Sick of these cancellations "I requested"

[gramophone-georg]

alan@ebay  @Anonymous

Once again I place an order, and once again I get the cancellation notice from eBay with the reason

"We are sorry to let you know that (seller redacted) cancelled your order and mentioned the cancelled reason as Buyer asked to cancel the order"

Bullhockey. The seller was OUT OF STOCK. Big megaseller, as usual.

Is eBay just purposefully out to peeve off buyers by allowing this nonsense? OK, you made a mistake, you're out of stock on crucial parts I need to finish a job... but don't rub salt in the wound by blaming me.

Incidentally... eBay... this never happens on orders from that rival site... not one "out of stock" cancellation- ever.

[pburn]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

I can assure you that we have processes in place to identify when a buyer did not request a cancellation. 

---

Those processes must not be working very well, since there are dozens of threads every month started by buyers who've had this experience. Maybe a little work could be done on improving those processes. 

You know, "Be best," and all of that kind of thing. 

[lacemaker3]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

...

---

Hi @hafoster, I will be happy to pass along your feedback on this and I very much appreciate you sharing your suggestion! While I am not able to share specific details of how we track these experiences as this may help those who intend to abuse our guidelines, I can assure you that we have processes in place to identify when a buyer did not request a cancellation. Though I can see how adding a report option may help to ease some concerns, this may conflict with our goal to reduce the instances where members of our Community need to report something to us. Our objective is to take ownership of issues such as this and create processes on our end to obtain the same information instead.

---

@Anonymous, I can understand why you would set a goal like this, but this is not necessarily a good thing for your buyers.

It is human nature, to want to be able to "do something about it" when an injustice has been perceived. Being able to report the injustice, can go a long way to resolving the issue in the mind of the buyer.

So I suspect that it would be much better to allow buyers to make the report, so they can feel a part of the solution.

I have been on the buyer's side of this situation several times in the last few months. Something has changed, because I don't ever recall this happening before. I made the effort to call eBay and report it, but I really don't have any positive feeling that eBay has paid any attention to it. It would have helped if there had been some way to report that felt like it was accomplishing something.

Related issue: it was suggested earlier that sellers who lie about "buyer requested a cancellation" should receive a double defect. That is more than fair, and I believe you agreed with the suggestion.

I would also like to suggest that sellers who cancel a "Guaranteed Delivery" purchase for any reason OTHER THAN a verified legitimate "buyer request" should also receive a double defect.

If a buyer chooses to purchase a Guaranteed Delivery item, they may very likely have passed over less-expensive options, becuase they are willing to pay extra to recieve the item they need within the offered time frame. Cancelling an item under these circumstances deserves additional sanctions.

Actually, maybe a double defect isn't enough for this behavior.

[couldabeenworse]

Though I can see how adding a report option may help to ease some concerns, this may conflict with our goal to reduce the instances where members of our Community need to report something to us.

@Anonymous

I am missing the logic there.  Making it a pain to file a useless report doesn't help achieve your goal; it just hides whether or not you are achieving it.

[cargo11]

Yes, I too am sick of the "buyer requested" cancellation - when the message to the Buyer (ME) was we don't have the stock.  Then spending two hours to call the customer service rep to be told - WELL, we'll investigate - but there will be NO DING to your account (I sure hope NOT) - and then - to really stick their thumb in you - the SAME item is back on the sales floor the day after your purchase - WHY?  If you have NO STOCK - WHY is it back on the auction block - But then, I had to bow down to the "other" competition and buy it cheaper once again.  This place has gone downhill so fast this year.

[woodland_gnome]

but there will be NO DING to your account (I sure hope NOT) -

A hope that is hopeless: That is a lie by Customer Service.  A cancellation at the buyer's request (which it will be recorded as unless the status is somehow reversed in reaction to the "active monitoring" or the call--and if the CS rep doesn't know that it DOES count how will s/he know what to do to reverse that) counts as an "open transaction" for the purposes of the Open Transaction Limits (unless that has changed since eBay reformatted the Help Pages and lost the information on the OTLs when they did that).

[southern*sweet*tea]

---

@lacemaker3 wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

...

---

Hi @hafoster, I will be happy to pass along your feedback on this and I very much appreciate you sharing your suggestion! While I am not able to share specific details of how we track these experiences as this may help those who intend to abuse our guidelines, I can assure you that we have processes in place to identify when a buyer did not request a cancellation. Though I can see how adding a report option may help to ease some concerns, this may conflict with our goal to reduce the instances where members of our Community need to report something to us. Our objective is to take ownership of issues such as this and create processes on our end to obtain the same information instead.

---

@Anonymous, I can understand why you would set a goal like this, but this is not necessarily a good thing for your buyers.

It is human nature, to want to be able to "do something about it" when an injustice has been perceived. Being able to report the injustice, can go a long way to resolving the issue in the mind of the buyer.

So I suspect that it would be much better to allow buyers to make the report, so they can feel a part of the solution.

I have been on the buyer's side of this situation several times in the last few months. Something has changed, because I don't ever recall this happening before. I made the effort to call eBay and report it, but I really don't have any positive feeling that eBay has paid any attention to it. It would have helped if there had been some way to report that felt like it was accomplishing something.

Related issue: it was suggested earlier that sellers who lie about "buyer requested a cancellation" should receive a double defect. That is more than fair, and I believe you agreed with the suggestion.

I would also like to suggest that sellers who cancel a "Guaranteed Delivery" purchase for any reason OTHER THAN a verified legitimate "buyer request" should also receive a double defect.

If a buyer chooses to purchase a Guaranteed Delivery item, they may very likely have passed over less-expensive options, becuase they are willing to pay extra to recieve the item they need within the offered time frame. Cancelling an item under these circumstances deserves additional sanctions.

Actually, maybe a double defect isn't enough for this behavior.

---

Something like this would go a long way in getting rid of the worst sellers here.

And yes, a double defect is NOT enough.

First offense, five day suspension. Second offense, permaban.

There is NO EXCUSE for this type of seller behaviour - none whatsoever.

[ladyindecadence]

As a seller I'd like to see the non paying buyer process sped up. Ebay lets you open a non paying buyer case after 48 hours but then takes 5 more days to close the case get your final value fee refund and get the item back on ebay infront of buyers. I think the 48 hours to open a case is fair, but once a case is open payment should be expected within 24-48 hours then the seller should be able to close the case giving them 5 days is too much time. I generally have no problem working with buyers that need extra time to pay. However those buyers tend to contact me and aske for more time. The ones that do not pay never respond to my messages or the open item case.

[cargo11]

---

@woodland_gnome wrote:

but there will be NO DING to your account (I sure hope NOT) -

A hope that is hopeless: That is a lie by Customer Service.  A cancellation at the buyer's request (which it will be recorded as unless the status is somehow reversed in reaction to the "active monitoring" or the call (WHICH WILL NEVER REALLY BE INVESTIGATED - EVER RECEIVE AN EMAIL WITH AN UPDATE  on the status - Nah, thought so)--and if the CS rep doesn't know that it DOES count how will s/he know what to do to reverse that) counts as an "open transaction" for the purposes of the Open Transaction Limits (unless that has changed since eBay reformatted the Help Pages and lost the information on the OTLs when they did that).

---

Oh - what you are saying is - it is YET another LIE from the customer service people - sorta like the "wait three days and call us back on a return " Opps - sorry - YOU LOST THE ITEM AND YOUR MONEY!  I thought as much.  This venue customer service is FULL OF LIES. Guess you can say they ARE CONSISTENT.

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@woodland_gnome wrote:

A report link in the message would go a long way to taking care of the problem.  It would not delay the cancellation process by one second (in fact if you combine it with the "I didn't pay yet" and "I was refunded" links it would speed it up in those cases not involving a PayPal refund) and then eBay wouldn't have to spend countless man-hours "actively monitor"ing for this situations.

Double defect for the seller lying  about it would also help.  

---

I recall when the buyer was asked to approve a buyer approved cancel and could deny the cancel if they had not requested it.   The transaction would be cancelled but the seller would not get their FVF back.  

That no longer happens, though, and long time buyers have said they missed that (even though it added a step, it preserved the integrity of the process).

I wearied of the out of stock, for seller reasons, truly out of stock or SNAD, and the ensuing messages, please let me know if you want to cancel, so buyer requested could be chosen when the buyer really had no choice and it was not their idea to cancel.

I have sent a message stating I understand you are out of stock.  Got an indignant response that they were selling their collection (A TRS seller) and were not out of stock.  I had asked if there was any damage as the  listing pics seemed to indicate some but the description did not note any and was told the item was fine, but 2 minutes after paying, I got a message saying there was something broken off the roof and two cracks down the front of the house.

I explained that whenever you cannot supply the item in the condition specified, you are out of stock.  

She refunded.

[gramophone-georg]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@gramophone-georg wrote:

alan@ebay  @Anonymous

Once again I place an order, and once again I get the cancellation notice from eBay with the reason

"We are sorry to let you know that (seller redacted) cancelled your order and mentioned the cancelled reason as Buyer asked to cancel the order"

Bullhockey. The seller was OUT OF STOCK. Big megaseller, as usual.

Is eBay just purposefully out to peeve off buyers by allowing this nonsense? OK, you made a mistake, you're out of stock on crucial parts I need to finish a job... but don't rub salt in the wound by blaming me.

Incidentally... eBay... this never happens on orders from that rival site... not one "out of stock" cancellation- ever.

---

Hi @gramophone-georg, I am sorry that this has been so frustrating for you and definitely want to clear up the concerns you have raised. Cancellations are something we actively monitor and will take appropriate action when abuse is discovered. You don't need to take any further action as this is tracked from our end for review. If you need any help finding another part, let me know and I will be happy to help you search!

---

Thanks for the explanation and the offer. I checked- there were no more of these on eBay. Found it on that A site for $18 more... still a good price, and I needed it. I have it already.

Appears I got it from the same seller, too.

[gramophone-georg]

---

@missjen831 wrote:

---

@gramophone-georg wrote:

I replied to the eBay email saying I did NOT ask for the cancel and to please fix it. Radio silence. I guess I need to CALL and I just don't have the time to waste.

Buyers shouldn't need to call and shouldn't need to report. This just shouldn't be allowed.

---

You replied to a mailbox that does not get checked. That’s why you got radio silence. 

---

Hmmmm.

eBay must be alone in not pointing that out these days, then, I guess. Another 'industry standard'?

[myangelandmyprincess]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@hafoster wrote:

Thank you @Anonymous. Here's what I have:

1. Warn the seller at cancellation that if the reason is

"buyer requested" or "something is wrong with the buyer's address"

that the buyer can refute the reason.

2. Provide a link in only those advisories giving non-defect reasons like

"[seller] mentioned the cancelled reason as Buyer asked to cancel the order"

for the buyer to refute that reason.

The sellers are fully aware that they are using this exploit, e.g.

Hi, Good day to you. We are sorry to inform you that the item you purchase is last one we have in our warehouse. Unfortunately, we found out the item was damaged we had to cancel this item off of your order. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and for the delay in contacting you. The money has been fully refunded as well.
 
The seller cancelled your order
We are sorry to let you know that [seller] cancelled your order and mentioned the cancelled reason as Buyer asked to cancel the order
The seller refunded $[amount] back to your original payment method, and you don't need to do anything else.

---

Hi @hafoster, I will be happy to pass along your feedback on this and I very much appreciate you sharing your suggestion! While I am not able to share specific details of how we track these experiences as this may help those who intend to abuse our guidelines, I can assure you that we have processes in place to identify when a buyer did not request a cancellation. Though I can see how adding a report option may help to ease some concerns, this may conflict with our goal to reduce the instances where members of our Community need to report something to us. Our objective is to take ownership of issues such as this and create processes on our end to obtain the same information instead.

---

not having it doesn't reduce the instances where it needs reported but having it would  make it easier to report in the instances that are already existing.  Having it where the buyer confirms that cancellation actually reduces the instances and the buyer never "had" to do anything if they didn't want to the cancellation timed out in 10 days as cancelled.   It would stop these sellers from being able to do this without buyer approval and I see way more complaints about this then any buyer ever complaining they had to confirm to cancel (which I don't actually remember ever seeing anyone do not that some didn't and I just don't know it).    However if ebay doesn't want to bring back where the buyer confirms at report button there as suggested would be helpful.  There really isn't even an appropriate report reason to choose right now a buyer just has to call to report it and thats definitely not going to lead to buyer satisfaction.  In fact I have one that is buyer cancelled and it has an appeal case next to it in the drop downs.  I click that and it just takes me to help pages...where one of the things it asks if I want to cancel the order!  There is no option to report or appeal there.  The drop down menu on the purchase history page doesn't have a drop down for reporting.  I just don't see any way to report other than calling.  Why not make it where a buyer can report on this?  Why make it so hard?  While you may be doing things to monitor to be sure its not abused I doubt the system is perfect and catches all allowing a buyer to report the abuse would be beneficial. 

[monster-deals]

...and buyer cancels and UPIs

Every month we have thousands of dollars of bailed on purchases or cancels the moment we accept an offer.

[plymouthsales4165]

---

@gramophone-georg wrote:

I replied to the eBay email saying I did NOT ask for the cancel and to please fix it. Radio silence. I guess I need to CALL and I just don't have the time to waste.

Buyers shouldn't need to call and shouldn't need to report. This just shouldn't be allowed.

---

But then how does eBay know that it wasn't buyer requested? Buyers regularly request to cancel