Ebay changed the "report a buyer" process....no option to report for INR claims now?

So one of Ebay's policies is you can report a buyer for opening an INR claim when the tracking shows the item had already been delivered. We do indeed do this as it frequently will get those cases removed from the service metrics for INR. I just did this last a few weeks ago.

However, it seems in the last 2 weeks they have completely changed around the report a buyer process. I don't even see an option to report them for this reason now (even though all the other reasons for reporting a buyer are still there).....even though the abusive buyer policy clearly still states that is against policy to open an INR when tracking confirms delivery.

Any mods who can look into this?

autotechlighting

10915 View listings

Posted 1 year ago · Edited 1 year ago·Last reply 1 year ago

25 comments

chariot_badges

·1 year ago

384 View listings

@autotechlighting wrote:
So one of Ebay's policies is you can report a buyer for opening an INR claim when the tracking shows the item had already been delivered. We do indeed do this as it frequently will get those cases removed from the service metrics for INR. I just did this last a few weeks ago.

However, it seems in the last 2 weeks they have completely changed around the report a buyer process. I don't even see an option to report them for this reason now (even though all the other reasons for reporting a buyer are still there).....even though the abusive buyer policy clearly still states that is against policy to open an INR when tracking confirms delivery.

Any mods who can look into this?

What does that do to the buyer ... to 'report' them?

Does it go on their 'permanent record' as a black mark that all sellers can see and thereby refuse service?
Or, is it just one more of those things we all have to answer for when approaching the 'pearly gates'?

mam98031

·1 year ago

Owner / Operator19676 View listings

@chariot_badges wrote:

@autotechlighting wrote:
So one of Ebay's policies is you can report a buyer for opening an INR claim when the tracking shows the item had already been delivered. We do indeed do this as it frequently will get those cases removed from the service metrics for INR. I just did this last a few weeks ago.

However, it seems in the last 2 weeks they have completely changed around the report a buyer process. I don't even see an option to report them for this reason now (even though all the other reasons for reporting a buyer are still there).....even though the abusive buyer policy clearly still states that is against policy to open an INR when tracking confirms delivery.

Any mods who can look into this?
What does that do to the buyer ... to 'report' them?
Does it go on their 'permanent record' as a black mark that all sellers can see and thereby refuse service?
Or, is it just one more of those things we all have to answer for when approaching the 'pearly gates'?

Ebay does track them, watching for any pattern of behavior to show up. Which is why it is important for everyone to report a buyer as needed. It is a process that can be important. Same with misbehaving sellers.

chariot_badges

·1 year ago

384 View listings

@mam98031 wrote:
@chariot_badges wrote:

@autotechlighting wrote:
So one of Ebay's policies is you can report a buyer for opening an INR claim when the tracking shows the item had already been delivered. We do indeed do this as it frequently will get those cases removed from the service metrics for INR. I just did this last a few weeks ago.

However, it seems in the last 2 weeks they have completely changed around the report a buyer process. I don't even see an option to report them for this reason now (even though all the other reasons for reporting a buyer are still there).....even though the abusive buyer policy clearly still states that is against policy to open an INR when tracking confirms delivery.

Any mods who can look into this?
What does that do to the buyer ... to 'report' them?
Does it go on their 'permanent record' as a black mark that all sellers can see and thereby refuse service?
Or, is it just one more of those things we all have to answer for when approaching the 'pearly gates'?
Ebay does track them, watching for any pattern of behavior to show up. Which is why it is important for everyone to report a buyer as needed. It is a process that can be important. Same with misbehaving sellers.

Ebay tracks them. So, what does that do for me?

Nothing.

IF I NEVER get help, why should I keep asking?

mam98031

·1 year ago

Owner / Operator19676 View listings

@chariot_badges wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
@chariot_badges wrote:

@autotechlighting wrote:
So one of Ebay's policies is you can report a buyer for opening an INR claim when the tracking shows the item had already been delivered. We do indeed do this as it frequently will get those cases removed from the service metrics for INR. I just did this last a few weeks ago.

However, it seems in the last 2 weeks they have completely changed around the report a buyer process. I don't even see an option to report them for this reason now (even though all the other reasons for reporting a buyer are still there).....even though the abusive buyer policy clearly still states that is against policy to open an INR when tracking confirms delivery.

Any mods who can look into this?
What does that do to the buyer ... to 'report' them?
Does it go on their 'permanent record' as a black mark that all sellers can see and thereby refuse service?
Or, is it just one more of those things we all have to answer for when approaching the 'pearly gates'?
Ebay does track them, watching for any pattern of behavior to show up. Which is why it is important for everyone to report a buyer as needed. It is a process that can be important. Same with misbehaving sellers.
Ebay tracks them. So, what does that do for me?
Nothing.

IF I NEVER get help, why should I keep asking?

I can't answer that. I don't know if the buyer you might report would be the 1st report Ebay would receive or the 5th or 10th or whatever.

If you are having a repeat problem with the same buyer, then I'd suggest blocking them.

gurlcat

·1 year ago

1969 View listings

@chariot_badges wrote:

What does that do to the buyer ... to 'report' them?
Does it go on their 'permanent record' as a black mark that all sellers can see and thereby refuse service?
Or, is it just one more of those things we all have to answer for when approaching the 'pearly gates'?

Depends on what they did. I got one kicked off the platform so fast I didn't even understand what happened, had to be told by a Facebook rep! THEN the scammer filed a chargeback! And I won that too.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Beyond-Bizarre-Return/m-p/34619838

chariot_badges

·1 year ago

384 View listings

@gurlcat wrote:
@chariot_badges wrote:

What does that do to the buyer ... to 'report' them?
Does it go on their 'permanent record' as a black mark that all sellers can see and thereby refuse service?
Or, is it just one more of those things we all have to answer for when approaching the 'pearly gates'?
Depends on what they did. I got one kicked off the platform so fast I didn't even understand what happened, had to be told by a Facebook rep! THEN the scammer filed a chargeback! And I won that too.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Beyond-Bizarre-Return/m-p/34619838

And, the false claims were taken off of all the sellers 'permanent records', right?

All the damage that he did to innocent sellers was reversed to the best of eBay's judicial system, right?

gurlcat

·1 year ago

1969 View listings

Apparently you didn't click on the link to read any of the story, because if you did you would have seen that it was a new buyer account, so I was probably the first (attempted) victim. But you're asking a bad faith question anyway because you know that even if any other sellers were previously victimized, I would have no way of knowing anything about what eBay may have done regarding their records. Furthermore I didn't claim that reporting a buyer can get them booted AND clear all their victims' records, just said I got one booted and none of his scam attempts hurt me or my record.

It seems like you didn't want to believe reporting abusive buyers could do any good, so when I showed that it can, you raised the bar to whether it can erase all harm ever done by them. Come on man.

But I'll say this, whether or not you can accept it or just anyone else reading at this point, when I reported that buyer my goal wasn't even to get him removed or any other kind of punishment. It was just to defend myself from having to pay a scam return refund. That is the #1 most useful effect of reporting abusive buyers, it's the first thing you should do whenever one has shown clear intention of pulling a scam or feedback extortion . I don't know why eBay doesn't make this more clear, but the fact is when you appeal a fraudulent INR, return, or negative feedback, in many cases the evidence you submit in the appeal itself will not matter unless you also reported the abusive behavior. The employees are instructed to use that as a key consideration.

Imagine trying to get an insurance claim paid for a theft or auto accident without a police report. -That's exactly what abusive buyer reports are like in this context.

vintagecraze50

·1 year ago

2326 View listings

Yes. I just had to report a buyer for making a false empty box claim and had to use something about a return abuse problem which technically is not correct. I just put in the verbiage in the report what the customer was trying to do and that it was a false non receipt of item claim.

vintagecraze50

·1 year ago

2326 View listings

It would not matter as far as the metric for me because all I do is enter the tracking number into any case this buyer would start and the system recognizes that the package was delivered. The report the buyer issue is something different in my case being this is a customer trying to steal our item and that needs to be reported one way or another with this buyer reporting in messages that they received an empty box. Long long time since I got a scammer on here and this one is a doozy.

luckythewinner

·1 year ago

1159 View listings

@autotechlighting wrote:
So one of Ebay's policies is you can report a buyer for opening an INR claim when the tracking shows the item had already been delivered.

IMHO eBay should remove this as a reason to "report a buyer", because from person experience - both as a buyer AND as a seller - I have had items scanned as delivered when they were not actually delivered.

But all that aside ...

Don't you just respond to the INR by providing the tracking number and get it closed? What would "reporting" the buyer actually accomplish?

autotechlighting

OP1 year ago

10915 View listings

It gets those cases removed from your service metrics. We always win the actual INR cases, that's not the concern here.....I am more worried about INR service metrics.

Still no resolution to this, either.....12 days later.

Didn't even realize anyone had replied to this thread.....it didn't alert me until today about a reply. Sorry for the late check-in.

vintagecraze50

·1 year ago

2326 View listings

The metrics should not be hurt because when you submit the tracking showing delivered the system should recognize that and no ding to service metrics.

gurlcat

·1 year ago

1969 View listings

@vintagecraze50 wrote:
The metrics should not be hurt because when you submit the tracking showing delivered the system should recognize that and no ding to service metrics.

Unfortunately Service Metrics count INR's and returns regardless of outcome.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/service-metrics-policy?id=4769

Here you can see the one INR currently on my record, and the crazy thing about that is, notice how it says 'Domestic'? -Well it was an EIS sale, and the buyer filed the INR after the package was already shipped from the hub in Illinois, so I wasn't even expected to respond in any way; eBay just emailed me to tell me it happened, and that they would handle it. But I got a ding anyway! What the OP is talking about is how reporting the abusive buyer is the ONLY way to get a ding removed.

Screen Shot 2025-01-29 at 6.58.59 PM.png

chariot_badges

·1 year ago

384 View listings

@autotechlighting wrote:
It gets those cases removed from your service metrics. We always win the actual INR cases, that's not the concern here.....I am more worried about INR service metrics.

Still no resolution to this, either.....12 days later.

Didn't even realize anyone had replied to this thread.....it didn't alert me until today about a reply. Sorry for the late check-in.

Systems are crumbling. All of them to varying degrees. The center is folding.

Prosecutors that won't prosecute crimes, but the cops will write a $300 ticket for me rolling thru a stop sign. Bridges falling down, local gov't refusing to deliver water to their fire department. Opening my front door to murderers and child traffickers, then imprisoning me if I defend myself.

I spent all day yesterday dealing with the health care system here in N. California. It doesn't work.

I almost went to jail yesterday when a police officer told me that "If you don't leave this hospital right now, you'll be spending the night at my house. I think your wife needs you home." "**bleep** right, somebody's got to take care of her. I just don't know how to do the surgery. I guess I can try to find a video on YouTube.

We drove to Sacramento ... from Redding (about 90 minutes) to get to a hospital that would treat.

Redding's not small town, we got gold plated insurance too.

I offered one of the ER docs a thousand dollars cash tip, under the table RIGHT NOW if he'd treat. Even money doesn't work now. I told him it would take me a half hour to get $10k in cash there, and "will that work?" The greedy sob thought about it.

I'm going to Sac again today to visit wifey. They admitted her and shook their heads when I told them we we'd been through.

Everything is falling apart folks. Am I the only one that sees it?

Ebay is no different. They are trying to survive in dying systems environment, just like we are.

I feel like the little boy at the back of the crowd yelling, "But, the King has no clothes. Can't you see that the King has no clothes?"

(BTW: the King executed him.)

gurlcat

·1 year ago

1969 View listings

Yeah it feels like the world is crumbling. The health insurance I felt so incredibly lucky to FINALLY get, starting a year ago, because I live in a Red state and am self-employed, but thanks to Biden's Inflation Reduction Act I have finally been able to see doctors and get Rx's for my blood pressure for the first time in about a decade ..... not "gold plated" insurance mind you, but better than nothing ..... and now Trump signed an executive order to not renew the provisions at the end of this year. So if you want to swap places I'll be there will bells on because at least California (like 37 other states) accepts the Medicaid expansion of the ACA. But I'll warn you, if you think there aren't murderers and child traffickers in Alabama you're in for a surprise. ðŸ˜† Also start saving up for the hurricane and flood insurance that may not pay your claims either.

grand-and-glorious-purpose

·1 year ago

Cosmic Visionary1264 View listings

@luckythewinner wrote:
What would "reporting" the buyer actually accomplish?

Provide a track record of PITA behavior and possibly opt them out of the MBG.

gurlcat

·1 year ago

1969 View listings

@luckythewinner wrote:
@autotechlighting wrote:
So one of Ebay's policies is you can report a buyer for opening an INR claim when the tracking shows the item had already been delivered.
IMHO eBay should remove this as a reason to "report a buyer", because from person experience - both as a buyer AND as a seller - I have had items scanned as delivered when they were not actually delivered.

But all that aside ...

Don't you just respond to the INR by providing the tracking number and get it closed? What would "reporting" the buyer actually accomplish?

The fact that you can distinguish legit versus abusive INR's (and the latter is an official policy violation according to eBay) is why the option to report the abuse should remain. As for what it can accomplish, it's a pretty compelling list:
*Gets the INR ding removed from the seller's Service Metrics (which aren't auto-removed just for winning the case) -this reporting effect was exactly what the OP was aiming to get.
*May get the buyer's account restricted or closed if they've had previous abuse reports, and/or will be counted with any future reports.
*Will serve as key documentation, should the need arise to:
     -Get retaliatory negative feedback removed
     - Fight a chargeback, and if not 'win' according to the buyer's bank, be granted a courtesy refund from eBay
        and not pay the $20 fine.

ticketbatman

·1 year ago

5400 View listings

having the same issue and am calling customer service at 8 am

pickapaper

·1 year ago

4640 View listings

@ticketbatman

Don't bother calling customer service. CS reps so not know answers and they will not be able to help. If they tell you anything, it probably won't be correct. CS reps are well known to tell people what they want to hear to get them off the phone rather than the actual facts. If you feel you have to contact eBay, reach out to them on social media.

Better if you just wait a couple of days. This issue has been brought to the attention of the mods here so they might be able to get something done internally.

mam98031

·1 year ago

Owner / Operator19676 View listings

It does seem to be undated recently, I see what you are talking about. I don't see anything about INRs at all.

@devon@ebay

@kyle@ebay

@elizabeth@ebay

kyle@ebay

Admin1 year ago

Community Advisor0 View listings

@mam98031 wrote:

It does seem to be undated recently, I see what you are talking about. I don't see anything about INRs at all.

@devon@ebay

@kyle@ebay

@elizabeth@ebay

Hey @mam98031 thanks for checking in. I found that there was an alert (ALERT15693) opened yesterday for issues with reporting buyers. It was more specifically about getting an error message, rather than not seeing the option, but I have a pretty good hunch that these are directly related to the same root issue.

mam98031

·1 year ago

Owner / Operator19676 View listings

@kyle@ebay

I didn't get any kind of error message when I looked at report a buyer. The screens have changed and it is more limited in nature but a much longer form. Nothing else. It has multiple pages, but here is the opening page.

1 a report buyer 1.jpg

gurlcat

·1 year ago

1969 View listings

devon@ebay kyle@ebay elizabeth@ebay

Is there any update on whether INR abuse violations have been restored to the Abusive Buyer reporting menu?

autotechlighting

OP1 year ago

10915 View listings

Any update here? Bit disconcerting that it seems the mods have left the building?

Has anyone been able to distinguish which INR cases they automatically de-score? They definitely de-score some of them and it shows this when you download the Excel file showing what cases are counting (and which aren't counting). It used to be if you shipped on time, had a tracking scan without your handling time, and it was delivered before the buyer opened the case.....that it would be one that would get de-scored (and obviously you would win the INR case). However, the last few months they don't seem to be de-scoring all these.

rugerskick

·1 year ago

2378 View listings

And...is someone working on restoring this option for sellers? Or is it going to go into limbo with the other seller issues that don't get fixed?