Sellers beware when purchasing g shipping labels through eBay. I’m done with horrible treatment
I’ll start by saying I’ve been selling on here for over 24 years!!! Yes, about as long as eBay has been around and I’ve never been so disappointed/frustrated/angry than I have now.
To try and make the short here is what has happened. I sold a fragile item to someone and knowing that it was fragile, I paid full insurance with FedEx through the eBay shipping label. This was approximately $89 and some change that it cost me. The buyer said the item was broken when they received it after we packaged it extremely well and took pictures before sending. Buyer sent pictures of where the box was crushed on one end which would explain why one part was broken during the shipment. We did what was right and fully refunded to the buyer. Now I am out not only the price of the item but also the money we paid for insurance because eBay and FedEx refused to acknowledge our claim. Each says the other is responsible. Meanwhile I’ve been here for 24 years and I’m the one left with nothing.
i’ve been on loyal seller and have never had the treatment like I’ve had over this issue. So I am moving on to look into other ways to sell. Just want to give a warning to other sellers you may want to not use eBay for your shipping labels especially if it’s a higher priced item.
****fedex says they only bill eBay and I need to get eBay to file the claim….. of which I have tried over and over and over……. And have only gotten the run around
oh and also to add to it I was told I was protected through seller protection but after months of checking on this eBay decided not to honor that as well
slati_2013
·2 years agoHmmmm. I have to repeat what I have said here again and again; UPS and FedEx rarely pay out insurance. Your best bet is the USPS. Not that they are any better, but your chances are far better with the USPS. Also, when shipping by either FedEx or UPS, it is always best to ship from your FedEx and UPS account. Not through eBay. I generally prefer UPS when I am shipping fragile and very expensive items.
sextons-sweet-deals
·2 years agoWhat was the item you sold and what does the buyer profile / feedback look like? I ask because I only see a couple fragile items that you have sold, and the shipping cost would be double the actual cost of item.
There are buyers who will claim damage to replace an item that they actually broke themselves and so on. They could have easily stomped on the box after opening and removing the item. Did the box still look sealed, or did they just crop the photo to block out everything else like the label? I guess the bigger question is why FedEx would even deliver a damaged box?
FedEx is probably the worst selection for shipment. You should have gone with USPS and maybe signature required.
Did you use any type of fragile labels / markings on the box?
yuzuha
·2 years agoWas it that pheasant platter? Was it double-boxed? Because if not, it's pretty much guaranteed that they will deny any claim.
clothescall
OP2 years agoNo it was not. It was much more expensive piece. That one was delivered without any issues.
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoI wonder if third party insurance is a better bet than buying insurance from a shipper.
Mostly because, short of loss in transit, most seem to refuse to pay up.
And most shippers will only insure to the value of the shipping charge, not the value of the contents.
USPS seems to be pretty good about admitting they screwed up.
We use Hugh Wood International , which specializes in collectibles and collecting. They are the insurers for the American Philatelic Society. Not only insuring their National Exhibitions at which there can be $millions and $millions on public display, but also the circuit books shipped from one collector to another often with thousands of dollars worth of stamps being shipped.
They also insure stock, stock in transit, dealers at shows, collections in homes, etc.
However, they only work with annual contracts. I have heard others say nice things about shipinsure which will insure one offs.
rovemele-zmdmfp
·2 years agosorry but i always buy shipping labels from ebay and yes i send many heavy and big item also insured for yrs i realy dont like fed-x but have use it so many yrs and not knowing how to file a claim ( mean u must brush up on that ) where ever you buy the label you need to go stright to the sorce u.p.s , usps or fed-x ebay only sell you the label they cant do anything about anyclaim . most my claims been honored and you have damage box even more proof most of mine was item it self but enogh photos and detail will get you there the hardest is usps insurence so maybe ive been lucky lern how to file on there site cause thats the only way ebay is not responsible for that nor pay-pal nor any other you must go to the main site i learned by goggleing it now its ez -pz wish you luck but be ready if it happen again which i hope it doesnt
here a lil hint if you ever use ups when filling claIM The UPS account number will be the in the beginning of the tracking number. Remove the 1Z then the next 6 digits will be the account number
a_c_green
·2 years agoI can't speak about UPS because I don't use them for shipping, but if I remember right about the other two carriers, one additional complication with FedEx (but not USPS) is that for FedEx shipments, eBay is the shipper of record. For USPS shipments, you the seller are the shipper of record; eBay just gives you a convenient payment conduit, but otherwise pretty much stays out of it.
Thus you can get a lot of fingerpointing when filing a FedEx claim, because eBay is the (nominal) shipper, not you, and apparently (according to the OP), FedEx doesn't really regard you as their customer.
In 20 years of shipping via USPS, I have had to file occasional claims for this or that, but it was always just me communicating directly with USPS; eBay had nothing to do with the claim process. In the case of FedEx, though, that seems to be more complicated by eBay's involvement as the account-holder.
rovemele-zmdmfp
·2 years agonot sure about fed-x cause never had a damage and i hardly use them cause they always run late for me at least same plp said about ups you need ebays accont number but its like i sated 6 numbers after the iz on your tracking number not sure if fed-x work the same i will look into it cause it can be useful one day thanks for your info
clothescall
OP2 years agoThis is exactly what I keep getting g told with FedEx and this it’s why I’m pretty more upset at eBay than fedex but certainly not happy with either. Thanks for posting that! I wish I had known this information prior to shipping gvthis item and that’s why I wanted to post here. Hopefully it will help someone !
robbie31415
·2 years agoDamage claims are difficult no matter where you got thr label.
Insurance is mainly for lost packages.
A lot of insurance claims require hoops and bringing package to carrier for inspection.
None of these hoops are required for buyers to do. They just want to return for refund.
Some buyers can be nice, but most don't want to waste their time.
So I don't invest any money for damaged insurance claims. Not worth. Better to jar that money on the side for a few that ended up damaged and pay yourself.
clothescall
OP2 years agoWell I guess that’s good to know now but eBay should have at least had the decency to follow through with their seller protection of this item. I had a supervisor say she approved this and I’ve only gotten the run around ever since
again, 24 years of total service on my part and I’m just tired of the treatment. So about the insurance. Ok so then that makes it even more of an issue with eBay instead of fedex. eBay should honor their seller protection promises.
I’m done with eBay letting buyers get away with screaming this was wrong etc and it coming out of my pocket.
Unavailable member
·2 years agoSorry, but there is no seller protection for items that were damaged during transit.
clothescall
OP2 years agoSorry but I was told I was protected by a supervisor. employee?
anywho…… my post was to warn sellers about purchasing their labels through eBay and for the treatment I’ve been given after 24 years of loyalty. Good luck with all of your transactions
this is MY experience
kensgiftshop
·2 years agoSorry, they only told you that because that's what you wanted to hear.
About the only protection a seller has is tracking showing the package was delivered.
clothescall
OP2 years agoAgain…… that’s why I’m warning other sellers and why after 24 years I’m looking at other selling outlets.
buyselljack2016
·2 years agoSorry that this happened to you, but your warning will be seen just mainly by "community regulars" that know what is going to happen, and others that wander in after finding out what you found out☹ï¸
But it is good to be able to vent.
There should be a way that this is handled, but I have no idea how that is done. I use only eBay USPS labels.
adamcartwright
·2 years agoThanks for the warning. I've never used Pirate Ship, but this post has now alerted me that benefit it offers.
steady2304
·2 years agoThis is why I refuse to use eBay shipping labels for FedEx or UPS. They always try to say it is not their responsibility and to have eBay deal with. eBay then turns it right back on UPS or FedEx. I strictly use the "Pirate" to ship and I have never had a problem with a UPS damage claim.
I have only had 2 claims for damage and both were handled by Pirate Ship once I refunded the buyers and gave them proof of the refunds. Luckily Pirate Ship doesn't use FedEx but it wouldn't matter as they would be my last choice in shipping anything domestically.
Another option would be to open your own FedEx or UPS account. Then you have the option to deal with them directly instead of going through eBay.
clothescall
OP2 years agoTHIS is a great reply!!! Thanks so much. I’m goi g to look into that while I decide my other selling avenues. Thanks !
oldwestgold
·2 years agoYour claim is with FedEx. To my understanding, both FedEx and UPS normally deny the first claim filed on a loss. They expect to weed out a lot of their claim reimbursements this way as most people will not take the time to appeal. So, I would recommend filing an appeal.
clothescall
OP2 years agoI have fought this for about 5 months….
monica-sells
·2 years agoThis dilemma begs the question....
what 3rd party shipping platform for insurance would/has/will actually respond to a legitimate claim without some sort of run around.
inhawaii
·2 years ago#1) Every seller/shipper since the beginning of time who has had something damaged claims it was packaged adequately.
#2) Ebay has nothing to do with your FedEx damage claim. You are the shipper. The claim is between the shipper and the carrier.
buyselljack2016
·2 years agoapparently you do not ship with eBay FedEx labels.
Horror story after horror story here on the boards about problems with "claims" when using the eBay labels for shipping stating the same thing as this seller.
also, if a box is crushed.................... how is the (EDIT HERE) (I MEANT SELLER, NOT BUYER) seller at fault for the packaging? Must everything be shipped in a reinforced steel container?
inhawaii
·2 years agoIt may or may not be the carriers fault.
I'm just saying I never heard a seller/shipper say the item wasn't packaged well.
buyselljack2016
·2 years agoFor the benefit of new posters that don't know you, locating a sarcasm emoji for some posts would be helpful. We know most of the time the carriers will deny............... stating inadequate packaging, but again here............... stated box crushed. OP does not need to be crushed 😊
adamcartwright
·2 years agoI have. I have a friend who refunded a buyer when the item broke in shipment, and he admitted to me it was his fault for not packing it better. He refunded without complaint.
zoda99
·2 years ago@buyselljack2016 Said: also, if a box is crushed.................... how is the buyer at fault for the packaging?
It depends on the details of the transaction. Did the buyer have any input on how the package was shipped?
buyselljack2016
·2 years agoNo, likely the buyer had no input on the packagingðŸ˜
My error in the post that I made.
I meant to post if a box is crushed.................... how is the seller at fault for the packaging?
reallynicestamps
·2 years agohow is the...seller at fault for the packaging?
The Seller did the packaging.
The Seller also chose the shipper.
The Seller is responsible to the buyer.
The Shipper is responsible to the Seller who purchased their services.
Sorry but I was told I was protected by a supervisor. employee?
Were you in a Chat or on the phone?
Did you get a transcript which you could use to hold eBay to their employee promise?
The phone reps work for a subcontractor in Utah.
Not for eBay.
That this was a $1400 item makes it even more painful.
Over the past 24 years how often have you had failed transactions? How much over those 24 years have you lost on failed transactions?
clothescall
OP2 years agoYes so here’s the thing. Over the past 24 years as a seller I have witnessed and been a part of many false claims with no protection to the seller / myself. I let them slide. This time I had had enough. Enough if buyers claiming false info and me giving a refund just because “it’s goi g to happen so just realize it’s part of selling hâ€. I’m a small seller. I stated selli g my children’s clothing g. I am now a grandmother and that 1450 may nit be much to some but it is many trips paid to visit my grandchild. So there’s that
siamjane8
·2 years agoeBay is the shipper of record... Not us sellers. That is the problem. This was cooked up by the shoppers and eBay to add a buffer of deniability between all parties but when you use UPS or fedex- eBay is purchasing that label on their negotiated accounts and technically reselling the label to us when we buy it on eBay. That is why UPS and FedEx will not even talk to you if you call them- they say eBay bought the label and they can't legally even talk to you. eBay just looks the other way. A rock and a hard place.
eBay labels are no cheaper than pirateship and pirateship imports all your eBay sales and updated the tracking back to eBay... Simple and effective and I have never had an issue or backcharges unlike eBay labels. I still use eBay labels for USPS because that is a true purchase -it just links through in the background to USPS and you are the buyer of the label- that's why it was always paid upfront.
rovemele-zmdmfp
·2 years agosorry but i know for sure on ups you file your self as a thirdparty with the accnt number i said on my 1st post
buyselljack2016
·2 years agonot sure why you are pulling a section of my statement out of context. Doing that makes me look like an uninformed idiot if someone reading does not look at the entire post , and the post that I "responded to".
My statement was ..... if a box is crushed.................... how is the (EDIT HERE) (I MEANT SELLER, NOT BUYER) seller at fault for the packaging? Must everything be shipped in a reinforced steel container?
I understand the seller is "ultimately responsible", but it is not the seller's "fault" that the item was damaged😠Responsibility, and fault............... in this instance ............... is not synonymous. It was FedEx's fault, and FedEx should take responsibility, but it is not the seller's fault.
And yes, not part of the problem here, and I was not responding to the OPðŸ˜
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Also, as I was not responding to the OP ............... my failed transactions in the past 23 years are nonapplicable. Not part of the problem/post😠I have always taken responsibility for my "failed transactions"😊
clothescall
OP2 years agoAs I have been told over and over and over that since I purchased the label through eBay, then eBay has to handle the filing. In the end I have a broken item and am out right at 1450.00 including g the 89.99 o paid. Thus, the WARNING I posted to sellers about purchasing the labels through eBay
mtgraves7984
·2 years ago@clothescall
The benefit of eBay labels are the Commercial discount. Claims are handled between the seller and the contracted carrier.
rovemele-zmdmfp
·2 years agolike i told you last time get your info right before you adice other about it
clothescall
OP2 years agoLOL what?! Employee? 🤣🤣
ten_o_nine
·2 years agoEven well-packaged items can get damaged by the shipping carrier, proper packaging significantly reduces the risk of damage, it's not a guarantee against damage.
Damage can happen for several reasons.
- Mishandling
- Dropping
- Crushing
- Improper loading/unloading
A package I shipped via FedEx was damaged when a rod pierced through the package, exiting the other side. The buyer provided photos of the damaged box and holds FedEx responsible for the damage.