a satisfactory resolution from eBay.
I am not asking eBay to automatically side with buyers.
I am asking for fair investigation when there is genuine evidence that something went wrong.
When buyers are spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on collectibles, what exactly are we supposed to do if the item disappears during shipping or the item received does not match the listing?
If photographic evidence, shipping evidence and a USPS WE CARE damaged-package bag are still not sufficient to have a case properly resolved, then I genuinely have to question what protection an eBay buyer actually has.
I have spent significant amounts of money buying through eBay because I believed the platform provided an additional layer of trust between buyers and sellers.
After these two experiences, that confidence has been badly damaged.
I am posting this here because I would genuinely like to hear from experienced eBay members:
Did I handle these cases incorrectly?
What should a buyer do differently when an expensive item is missing from a damaged package or when the item received does not appear to match the seller’s listing?
And most importantly:
Is there actually a way to have cases like these reviewed by someone higher up at eBay once Customer Service says the decision is final?
I would appreciate any advice from experienced sellers and buyers in this community.
comics-scifi-collectibles
Mentor1 month ago@bcyan-79 Sorry you're having such a bad experience shopping.
I just wanted to add to my fellow Mentors excellent answer that trading cards have only a 3 day from the date of delivery not as described window.
Since it's most likely past that you will need to file a chargeback with your payment method.
eburtonlab
Mentor1 month ago · Edited@bcyan-79
If the item arrives but is "not as described" -- even if it is just an empty box -- you need to start a "not as described" return within thirty days of receiving it. You will have to provide a picture of what you received and a couple of sentences of text about the issue.
If the seller does not refund you or provide a return shipping label you should be able to ask eBay to step in after three business days. The process is automated; if the seller does not cooperate at any point, ask eBay to step in after three business days but before twenty-one business days has passed.
https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/returns-items-not-received-refunds-buyers/return-item-refund?id=404...
If you have filed an "item not received" case and lost the case, you may still be able to file a "not as described" return if you are still within thirty days of the delivery date.
Past thirty days, you may still have some recourse through your payment method; contact your card issuer for details.