After 25 years, by EOY I predict I'll be done with eBay

[covetmodern]

Sorry to vent, but I think I'm pretty much done with selling on eBay, at least for my business.  My goal is to close it down by the end of the year. 

Over the years eBay has stepped on the heads of good sellers by raising their fees, imposing over friendly buyer policies that hurt sellers, allowing scams to perpetuate,  outsourcing customer service, doing nothing about listings I have reported as fraudulent... the list goes on.

This most recent transaction and refund request was the last straw for me.  I guess I missed the memo on the fact that eBay now issues a full refund, including the shipping costs for even buyers remorse return requests.  About a year ago, I moved away from free shipping because we'd lose too much on return requests.  I guess I don't understand what the difference between free shipping (adding the shipping cost to an item price) vs. charging for shipping.  I guess it's just a smoke and mirrors marketing ploy.

So, here's what happened - 

Buyer purchased item on July 9th.  They received item on July 14th.  Request return on July 20th.  Waited 17 days to send it back, and of course it arrives while I'm out of town for 3 days and eBay requires I inspect and issue refund within 2. 

I call eBay to let them know I cannot inspect the item until I return.  They issue a 5 day hold on the return request.  On the 4th day, I pick up the item at our return PO Box, inspect it (it's fine) and go to issue a return.  I can't because eBay has this 5 day hold on it.  The following morning, I get an email from eBay stating they issued a refund on my behalf.  I'm told they charged me the final value fees since they issued the refund.  This makes no sense because I was still within the 5 day hold and I couldn't issue the refund when I tried.  In all of this, I also find out I'm charged the $10.55 we charge for shipping - so now, I'm out $21.51 on an $80 item.  

I call them and they give me a long runaround, tell me what's up and nothing they can do about it.  I'm really having a hard time accepting that someone can buy an item, return it because they have buyers remorse and I have to incur this kind of loss.  

Before anyone thinks this is a knee jerk reaction, I have been selling for 25 years and have watched sales decline over the years so much that it is not profitable.  It would be easy to blame the products, but we sell a lot our products on other sites with far fewer issues.  I cannot fathom taking a risk for more expensive shipping items - I used to sell vintage furniture that shipping costs were $300-1000.  That would be an incredible loss.  With all of these policies, the overly complex listing process with an ocean of subcategories, attributes, item specifics, etc. makes this a nightmare to navigate any longer.   I used to manage a business here, now I am treated like an eBay employee who is charged to work for them, while also not getting any of the benefits of working for them.  

[lakefor94]

On a $80 item, I would have just pushed the refund button while I was out of town and been done with it.

Good luck on those other venues.

[sumsum70]

Sadly, I predict your post will attract a bunch of shills to post eBay propaganda playbook replies such as "C-ya, good luck, don't let the door..."

You make valid points and it has become my opinion this site is trash. I'm just here to milk it while it is still slightly viable.

[covetmodern]

I assume the same.  I also expect the "build the cost into your price" nonsense as well.  It's about principals, not about working with a system that milks sellers for the sake of their shareholders.   

[inhawaii]

Is it ok to wish the OP good luck without being called a "shill"?

[covetmodern]

I believe in this case, "shill" implies those who are being snarky to push the eBay propaganda.  

[coolections]

It sounds like you caused all the problems yourself. You knew the item was return so you should have just issued the refund. Good luck elsewhere but my guess is your will change your mind abut leaving.

[coolections]

---

@inhawaii wrote:

Is it ok to wish the OP good luck without being called a "shill"?

---

No it is not. With haters they will do anything they can. It is what it is though. Just ignore the haters.

[sakic92710]

I may be joining you if 2023 continues to be worse than 2022.  The amount of sales that I make has no impact on my financial life.  6 sales a month or 0 means nothing unless those sales are $100 each instead of less than $30.  I can try my luck with these listings on sites that are free of fees.  My last negative is from a buyer who received the item AND got a refund.  The item was stolen from me with eBay's cooperation.  They have all of the evidence that the buyer got a refund & tracking to show the purchase is in his possession.  They do not care.  After paying my store fee & other fees, my total sales for August amount to less than $10 in my pocket.  

[sakic92710]

It is very much unlike you to blame the sellers.   LOL

[covetmodern]

Item required inspection.  This is something that is boxed very intricately and if opened and removed from the box cannot be resold at all. 

I called eBay once I received notification of the package arrival.  Family emergencies unfortunately happen.  They set up the 5 day hold.  eBay's system would not allow me to issue the refund even though I tried because of the hold.  When I tried to contact eBay via chat, it was not functioning.  I was going to try again the next morning and then eBay issued the refund - so, no.  It was not caused by myself.  I also didn't choose to hold a return for 17 days before sending it back. eBay should reduce that to 5 business days.  

And, I won't be changing my mind.   Over the last 2 years I have pulled over half of the items we sell off eBay to avoid fraud.  I'll keep my account to occasionally buy/sell personal items, but I just closed my subscription and intend to no longer sell list business related items here.  Sales (including views and watchers) have been significantly down for over a year on eBay, while up everywhere else we sell.   eBay used to be 75% of our sales, now it's about 10% without adding new venues.  

[housewifemary]

I agree with you.  I have had my share of problems with ebay, it seems the buyer is always right even if he's wrong.  I had ebay refund me once for a case I won because the buyer was being shifty.  Turns out they also refunded the shifty buyer.  That's like rewarding the person for failing at a return scam.  Unfortunately they have the best selling turnover for me, unless you know of a better place to sell.

[cardxcraft]

................

[tobaccocardyahoo]

---

@covetmodern wrote:

Waited 17 days to send it back, and of course it arrives while I'm out of town for 3 days and eBay requires I inspect and issue refund within 2 days

I would hope this is a relatively uncommon chain of events. But the outcome you saw was the likely outcome on most if not all Internet marketplaces.

Selling on an Internet marketplace includes in its costs having to live with time requirements which may not fit the way you want or need to run your business.

Yes, Ebay used to me more responsive to exceptions, but that has changed as the scale and the costs of their operation has changed.

If you are looking for a substitute channel which is more controllable, that may have to be your own website.

In 2008 I moved from Ebay to Amazon, and Amazon was then what Ebay is like now. Amazon today is far less flexible than it was then or Ebay is now. I am back on Ebay and it feels like I have been liberated.

[covetmodern]

well, I would never sell on Amazon... so there's that.  

I opened an shop on the other "E" site and have had great success, but they too are changing things making it more challenging, but nowhere near what eBay has.  

For example - if you don't accept returns and a buyer requests a return/refund, the site will just issue a refund without requiring a return.  The site claims that no returns implies the seller doesn't want it back, when we as sellers know that is not generally the case.  

For me, it's not this particular transaction that is the only problem.  It's a combination of many things that have evolved over the years - most importantly, the bottom line - sales.  If sales are low and costs/risk is high - it's just not worth it here anymore.