Community Chat, April 20 @ 1:00 pm PT - General Topics

[jasmen@ebay]

Thanks for joining us for the Weekly Chat with eBay Staff. We don't have a specific topic this week, so feel free to share any general buying or selling questions you may have.

The chat thread will remain open until 2 PM PT at which point we'll close it from additional responses. After that time, we'll continue to work on responding to any queries that might still be unanswered.

To post your question, click Reply in the lower right corner of this post, type your question, and hit submit between 1-2 PM Pacific Time. The format of our chat mirrors the format of our Community Discussion Boards, where each post will appear in the thread chronologically. The Community Team will review each question as it comes in, and will quote the original question in our reply. This quote and the reply will appear later in the thread, so just keep scrolling down to see our answers.

Missed the chat? Send your questions to the podcast by calling  888-723-4630 or email us at podcast@ebay.com and maybe your questions will make it on the air! Or listen to past episodes while you wait for next Wednesday! 

[donsdetour]

Good afternoon: and thanks again for putting up with us users....

[wooperwares]

Able to address this?

https://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/blog/blog.pl?/pl/2022/4/1650325884.html

[mam98031]

Are there any updates on the Feedback issue?  Has it been resolved?  If not is there an ETA?

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Edit: A reply to your question can be found here. 

[the_collectors_lab_x]

Thanks for the chat.

I’ve noticed through social media discussion, multiple sellers experiencing INR requests on trading cards shipped using eBay standard shipping with tracking where tracking shows the card was delivered.  I’ve had 2 such notifications this past week from buyers.  

In keeping our accounts and feedback scores in mind, what’s the best way to handle these issues?  I don’t mind refunding buyers on these lower valued items to keep them positive about this buying process, but I’d also look to utilize the up to $20 insurance for these items due to buyers saying they weren’t delivered.

I know that’s why tracking exists but I’m also aware that tracking isn’t always accurate.  

thanks

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Edit: A reply to your question can be found here.

[mam98031]

It is not unusual for Ebay to request someone's ID.  They do that when they are having problems verifying their Identity and the same about the bank statement.  Some sellers have been required to get that info to Ebay.

The need for vendor invoices is usually to prove authenticity of what they are selling.  Some sellers have been required to do this for a long time.

It is important to remember that Ebay does not compete with its sellers like Amazon does.  If Amazon were to be asking for this information, I'd be very concerned as a seller.

[velvet@ebay]

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@mam98031 wrote:

Are there any updates on the Feedback issue?  Has it been resolved?  If not is there an ETA?

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I know they've opened a ticket @mam98031 and examples can be added to it. See the post here for info Customer Support would need and the ALERT number. As for an ETA for a fix, that's not usually something the tech team provides. 

[postcardcountry]

First, I need to apologize (to make myself feel better I guess) for all the  terrible things I was saying about ya'll when I couldn't find the community chat.  I knew it should be open, checked my times etc and still couldn't find it.  Of course not....this was yesterday, Tuesday....

Does anyone ever undertake to understand the amount of work involved with item specifics?

Did you know that when a larger number of people are searching on an 'additional' specific it is then moved to 'recommended'?

Guess what happens next.....yup, all those items listed when it was an additional and not filled in renew and bingo! You have more items under the "needing item specifics".    And you get messages from eBay about items specifics needing to be filled in.  Doesn't matter that is rarely used because the specific is almost impossible to answer (manufacturers did not provide that information).   When 15,000 use it to search, it's additional info, but when 17,000 use it becomes recommended.  When that fall back to 15,000 it will move back to 'additional' and the cycle begins again when it moves back up in importance.

Somebody needs to get a handle on this....I am sure my little area of the system isn't the only one with this type of problem.

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Edit: A reply to your question can be found here. 

[mam98031]

This is likely the single most solid Seller protection on Ebay IMHO.  If the item shows delivered per the tracking, the seller is covered by Seller protection and won't have to refund the buyer.  Unless the buyer submits enough evidence to show that the seller was intentionally committing fraud.

Like when a seller ships something else to someone else's address but puts that tracking number on your transaction.  The buyer needs to show what address that item was shipped to and received at.  Often times buyers don't do that and they really should. 

Also watching the weight of the shipment.  Some will ship a really light weight something to you and put the tracking on your transaction.  The buyer again needs the proof to show to Ebay that the seller could not have shipped what they ordered.

It is really unfortunate but there really are a lot of sellers doing this now.  It seems to be a climbing number.  I personally got caught up in this issue twice in the last few months.  And to this day I'm still trying to get Ebay to do something about these sellers.  I won both of my INRs because I had the proof to prove what they did, but they are still operating on Ebay and doing the same thing to others judging by the FB they get.

Sheila has been kind enough to help me with one of these seller to get it in front of the right people and still that seller is selling breaking the dropship rules of Ebay as well as scamming some buyer with this shipping fraud.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

The newest "Vertical" ebay is working on is Parts and Accessories. Has ebay indicated if any other new categories are going to get the Vertical treatment this year, or is P&A the only one?

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Edit: A reply to your question can be found here. 

[jasmen@ebay]

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@the_collectors_lab_x wrote:

Thanks for the chat.

I’ve noticed through social media discussion, multiple sellers experiencing INR requests on trading cards shipped using eBay standard shipping with tracking where tracking shows the card was delivered.  I’ve had 2 such notifications this past week from buyers.  

In keeping our accounts and feedback scores in mind, what’s the best way to handle these issues?  I don’t mind refunding buyers on these lower valued items to keep them positive about this buying process, but I’d also look to utilize the up to $20 insurance for these items due to buyers saying they weren’t delivered.

I know that’s why tracking exists but I’m also aware that tracking isn’t always accurate.  

thanks

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Hi @the_collectors_lab_x If your tracking shows delivery then we want to protect you and your account. If this happens I would reach out to CS to get it handled ASAP. If it's easier you can just shoot a message over to our eBay for Business team, they can get it reported and handled for you ASAP! 

[jasmen@ebay]

So far no updates @my-cottage-books-and-antiques but if I hear anything I'll keep you posted! 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Any ETA for these two promised features:

1. Social Media Referral Discounted FVF?

2. Livestreaming? (ebay is rapidly falling behind on this, as even a quick glance at ebay reseller YouTube influencers demonstrates....MANY are using livestreaming options provided elsewhere....and are now encouraging others to do so as well)  

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Edit: A reply to your question can be found here. 

[dentalsales4u]

Will eBay ever look at not allowing buyers to return medical/dental devises if the manufactures seal has been broken? 

These products are FDA regulated and once the seal is broken, you can't return it to the manufacture.

Texas, along with many other states charge a hefty price to have a license to sell used/open returned products, $2,000 a year for us.

If you do have this license, you still can't sell said products until to send it back to the manufacture to be recertified/refurbished which is another large expense.

I've had multiple returns this last month regarding this.

Some were used, 1 for almost an entire month. Others had the manufacture's seal broken.

I did deduct a portion of the refund, but in order to cover my costs for the shipping to and from the manufacture plus the recertification/refurbished cost, I would need to deduct the full 50% allowed.

If I did this, all buyers would have an absolute fit and eBay would probably sanction me for doing this as often as I would need to do. A $2,899 product gets returned without any of the original packaging. I now need to send back to the manufacture. This item cost nearly $100 to ship one way plus the manufactures cost would be close to $1,000 to check it out, re-box and send back to us. That means I would need reduce the buyers refund by $1,200.

Buyers returned due to didn't like or didn't fit, but sent back opened and/or used. eBay makes us take these returns due to the MBG. My return policy states product must be returned in same condition as received, but that means nothing.

I know there's a cost of doing business, but in this field, returns are not allowed if the seal is broken. Most dentists can contact a local dealer to get demos first, but they don't do this. It's easier to buy and return if they don't like it.

This needs to be addressed if at all possible.

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Edit: A reply to your question can be found here. 

[donsdetour]

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@mam98031 wrote:

This is likely the single most solid Seller protection on Ebay IMHO.  If the item shows delivered per the tracking, the seller is covered by Seller protection and won't have to refund the buyer.  Unless the buyer submits enough evidence to show that the seller was intentionally committing fraud.

Like when a seller ships something else to someone else's address but puts that tracking number on your transaction.  The buyer needs to show what address that item was shipped to and received at.  Often times buyers don't do that and they really should. 

Also watching the weight of the shipment.  Some will ship a really light weight something to you and put the tracking on your transaction.  The buyer again needs the proof to show to Ebay that the seller could not have shipped what they ordered.

It is really unfortunate but there really are a lot of sellers doing this now.  It seems to be a climbing number.  I personally got caught up in this issue twice in the last few months.  And to this day I'm still trying to get Ebay to do something about these sellers.  I won both of my INRs because I had the proof to prove what they did, but they are still operating on Ebay and doing the same thing to others judging by the FB they get.

Sheila has been kind enough to help me with one of these seller to get it in front of the right people and still that seller is selling breaking the dropship rules of Ebay as well as scamming some buyer with this shipping fraud.

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Sad this type of scamming is not stepped on faster. It is a growing problem.