Formal complaint on Ebay asistance
I am submitting this formal declaration to document a serious issue involving a purchase made on eBay and the lack of buyer protection support.
On December 7, I purchased an Apple Watch through the eBay platform. The seller was required to ship the item and provide a valid tracking number. This never occurred.
When I contacted the seller, I was informed that shipment delays were allegedly due to snow-related issues. This explanation is highly questionable, as the seller is located in Tampa, Florida. After this message, the seller ceased all communication and has remained unresponsive for nearly one month, despite numerous messages.
Due to the non-delivery of the item and the seller’s lack of response, I opened a case requesting a refund and followed all steps available to me on eBay.
Unfortunately, I did not receive effective assistance from eBay. The automated chat system failed to resolve the issue. I was repeatedly told that I would receive a phone call from eBay support, which never occurred. I also attempted to reach a live agent via chat and through Facebook, without success.
After further attempts, I was advised to contact the seller again and wait 48 hours. This gave me hope that the issue would finally be addressed. As expected, the seller did not respond.
Today, I received the following response from an eBay representative:
“If he isn't replying then please explore your options outside of eBay as this case has been permanently closed.†– Geo
This response is shocking and unacceptable. The transaction was conducted entirely within eBay, the seller failed to ship the item, provided no tracking number, and became unresponsive. Despite this, eBay explicitly declined to intervene and permanently closed the case.
I have been an eBay user for over 10 years, and in the past, similar issues were resolved efficiently under eBay’s Buyer Protection policies. Under the current support system, I was left without assistance.
This experience has caused significant frustration and has seriously damaged my trust in the platform.
I respectfully request that this declaration be reviewed by a higher-level support or escalation team and that a full refund be issued in accordance with eBay’s Buyer Protection standards.
I declare that all information provided above is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
andpy.dluypv
OP9 months ago"if he isn't replying then please explore your options outside of eBay as this case has been permanently closed. -Geo" i got this answer from facebook messenger... thats kind of rude to me
yo0339
·9 months agoGood grief, your title exudes the exact opposite.
No, you did not. The failure is on you, totally on you.
In the example above, eBay tells you that if the seller is unresponsive, that you should ask eBay to step in beginning on a specific date, Jul 29.
You did not take that critical step, haranguing instead on contacting support and missing the deadline. It's your fault, entirely.
Now, if you paid with PayPal (file within 180 days) or with a credit card (file within at least 120 days) contact
-- the former first
-- then or instead the latter
to get your money back.
andpy.dluypv
OP9 months agoI want to add some important context here.
At the time this was happening, I could not clearly find or locate the “ask eBay to step in†option that people are referencing now. I wasn’t ignoring instructions — I genuinely couldn’t see or access them in a clear way, which is exactly why I tried to contact eBay directly for help.
This purchase was a Christmas gift, it involved a significant amount of money for me, and I was honestly anxious and desperate to resolve it quickly and correctly. That’s why I acted in good faith and tried to do everything the right way instead of clicking blindly through automated steps.
I contacted the seller multiple times, always politely. The seller eventually stopped responding altogether and gave an excuse about shipping delays due to snow, despite being located in Tampa, Florida, which strongly indicates bad faith. At that point, it was clear I was dealing with a scammer.
I’ve been on eBay since 2015, have never had a negative review, always paid immediately, and never abused the system. I’m not a new or careless user. Yes, it’s possible I made mistakes in the process — but what’s wrong with that? That’s exactly when a platform like eBay is supposed to step in and help, especially to protect buyers acting honestly.
What surprises me the most is not the mistake itself, but how little empathy and willingness to help I’ve encountered here. Instead of guidance, I’ve received blame — which doesn’t really align with the idea of buyer protection.
I’m sharing this not to argue, but to explain that real people make real mistakes under stress, and a protection system should account for that, not punish it
stephenmorgan
·9 months agoI do not know if you will get the matter resolved in your favor but here is a couple more options to continue trying.
You can report the seller to the FBI. If they have many complaints against the seller, they will investigate. I would still report them even if your credit card reverses the charges.
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
You can file a Notice of Dispute with eBay and explain what happened. Maybe they will respond to you. If they do not respond then there are other options such as requesting a arbitration hearing or a court hearing.
Notice_of_Dispute.pdf
andpy.dluypv
OP9 months agothanks! how do i file a notice of dispute?
stephenmorgan
·9 months agoDid you click on the link I provided? It is a form prepared by eBay for you to fill out and has instructions where to mail it. Also you may wish to read (click on link) 19. Legal Disputes User Agreement | eBay
Read down to section B. 1. and there is an email address where you may mail the dispute to.
B. Agreement to Arbitrate
1. Informal Dispute Resolution
If eBay does not reply within the time limits they give themselves then it could be that they don't think much about your dispute. You will then need to decide if you want to go to arbitration or court. I am sure that if eBay is able to respond favorably to your dispute then they will.
house*of*paws
·9 months agoHi @andpy.dluypv
If you purchased the watch on December 7th ... then you obviously were within the time period fo file an 'Item not received' claim with eBay. I have no way of knowing what went wrong with the claim you filed ... but I'm mainly concerned about your getting your money back. The easiest way would be to contact your credit card company (if you paid with a credit card), explain what happened, and request a chargeback.
Did you pay with a credit card? If so, I wouldn't waste any more time trying to get in touch with eBay about the problem. Just phone your CC company IMMEDIATELY. I'm really sorry this happened.
andpy.dluypv
OP9 months agothanks man, i use credit card over paypal. i wrote paypal but they told me to talk with ebay directly. i will call my bank now
12345jamesstamps
·9 months agoOf the bank credit card you used...if you have online banking...do it online...takes like a few minutes.
soh.maryl
·9 months agoMy gut feeling is that the OP may have opened the INR case, but, when he got no reply or result, failed to return to the case and ask eBay to step in. Of course, that's only a guess on my part since we don't know exactly what was done.
house*of*paws
·9 months agoThat was my suspicion as well, but I thought it would be far easier to deal with their CC company than try to fix whatever went wrong with eBay.
The '3 business day wait' tends to confuse many people ... since a buyer won't see the link to 'Ask eBay to step in' until EXACTLY 3 business days (plus 1 day) passes.
andpy.dluypv
OP9 months agoi newer saw the "Ask Ebay to step in" whenever i tried to get help they told me to do that with no luck
christworks
·9 months agoI thought you said you did not talk to a human, so who is the "they?"
"if he isn't replying then please explore your options outside of eBay as this case has been permanently closed. -Geo" i got this answer from facebook messenger... thats kind of rude to me
Not at all rude. Direct and to the point. Being direct ≠being rude.
eBay has closed the case so they are no longer involved. You've already been told what your next option is. If you want to keep beating your head against the wall over eBay, go right ahead.
soh.maryl
·9 months agoeBay's Money Back Guarantee is very effective when used correctly and within the right time frame.
Are you saying that you actually opened an item not received case with eBay, then, if there was no response from the seller, returned to the case and requested eBay to step in? What happened then?
BTW, you have no need to "contact support". When an INR case is opened, the process proceeds pretty much automatically.
Unfortunately, when you post here, you are not addressing eBay or its employees. We are all fellow buyers and sellers who volunteer our time to answer questions and help others when we can. Information and sympathy are about all we can offer.
What was the last estimated delivery date as seen in the listing? If 30 days have not yet passed, you may still be able to retrieve this, depending on what you have done so far.
PS: The card you paid with will probably give you more time to do a chargeback on the card.
andpy.dluypv
OP9 months agoI understand the procedure you’re describing, and yes, I tried to resolve this issue in every possible way before posting here.
It’s very possible that I made a procedural mistake at some point — and that is exactly why I tried to contact eBay support directly. When a buyer is unsure or something doesn’t work as expected, reaching out to eBay for clarification or assistance should not be considered a problem.
The issue I encountered was not a lack of willingness to follow the rules, but the inability to access effective support. The automated system did not help, I was unable to reach a human agent via chat or callback, and despite multiple attempts, I received no real guidance while the situation was still ongoing.
Had I been able to speak with a support agent at that time, any procedural error could have been corrected immediately. Instead, the case was closed, and I was later told to “explore options outside of eBay,†which is extremely frustrating for a transaction that took place entirely within the platform.
My intention here is not to argue procedures, but to highlight that when the automated system fails, there should still be a clear path to human support, especially in cases involving non-delivery and an unresponsive seller.
I’m sharing this experience so other buyers are aware and can hopefully avoid a similar situation
christworks
·9 months ago@andpy.dluypv wrote:
I understand the procedure you’re describing
No, I don't think you do, because if you did, you would have your refund. I'm looking around and I don't see a refund.
It’s very possible that I made a procedural mistake at some point
Ah, now we are getting somewhere. You messed up. How is that eBay's fault?
When a buyer is unsure or something doesn’t work as expected, reaching out to eBay for clarification or assistance should not be considered a problem.
eBay already has pages upon pages of what to do. It doesn't appear you read any of it.
The issue I encountered was not a lack of willingness to follow the rules, but the inability to access effective support.
You could not find out what you needed to do by looking at their support pages?
Had I been able to speak with a support agent at that time, any procedural error could have been corrected immediately.
Not likely. Many of the agents are ESL agents. They are kind, but sometimes difficult to understand and can have an issue understanding your problem. This is why the support pages are best.
I’m sharing this experience so other buyers are aware and can hopefully avoid a similar situation.
It won't. Buyers who get themselves into these messes almost always come here as a last resort, just as you did, when it is too late to do anything.
tinsoldierunderground
·9 months ago@andpy.dluypv
At this point, you're best bet would be your payment provider - hopefully a CC company.
As has already been stated, we have no power or authority to act on your situation. Since ebay has declared the case closed, you're between a rock and a hard place. What type of case did you open? Seems odd that a December 7th purchase case for Item Not Received would be closed against you since today is Jan 7th. Factoring in shipping time, I'd think you're inside of 30 days?
tobaccocardyahoo
·9 months agoUnfortunately, your problem was the fact that you failed to follow the proper procedure for filing an Ebay Money Back Guarantee claim.
Instead of using chat or attempting to get a callback, you should have read the help information for the MBG and follow the automated procedures.
https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/returns-items-not-received-refunds-buyers/returns-items-not-received-refunds-buyers?id=4008&st=3&pos=1&query=Returns%2C%20items%20not%20received%2C%20and%20refunds%20for%20buyers&intent=ebay%20money%20back%20&lucenceai=lucenceai&docId=HELP1146
kensgiftshop
·9 months agoThis is what you do when you don't receive your order:
A day after the estimated delivery date Ebay gave you, open an Item Not Received case.
Go to your purchase history and click I didn't get it in the menu next to the item.
The seller will have 3 days to provide a tracking number showing it was delivered or refund.
If they don't, return to the case on day 4 and ask Ebay to step in.
Did you follow those steps?
kathiec
·9 months ago@andpy.dluypv
This is a member-to-member forum, and as such not the place to file a formal complaint. But it sounds like you were outside eBay's 30-day after last estimated delivery date deadline to open an item not received case.
andpy.dluypv
OP9 months agoJust to clarify, I was NOT outside the 30-day deadline. I attempted to resolve the issue well within the allowed timeframe. The problem was not a late claim, but the lack of effective access to eBay support during the process.
I followed the steps available to me, opened a case, repeatedly contacted the seller (who has been unresponsive for almost a month), and actively sought help through eBay’s official support channels. Unfortunately, the automated system prevented me from reaching a human agent, and the case was ultimately closed without resolution.
I understand this is a member-to-member forum. My intention here is not to file a formal complaint, but to share my experience so other buyers are aware of how similar situations are currently being handled, particularly when a seller does not ship an item and becomes unresponsive.
Given the circumstances, I am also sharing this experience on my social networks to raise awareness and hopefully prevent other users from going through the same situation.
This is disappointing, especially as I have been an eBay user for over 10 years, and in the past these issues were resolved quickly and fairly
soh.maryl
·9 months agoAnd opening the case is not the end of the process. The seller has 3 days to respond. If/when that does not happen, the buyer needs to return to the case and request that eBay step in.
So, can you give details of exactly what happened. And, again, there is no reason or need to reach a human agent if you follow those steps correctly.