Community Chat, March 25 @ 1:00 pm PT - General Topics

[brian@ebay]

Join the Community team here at 1 PM PT on March 25th for our Weekly Chat with eBay Staff. We don't have a specific topic this week, so please bring any general questions you may have about buying or selling.

The chat will be open for questions from 1-2 pm PT, at which point we'll close thread from additional responses. After this time, we'll continue to work on responding to any queries that might 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.

[glgenterprise]

Is there a time frame to address several shipping module issues that have been asked in various forums?

Two major things for me:

1. The inability to change the ship from zip code across my account. I have to change the zip each and every time unless I use bulk shipping

2. and we desperately need a way to print labels throughout the day and be able to select the day's labels for a SCAN sheet for the post office. I can't wait for the end of the day to do them all at once in the bulk module (which I hate to use because I find it easy to make mistakes).

[golfingaddict]

I have noticed a lot of changes in how the community works. For example I can no longer use paragraphs. I not longer get the hover preview and I no longer have access to all the bells and whistles while posting. (font, quote, etc) Will you please tell me which browsers work best with the community. I think this was an issue before but it appears to me that something changed in the last month or so. Thank you.

[brian@ebay]

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@gwzcomps wrote:

Many stores are starting to refuse to do returns and are selling things all sales final due to safety concerns. What is eBay doing to protect the safety of sellers when it comes to returns? In most cases I am not willing to refund without getting my item back. At the same time I want to make sure I am able to safely run my business. Hopefully as things continue to get worse eBay is keeping the health and safety of the sellers in mind.

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Hi @gwzcomps, we have made no announcements about changes to returns on our site, meaning returns will proceed as usual. We advise all members to follow the advice of the World Health Organization, who say that the likelihood of catching a virus from a package that has been moved, traveled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature is low. More information is available here.

[tyler@ebay]

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@popblox wrote:

I filed an INR for an item past its due date. The seller had previously provided a tracking number that never moved. The seller was non-responsive, despite several attempts to contact. The night before the INR was due for a response from the seller, seller uploaded a different tracking number for the the item, showing it had been delivered 2 days prior. The zip code that the new tracking number shows the item has been delivered to is not my zip code and I do not have the item. I did not make a mistake when filling out my address, my address has been the same on eBay since I registered 3 years ago. I put this information in the INR and it was still closed this morning in the seller’s favor, stating the item has been delivered. Since I cannot call, I have tried contacting customer service via email, and regardless of how I try to approach the topic, if I click on the item, I get redirected to the resolution center with a message saying my item has been delivered or a message stating my “problem has been resolved”, with no additional option to contact CS. What am I supposed to do here?

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Hi @popblox - when an Item not Received request is opened we do protect sellers if they can provide tracking that confirms delivery. I recommend you if you have documentation from the courier that confirms that it was not delivered to your address, that you consider appealing the decision and providing that information.

You can reach our social media teammates on Facebook or Twitter and they'd be happy to assist you! 

[mam98031]

Something I notice on the Shipping Label Screen.

The order in which the Dimensions for a package appear on the Shipping Label Screen are NOT in the same order in which they are on the Listing Forms.  Sorry I don't have a screen shot.  I forgot to do that before I completed my shipping this morning.

But the Shipping label screen leads with the thickness of the package and on the Listing form, that is the last field.

[maxoptical]

I submitted the problem of wrong eBay estimated time in transit to the last eBay live town hall.    My concerns were noted by Harry Temkin during the town hall and the problem actually was corrected for a few days.  Then over the weekend  it reverted back to displaying 3-4 days longer than the actual guaranteed deliver time given by my shipper (UPS)

I have also been in contact with the UPS rep in California who is solely responsible for the eBay account.  She also does not understand why eBay was not corrected this problem. The eBay  APIs clearly gives accurate Time in Transit based on shipping service and origin/destination zip code.

I have many emails to Merchant Support dating back to early 2018 addressing this issue.  Over 2 years now with no resolve.

Our biggest competitor right now is "Prime Shipping" with the guaranteed 2 day delivery.  I can easily meet this level of service but my customers will never know due to eBay's adding 2-3 days to my shipment estimates.

How many sales have ebay sellers lost to  prime over this problem that UPS claims is an easy fix?

John Norman

eBay ID Maxotical

[ekmadonna]

Hi, I have a problem and need some help. I had a case opened against me for "ARRIVED DAMAGED". The buyer refused to upload photos of claimed damage to Original Packaging or Damaged item which was a antique $279.00 Steel counter display box. He stated in original claim "WILL NOT SUPPORT POSTAL CLAIM DUE TO BOX BEING TO SMALL AND LITTLE PACKING". I had no option but to accept the package back and had Ebay issue a return label. When I got the package back in MY ORIGINAL SHIPPING BOX, there was NO DAMAGE whatsoever to the packaging. I opened the package to inspect and found that he had destroyed my item and put it back in my original box with no damage to outer packaging. I used REPORT BUYER LINK, and Filed a report with EBAY because he clearly damaged my item and it was not due to my packing( I Know How to pack items read 1850 feed  backs) or the USPS mishandling the package!

NOW THE OTHER PROBLEM-- When I went to REFUND BUYER, I was SERVED UP a NEW page that GAVE ME A OPTION TO WITH HOLD up to 50% of original price because "BUYER RETURNED A DAMAGED ITEM" or "DIFFERENT ITEM THEN I SENT". I clicked on the check box for 50% refund and was only ALLOWED TO WITH HOLD 20%. so that is what I did begrudgingly because he deserved NOTHING. The refund was processed on the March 7th.

On March 23rd I found a NEW CASE against me from this same buyer 16 days later with no information on the reason why? nothing accept a message that "EBAY WILL DECIDE ON THIS CASE IN THE NEXT 48 HRS". The case was then CLOSED AGAINST ME in the next 10 minutes with a note "EBAY HAS CLOSED THIS CASE IN THE BUYERS FAVOR AND HAS WITH DRAWN $77.97 FROM YOUR PAY-PAL ACCOUNT" "THIS CASE IS CLOSED".

I want to know why

1) I was served a NEW refund page with the option to only give a partial refund when I DO NOT OFFER FREE 30 DAY RETURNS? If I had known this crook could have come back 16 days later and file a case and get the other 20% back I would have just sucked it up and refunded this lying thief in full in order to NOT LOSE NY FINAL VALUE FEES TO EBAY. The fees cost me another $28.00.

I based my decision to refund 80% because that is what EBAY'S refund page offered me and He certainly did not deserve a full refund for what he did to my steel display case. I lost my final value fees to EBAY because I refunded a partial that ended up going back to him anyway.

3) Can I expect a CASE CLOSED WITHOUT SELLER RESOLUTION NOW FROM THIS? because I did everything correctly, and is this a case of "SO SAD TO BAD"and I am not going to be reimbursed my $28.00 in final value fees because EBAY SERVED ME A REFUND PAGE THAT I MAYBE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN? because I do not offer free 30 day returns? I would like a Customer Service rep to call me and go over this case from the very beggining with a fine tooth comb, there are plenty of messages, photos and proof to back up my claims and problems.

[medallion-trading-company]

Hello,
Can you please review the (only) negative feedback on my account. The buyer had the bracelet, which I sold as a used piece of jewelry, for 45 days before leaving me the negative feedback. During that time she wore it for several weeks and broke it, according to her messages. I have a 30 day free return policy, which she chose not to use.

She has indicated that in order to return the item at this point (55 days later), she wants to be reimbursed for the $70 repair bill first. Also she has indicated that in order to revise her negative feedback she wants to be compensated for the $70 repair bill first. Can I please have this feedbback removed for extortion? I have tried to repeatedly communicate through the eBay email system but I think at this point I am only getting automated messages that send me back around in a circle, getting no where.

The only two feedback she has left, ever, have been negative. Never a nice comment left for any sellers. She also left a negative for another seller asking for a return through the feedback system and demanding a label. Just an FYI

As you know, most sellers are being affected by COVID-19, as is mine. This negative feedback only makes a bad sales situation worse.

Thank you.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

I would guess part of the reason some B&Ms aren't accepting returns at the local level is because they are trying to minimize contact with the person returning the item. Additionally, some may want to "quarantine" returned items for a length of time, but not have the storage space to hold them. With many local B&M stores closed, they also have little way to resell the returns in a timely fashion.

[alan@ebay]

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@medallion-trading-company wrote:

Was my post intentionally deleted before? If so, why.

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Hi @medallion-trading-company, 

We did notice you made a post on this thread that then seemed to disappear as we were in the middle of responding to it. Very odd. It could be a bug with the platform, we will look into it. 

Can you repost your post? 

Sorry for the inconvenience. 

[buyselljack2016]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:
mam, I believe the post is talking about B&M stores. From what I've seen, some B&Ms are refusing returns/refunds on things like toilet paper and other items that people bought hoping to resell at inflated prices. When they discovered they could get in trouble for that, they tried returning for a refund and stores are refusing to accept returns from the price gougers.

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Yup, my store receipts now have no items can be returned printed on them

[Anonymous]

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@mam98031 wrote:

I think Ebay is doing a really good job shutting down various FP listings that are participating in price gouging.  

But when it is an auction, they don't seem to get shut down or certainly not as quickly as an FP.  Is there a different criteria for auctions vs FB?

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Hi @mam98031, this is a great question! Due to the nature of fixed-price listings, we are able to identify much more quickly if there is a concern with the stated price potentially being in violation. For auction-style listings, though we are not proactively blocking most auctions, we will still remove any potential price gouging concerns based on the starting price or the price the auction is bid up to. Depending on the reason for the removal, a seller may still be able to relist with a fixed-price format and would be notified if this is the case. Any concerns you see can be reported using the options outlined here: https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/reporting-price-gouging-ebay?id=5105

[medallion-trading-company]

No problem, thank you for letting me know. I was concerned I had violated a community policy .

[brian@ebay]

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@maxoptical wrote:

My competitor has now been violating your duplicate listing policy for 8 weeks and no visible action against their account.   They are running the same items on two eBay anchor stores, over 3000 listings.   Same paypal account, same ship from address, same company owns both ebay accounts.  I purchased the exact same item from both stores and provided eBay with all of the documentation showing they are the same company.  

This is very frustrating,  in a given search they show up twice and I shop up once for the same item. 

I don't understand what I need to do to get somebody at eBay to take action.

John Norman

eBay ID Maxoptical  

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Hi @maxoptical, I can assure you that this has been reported to the appropriate team for review. Thanks!

[gwzcomps]

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@vrykalak wrote:

search engine is misbehaving in unusual ways again: searched for
- "Red Clover tea", got 79 results, including some w/o "Red Clover"
- saw some that said "pratense" so added "-pratense", got 113 results, some without ANY of my original three keywords!
...plus 7 links to non-ebay sites at the bottom!!!

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I agree it is so frustrating how broken the search engine is. There literally is a search that is impossible to do if a person doesn't know how to use the search engine.  Try searching for Marx Donkey Cart then try searching "Marx" Donkey Cart.  Been bugging support with no luck for a couple years now.  Maybe @Anonymous  can add your search to the list I gave him.

EDIT: Scratch the Marx Donkey Cart search.  Looks like they fixed that one 😮