Ebay does not protect sellers! I'm leaving ebay after 15 years.

[crimsonguard2000]

This is more of a vent and a caution to those who wish to sell on ebay.

After 15 years of 100% positive feedback I got my first negative score today. 

The short of it is: Buyer potentially damaged some collectable toys I shipped them then turned around and demanded a refund. When I reported the buyer, ebay didn't bother to contact me or investigate, they just told the buyer to return the toys and told me to issue a refund. Now I'm stuck with broken collectables I can't resell and I'm out the money.

I feel betrayed by ebay. I thought there would be better protections in place to protect sellers. 

The nitty gritty details are not important since after browsing the forums for a bit it is clear I am not the only victim who has experienced similar treatment by ebay.

I'm pulling my last auction and will be refraining from selling on ebay ever again.

Beware if you sell on ebay, they will not protect you against shady buyers.

   

[fashunu4eeuh]

Ebay puts the buyer’s interests first in most cases. It is up to each seller to protect his own interests when selling online, and on eBay in particular. 

Shrinkage is, sadly, an expected cost in retail. Sell long enough and you’ll encounter it eventually. In your case, OP, with 15 years of positive transactions, you have done extremely well to have never encountered fraud before. (Altho i do believe the vast majority of buyers are honest.)

There is no taking the sting out of a negative, though having a thick skin can serve a seller well in these circumstances. I have to admit that quitting over a lone negative seems like an over-reaction, if you will pardon me for saying so. A long successful trail of sales should easily offset any losses.

On the other hand, I do understand it may be your outrage is moral in nature, that it is the principal of the matter that has moved you to want to quit.

I think the whole matter can be boiled down to “it’s business, not personal.” Don’t let one bad experience taint the significant success you have earned. One rogue buyer is not worth it.

[chapeau-noir]

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@vintage-car-magazines wrote:

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@harrystyle_5 wrote:

If you take a picture of the way that you package or a video of the way that you package your item they can’t say that it came to them broken and they can’t get a refund for it .If you make it known in your refund like terms that you can’t get a refund if it’s broken or something like that

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That's a waste of time.

An item can be well packaged AND arrive damaged. Don't confuse being at fault for damaged items with being responsible for it. Sellers are responsible, they may or may not be at fault.

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Besides which, anyone can produce a video of anything and try to make out that it's that particular transaction.  I've never understood this POV - video is probably one of the most corruptible and faked media.

[itsjustasprain]

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@harrystyle_5 wrote:

If you take a picture of the way that you package or a video of the way that you package your item they can’t say that it came to them broken and they can’t get a refund for it. If you make it known in your refund like terms that you can’t get a refund if it’s broken or something like that.

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Of course the buyer can get a refund. Ebay does not look at videos - plus that says nothing about what happened after you stopped recording. Besides - recording how you packed it has nothing to do with whether it got damaged along the way. The buyer is reporting what they received - not what you sent. You are responsible for getting the item to the buyer in the condition in which it was sold.

[japan-treazures]

@crimsonguard2000 

So sorry to see you go after fifteen years of selling here.

You have worked so hard. Maybe taking a break may help. That is what I did.

In any case it is ultimately your call. Hate to see you leave overa negative feedback.

Good luck to you!

[lakefor94]

After looking at your seller feedback, I endorse your decision. 

[malijaya_gn6jx0b]

sorry to here this brother 😓 im trying to start selling on ebay and im scared now

[malijaya_gn6jx0b]

this is the kindness we all are want right now thank grandma

[malijaya_gn6jx0b]

when is his profile i dont think he is over here in 15 years? anyone see that?

but sorry to here this brother get a rest and come again?

[wrong66]

You're telling a prospective seller not to sell here, yet you currently have over 700 things listed?

[edtrade99]

I will be posting my own horror story as a seller in next few days, dealing with a buyer who was dumb enuff to warn me he was going to screw me , and still Ebay sided with the buyer. Details coming.

[mr_lincoln]

@crimsonguard2000   You must be selling on a different account, this one has nothing for sale and a low FB count for that longevity.  But if what you say is true, 15 years without a neg FB is really, really good.  But for myself it would be hard to imagine going that many years without some type of FB ding from a bad Buyer ... I've had 2 less than Positive FBs in just over 5 years but avoided several more by using the Free Returns setting which has some financial benefits as well as protection against less than Positive FB ... I have only had to use the full features of that setting twice for Buyers abusing the return policy.

In your case that setting would have allowed you to withhold ALL of the original shipping paid, 50% of the original item price and prevented anything less than Positive FB in the case of a return.  I was leery of the setting when eBay first came out with it, thinking returns would sky rocket ... so I tested it on lower weight - lower priced items and nothing happened.  Now I pretty much use it on everything I sell and as mentioned, only had to protect myself twice from abusive returns.

In any event, I just thought I would share that ...

[*smedley*]

 

[narby1120]

I am so sorry this happened to you. EBay has definitely changed since I first started selling on here. 

[maxine*j]

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@inhawaii wrote:

If i had a nickel for every angry seller who came here and claimed they were leaving ebay ..... i'd have about $17.   😉

Good luck to you in the future and stay safe.

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Only $17?   That sounds low, to me.  I think you may have miscounted.   🙃

[flippinlunatik]

I am in the process of leaving ebay after 23 years.  I had 100% feedback until this past year when it appears scammers continue to come out of the woodwork.  I have repeatedly contacted ebay and they continue to side with scammer buyers.  A few months ago, a buyer wanted to return a jacket.  Though I don't take- and never HAD to take- returns, the buyer took 30 days to return the jacket.  It literally had holes in it and stunk to high heaven with perfume.  The  buyer obviously wore the jacket for a month, ruined it and returned it to me at the last minute.  I called ebay,   I provided them with photos of the item when returned along with my original listing photos of the item.  EBAY SIDED WITH THE BUYER-  said they couldn't prove that the buyer ruined the item.  Are you kidding me?  More recently I had a buyer that was international and claimed the item I sent them didn't work.  The item worked perfectly and was like new.  They refused to send it back.  It was obvious that they just wanted money.  I looked up other reviews they left and they did the same thing.  I asked ebay to remove the false review and they refused- even after my 23 year 100% feedback reputation.  Just had a buyer request a refund for an item listed in EUC both in the title and description.  He wants to return it because he said that I said it was listed as NEW.  Are you kidding me -again?  It was literally listed in the title and description as pre-owned.  I had another buyer claim the item I sold them was in terrible condition.  The item was an expensive special tactical jacket by Arc'tyrex.  It was in like new condition.  He asked for a refund directly and provided fake photos of a DIFFERENT jacket (very similar) in bright light. The jacket I sold him was specially made and NOT the same jacket.  Knowing I could have gotten more money than he paid, I said I would give him a refund after he sent  the jacket back.  He refused to send it back and asked for half the money back because of the "terrible" condition.  I requested the jacket back 3 times and he refused to send it,  instead leaving me terrible feedback.  I then found out that he specialized in Arc'tyrex jackets and knew this was a special jacket- just wanted some of his purchase price back.  I refused.  A few weeks later, I found the special jacket listed for hundreds more in "like new" condition.  After 3 calls to ebay asking them to remove the false feedback and continuing to provide evidence that he flipped the jacket and just wanted money back, ebay finally relented in removing the false feedback, but I had to jump through hoops and prove he relisted the rare jacket in excellent condition.  What the hell has happened to ebay?  Sellers are the ones paying the bills,  not the buyers.  I had 4 instances in the last year where I got totally screwed by ebay.  I cannot believe I am finally realizing I need to sell on another platform.  23 years... wow.  Ironically a few years back, a seller never even tried to send an item I paid for- to the tune of $129.   Did ebay refund my money?  Hell no.  Should have quit selling back then.