eBay

discounts4days · ‎06-22-2024

I recently sold an item (with a different ID), received a PayPal payment and got ready to ship the item when to my surprise I saw the Buyer lived less than a mile from me! The Buyer had actually not noticed my location and was expecting the item to be shipped to her. Since she was local it would work out much better for me to hand deliver the extremely large oversized package directly to her. Although delivering the item to her would save me the shipping cost and provide a quicker delivery it would of course not allow me to add a tracking number for the delivery.

Remembering that both PayPal and eBay require a tracking number for Seller Protection I spoke to the Buyer and she suggested that I refund the order due to incorrect payment method and then deliver the item personally to allow Cash payment upon delivery.

I confirmed this was appropriate with an eBay representative and later that same day I delivered the item and received payment as planned. The next morning the Buyer left a positive feedback and even stated that the local delivery had worked out much better for her because she was handicapped and I was able to bring the large item inside her house. A delivery service would have simply dropped the package outside her door.

Now the problems begin! A couple days later I wake up to a defect for an “out-of-stock” cancellation! Apparently, eBay Bots incorrectly determined that I canceled the order! Obviously, that is incorrect and my feedback proves that.

Thinking this issue would be quickly resolved I entered a “Request to Remove Defect” with eBay and within an hour my request was denied.

I’m now seeking advice to determine the correct steps to follow to get this corrected. There are those who would recommend I simply live with it. They need not reply as the whole point is that I feel I should never have received the defect in the first place!

Any other suggestions would be welcomed and greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

fern*wood · ‎06-22-2024

When you refunded the buyer you did cancel the transaction & were refunded all the fees owed to ebay for this sale. So ebay considered this an off site sale bypassing paying the fees. I understand you feel you weren't doing anything wrong, but you actually didn't handle this correctly & have to understand ebay wants to be paid. Phone in reps are notorious for giving bad advice.

Having an item with no tracking is far better than an out of stock cancellation.

discounts4days · ‎06-22-2024

Yeah, I get it but it seems eBay:

1. Would want fees associated with the transaction.
2. Would realize that I completed the sale AND I expect to pay the appropriate fees.

3. Could easily confirm by my Feedback that the item was a local sale.
4. Would realize my actions were taken specifically to assure the Buyer’s satisfaction.

5. Could easily confirm that in my 25 years on eBay that I have never received a defect for out-of-stock.

It's also very disconcerting that with the current system a Seller in my position has 2 choices when dealing with a local sale:

1. Take a defect for failure to provide a tracking number

2. Lose Seller protection for “Item not Received” when a payment method that requires shipping/tracking isn’t used which could result in either loss of the funds, loss of the item or both.

3. Take a defect for “Out-of-Stock” when refunding a PayPal/eBay payment to allow local payment!

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t!

My next question is, If I appeal this will I be able to speak to a person directly? Or am I doomed to a “Bot (fly)” infection.

A human could determine immediately what happened and remedy it. A Bot will most certainly deny the appeal automatically!

Also, what procedure should I have followed to complete the sale without tracking to both comply with eBay policy and not risk losing Seller Protections and of course not receive defects for either O-o-S or lack of tracking. Since eBay offers Sellers a choice to offer Local Pickup there should be a way to comply with policies even if the Buyer doesn’t realize the Seller is local until after the payment is made!

Currently, this seems like a classic “ Catch 22” situation with a company which NO interest in providing their Sellers (and Buyers) an equitable solution!

HELP!

mtgraves7984 · ‎06-22-2024

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t!

Also, what procedure should I have followed to complete the sale without tracking to both comply with eBay policy and not risk losing Seller Protections and of course not receive defects for either O-o-S or lack of tracking. Since eBay offers Sellers a choice to offer Local Pickup there should be a way to comply with policies even if the Buyer doesn’t realize the Seller is local until after the payment is made!

@discounts4days

I would think that cancelling the initial order (Problems with buyer's address/Buyer requested) and relisting offering Local Pickup would have worked. (At least you'd not have an OOS...)

tobaccocardyahoo · ‎06-22-2024

Cancellations are a simple and objective means of evaluating seller performance.

You want to complicate it in ways which serve your convenience as well as in your case the buyer.

You want an exception which is hard to define and verify.

Your position is at odds with Ebay's goal.

I resent the fact that the cancellation dings stay around for a year, since in many cases I was able to find the item for orders I cancelled and sell it to the buyer, but I recognize that a simple, stupid policy with no exceptions puts all sellers on the same footing, and is less likely to be gamed by some sellers.

The site is too large, there are too many sellers for any fair system to require human intervention. You had a chance to get the buyer to cancel the first order and apparently did not.