eBay

thingssetaside · ‎11-09-2018

I am a seller on e-bay. I have been a seller for at least 4 years now. They have been changing their website and making it harder to make choices that are what you want (i.e. the will try to make you pay more for shipping because it is faster, or lower your items price when you do not want to, or make it harder to do a refund ). The root of the probelm is that e-bay is trying to sell your items, but they do not care if it benefits you. I did a refund for a buyer. I wanted them to ship my item back so I can look at it and make sure it was the same as it left. I clicked on ship first then refund. The next button I clicked (which was the next question in the sequence of questions to choose) ended up giving the buyer a full refund with not obligation to return the item. Ebay said it was my fault. I say it is confusing to use and not as user friendly. I also called ebay to discuss my confusion. The assistent kept saying the same thing to me., "Ask the buyer if they will return the item at their own cost." They will not do that. This is not the first time I have felt upset about how ebay is less user friendly. I do not have alot of time for this. Still with not much time on my hand I still think I will switch to poshmark. In the future I will save time on a easier to use and helpful website.

mam98031 · ‎11-10-2018

It can be very frustrating when dealing with claims. Many sellers have made the same mistake you did. The instructions are on the screen, but sometimes we just assume we know what it says or just don't take the time to actually read the screen completely. Either way it lends to issues such as you had with your return.

It is all a learning experience and I hope it didn't cost you too much money. Next time you get a claim you will know what not to do.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

lewisburggold · ‎11-10-2018

Learning curve. Best regards

rainbowcolorz · ‎11-10-2018

@thingssetaside wrote:
I am a seller on e-bay. I have been a seller for at least 4 years now. They have been changing their website and making it harder to make choices that are what you want (i.e. the will try to make you pay more for shipping because it is faster, or lower your items price when you do not want to, or make it harder to do a refund ). The root of the probelm is that e-bay is trying to sell your items, but they do not care if it benefits you. I did a refund for a buyer. I wanted them to ship my item back so I can look at it and make sure it was the same as it left. I clicked on ship first then refund. The next button I clicked (which was the next question in the sequence of questions to choose) ended up giving the buyer a full refund with not obligation to return the item. Ebay said it was my fault. I say it is confusing to use and not as user friendly. I also called ebay to discuss my confusion. The assistent kept saying the same thing to me., "Ask the buyer if they will return the item at their own cost." They will not do that. This is not the first time I have felt upset about how ebay is less user friendly. I do not have alot of time for this. Still with not much time on my hand I still think I will switch to poshmark. In the future I will save time on a easier to use and helpful website.

I'm sorry to see you had to go through this experience.

That said, eBay does not sell my items. I list them for sale on eBay's website/platform and provide extremely detailed info and usually 12 photos. In the 7 or so years here as a seller, I have never had to refund a buyer nor have I had a claim.

I don't have a lot of time to waste either, which is why I make sure my listing descriptions are very detailed, and the photos shown are of every angle possible.

Oh, and IMO, eBay has a ton of regard for their *buyers*.

castlemagicmemories · ‎11-10-2018

The option to have chosen was return and refund. It sounds like you just chose refund?

I hope that wasn't a costly mistake. In fact, I am not surprised that the rep told you to contact the buyer to see if they will send it back to you, because that really isn't their responsibility~and the buyer has no responsibility to do so since refund was chosen. Refunding signifies the transaction is over, but possibly you would get an upstanding buyer who would send it back as a favor to you. I'm surprised they suggested that, too, because it seems to go against Ebay policy of not asking a buyer for more money post sale.

I understand you don't have a lot of time~so it would make sense to continue here since you have acquired more knowledge of how it works here, and you will have to start at block one elsewhere, but of course your time, your call.

Wishing you good luck.