Customer support almost non-existent!

[suburbanemporium]

I have spoken to eBay support before they went completely automated and through chat only. I had a person complain to me out of the two duplicate items they received, that one of them was not authentic 45 days after they received it. After the closing window. eBay suggested sending them to a manufacturer for support since I had proof it was an authentic laptop battery. She said to contact them if I had further problems since he was asking for a full refund or compensation. I also asked if I got bad feedback, and she said contact us and we will remove it. Since then, I got a very rude response on chat from a representative and the answer was that " we are not removing it based on your own opinion". The second person said they would send it to an evaluation group, but yet they never responded. I have two different numbers and it just hangs up in the end. Now, it is so late in the process, I cannot even leave a response to the feedback. Horrible!

[terrance-hill2]

Yes, I have several things I need resolved. Like you said, eBay has no customer service anymore and not everything can be solved by an automated response system. This is getting very irritating and I think people are taking advantage more because they know eBay will just give you the run around with their automated service. I am sure that eBay can still afford to pay a few people to answer calls from home. This is getting ridiculous.

[heidi_r]

 I have been a buyer and seller on ebay since the late 90s.  I am dealing myself with an odd situation that requires speaking with a human to get resolved.  I suspect that between this and their new policy to tax the sale of used items that this is very well the beginning of the end for ebay, sad to say. 

I agree that sellers are running rampant, many have poor behaviour, like selling multiple used items  in a single listing without photographing each one, so what you think you are buying is not what you get.  And then you are charged sales tax for it--as if it were a new item--to boot.

[a_c_green]

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@heidi_r wrote:

 I have been a buyer and seller on ebay since the late 90s.  I am dealing myself with an odd situation that requires speaking with a human to get resolved. 

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It's best to start your own thread here so that later responders will know who to reply to, but if you can post your details here, someone may be able to give you better advice than that of Customer Service anyway.

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@heidi_r wrote:

I suspect that between this and their new policy to tax the sale of used items that this is very well the beginning of the end for ebay, sad to say. 

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No, people have been predicting the demise of eBay since its beginning in the 1990s. Regarding the tax policy, they are now required to collect and remit sales tax for many states. The tax is on the sale; it doesn't matter whether the item is new or used.

[iart]

You won't like my solution.

Get an anchor store. $300+ a month.

When I call customer service I usually wait less than a minute and speak to a knowledgeable, helpful, English-speaking person.

(There was a short period where they, too, were unavailable. I think it lasted just a couple weeks).

[pullulate93.123]

Well my opinion is that things like ebay, amazon etc should not be used as a large income source, most of the problems people are having seem to be exclusively those of large volume sellers. Now that sales tax is charged by greedy states it's even less worth it to buyers unless the sales tax, shipping and listed minimum price is much less than new or used elsewhere like craigslist or a garage sale or other online sites. That's not usually the case. Like amazon this is becoming a swamp of scams and ripoffs that only the very ignorant take part in as buyers, especially on any regular basis or for high priced items. Don't expect any real cs as it's not a profit generating thing to ebay.

[clothescloseouts4u]

It is.  I agree, -ridiculous.  In 20 years here I have stuck around thru thick and thin with Ebay.  But they have upended the whole program for the worse.  When they start messing with payouts that is pretty much the ultimate in greed.  My sales go one place or another with me getting a payout that is wayyyy less than I thought it would be.  Not "next day" payout like I chose for completed items.  They just seem to send the payouts willy-nilly.  Why can't they actually send out a sold completed item the next day????  Soooo frustrating!!!  and silly me, I actually need my money.

[kensgiftshop]

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@heidi_r wrote:

  I suspect that between this and their new policy to tax the sale of used items that this is very well the beginning of the end for ebay, sad to say. 

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It was the States that decided to collect sales tax, not Ebay, they just have to collect it for those States.

[kensgiftshop]

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@clothescloseouts4u wrote:

Why can't they actually send out a sold completed item the next day????

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How soon they can send the funds to your checking account, depends on how long it's takes to process the payment, so they have to funds to send.

[a_c_green]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

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@clothescloseouts4u wrote:

Why can't they actually send out a sold completed item the next day????

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How soon they can send the funds to your checking account, depends on how long it's takes to process the payment, so they have to funds to send.

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You can pay for the Shipping label using the pending funds as soon as eBay reports that they have received the buyer's clear payment. That's the point at which they will tell you that it's time to ship, even though the funds from that payment probably will not reach your bank account for another day or more. eBay will release the funds for postage if you're printing the Shipping label through them.

[femmefan1946]

Now, it is so late in the process, I cannot even leave a response to the feedback.

It's been my belief that there is no deadline for Responses, only the 60 day limit on Feedback itself. And that a Response can be added to either the buyer's or the seller's FB -- or both.

That being said, the only ones who read Feedback are a few future customers.

The one being scolded doesn't care, eBay doesn't use FB to evaluate member accounts, and most buyers think 95% is a terrific score.

Did the buyer want a refund? A replacement? When 30 days have passed since delivery, eBay will not help her.

She can go to Paypal for 180 days from payment, but PP requires that the disputed item be returned to the seller if the seller demands it, and the buyer has to pay for the return.

If you think the "inauthentic" item is real, and resaleable, tell her to return it for a refund.

She can't use eBay for this, and if she tries to use PP she will have to pay to return it.

In either case you can leave a Response like" Would not return for refund".

Your refund does not have to include your shipping cost or fees, I believe.

[luxgoods]

I often choose the call back option from ebay.  I try to do this off hours.  Sunday morning at 9 am I did just that.  One Minute later I received a call from someone in the UK.  I could not believe it! Someone who spoke english!. The Customer Service Rep was very knowledgable and took care of my problem quickly.  I guess I was lucky because I had to call again Saturday night and waited again 1 minute. This time I got a young woman in the Phillipines who sounded like she was having her dinner. Almost impossible to understand.  Guess its the luck of the draw.

[femmefan1946]

and their new policy to tax the sale of used items

This is not a new policy.

Used items are taxed in most jurisdictions. You pay taxes as the second owner of a house or a car.

Some thrifts have a charitable license in some states which allows them not to collect and remit taxes.

And garage sellers do not make enough for the sales tax officers to get involved.

The collection of state sales taxes is based on a US Supreme Court decision. Most states are now requiring venues like eBay, Amazon, etsy, and PoshMark to collect and remit their sales taxes.  Some are hiding the tax better than others.

The fee charged to sellers on sales taxes collected from buyers by Paypal and Managed Payments is a Standard Business Practice. Those of us who have held merchant credit card accounts in B&M shops are familiar with this. The fee for the payment processor, whether it is Paypal or Visa, is based on the whole payment not just the sold item, but also shipping. labour, and sales taxes.

[rickcl]

I Feel your pain. I went to search for an Ebay contact number I could call about a cancellation that has stalled. I finally found the number with an express code to move me through quicker. Guess what, the phone number for Ebay is missing a digit.  There should be minimums to customer service for companies

[craft-stash]

ALMOST LMAO🤣