EBAY Customer Service is HORRIBLE / COMICAL ....

[robocardz]

25 years on ebay with over 20,000 transactions and 100% ebay feedback.

Recently, I was dropped to Below Standard Seller becuase 3/568 (yes 3) were NOT scanned by our super effiecient US Postal Service (insert sarcasm).  Yes 3 !  Ebay Standard Envelope.

Ebay in its infinite wisdom has marked me as a "below standard seller" because they had to initiate a refund.  Even though USPS told me it can take 15 business days over Christmas to deliver an item.  I asked the buyers to be patient even though EBAY initiates a delivery day of 5 days AFTER the label is created.  So the buyer now opens a case if not there in a week as prompted by Ebay .. lol.  I ask them to be patient but by opening case ebay's clock has started.  I had 3 out of 568 items where the Buyer received a FULL REFUND and probably the item as well.

I am now a Below Standard seller for those 3 instances even though I have 100 % feedback.  On top of that, using ebay's tracking I have had MULTIPLE items that do NOT show delivered BUT have received POSITIVE FEEDBACK.  Yes!  The same tracking that ebay is using to dock my seller standard SHOWS Non-Delivery on multiple items BUT Positive feedback was left!   Do you think there may be an issue with EBAY using this as a standard for Seller Level?  LOL!   You can NOT make this **ish up!!

Now, I have contacted ebay multiple times and get the same response from the overseas Customer Service reps -- they read a script.   I ask for a supervisor but there is NEVER one available.  Trying to explain the situation above to someone NOT familiar with USPS is impossible.  I have now been told 3 TIMES that a supervisor would call me back and NOT ONCE has EBAY followed up on their word.  PITIFUL!!

I know there are situations where algorithms and step responses come into play, but I still feel that someone who has 100% feedback with 25 years and over 20,000 transactions should be able to talk about an issue he/she is having.  Especially when there is NO consistency in the metric as shown above!!!

If I ran my business this way, I would NOT have one to run!!

MOO!!

DR RB

[lakefor94]

"Ebay in its infinite wisdom has marked me as a "below standard seller" because they had to initiate a refund."

If eBay had to refund in your behalf, that is where you made the mistake. When there is a INAD or INR open, the clock is ticking. The seller MUST do the refund within the allotted timeframe in the case if the item is not delivered or a return is delivered back to the seller.

If time expires and the seller allows eBay to push the refund button, the seller takes a hit for unresolved case.

3 or 4 of those and the seller gets dropped to below standard.

It does not matter what USPS or eBay did or did not do.

The seller has to control the refund button. 

[dentalsales4u]

Have you tried contacting eBay via Facebook?

These are US Customer Service Reps.

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

Click message. Give a brief detail of your situation. You will be prompted to verify who you are, just follow the prompts. They don't respond immediately, but they will.

I've gone this route many times and have always had good luck with it.

Good luck to you

[az93]

Many of your cards have 99 cent shipping with estimated delivery of Jan 22. This is sat the 18th. No way, not even priority would be that fast. If I were you, I would make my shipping time longer.

[farmalljr]

Using ESE is not the same "tracking" as USPS tracking. It's not a tracking eBay counts as delivered like USPS/UPS/FedEx tracking. It was introduced so sellers could be "above standard" rated as sellers, where they mostly sold items shipped with a postage stamp. 

In an INR case, you MUST refund the buyer, and appeal the case later to get paid back by the programs refund process. There in NO way for you to actually know if the item was actually delivered and received. If you can't get along with that you'll either need to stop selling with that shipping program or stop selling those items on this platform all together. 

You can't just not refund and let eBay do it, and expect your account to not take the hit. It's your job to refund, THEN take it up with eBay with ESE. THAT is the risk of selling without true tracking. You screwed up. 

[12345jamesstamps]

I talked to an eBay representative on the online forum yesterday...not customer service.

I asked about tracking in general of all forms. Unless item in tracking is marked as "delivered" ....and buyer opens a claim you have to refund for item not showing on tracking as "delivered". You can file for a refund for using the eBay standard envelope service. But one has to have it scanned as "delivered".

Here's the problem...not all buyers will be honest and even though buyers might receive item but tracking does not show as "delivered"...have to refund them.

I have open tracking of items dating back from February 2023 that does not show as "delivered"...but I was lucky these were honest buyers and left positive feedback.

I also notice when something is "delivered" that day with tracking your tracking will shoot you in your tracking information immediately that day. I notice that yesterday when I had a lot of "delivered" tracking show up.

For the eBay standard envelope...they should be dropped in "metered mail" slots and not stamped slots.

[buyselljack2016]

OP has nothing to contact CS about.

As posted, the OP failed to properly handle INR's.

Defect for "case closed without seller resolution" is just that. A defect.

[luckythewinner]

Recently, I was dropped to Below Standard Seller because 3/568  were NOT scanned by our super efficient US Postal Service. eBay in its infinite wisdom has marked me as a "below standard seller" because they had to initiate a refund

There are only two defects that can drop you to Below Standard:

• Cases closed without seller resolution, and
• Seller initiated cancellations. 

eBay initiated the refund because you failed to properly respond to the cases, not because the packages had no scans.  

 I ask them to be patient but by opening case ebay's clock has started

Once the clock starts, you must respond within the timeframe. There is nothing in eBay policy that says eBay will waive seller evaluation criteria because you "ask them to be patient". 

[buyselljack2016]

I talked to an eBay representative on the online forum yesterday...not customer service.

I asked about tracking in general of all forms. Unless item in tracking is marked as "delivered" ....and buyer opens a claim you have to refund for item not showing on tracking as "delivered". You can file for a refund for using the eBay standard envelope service. But one has to have it scanned as "delivered".

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This does not apply to ESE.

ESE does not have to have a "delivered" scan for the seller to make a claim to eBay for the insured refund.

ESE only needs to have a scan anywhere along the way in the processing of that envelope to qualify.

As posted, the seller has to refund the buyer if no delivered scan, but that is a separate matter.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

It is amazing but true that sellers can have as many as 17k orders and not learn the Ebay procedures that need to be followed when things go wrong.

No point in contacting anyone at Ebay or allowing your blood pressure to rise any more than it has.

As various posters have already pointed out, you failed to follow the required procedures, either because you did not know the procedure, or you were trying to avoid a small refund.

IMO the penalty for being a Below Average Seller is excessive, but it is better than being NARUed, though it might effectively have the same effect.

[ebooksdiva]

@az93 

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@az93 wrote:

Many of your cards have 99 cent shipping with estimated delivery of Jan 22. This is sat the 18th. No way, not even priority would be that fast. If I were you, I would make my shipping time longer.

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Don't know what year calendar you're looking at but today is the 18th but its Thursday 

[farmalljr]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

I talked to an eBay representative on the online forum yesterday...not customer service.

I asked about tracking in general of all forms. Unless item in tracking is marked as "delivered" ....and buyer opens a claim you have to refund for item not showing on tracking as "delivered". You can file for a refund for using the eBay standard envelope service. But one has to have it scanned as "delivered".

-----------------------------------------------------------

This does not apply to ESE.

ESE does not have to have a "delivered" scan for the seller to make a claim to eBay for the insured refund.

ESE only needs to have a scan anywhere along the way in the processing of that envelope to qualify.

As posted, the seller has to refund the buyer if no delivered scan, but that is a separate matter.

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Correction: A seller HAS to refund if a buyer opens a INR case, even IF it shows as delivered. There is NO way to prove if it was actually delivered with ESE. There is no door to door tracking. ESE is usually marked as delivered when it hits the last sorting hub on it's route, not when the mailman sticks it in your box. 

[12345jamesstamps]

I mentioned all "general" mailings for a "delivered" scan.

For ESE...their has to be some sort of scan...hopefully at the beginning.

As noted...I mentioned it as "metered mail" and such that is how it should be mailed and hopefully gets a first scan. I understand ESE doesn't need a "delivered" scan...but needs a scan at the beginning at least.

I didn't feel like writing a "book" about all the scans and related input to "delivered". I try to keep it short.

[southern*sweet*tea]

No scans doesn't give you defects.  I ship stuff without tracking and have no defects.  In fact, if there are no scans anywhere, and the buyer doesn't mark the item as late,  untracked items don't count AT ALL toward any shipping metrics.

You are below standard because you didn't handle your Ebay cases, Ebay handled them, and that's what gave you a non performance defect.

[buyselljack2016]

You may be correct with some of the info provided, but this thread is about ESE, and muddied waters about "things in general" that do not apply can cause a distraction/misconceptions😁

Scan at the beginning would do the trick, but not everyone has a "metered mail" slot. Anywhere in the processing is the key.