Changes to User Agreement ?

[greetingsmutant]

O'boy, another 'User Agreement' .  So now what, another 13 pages of legal mumbo jumbo added to an already unreadable document ??  I have no doubt that these changes will make it harder to get justice on a bad deal and further distances EBAY from liability.

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

@greetingsmutant  The eBay Money Back Guarantee has not changed.  eBay MBG refund requests must be filed within 30 days of the last estimated delivery date for a not received item OR 30 days of the date of delivery for a not as described item

The updated agreement is mainly clarifying that you have to use arbitration and can't sue eBay.  That was already in the user agreement.  

The agreement to arbitrate in the updated User Agreement, with limited exceptions, requires you and eBay to submit disputes to binding arbitration. Below is a summary of the key changes:

• We changed the designated arbitration provider to National Arbitration & Mediation • We updated the arbitration procedures to make them more efficient when substantially similar arbitration requests are filed by multiple users • We revised the process for you to opt out of the agreement to arbitrate

We encourage you to read through the updated User Agreement. If you do not agree, you may close your eBay account by May 16, 2025 and stop using our services. If you keep your account with eBay, you agree that your continued use of our services constitutes your acceptance of the updated User Agreement, including the agreement to arbitrate.

[greetingsmutant]

"If you keep your account with eBay, you agree that your continued use of our services constitutes your acceptance of the updated User Agreement, including the agreement to arbitrate."   - - - This is just the kind of legal infered threat that I am talking about. 

[rock.star]

You can always close your account and then there will be nothing to consider you.

[house*of*paws]

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@greetingsmutant wrote:

"If you keep your account with eBay, you agree that your continued use of our services constitutes your acceptance of the updated User Agreement, including the agreement to arbitrate."   - - - This is just the kind of legal infered threat that I am talking about. 

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Hi @greetingsmutant 

I'm afraid I cannot see the 'legal infered [sic]threat' you're talking about.  Would you please point out what is being threatened?  [If you mean a 'threat of not being able to use the eBay website anymore if you violate the agreement' ... then that is pretty standard language.  You cannot continue to use eBay's website if you sue them.]

[monroe67]

"We encourage you to read through the updated User Agreement. If you do not agree, you may close your eBay account by May 16, 2025 and stop using our services. If you keep your account with eBay, you agree that your continued use of our services constitutes your acceptance of the updated User Agreement, including the agreement to arbitrate."

I think this statement in eBay's Announcement is, well, unfortunate.  
It kind of reads like Accept These Changes or Leave eBay For Ever.  Good Bye.  
But you don't necessarily have to leave eBay forever.  You might be able to Opt-Out of these changes.

The first sentence above is the best advice:  "We encourage you to read through the updated User Agreement." 
         Please, please, please read through the updated User Agreement, specifically Item 19, Legal Disputes. 
Yes, it is much longer than Item 19 in earlier User Agreements, because eBay has made very significant changes in the way they will handle legal disputes.  Very  significant.  

The first three sentences of the new User Agreement says this:  "For users who agreed to a prior version of our User Agreement, this agreement is effective as of May 16, 2025. For users who had not previously agreed to the User Agreement, this agreement is effective upon acceptance. The previous amendment to this User Agreement  was effective for all users on July 26, 2024."

As you read through all the sub-paragraphs of the revised Item 19, you will come to paragraph 9, in which the Opt-Out provision is described.  For those of us (most of us, I think) who had agreed to a prior version of eBay's User Agreement, Opting-Out of these revised provisions may be a very attractive option.  AND the opt-out procedures are spelled out in detail, complete with a link to open and print eBay's Opt-Out Notice. 

The deadline for Opting-Out is May 16, 2025.   

The Opt-Out Notice is easy and doesn't ask for any info that eBay doesn't already have about you.  Just your name, address, phone number, eBay ID(s) and the e-mail address(es) connected with your eBay ID(s).  Sign the form, date it, and mail it to the address that's conveniently printed at the bottom of the form.  Yes, you'll have to put your own postage on it.  To keep your rights is certainly worth a postage stamp.  

[monroe67]

"I have no doubt that these changes will make it harder to get justice on a bad deal and further distances EBAY from liability."

As I read it, it does not further distance eBay from legal liability.
"Harder to get justice on a bad deal" -- maybe not.  

These changes stop eBay users from suing eBay in a court of law, but require eBay users to engage in binding arbitration.  Previous User Agreements just said that disputes would be resolved  by binding arbitration.  

Judicial Arbitration can be a good thing, compared to legal and court processes.  Arbitrated disputes are often resolved faster and are less expensive for both/all parties.  

You may want to consider Opting-Out of these revisions.