Can't speak with an agent on Ebay...What is going on?

[katherineshopechest]

I cannot get through the chat assistant in order to speak with an Ebay agent.  What is going on??? Can we not speak with a person anymore?

[fern*wood]

After reading here on the board posts about some of the advice given by the phone in reps, it's probably a blessing you didn't reach one.   You might try posting your question here---there are some really knowledgeable posters willing to help if given all the details.

[eburtonlab]

What options you see may depend on your particular issue and how busy that department is at the moment.

Try entering "agent" into the chat window. You may have to provide some context to reach the correct department. If you see a "Still need help?" or "More options" choice, either of those should lead to a call back option.

If nothing else works, try this link:

https://www.ebay.com/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid

[luxgoods]

It used to be very easy to speak with an ebay agent. It has become an actual nightmare trying to speak with someone. The CEO speaks of "Magical Innovations" to the shareholders to keep them satisfied. Meanwhile, the platform is plagued with glitches, people are sick of Promoting their items and getting nowhere . I see so many newer sellers with a lot of fustration .  Ebay used to be a great and fun place to sell. I have been a full time seller since 2000. I have 5 months to go and then I will be so happy to say ciao to ebay. 

[lakefor94]

@katherineshopechest 

It is best to post your question here first if that is in your wheelhouse.  I would never consider trying to reach eBay CS by phone. The service is much better here, delivered by experienced sellers and buyers.

If I had a problem that could not be resolved by information obtained here, I would contact eBay for Business via Facebook messaging.

[mtgraves7984]

Gotta say that speaking to an eBay CSR is way down my list of 'wants'. Could you address your issue here, where there is knowledge and experience?

[reallynicestamps]

The phone reps have a terrible reputation for getting you off the phone as soon as possible even if that means giving you the advice you want to hear instead of the advice you need to have.


https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.

https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/


https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.


The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.

And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.
 

[slippinjimmy]

---

@luxgoods wrote:

It used to be very easy to speak with an ebay agent. It has become an actual nightmare trying to speak with someone. The CEO speaks of "Magical Innovations" to the shareholders to keep them satisfied. Meanwhile, the platform is plagued with glitches, people are sick of Promoting their items and getting nowhere . I see so many newer sellers with a lot of fustration .  Ebay used to be a great and fun place to sell. I have been a full time seller since 2000. I have 5 months to go and then I will be so happy to say ciao to ebay. 

---

eBay cut back on phone support, probably because they were flooded with calls from people who could easily find the answers in the Help Files or those that won't take no for an answer and keep calling even when told they are not going to get whatever it is they think they should. We see this here on the boards all the time.

[Anonymous]

Both chat and actual phone call based support outright lies to you and tells you what you want to hear, so the short answer is NO, you can't reliably speak to anyone at eBay. Some have mentioned different support quality if you contact them via their Facebook page but that sounds more like their PR folks actively monitor that and help if the mood suits them. Ain't no way those FB-based reps are able to handle the volume of chat/calls from normal users.

[soh.maryl]

Long story short, many problems or issues can be handled here without actually speaking with an eBay CS rep.  So why don't you give us a try?  Or, you can continue attempting to contact CS.

[jscar59]

just cut a cardboard circle and take a pen and divide the circle into pie sections, Now write

different answers to your question in each section. poke a hole in the middle and attach it to

another piece of cardboard with an arrow pointing to the circle disk. NOW.....spin the circle and

what ever answer is in the section the arrow is pointing to is the eBay customer reps answer.

[erzengelb]

95% of the people working in eBay customer service don't know what they're doing. They don't know the answers to the simplest questions, they don't know eBay's policies and procedures, they don't even know how to speak English well enough to comprehend and reply to English speakers. All they can do is copy/paste scripted responses and direct you to links you've already read before you contacted them. I've wasted at least 2 weeks of my life this year alone dealing with eBay customer service.  Hitting myself in the head with a ball peen hammer would have been time better spent.

[katherineshopechest]

Thank you to the many responses I got. Instead of responding to each one, I am typing this to all so I hope you can see it. I will try the community again, for sure, if I need help in the future. I didn't this time because the problem was something that I felt an Ebay rep. HAD to fix. I have never experienced this before. My buyer paid at 7:20 pm mountain time and it was 9:20 pm eastern time for me. I was actually asleep when this happened but the next morning when I saw it, my shipping message said in red letters "shipment overdue" which was just plain wrong. It hadn't even been 12 hours yet...Anyway, I couldn't get past the chat assist. and I tried everything you could imagine. I finally had to put in that I thought there was fraud..( can you kind of see why???)...well, there "could" have been...smiley face. Anyway, that is how I got a call from Ebay and the rep said he fixed it where it wouldn't affect my performance. He didn't know why it happened. I have been selling since 2005...it used to be so easy, fun and more geared "for the seller" or, at least, more equal for seller and buyer. I have wanted to leave but just don't see another option that has a better audience of buyers. Thanks so much for your replies..!! Deb

[ed8108]

Ebay gets a failing grade

My considered opinion is that ebay at present, is Not a fun place to sell or to buy.

[arkan_1747]

I am having the same issue. I cannot contact anyone at Ebay. A sell never shipped the item I bought, now Ebay is telling me to ship the item back that I never received.