What happens to a seller?

[mdaneke]

I am a seller on eBay and recently made a purchase on eBay. It was a auction and didn’t go in his favor because I know how much the item runs for. So I figure that the seller didn’t like the outcome of the auction and with the item shipping fees and taxes I paid the 285 dollars. I have emailed him 5 times with no responses. There is no tracking number so I don’t think he even shipped it. Is there any serious rule violation against the seller if he doesn’t like how the auction went and just wait until I file a claim and he will refund my money and just repost the item again for auction?

[7606dennis]

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@mdaneke wrote:

So let me put this in another way. I have a electrical bike I want to sell. I bought it for a thousand dollars but has some mileage and know I can definitely get 500 bucks for it. So I start a auction and open at 300.00 After the auction ends and I only get 325.00 out of the deal. The buyer pays and I don’t have to send bike because I know I can get 500.00 for it. So I just wait until the buyer opens up a DNR on me and after a month I send the money back to him and there’s no repercussions on me as a seller! Doesn’t sound right!

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If the auction has ended with you being the declared winner, the seller is bound under eBay rules and by the auction laws of most states and countries to sell the item to you for the amount of your winning bid.  However, as I mentioned, although the seller could be sued it isn't usually economically feasible to do so.

With regard to eBay rules, you can, I believe, report the seller to eBay and leave appropriate factual feedback being careful not to violate any of eBay's feedback rules in doing so.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure of precisely what, if any, action eBay would take against the seller.  The seller should, I believe, receive a mark against their account but eBay will not divulge any action taken, quoting privacy concerns.

[7606dennis]

I am always extremely skeptical of a seller whose feedback shows a lot of revised feedback.  However, it is my understanding that such revisions are done by the buyer at the request of the seller and not as a result of eBay initiating it.

[glasser]

If you sell using auctions, which I mostly do, you need to be occasionally disappointed in the final result. YOU MUST honor the sale. That's the the way the cookie crumbles and that's the auction business.

If the seller had a minimum price they should have used BIN format or set a reserve (though I see very few of those these days). I would act quickly before the buyer claims you don't want the item.

[lightlily_arts]

There is no point in messaging the seller any further.  If the seller's handling time has passed they will already have an account defect for not shipping on time.   Unfortunately, eBay cannot force sellers to complete the transaction.  But you can file a claim for an item not received the day after the estimated delivery date.  If the don't ship they will get an account defect.   If they cancel they will get an account defect.  You, of course can leave appropriate feedback, but be factual and professional.  Never mention a case or it might get removed.  There is not anything to prevent the seller from relisting at a higher price.  Too many account defects and they could lose their selling privileges.

[lightlily_arts]

It depends on how the feedback was worded as there are policies with regard to communications on this platform.  There have been reports that TRS Plus sellers have some leeway when shaming or vulgar language is used.  Also be aware that sellers can reply to feedback left.

[stephenmorgan]

"There's a two-tiered justice system on eBay."

If you are too big to fail the rules do not always apply.

I thought putting an email address and physical address in a listing is against the rules, but it depends on who you are.

[campanaelia]

When I posted this earlier I made a mistake in the last sentence...

Correction:  I've read threads over in the seller's forum where they get paranoid from a buyer's question, and then they brag how they magically found a problem with the buyer's address to avoid the defect.

Here is a perfect example of one seller suggesting to the OP to do just that...

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Need-advice-ASAP-my-gut-is-telling-me-not-to-SHIP/m-p/31603559...

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@campanaelia wrote:

Ebay may give them a slap on the wrist but we never know what actions they take. The seller can also choose the "buyer requested" the cancellation or "there was a problem with the buyers address" and then no action is taken and their fees are refunded too for the transaction. I've read threads over in the seller's forum where they get paranoid from a seller's question, and then they brag how they magically found a problem with the seller's address to avoid the defect.

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