Ebay has sunk to new lows - "final value fee, off ebay transaction"

[lamusicsupply]

I have been a seller on ebay since 2000. 19 years I have had the same account. I have sold $10,000 guitars, and lots of expensive things. Never had an issue. Until now. I am being charged a final value fee of $750 for an item I did not even sell, simply based on the fact that a potential buyer gave me his phone number in a message. I believe ebay has become as low as they can, stooping to the level of thievery, and using a made up excuse that they believe you sold an item outside of ebay. And they think I am going to allow this? Ebay has lost their mind if they think I am ever going to sell anything again on their site or pay them anything. Oh will they take me to collections? That is fine, I have zero credit and I keep it that way, and have had many other collections placed on me that went nowhere. Cmon ebay you need to step your game up and start charging people just to look at items on your site, or better yet, why dont you create a membership fee just to join ebay? If you are going to be low life criminals, at least do it on a much bigger level.

[mit1999]

Did you remove the listing from ebay?

[ryanrobyn]

This does not mean anything. I had problem and called Ebay to tell them item number and was told they don't do this but a bot does so they have no control so they couldn't help me. I even told them to read the reply from me saying that it is against Ebay rules to add personal id info. I agree that Ebay does this because they are so greedy for the final value fee and item and shipping. A seller has NO control what comes via their messages and Ebay is fully aware of this.

[nc-daydreamer]

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@mit1999 wrote:

Did you remove the listing from ebay?

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@mit1999 

Just for future reference, does this make a difference? I have some local pick up listings. Do I need to remove them and put them on Facebook instead? What the OP experienced is purely wrong! They make a million $ a day legitimately, why do they have to do this nonsense?  Thanks for a reply.

[nc-daydreamer]

@lamusicsupply 

Sorry this happened to you - it IS so WRONG!! Wish I knew of an answer for you.

[mit1999]

From what I have always understood if someone inquires about an item then the seller suddenly ends it, ebay will assume you sold it off line and will charge you their fee.

With pickup the item is sold and ebay gets its cut,  then you trade information, but not before.

[lamusicsupply]

I ended the listing because a friend of mine wanted the item. The sell of the item had nothing to do with ebay. I have no problems paying a fee if I sell something on ebay. I have always payed my fees. But to hit me with $750 for something that didn't even sell on their site, well that's a little criminal to me. And if they are going to have rules like this, they should apply them to everyone. Go look at any car for sale on ebay, especially mercedes, literally every car listing has the sellers phone number in it, and I am sure many of those cars are sold locally from those sellers listing their numbers, yet ebay does nothing at all to go after them. Probably because there are so many sellers doing it they would lose so much service/money on their site. So they go after individuals who they think "may" have sold an item outside of ebay. They obviously have to come up with low life practices like this because they are suffering financially in someway, and looking for another way to create revenue.

[cashvaluerecovery2011]

Sick stuff. Par for the course.

[mit1999]

I read about this in one of their updates or weekly chats.  I guess people were trying to cut ebay out of their fees so this was instituted.

So yes those two actions alerted ebay and that is why they charged you a fee.  It might have been a coincidence but as far as they are concerned, it was listed on ebay, someone inquired about it,  it was then removed, and they are owed their fee for its sale.

[lamusicsupply]

They are out of their mind if they think they are getting a penny from me. I laugh at collection agencys.

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out for them when someone takes it to court and says "prove it".

[pburn]

I think that's a great move to let your account go to collections.

[nc-daydreamer]

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@mit1999 wrote:

From what I have always understood if someone inquires about an item then the seller suddenly ends it, ebay will assume you sold it off line and will charge you their fee.

With pickup the item is sold and ebay gets its cut,  then you trade information, but not before.

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This is insane. I for one will never buy a pick up again. If I can't see it before I buy it, especially an item more than 20$, I am not doing it. Last local pick up I did (a couple of years ago) was no issue.  Worked like a car sale - the info was in the details, I went to see it and ought it. And what happens when the sale is done their way and then the buyer does not want it?? And how does a sale like this - if they buy before they try - mean a refund, a cancellation and then a defect? Wow.  Thanks.

[ed8108]

Did you provide ebay a notarized sworn statement from your friend who made the purchase that ebay had nothing to do with the sale ?

[lamusicsupply]

I don't think they care. This is the same company that would usually always side with fraudulent buyers and would not listen to a word a seller said. waste of time. in fact I called customer service and hung up on the lady as soon as she said something like our policy states. these are not humans. They are robots who answer the phone and read everything off a script. I knew something was going south when I left a seller a negative review a few months ago and he had it removed by ebay, and my review had nothing offensive about it, and when I called them they didn't want to listen to a word I said.