Terrible eBay Customer Service and Guidance
Summary: In a discussion about eBay customer service, wastingtime101 shared an experience where they returned trading cards to a buyer after being advised incorrectly by an eBay representative to issue a refund before appealing a fraudulent return. The participant noted that this advice was incorrect as voluntary refunds eliminate the option for appeal, putting them in a vulnerable position due to their 'no returns' policy. Another participant, kensgiftshop, empathized with the situation, acknowledging that inadequate guidance from phone representatives is common and suggested that allowing for a 30-day return might have enabled a partial refund. wastingtime101 expressed concerns about the volatility of trading cards impacting return policies, while also noting confusion around eBay’s seller protection policies. This exchange highlights the frustrations sellers face with inconsistencies and lack of clarity in eBay's customer service and policies.
Hello Everyone,
This is my first time posting here (I believe). I’m reaching out because I’m struggling to resolve an issue with eBay and don’t know where else to turn. I’m exhausted from repeatedly calling Customer Service and having to explain my situation over and over, so I’m sharing it here in hopes that someone from eBay will see it and reach out to help.
Here’s a summary of what happened:
I sold two sets of sealed Pokémon Elite Trainer Boxes (ETBs) to a buyer. After delivery, the buyer opened a case claiming the packs inside were resealed and requested a return. As a trading card seller on eBay for 18 years, I’ve never sold resealed items, so I was certain the buyer was attempting to scam me. I immediately contacted eBay for guidance on how to handle the case (whether to accept the return, refuse it, etc.). The eBay Customer Service representative advised me to accept the return, as a forced return would happen regardless. They also instructed me to inspect the items upon receipt and report any issues. In the meantime, the buyer left me negative feedback—great, right? 😫
The buyer returned the boxes, and upon inspection, I found that both boxes had been opened, all the packs were torn open, and any valuable cards (if there were any) were missing. I contacted eBay again to ask for next steps. This time, a different CS representative told me to refund the buyer, wait 24 hours, and then call back to appeal the return. I followed these instructions.
Due to work commitments, I couldn’t call back immediately but reached out within 2-3 days. When I explained the situation to another CS agent, they informed me that the previous agent should not have advised me to issue the refund, as doing so essentially closed the case. I asked them to review the call recording because I had explicitly confirmed with the previous agent whether I should issue the refund, and they had assured me twice that I should. The new agent said they would escalate the issue to leadership and promised to get back to me by Monday (this was on a Thursday). Monday came and went with no response. I called again on Tuesday for an update, and another agent told me it hadn’t been 5-7 business days yet and to give the previous agent more time.
Two more days passed, and I received an email from eBay stating they had tried to call me but the phone number on file was incorrect. I immediately called eBay to clarify. The agent confirmed that someone had attempted to call me but couldn’t reach me. I asked them to verify the phone number they used, and it was correct—so I’m not sure why the call didn’t go through. The agent tried to contact the person handling my case but was unsuccessful.
It’s now been another 48 hours, and I still haven’t received a call, message, or any follow-up.
I’m left with negative feedback on my account and no resolution in sight. The entire process has been incredibly frustrating, and navigating eBay’s customer service has been a nightmare.
Does anyone have advice on how to proceed?
kh-sireesha
·3 months agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
inhawaii
·3 months agoThere is only one way to proceed.
Refund the buyer in full.
If you don't, ebay will do it for you.
Report the buyer (nothing will come of it but it might make you feel better).
Take the loss.
As a seller, this kind of thing may happen from time to time, it's all part of doing business online.
Sorry this happened to you.
kris5268
·3 months agoI can’t even find a phone number to try to call customer service. I sold an item, buyer claimed it arrived damaged due to poor packaging. His pictures dont look like my product so I don’t trust the situation from the very beginning but I gave full refund without any hassle and he still gave feedback that was not acceptable. How is it a buyer can leave feedback on a transaction that I gave full money back and let them keep it but I have no way of leaving him feedback? I know I can reply to his feedback but I want to give feedback on his page. I sent a request to review it and it came back with item was not accurately described which is no where near the issue at hand. The buyer even says that it arrived damaged he doesn’t say it didn’t match listing so how do you get an actual human to review your request instead of these automated things that don’t resolve anything
fatfabiossportsntcg
·1 year agoI just caught eBay rep flat-out lying to me with proof, no lie you got to keep calling back to you get an American customer service rep that helps you, not being mean or nothing but usually the people that are from call center is not here better outsourced in other countries are horrible. I had a representative today tell me email me you know tell me the order has no scans it's the $20 budget card envelopes, he said there's no scan, I get on there and check the orders over 30 days old, I get on there and check it has label printing, in transit, and then another scan, and took screenshots from USPS and eBay side, but told me there's no tracking information on it, and I can flat prove it so I feel you brother, when I need something fixed I just got a call back over and over keep explaining to myself till I get a representative that helps, once you get one that helps they'll take care of it dude
mam98031
·1 year agoThis is an old thread @fatfabiossportsntcg . Start a thread regarding your issue so others may try and help you.
Ebay hasn't had a "call center" since the Pandemic. And not every CSR is an outsourced person. But start your own thread and others will come to try and help you.
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoWere these phone calls or typed Chats?
The phone reps have a terrible reputation for getting you off the phone as soon as possible even if that means giving you the advice you want to hear instead of the advice you need to have.
Here are your options for contacting Ebay Customer Service.
Please be aware that for social media CS, you send them a Private Message and briefly explain what your problem or issue is. Feel free to leave your Name, address, phone number and/or your email address in this message. It is private and secure and it may help to speed up the response for you.

https://www.facebook.com/ebay -Message button in upper right on landing page.
#204760888466
https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.


The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.
And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.
daniel8769-2008
·1 year agoNext time, issue a partial refund if the return isn't in the original condition it was sent. If the packs are open, they can't be resold at full value. Provide a 20% refund of the purchase, and the case is closed. This is within your rights under eBay guidelines. The buyer's only option would be to file an appeal. Take pictures of the merchandise and back them up with a video showing that the condition doesn't match what you sold. The buyer will need to explain why the packs were all opened when claiming they were repacks, as sellers can't reseal cards with the Kanomie original brand label. They don't sell or distribute them. It prevents counterfeiting.
albertabrightalberta
·1 year agoThat cannot be done when the claim is for "not as described." The refund for MBG is a full refund.
mam98031
·1 year ago@daniel8769-2008
It's an old thread. The OP likely resolved their issue a few months ago.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoThat rep steered you wrong. In the event eBay decides to cover you for a fraudulent return they will advise you to not refund, let the buyer force it, then appeal after the fact.
When you voluntarily refund there is no appeal.
You're TRS, but you have a 'no returns' policy which means you were not eligible for seller protections and could not deduct 50%.
Basically, at this point, you voluntarily refunded and it's done.
If you haven't already you should report the buyer.
Their feedback doesn't even violate policy so unless eBay finds the buyer was abusive, they won't remove that feedback.
Report the buyer, submit a request for eBay to remove the feedback, and if the buyer has a history of this behavior you may get lucky and the FB will be removed.
What does the buyer's feedback left for other sellers look like? Sort to "most recent" before you switch to the feedback left tab to see the most recent results.
sanyeoman
OP1 year agoThe 2nd CS Agent already filed a request to remove the feedback and it was declined. I think I got notice within 24 hours that they wouldn't remove the feedback. Also reported the buyer right away.
It's not fair that I am paying the price for an uninformed or untrained CS Agent.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoWell even if you did get a good CS rep, they most likely would have told you to refund otherwise eBay would force it and you'd lose your fees.
There are situations where you can fight - refuse to refund, file police reports and postal fraud reports, then take all those reports to eBay and appeal the forced refund. I suppose you could try that now, but don't be surprised if it fails because eBay typically says you can't appeal when you voluntarily refund.
If you want TRS protections on future transactions, change your 'no returns' policy.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoWhen you're dealing with the phone rep's here, that's about all you get.
If you accepted 30 day returns, you could have made a deduction on the refund.
sanyeoman
OP1 year agoI think the fear of accepting returns on Trading Cards is the volatility of the player, team, character, etc. The money I'm not concerned about as much as I am on reputation / negative feedback. I have cases upon cases of this same product that I can't sell now.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoFully get that. It's why eBay has a 3-day policy for the MBG on trading cards.
I'm actually not sure about the TRS seller protections in this case. I thought it applied when sellers had reduced return windows in some categories (like 14 days jewelry, 3 days trading cards, etc) but I don't see it on the policy page - only 30 days.
The reduced return windows are on the policy page about the TRS+ discount so maybe that's what I'm thinking of - the "plus" discount, not the seller protections.