Community Chat, January 8 @ 1:00 pm PT - General Topics

[tyler@ebay]

Join the Community team here at 1 PM PT on January 8th for our Weekly Chat with eBay Staff. We don't have a set topic this week, so please bring any general questions you may have on buying or selling.

The chat will be open for questions from 1-2 pm PT, at which point we'll close thread. While no additional questions can be submitted after this time, we'll continue to work on responding to any queries that may still be unanswered.

If you're new to the chat, welcome! Simply Reply to this post with your question from 1-2 PM Pacific Time and we'll be happy to look into it for you.

*Please note that we're not able to address account-specific queries. Questions regarding your account should be directed to eBay Customer Service.

[brian@ebay]

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@mangorunner wrote:

Hi, Tyler,

Within eBay Messages, what does "archiving" mean?
Are messages kept forever?
Is there any limit to the number/size of the archive?

Thanks!

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Hi @mangorunner, archiving a My eBay Message removes it from the Inbox and sends it to the Archive folder. There is not a limit to the number of messages that can be in the Archived folder. Messages are kept for 6 months, no matter which folder they are in. After 6 months the messages are deleted. 

[tyler@ebay]

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@reachstars wrote:

Hello,

I am following up on my message in the Weekly Chat of December 4, 2019.

To be brief, my issue is that I am unable to sign in using my correct user name and password. As security is ever tightening, more and more screens require sign in to proceed with various functions.  This is reportedly a known technical issue and was referred to the tech team. Is there any information available on when this issue might be resolved? I am emailing you the additional functions I can no longer perform because of this inability to sign in to do them.

I do have one rather critical issue that seems to need immediate attention. I have an open Return Request (Reason: Changed My Mind with a note stating his wife already has the item) dated 12/12/19. A USPS tracking number was uploaded to indicate the item was being return on that same day.  No tracking events have ever shown up on the USPS site to indicate the package was actually shipped. I cannot contact the buyer because I am locked out of all Contact Buyer links due to the sign-in issue. I also can’t contact eBay for help because I am locked out of that link also.

I received messages from eBay yesterday and today stating that the buyer “indicated they posted their return. The item should now be delivered.” It also says “please issue the buyer with a refund by Jan 09, 2020.”

My questions are:

1. Will eBay automatically refund the buyer on or after January 9th if I haven’t issued a refund?
2. Will eBay review the tracking to ensure the returned package was actually shipped and received?
3. Will eBay close the Return Request if no further action has taken place?

Returns are very rare for me so I am not familiar with what eBay will do in this case. Of course, I do not want eBay to refund the Buyer’s payment when they have not returned the item and I don’t want to have to fight to get my money back if they send the refund without the return.

Thanks for your help!

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Hi @reachstars - there isn't currently an update available on the tech issue impacting you, but will appreciate your email with further updates!

When it comes to the return, if it never arrived you would want to contact CS by phone or social media (Facebook or Twitter) to be able to assist you. They can review the return in detail and help get it closed out if tracking does not indicate that it was delivered back to you. To address your specific questions:

1. If there is no tracking that indicates delivery, we shouldn't. 

2. Yes - we review tracking for delivery/attempted delivery scans.

3. Yes - the request will time-out (expire) if nothing is done. However, I suggest contacting CS for a review so they can get this out of your hair before that time. 

[mr_lincoln]

Good afternoon eBay Support Team!

tyler@ebay 

Subject:  Return processed Prior to Delivery and Return flow:

I posted this on the Shipping and Returns Board but it got no replies so here it is.  A Buyer started a Return prior to Delivery, item 333458672415.  While in my mind that shouldn't even be possible the fact is it happened.  Anyway, on various pages of the return process dates are messed up.  The Buyer is told to have the item returned by Jan 14 and on the mater Return page it shows the Refund due date is Jan 10 ... Delivery isn't until the 8th (today).  Anyway, i am sure this is a glitch and wanted to bring it to someone's attention for correction.

[alan@ebay]

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@rosevelyn wrote:

I am unhappy with this weekly forum. It is rare that I ask a question that is answered. The one-hour time frame results in quick non-answers. I want to know about future communications with Jordan Sweetnam and I know the AMA is closed.

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Hi @rosevelyn, I am surprised to hear that questions go unanswered. We track all questions submitted during the chat hour, and we commit to answering all questions asked. 

I just answered your question regarding managed payments. If you have additional questions please post them and we'll respond. 

Thanks. 

[coffeebean832]

Do you typically respond to e-mails that come in to the Podcast address? I e-mailed a couple of times since it started but never got a response so I don't know if my messages ever made it through or if it's standard to not receive a reply.

[mangorunner]

"Messages are kept for 6 months, no matter which folder they are in."

Ha!  Too funny.  Inbox or Archive, the treatment is the exactly same: they eventually disappear. 

Thanks very much for the reply.  I appreciate it.

[mr_lincoln]

alan@ebay   Good afternoon Alan ... so, how's the Mentoring program going for M2M support? (Hint: you were going to keep an eye out for something of mine)

Mr. L

[imakesugar]

I had a large order I won through Auctions. I tried to pay but the order wouldn’t let me pay as I have my order shipped to a PO Box. The Seller told me the problem and before I had a chance to change the address to my street address they canceled My order. I had worked many days on the shipment and was very disappointed. I did not ask for the order to be canceled. I am sure the Seller was disappointed because I won most of the bids at the starting bid.

NOW I am not allowed to do any auctions due to this seller canceling my order possibly using “ trouble with address” OR “Buyer requested cancellation” I have always paid for everything I have won at auctions. I was in the process of paying for that order also.

I think this is unfair. I do agree with the actions taken by eBay to restrict “serial cancelers” BUT why isn’t a message sent to the Buyer to see IF the Seller is telling the truth or just trying to pass the responsibility onto the Buyer saving them defects. 

This restriction has made my purchases go from over a thousand to under 50 this year. I like the thrill of auctions and most of my purchases are bought through auctions.

sorry to blast you today... I just couldn’t remember on Wednesdays to post all my questions 

[doug@ebay]

Hi @my-cottage-books-and-antiques there were no December holiday TV ads that I am aware of. I've only seen the pre-Christmas video "Holiday Chill": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBoN0WME2hQ

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:
I've asked this several times before, and will try again:
When will the 2019 Holiday Season TV advertising start?
Or did I miss it? Can you point me to the TV ads that ran in December?

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[Anonymous]

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@imakesugar wrote:

I don’t know why eBay does not clean- up the jewelry category and multiple listing .

It is very frustrating, difficult, and hard to use.

For 1 thing most Jewelry buyers need to know if a jewelry item is hypo allergenic or not. I understand used items could not always be categorized that way but All new jewelry should be able to have this on item specifications.

2) I don’t know why all jewelry categories don’t have standard WORDS or abbreviations for standard classes.

For example 14 ct. gold is misrepresented often. The listing title will say 14kt gold. Then when you get into item specifics you will see that it is gold plated OR Gold toned. Many times you have to read the Descriptions before You find out the item is gold toned.

When are the people at eBay going to realize buyers now have limited time to search for the items on eBay? It gets frustrating when it takes too long to read every single word of a listing to find out what is being sold. If I am looking for 14KT Gold and put that in search that is ALL I should get! Not 200 pages of junk jewelry. All the parts of a listing should be congruent; the title, item specifics yes should match. This is still “key word” spamming.

On top of that as a buyer would I be protected IF I bought a necklace if the listing title says 14KT Gold when it is actually GOLD TONED. With something like this that has a different description and item specifics? Which one would eBay use? This is especially important to know when the arrow to read all of the item specifics and description are almost hidden in the mobile version. Many buyers don’t even realize it is there thanks to a light gray color arrow. I don’t know why this is not a normal black color.

I get very disgusted when I look at a sponsored or other Ad for something in a multiple listing. I see a picture of what I want priced at.99 cents and open the listing and see it is sold for the same price as other Sellers. There has to be some sort of glitch. I select a size and immediately the price goes up 80% or more. Sometimes they will have a ribbon or some inconsequential item for the .99 cent price. This makes eBay look bad. Allowing this is nothing more than a bait and switch. It would be easy to require Sellers to use the cheapest item on the list for the main picture. Other sites require this.

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Hi @imakesugar, the details provided in a listing are submitted by our sellers, so the responsibility for accuracy falls to them. If a seller does not provide accurate information, uses incorrect abbreviations, or potentially misrepresents their item, they may suffer from reduced visibility, sales, or even be responsible for accepting a return for a refund. Our catalog is derived from the information that sellers provide to us on their items and we are able to make adjustments as needed to the catalog if you email examples to sdsupport@eBay.com. This could help address some of the concerns you have raised, improve accuracy, and streamline the buying experience. 

As a buyer you would be protected if your item was incorrectly described. The seller would be responsible for return shipping costs and a full refund of the original item price and original shipping costs (if any). Sellers who experience higher than normal returns face consequences that could include losing the ability to sell on eBay, so it is to their benefit to be accurate in their listing details.

As for the search and browse manipulation example you've provided where a seller is offering a low price item or "gift" to rank higher in search, this is a violation of eBay policy. You can report these examples to us for review and appropriate action. We do have filters in place to prevent variations from being listed with excessive price differences from the least expensive option in a listing to the most expensive item, but some differences still fall within an acceptable range. Any listings that do go through and violate our policies are something we will look for proactively, and our Community can help us locate any that are missed for removal. Your suggestion for requiring a specific variation to be the primary photo is something I can pass along, though keep in mind that those who are seeking to abuse our system would easily be able to associate a photo of a different item with a lower priced variation that is unrelated. Again, this would be a violation of our listing policies and you would be protected if the item you received did not match the one you ordered, but those attempting to circumvent our policies are not always concerned with the consequences of their actions or the impact it can have on their business. Reporting any issues you see is the best course of action to help make improvements.

[vrykalak]

I wanted to add, @vrykalak, that since this promotion is for Auction Style Listings, it wouldn't apply to the fixed price listings that you have submitted. I hope this clears up any confusion!

[brian@ebay]

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@imakesugar wrote:

In the state of MN they do not charge Sales/Use taxes for many necessary items. I bought $150. Worth of clothing and at check-out I was charged 6.87% tax on clothing. Clothing is not taxable in MN.H ow may I get this over charge back?

This is deal breaker for buyers many times. I am willing to pay more for something to get it delivered to the door...I am Not willing to ADD another 6.87% to my bill due to tax charts being wrong and charging me sales tax that is not required in my state.

I do have a sales tax number is there a place on eBay to enter that number for items I buy for resale?

Thank You in advance.

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Hi @imakesugar, tax exceptions are determined based on the category an item is listed in. For example, if a hoodie is listed in the sports memorabilia category then it may not be exempt from tax since it's considered memorabilia instead of a typical clothing item. If there are items that were listed in the clothing, shoes, and accessories category that you believe should not have been charged tax then you'll want to contact customer service and report it. 

I'll email you sometime after this chat to get your specific example and get it reported to our tax team. 

[alan@ebay]

Please take our Community Chat survey. We want to hear from you on what works and what doesn't work. 

https://connect.ebay.com/srv/survey/a/sellerops.chat

Thank you all! 

[Anonymous]

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@carlqsportscards wrote:

Just relisted an item that didn't sell as an auction.

I chose "relist as fixed price" from the drop down to the left of the unsold item. But it still came up as an auction, so I changed it to fixed price.

What is the purpose of "relist as fixed price" if it's the same as "relist"? Am I missing something?

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Hi @carlqsportscards, it sounds like something isn't working as intended. Can you give us the item number for this example so we can look into this further? If you don't get a chance to reply until after the chat is closed you are welcome to start a thread on our Technical Issues board and @mention me. 

[tyler@ebay]

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@gwzcomps wrote:

eBay CS constantly gives inconsistent or incorrect information. Also the CS people in various occasions have made unauthorized changes to my account. What is being done to deal with this? It really seems like the CS people are lacking in training. Buyers may be important but sellers are the ones paying the fees.  It kinda shows where eBay stands regarding sellers with the quality of support we get.

Regarding policies, depending on where a user looks the rules and policies are inconsistently laid out on the site. Is there a specific page or area on the site that has the latest and most accurate policy information?

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Hi @gwzcomps - all teammates go through extensive training on eBay processes and policies, as well as regular updates when things change. We work hard to provide coaching to teammates when we become aware that incorrect information has been given. In addition to that, teammates are regularly evaluated on their interactions with members and reviewed for accuracy. Failure to provide correct information impacts them. 

Teammates should not be making changes to your account - please feel free to tag one of us to a thread with more detail so we can review.

The best sources for eBay policies are the Help Pages and Seller Center, and I would also recommend the Announcement Board if you want to keep up to date on major announcements. Thanks!