FIVE Rules eBay NEEDS to apply to ALL Sellers Right Now!

[#1]

1. When selling Used items the Seller MUST have an EXACT picture of the item (NO cut and paste from stock images). If not then either increase the Listing Fee or let the Seller know that PayPal will HOLD ALL FUNDS for Instant Refund/Return if Buyer claims the item is not as described in words! The Hold will be lifted after a period or when the Buyer leaves positive Feedback.

2. When selling items a Seller CANNOT have their kids, nephews, parents, brothers, uncles, cousins, ex-wifes, coworkers ship the item from another location! If a Seller is selling for someone else then the Seller MUST have that item in possession at the end of auction OR let the Bidders know beforehand that item listed is not in possession or was never seen by the Seller!

3. Sellers can NO LONGER write "what you see is what you get" as an entire description for an item! Pictures are only one dimensional images of an item and does not explain how or if the item works, how that items smells, and the history of that item!

4. Sellers CANNOT insert Tracking Numbers or Shipping Updates on the eBay/PayPal order page UNLESS that item is already shipped! I have no idea why eBay/PayPal allows this to happen. I've seen tracking numbers listed days before or even a full week before an item was shipped! Sellers should be FINED for falsifying that information!

5. That said, eBay should also harass Sellers to ship items on time. When you win an auction and don't pay after 2 days eBay sends out Payment Reminders. I have a feeling eBay does not send out Shipping Reminders! ALL Sellers should be required to ship or provide a 'valid' tracking within 2 to 3 days of Payment! NO EXCEPTIONS!  I'm tired of items Sellers stating items required 4 days handling time and when the items arrive it is obvious the seller pushed it into a plastic shipping sleeve and put a stamp on it.

With the Mobile Phone App eBay has made it easy for any middle school aged kid with a cellphone to sell items on eBay. Since then I've seen a lot of poor, poor, poor listings and the quality of selling has declined. In ten years of buying on eBay I've never had to leave negative feedback or even neutral but since the start of 2013 I've been really close to dropping a few negs.

By enforcing my five rules I think it would certainly improve the selling quality and weed out all the lazy immature sellers!

[#2]

1.  ebay even provides stock photos for certain items.  so good luck getting them to change that one.

2. there goes all dropshipping services I guess?  of course if they are dropshipping it should state the item location not the sellers location anyhow.

3. don't buy from a seller that says that problem solved.

4. ebay does this themselves because you can choose to print a label from ebay/paypal and post date it for when you are actually going to take it to the post office.  the tracking number and saying it's shipped will already show up on your page but the seller could have put that they are shipping it 2, 3, etc days later when they printed it out.

5. if you are looking for a certain handling time you need to look at the shipping & payments tab to see what the sellers handling time is.  On my selling page it always tells me how many items I have that need shipped so while I don't get reminder e-mails it's right there every time I look at my selling page. 

[#3]

Click  click click.. that was the sound of some sellers banning you from bidding. Today I sold an item and I printed the shipping label . It will go out in Monday's mail.  The buyer got the del. conf. # the second that I hit the send button to print.  So I would be violating your rule?  Buddy, get lost.

I wish that I could send out an unpaid notice after 2 days. It's 4 days and 1 second (or 1 minute ) after the auction ended.

If you don't like a description, then go on to the next auction.  Or email the guy/gal for more information , more photos. If they don't respond, then screw those sellers.  Find your item elsewhere.   Some people are awful describing items. Some have crappy photos. They are the ones losing money. Eventually, they might realize it and start taking better photos.  Anyway, you need to do your homework too.  Ask questions.  Don't wait until the last hour to ask questions. Sometimes, the sellers aren't home.

Please realize that sellers arehumans too. sometimes, they can't ship on a certain day because of a family emergency or the weather, etc.

[#4]

4. Sellers CANNOT insert Tracking Numbers or Shipping Updates on the eBay/PayPal order page UNLESS that item is already shipped! I have no idea why eBay/PayPal allows this to happen. I've seen tracking numbers listed days before or even a full week before an item was shipped! Sellers should be FINED for falsifying that information!

E bay is the one who inserts tracking numbers when the label has been printed

[#5]

#4 - Ebay is programmed to work this way. Once label is generated tracking number is automatically uploaded. Your beef is with Ebay not sellers.

[#6]

5. if you are looking for a certain handling time you need to look at the shipping & payments tab to see what the sellers handling time is.  On my selling page it always tells me how many items I have that need shipped so while I don't get reminder e-mails it's right there every time I look at my selling page. 

Agreed. Just saying not all Sellers are as thorough and you and me. And you seem to be a really good Seller by the way.

Thanks for your feedback. Have a great weekend buddy.

[#7]

1.  ebay even provides stock photos for certain items.  so good luck getting them to change that one.

2. there goes all dropshipping services I guess?  of course if they are dropshipping it should state the item location not the sellers location anyhow.

3. don't buy from a seller that says that problem solved.

4. ebay does this themselves because you can choose to print a label from ebay/paypal and post date it for when you are actually going to take it to the post office.  the tracking number and saying it's shipped will already show up on your page but the seller could have put that they are shipping it 2, 3, etc days later when they printed it out.

5. if you are looking for a certain handling time you need to look at the shipping & payments tab to see what the sellers handling time is.  On my selling page it always tells me how many items I have that need shipped so while I don't get reminder e-mails it's right there every time I look at my selling page. 

 1. Stock Photos CAN WORK for Brand New Items but not used items. I sell used items and new items and never seen an option for inserting a stock photo for say a used Polo Ralp Lauren Sweater or used Casio Watch.

2. I don't do dropshipping when I sell nor do I understand dropshipping exactly but I do understand most dropshipping items are either brand new or refurbished/resold good.

Also most drop shippers understand the risk and challenges of dropshipping and usually tend to work hard at making buyers happy.

My issue is with lazy sellers that list items in New York for cousins who live in Alaska, never seen the item or know it's condition so they don't write much in the product description and when the item is won the shipping is delayed or done with drama because too many people are involved.

3. LOL! Is that your best solution to life: Run from the problems and bury your head in the sand! Someone gets mugged and killed on the other side of your street do you tell your wife and kids to not cross the street anymore? If only life was so simple.

4. I don't care what eBay does themselves. I also do it but even if I print a label Monday night and ship a item Tuesday morning or afternoon I make sure my Buyers know that before hand that item will ship out Tuesday. I don't print labels on Monday and ship Friday and NOT tell my Buyers! That is just asking for a neg.

5. Agreed. Just saying not all Sellers are as thorough and you and me. And you seem to be a really good Seller by the way.

Thanks for your feedback. Have a great weekend buddy.

[#8]

LOL! Is that your best solution to life: Run from the problems and bury your head in the sand! Someone gets mugged and killed on the other side of your street do you tell your wife and kids to not cross the street anymore? SMH. Okay.

wow that seems a bit extreme.  But yeah you do what you have to to protect yourself from a risk.  If there is something about an auction listing I dont' like or consider it risky I don't buy from it...if there is something about a retail store I dont' buy there either.  We aren't talking about some crime here.  We are talking about freedom of choice on what we buy.  If you dont' like that about a seller don't buy from them.  Someone else might like to snatch up deals from those sellers who don't really describe an item...I know I've taken my chance on a few of them and come out ahead.  So I wouldn't want those underdescribed auctions to stop.  If you dont' like that risk don't take it.

I don't care what eBay does themselves. I also do it. But even if I print a label Monday night and ship a item Tuesday morning or afternoon I make sure my Buyers know that before hand that item will ship out Tuesday. I don't print labels on Monday and ship Friday and NOT tell my Buyers! That is just asking for a neg.

I don't contact my buyers at all I get 5 stars for not contacting them.  ebay sends those notices saying an item has been shipped no matter when they print the label for though.

[#9]

and I've never noticed running across a seller who ships from a completely different place than stated but then I dont' think I'd care as long as I get the item at the price I paid.  Not sure why I'd care where it came from as long as it's not advertised as being U.S. and is international it's going to take about the same amount of time to ship and as long as they don't try to charge more to ship because of a different location I'm a ok

[#10]

4. Sellers CANNOT insert Tracking Numbers or Shipping Updates on the eBay/PayPal order page UNLESS that item is already shipped! I have no idea why eBay/PayPal allows this to happen. I've seen tracking numbers listed days before or even a full week before an item was shipped! Sellers should be FINED for falsifying that information!

E bay is the one who inserts tracking numbers when the label has been printed

Thanks for your feedback.

[#11]

and I've never noticed running across a seller who ships from a completely different place than stated but then I dont' think I'd care as long as I get the item at the price I paid.  Not sure why I'd care where it came from as long as it's not advertised as being U.S. and is international it's going to take about the same amount of time to ship and as long as they don't try to charge more to ship because of a different location I'm a ok

Hey buddy.

I'm upset because I bought two electronic goods from private sellers. One seller is from my hometown, NYC, and when I inquired about shipping pick up he said the item was in California and his cousin was shipping it. Now this item is a fragile bluray player and I only bid on it based on the 'item'/seller location being close to home and not across the country.

I also was expecting it to come within the week. Now I have to endure the 5-6 day shipping from California.

Next item I bought was a HDTV. I paid on Sunday. Seller emails me Wednesday to say he is now living in Germany and his Uncle didn't have a key to his old apartment and can nowl only ship this it out Saturday from California to NY. A week after I won the item.

That is not cool.

I really don't like drama after I pay for items on eBay. In both cases the Sellers have no direct responsibility for the items at all.

That for me is scary.

[#12]

I wouldn't worry about the blu ray player.  I've bought 3 on here all shipped from who knows where lol and all worked perfectly.

[#13]

1. VERY BAD IDEA as it would lead to even more fraud against honest sellers

2. So Best Buy, Home Depot, Sears, and large companies like them can only sell what is located in the location that is stated instead of across all of their warehouse. Yah Ebay will ove losing those dollars

3. I agree and would NEVER buy an item listed so poorly but I do not think that there needs to be a rule about it

4. Ebay/Paypal automaticly add the tracking when you print the label so explaine your issue to them.

5. Unlike sellers need to worry about feedback and stars so they service to "remind" a seller to ship on time. Buyers are all now 100% feedback so they have nothing to fear by not paying on time.

5. Requiring tracking on ALL transaction would cause shipping prices to rise, and would kill low dollar items. Also Ebay allows a 7 day shipping window for part time sellers. The length of time that it take to ship has NOTHING to do with bad packing. I have had items that took 10 days to ship that came very well packed and I have had expensive items get shipped same day that were sent in a box with no packing at all.

Now lets look at 5 rules for Buyers that need to be put in place and enforced

1. Buyers must buy only what they can afford to pay for today,not I will pay you in a week when I get money.

2. Buyers may not ask sellers to lie on customs forms, currently against the rules but not enforced

3. Buyers must not bug their sellers for tracking (5 minutes after buying the item).

4. Buyers must not ask for cheaper shipping AFTER buying an item.

5. Buyers must have a current ship to address so that the box does not get returned to the seller (bad addresses are very common)

I could go on and on but OP get the list to 5 so I will to.

My point is both buyers and sellers need to treat each other as they would want to be treated in they were the other party. If both buyers and sellers did this Ebay would run much smoother

[#14]

because I am the first Buyer to speak up against lazy sellers.

You're hardly the first.  There's a thread like this every week either here or on Seller Central.  Most of the ideas found in these threads would raise overall item costs on eBay, cost eBay money, or make certain types of items unfeasible to sell here.

[#15]

 ALL Sellers should be required to ship or provide a 'valid' tracking within 2 to 3 days of Payment! NO EXCEPTIONS! 

missed that but pretty sure I argued against that one before.  This would kill the coupon market which I happen to shop in and many others of small items which I don't shop.  I would not be happy to have to pay more for coupons so the seller can get tracking...so I wouldn't be buying them anymore which would suck.  those sellers would lose money and probably hurt their shipping stars in feedback from buyers who don't understand that in order to have a required tracking it's going to cost much more to ship.

[#16]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I guess my 5 rules were sort of extreme.

As I seller I work really really hard to impress my buyers so naturally as a buyer it peeves me to see sellers being lazy and irresponsible when it comes to shipping items and listing items clearly.

I appreciate the response and hope that I didn't offend anyone.

Cheers and happy bidding all,

Lori

[#17]

By enforcing my five rules I think it would certainly improve the selling quality and weed out all the lazy immature sellers!

You should put these five powerful ideas into a PowerPoint presentation and contact Ebay CEO John Donahoe immediately by snail mail, phone, fax and email. Keep presenting these ideas until you get a response from him. One person with an innovative idea really can change the world, but only if that innovation is paired with a single-minded obsession to succeed. Good luck to you and be sure to post an update.

[#18]

Why would you ban me from bidding on your auctions?

 Because you seem to delight in making posts that are extreme and meant only to get a reaction out of people.  And your sig line "AM I BANNED YET?" only reinforces that.

[#19]

Thank you for posting. 

[#20]

I agree with the stock photo problem.  I don't use stock photos, but when I list in a category that has stock photos, I get a nasty reminder from ebay that I am not listing correctly, my item will not sell because I did not use a stock photo and their template for item description.  It's especially bothersome for any electronic, computer accessory, and media.  Maybe my item is an older version and ebay doesn't have a template and stock photo with the exact description and photo.  Well ebay finds that just plain unacceptable.  It's obnoxious.