After 22+ years as a selling and buying member of the eBay Community, I have ... as other members have ... experienced numerous "changes" in the way things "work" (or don't work) here on the eBay platform.
During this pandemic, eBay has TOTALLY FAILED it's members. The root cause of this failure is the fact that eBay outsources it's "SUPPORT" or "CUSTOMER SERVICE" and was/is seemingly not prepared for handling "support" from places other than its "call centers". Just to note: PayPal has similarly FAILED.
Personally, I have seen other huge companies, like GoDaddy, Comcast and others, manage to continue to provide customer support ... via their employees working from their homes. I imagine those companies pay U.S. employees reasonable wages and don't rely (at least not totally) on outsourced work performed in countries such as India or the Philippines.
Today, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I cannot rely on alleged "support" options (that eBay offers on its website) to try to resolve the simplest of issues I have experienced ... technical or otherwise. While eBay (and PayPal) continue to profit from their respective community members, the quality of their "CUSTOMER SUPPORT" has virtually disappeared. More often than not, the issue I'm needing to resolve or address is NOT even listed as an option as I click through the circuitous "steps" for "answers".
At this point, I'm left with the impression that eBay has been caught with its pants down and/or simply doesn't care about customers. The reality is that "OUTSOURCING" has proven to be hugely problematic. It turns out that the planners and/or engineers who should have been prepared for any eventualities, were really NOT prepared at all.
What recourse do we, as eBay Community members have..??? Sadly (tragically) I don't see that we have options for recourse. Perhaps, while the pandemic rages, eBay and PayPal both could cut their "fees" in half. I trust they would still profit if they did that, but it would send a signal to those of us who have been loyal Community Members that .... HEY, WE LET YOU DOWN, BUT WE WANNA MAKE IT UP TO YOU.
Thank you eBay (and PayPal) .... YOU HAVE FAILED the very people who pay your wages. Please DO NOT delete my comment/post here. If you do, you have my promise that I will publish it in a hundred different places online.
Thank you,
John Jones (eBay ID: 13stor)
