Dear eBay, CS and Return Requests
Dear eBay,
Protection isn't a buyer complaint form. It's protecting sellers from losing money on fraudulent claims. At the very least, eBay could directly reach out to buyers to confirm their claim accuracy and question vague and misleading info on a Return Request.
We offer excellent customer service. We even give credit to buyers, in addition to a refund, when we make a mistake. We provide rock-bottom prices on eBay, unlike we do on Amazon, because that is what eBay buyers want.
We've paid over $40,000 in eBay Fees this year alone (not including shipping) and have high marks.
You'd think we might get better CS because of this. eBay doesn't protect sellers from fraudulent claims at all. I've noticed an uptick in them from other sellers, who seem to work the system.
I've had no luck getting any help from eBay's CS on fraudulent Buyer Return claims. If anything, they've just wasted my time and delayed the inevitable (full refund to buyer if they claim "Not As Described" even if obvious it was as described or items returned are not the same).
I just spent another hour with CS trying to get a return request modified. Buyer purchased 4 of same item. From their return request, photos and details showed 1 item was broken. Buyer mistakenly had 4 of 4 items in return request.
I chatted with CS yesterday and they told me to wait for buyer to respond to my message. Over 24 hours later, Buyer hasn't responded. We're closing for the holiday today. I have no option but to send them a label to return all 4 and eBay CS wouldn't help at all. I even spoke to a supposed supervisor and it was CLEAR buyer had 1 item with an issue.
This is on the heals of someone with buyer's remorse claiming "Not As Described" on a new, $500 sale. CS told me to accept the return then contact them before giving a refund for help. I did. They had me send pic's of returned item (it was exactly as described minus packing materials and ship label on brand new box).
Didn't matter... they "investigated", closed case after refund was due (after they told me to wait for investigation results before refunding), eBay forced refund and put a Defect on my account for it.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoEbay is not a court of law.
Ebay treats buyer complaints, even those which are inplausible as if they were true, within the requirements of consumer protection laws. In some limited number of cases, they pay instead of the seller.
They close the accounts of serial offenders.
They behave just like most other marketplaces.
Do not sell online if you cannot afford to lose the entire proceeds of some sales.
Do not sell anything which you cannot afford to lose.
Include in your pricing an allowance who the cost of bad sales.
Do not sell anything which is easy to resell unless you have followed the above recommendations. Many items which draw scammers can be identified when you list.
You have sold 5K items, so I would assume that cases like this have been uncommon for you. What you want is not better customer service, it is for Ebay to take the risks associated with your sales. They will not.
kitschy*loot
·2 years agoI know this doesn't help but it is what it is on eBay. I don't sell here, but I have sold items on another app and I have had to understand it is what it is on there when things turn negative. It's not fair that dishonest people will take advantage of policies meant to protect the honest people, but that is the way it works here and many other places. It is your choice to sell knowing that if a buyer marks not as described they will get everything back and sometimes even keep the item, and they also can go to PayPal or their card company up to 180 days later.
lakefor94
·2 years agoYour main seller protection is as follows: You are a Top Rated Seller. If you accept returns and a buyer sends you back something other than what you shipped or they damaged or decreased the value of the item, you can deduct 50% of the refund. This also deters the savvy scammers as they try to avoid accounts as such.
Settle all descepancies and return cases without involving eBay. That is what is expected by eBay.
Come here with questions when situations arise before they become a problem and folks may be able assist you.
Best Regards, ---- Another Seller
profitweb
OP2 years ago@lakefor94 that's not quite right.
If we changed our policy to accept returns this still would've happened... when someone, like a seller who knows the system, claims "Not As Described", they're guaranteed to get a full refund and all shipping refunded too. No difference at all.
And, for the $40,000 a year from us, eBay could afford to truly look into and reach out to buyers with questionable "Not As Described" requests once a month (if even that often). We really don't use eBay's resources, aside from the app, in any other way.
Yes, I even said it was a waste of time in my post... which is the problem. Maybe you're fine with terrible customer support from eBay, while supplying our own direct customers with excellent customer support, but I'm not.
That was a very uninformative response.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoWhat part of that reply was not quite right? Or uninformative?
We all know (and you do too) that all a buyer has to do is open an NAD case, and the seller will be sending that prepaid return label and refunding in full upon receipt of the returned item.
Given your experience here, you already knew that.
With the volume of business that eBay does, no one is going to look at each individual SNAD case with the goal of determining whether or not it's legit. Seems like we all should know that also.
lakefor94
·2 years agoIn your original post, you stated: I've had no luck getting any help from eBay's CS on fraudulent Buyer Return claims. If anything, they've just wasted my time and delayed the inevitable (full refund to buyer if they claim "Not As Described" even if obvious it was as described or items returned are not the same).
If items returned are not the same, your only protections are as follows, again:
You are a Top Rated Seller. If you accept returns and a buyer sends you back something other than what you shipped or they damaged or decreased the value of the item, you can deduct 50% of the refund. This also deters the savvy scammers as they try to avoid accounts as such.
Furthermore, run of the mill, INAD return cases are part of doing business here and on AMZ as you will find out there as well. (saw your other post) I have been selling there for the last 6 years. It is the same, no difference other than AMZ offers fewer seller protections and is less forgiving to sellers than eBay.
"Maybe you're fine with terrible customer support from eBay, while supplying our own direct customers with excellent customer support, but I'm not."
I have been selling on eBay for 24 Years. I know what eBay customer support entails at this point. The chances of me contacting the outsourced call center reps for a problem would be significantly less than zero. I handle all buyer returns, including the few false INAD's without any help whatsoever from eBay. Being a TRS with Free Returns, I certainly do not experience the scam type transactions from other sellers or buyers as you state you are experiencing. The savvy scammers avoid my account.
The scammers look for accounts that do not accept or have free returns. Those accounts are easier targets as they don't have to chance getting a 50% refund, being reported and have to appeal for the other 50% in which the buyer has to qualify for.
eBay expects sellers to read, comprehend and execute within seller policies. Also to understand the eBay MBG for buyers. eBay customer service has been heading in this direction since 2020 when they cutoff direct phone lines. Don't expect it to get more seller friendly. As a fulltime seller, if I have an issue I come here for help first and foremost. It has been a couple of years since I had to last contact eBay and I used their social media to interface with USA based customer service reps.
Anyways, wish you the best in sales, here and there. Good luck and happy holidays.