I've been a member here since 1998. Buyer and seller. 100% +ve feedback.
I recently purchased 3 items (one listing) where one was SNAD. The seller admitted they should not have specified it was "in excellent condition". Yet they refused to correct the issue. I was very surprised.
I told them I'd give them a final chance to make things right before I left feedback, they told me if I left negative feedback they would report me for "feedback extortion".
I did leave negative feedback. Within 5 minutes of leaving it I had an email from eBay "eBay policy breach: Feedback Extortion; the feedback you left has been removed".
I contacted eBay customer service and amazingly got someone who seemed competent. Without me ever asking they told me they had reviewed the messages between the seller and I and informed me that my feedback was legitimate, the sellers report was invalid and they were filing a case to have the feedback reinstated and I'd hear back within 24/48 hours.
Of course 5 days have passed and I've heard nothing. I contacted them again today, this time the agent was not so good. They muttered something about the case being "pending" but they were so unsure of what they were saying I wasn't going to rely on it.
They did press me to file a case. They filed it on my behalf requesting a return but in the text they said I wanted a partial refund for the one item that was SNAD. They assured me the seller would issue the refund.
I told them this was unlikely based on their intransigence.
Shortly after I get an email "The seller has asked eBay Customer Service to review this case and make a final decision" followed 5 minutes later by an inexplicable message saying:
"You were issued a refund. We understand that you have returned your item because it wasn't as expected. We've issued you a refund for both purchase price and the shipping costs. There was concern that this item was returned to the seller in a different condition than how it was shipped. As a courtesy for this case, you have been issued a full refund by eBay. For future returns please ensure that the item is returned in same condition as it was received"
So was the seller dinged for this? I find it hard to believe eBay covered the cost.
This message is so bizarre as clearly nothing was returned. I continue to be amazed at eBay as when you think about it most disputes must fall into a couple of dozen groupings. It's not rocket science yet their agents make it feel like it is.
