e-Bay return policy is a "broken system", read my "Report a buyer", it will be ignored as usual !!
The buyer returned 2 different coins for 2 separate orders placed on the same day. As usual eBay has ruled with buyers and allow them to return items (on my dime) with a fuzzy picture that proved nothing more than they are just a couple blurry pictures of wheat cents. In addition, eBay has permitted this confused buyer to leave malicious, slanderous negative feedback against me. My enormous amount of time and effort to refute these claims have been futile. Now that I possess returned coins, I also possess 100% undeniable proof. All you need to do is look at my replies to "respond to return requests" link e-Bay has placed on my home page below "Task". This buyer returned coins in different packaging. This packaging had handwriting (not mine) and has its own unique stock number. Looking up 1909 VDB Wheat Cents sold with those unique numbers I found the 100% exact coins purchased on the same day (26th Nov) from a different eBay seller named "redacted". All you must do is look at my sent e-mail on eBay to see the pictures. The evidence is overwhelming. It’s also overwhelming evidence that eBay holds no minimum standards for buyers return requests and eBay will 100% of the time rule in favor of buyer with zero evidence supporting claims. E-Bay is losing sellers because of this FACT. Now I fully expect that this reply will be completely ignored and no action will be taken to correct this without me calling/e-mailing/corresponding numerous additional times though a spiderweb of confusing, hidden and difficult mirage known as "contact eBay" or eBay could totally surprise me and take action based upon the FACTS I just presented by removing the bogus, false and slanderous negative feedback, rule in my favor, refund mailing cost levied on me and deny buyers refund request. But I'm not holding my breath and I expect to spend my day figuring out how to contact someone on eBay that can and will do the right thing and defend my eBay business and reputation.
After spending all this time and effort composing this response here's eBay automatic reply.
Here's what you can do next:
We are sorry to hear this has happened. We strive to make eBay a safe place to sell, and so we appreciate your report. If you have not already, please go to your Return Details and ask us to step in and help.
FUNNY THEIR IS NO "RETURN DETAILS" DISPLAYED ON THIS DISPUTE PAGE **BROKEN SYSTEM**
profitweb
·2 years agoDear eBay,
Protection isn't a 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've paid over $40,000 in eBay Fees 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. 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.
somegoodcents
OP2 years agoStill waiting on a resolution to this case, a case that is obviously buyers fault.
A few things worth mentioning while I wait for decision,
Darlene the alleged supervisor, the one that hung up the phone on me is also stated "buyers feedback even if proven untrue will not be removed". she claimed that she was the boss, the final deciding making factor Shortly after asking to talk with her supervision she abruptly hung up one me.
When I called back Jacqueline the lady I talked to on the phone. She was polite and able handled this with a level of professionalism that Darlene is not capable of preforming. In fact, Jacqueline used her words carefully, she crafty advocating for me but the only thing she was actually able to accomplish wad to reverse hold charges. I was thinking okay but It's really not about the money, its about doing the right thing.
So Jacqueline smoothed over the situation better then the alleged Top supervisor in change with final decision power. It's just sad that eBay's payroll is morally bankrupting them. Perhaps a mission statement review is in order.
somegoodcents
OP2 years agoWow... eBay may have just placed the last straw on my back. I called them back today about this issue as directed to do so by a chat agent on I spoke with this Saturday. I was transfer to a supervisor named Darlene who hung up on me after flatly refusing to remove the slanderous negative feedback left by this buyer.
Naturally I called back and and talked with an eBay agent named Jacqueline she admitted that there is little hope of this feedback to be removed since I've exhausted all my options but agreed to resubmit my request. Jacqueline also said she would advocate to have this case to closed in my favor with a full refund. Now 45 minutes later and nothing, so I guess we'll wait and see.
Due to eBay's spiderweb/rabbit hole known as "contact use" and Darlene's rude demeanor I just don't trust that this case will be closed in my favor and I've lost almost all hope that this false negative feedback will ever be removed. It might be time to explore other avenues and platforms to sell my products on because eBay apparently doesn't care about honesty and integrity, but we'll see.
somegoodcents
OP2 years agoI agree with kh-leslie,
Perhaps @bonjourami and I should agree to disagree.
As for the conservation with @lakefor94 I hope you allow this communication to continue we both might benefit from each others thoughts to expand our knowledge from different perspectives.
I'll lay off the troll comments too, lol!
Oh BTW would you believe that the "Report a Buyer" return case I originally wrote about has still not been resolved? Even with a mountain of evidence, data and facts proving this buyer is wrong! It's either willful intent or buyer is confused & mistaken, that's not for me to conclude. However eBay's inability to resolve this in a timely manner is astonishing.
Meanwhile buyers completely untrue negative feedback remains on my business and has certainly effected my weekend sales.
kh-leslie
·2 years agoHi everyone,
This discussion has gotten a bit heated. Please remember that, while it is fine to disagree with others, discussion should always remain friendly and respectful as required by the Community Guidelines.
Thank you for your cooperation.
somegoodcents
OP2 years agoSo you're answer to this broken system known as "Report a Buyer" is to concede 50% and avoid reporting anything? No thanks, I would rather not.
I don't find settling for 50% acceptable in any fraudulent case. Taking into consideration that my net profit hovers around 30% that's an insane suggestion. I wouldn't be in business long with that model.
I'd be surprised is anyone that actually sells on eBay would just allow a 50% hit from fraudulent claims. But considering how eBay has designed a spiderweb maze platform to "Report a Buyer" I guess some would take the easy way and take the 50% hit.
I think we should expect more and demand that eBay treats seller fairly. This "buyers is always right" mantra creates a breeding ground for buying scammers. What deters a cheat from continuing, calling them out or ignoring them? Sounds like you're answer is the latter.
I don't think requesting eBay to do the right thing to discourage scammers is asking to much, don't you?
We all should expect better from a company that makes billions of dollars from its users. eBay has thousands of new listings every minute of every day so billions isn't an exaggeration.
Quite frankly, you're answer has an aroma of an eBay agent trolling eBay's community.
lakefor94
·2 years agosomegoodcents
OP2 years agoDear, lakfor90
I appreciate any reply received from eBay as it's an anomaly and not the norm. I want to thank you for reaffirming every point I made.
This layered, ineffective, and broken "Report a Buyer" program obviously is not monitored by eBay. This broken system invokes no action on behalf of eBay to correct the actual issue. Instead this broken "Report a Buyer" is nothing more than another layer of interference to discourage buyers to follow up.
This broken "Report a Buyer" problem is likely created from eBay's overzealous attempts to compete with Amazon without building storage warehouse across the world.
What eBay should do is stand up a fraud protection department. Ignoring crimes committed on their platform only encourages a continued escalation of nefarious actors. These actors attempt to make a living stealing from honest eBay users. One might say eBay is complaisant with fraud perpetuated on their platform.
It doesn't take a college degree to figure out what's happening in most cases here either. Just study the data, monitor patterns and anomalies. Simply examine claims with a totality method of honesty not a whimsical disconnected "make it go away" approach.
In fact, one might conclude eBay overzealousness to compete with Amazon has created a platform infested with unsavory criminal activity perpetuated on their honest users.
You're inability to spell the word Amazon or to admit this "Report a Buyer" program is broken solidifies my suspicions that you're an eBay agent trolling eBay's community. Claiming that you sell doesn't make sense either, you're just a "Rockstar" aka: eBay community page monitor. But thank you for you're acknowledgement.
lakefor94
·2 years agosomegoodcents
OP2 years agolakfor94,
Wow thank you for you're prompt reply, you must know this serves to strengthen some of my points.
I sincerely apricate you're resolve and I absolutly enjoy this witty banter.
Please allow me some time to reply as I'm busy today replacing some of my sold listings.
Respectfully, Some~Good~Cents
lakefor94
·2 years agoRoger that, @somegoodcents @ Doing the same here as the holidays start beckoning today so I won't be around much if any in the coming weeks. Any eBay time will be spent listing items as to clear out my office for appearances sake as needed according to the wife unit. Have to get with it....
All the best to you moving forward.
somegoodcents
OP2 years agolakfor94,
Copy all, have a very Merry Christmas enjoy the time off. It's nice to know that eBay grants Christmas leave, lol.
Knowledge is power, I will attempt to address the interesting points you have brought up singularly. In order to do so I will likely address them in a few replies. I hope you will continue to read these replies, I think we both could learn different perspectives. A greater understanding of the eBay's platform could serve as a foundation for improvements for both users and administrators.
As for now I will just address just one of you're replies.
"You are killin' me here smalls, lol."
You're right that's likely below us both, its a rib shot and I'm assuming. I have no proof that you're acting on behalf of eBay and possibly employed by eBay. Yet I still remain under the suspicion that this eBay community page is being trolled by eBay damage control narrators. However out of respect I will try to my best to drop this unproven theory.
bonjourami
·2 years ago"You're inability to spell the word Amazon or to admit this "Report a Buyer" program is broken solidifies my suspicions that you're an eBay agent trolling eBay's community."
To even suggest that Ebay would hire and pay ringers for their boards is nonsense. Mainly because Ebay doesnt give a rats behind about all their disgruntled sellers, and what they think.They have bigger fish to fry. And Ebay does not monitor the boards, Khoros does.You also are not familiar with postings ids which is what the previous poster is using.
4pawsup*
·2 years agoCannot say this any better than you have been told. Lakefor94 hit it right on the head heed the advice there is no better way.
lakefor94
·2 years agoIt was kind of hard to get thru your wall of text but I managed. Don't do that to the eBay reps. Use short, concise, spaced paragraphs. Jfyi
Anyways, looks like you are turning a lot of coin, so to speak and been around the block here for 20 years.
Returns should be routine even with the illegitimate type. As a Top Rated Seller that accepts returns, you should be permitted to do a 50% refund on a return where buyer returns something other than what you sent or returns something damaged etc.
You can grab the 50% as that is what is offered as seller protection. Nothing more. It was save you a lot of time that way.
Most of the savvy scammers stay away from TRS accounts that accept returns. You must have run across a less that smart scammer if he tried that on your account. If you allow eBay to decide the case and process the refund, it is always 100%. If you process the refund yourself, it can be 50%.