Horrible customer service

[consultusgroup]

Horrible customer service - that describes eBay‘s horrible treatment of their sellers. I had an item sold which was listed as no refunds and was listed accurately. A buyer purchased, opened and then wanted to return the item claiming that it wasn’t listed correctly. Prior to declining the return I reached out to eBay… Three times, twice in chat and once over the phone to confirm that I did not have to accept the return. Well when the buyer lied and claimed that the item did not match the listing, which was a lie, and a question that was brought up during the initial chat, eBay still move forward and approved the return. Not only that in subsequent conversations with eBay I requested that they review the chat history so they can see that they gave me bad information and because of that bad information I now have a defect ranking as a seller. That along with the previous cancellations which were listed as defective, now make it impossible for me to reach top seller status. I might as well as close out my account that I’ve had since 2001 and start a new one. No one from eBay bothered to confirm whether or not they reviewed the chat history to confirm that they gave me the wrong information. That is the absolute worst part about this, they meaning eBay personnel, give me wrong information which I acted upon, which is now costing me money. No wonder people are looking for other platforms to sell.  Oh and get this, the most recent email had the reply button disabled. In other words shut up, we’re done with you, we don’t care what you think. 

[inhawaii]

Sorry, but you can't just make up your own "no refunds" policy. Just because you put "no refunds" in your listing doesn't make it so. Ebay offers a money back guarantee to buyers. If the buyer feels the item is not as described, they will get a refund.   Yes, even if they are not telling the truth.   Ebay will always side with the buyer in cases like this.  Sorry to tell you this, but that's how it is. 

If you accpet the return and pay for return shipping, when you get the item back, the buyer will be refunded by ebay out of your account. You get the item back and can re-sell it.

If the seller does not seend the item back, they will not get a refund. 

If you do not accept the return, ebay will end up refunding the buyer anyways AND the buyer can keep the item. 

You're better off accepting the return. 

Good luck!

[gwzcomps]

eBay CS frequently gives bad advice. Despite what we are told most CS agents are poorly trained. If you are unsure of something have the agent point you to the policy. They rarely can because they have no clue... In the future you will ironically get better support from your fellow sellers for free.

[nuclearomen]

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@consultusgroup wrote:

Horrible customer service - that describes eBay‘s horrible treatment of their sellers. I had an item sold which was listed as no refunds and was listed accurately. A buyer purchased, opened and then wanted to return the item claiming that it wasn’t listed correctly. Prior to declining the return I reached out to eBay… Three times, twice in chat and once over the phone to confirm that I did not have to accept the return. 

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you don't have to accept returns but you have to refund the buyer regardless if you accept returns or not. Ebay policy.

[nuclearomen]

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@inhawaii wrote:

If you accpet the return and pay for return shipping, when you get the item back, the buyer will be refunded by ebay out of your account. You get the item back and can re-sell it.

If the seller does not seend the item back, they will not get a refund. 

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not exactly, once an item is returned to you, seller has 3 days (i think it's still 3 days) to refund buyer or buyer can contact ebay and ebay will then take the money from sellers paypal account if they fail to do so... that also (like other things) disappears with Managed Payments, they will simply take it from sellers balance i believe. But anyways, seller has a few days to issue a refund before ebay will take it currently.  

[mam98031]

Sellers are required to offer a return policy that meets or exceeds the Money Back Guarantee policy.  We have no choice in this matter.

The return policies options are as follows.

1. No Returns
2. 30 day returns w/ buyer pays shipping
3. 60 day returns w/ buyer pays shipping
4. 30 day returns w/ seller pays shipping, AKA Free Returns
5. 60 day returns w/ seller pays shipping. AKA Free Returns

With option number 1, No Returns the seller can completely deny taking a return for a Buyer's Remorse Return Request.  Or if they want to they can accept the return and have the buyer pay the return shipping.  If the seller so chooses they can withhold the original shipping if it was separately stated on the listing [not free shipping] when it is time to refund the buyer.

On options 2 & 3 the buyer is responsible for the return shipping on a Buyer's Remorse Return.  Plus if the seller so chooses they can withhold the original shipping if it was separately stated on the listing [not free shipping] when it is time to refund the buyer. As of October 1st 2019, sellers that are TRS have some additional protections as well as they can issue partial refunds if they options 2 or 3 as their return policy.

On options 4 & 5 above, they are also known as Free Returns.  If a seller that has either of those policies they will pay the return shipping even on a buyer's remorse return.  A seller can withhold the original shipping value from the refund if the shipping was separately stated in the listing [not free shipping].  Also Seller’s offering options 4 or 5 have the ability to do partial refunds in certain cases if the item arrives back damaged, missing something or in a condition less than what it was sent to the buyer in, see the policy for more details, the link is below.  In the cases where a deduction in the refund is taken due to damage or other authorized reasons for a partial refund, Ebay will protect the seller from negative or neutral feedback.

ALL OPTIONS [1, 2, 3, 4 and 5] are required to process SNAD claims without exception.  Even if they are improperly filed and should have been a Buyer’s Remorse claim.

All return policies by sellers must meet or exceed what is stated in the Money Back Guarantee Policy!

For those with Free Return and/or TRS members with 30 day return policies, there are some added benefits, one of which is the ability to do a discounted refund under certain conditions.

[heakal-54]

What do you mean "no refunds," how were you planning to enforce that?

[penguins_dont_fly]

I just wanted to add to this ...

As others have said, "No Returns" is for remorse reasons only.

Buyers are covered by the eBay MBG for Items Not as Described (INAD).

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy... 

Just for reference, these are the reasons that eBay gives to a buyer in the dropdown return menu: (pink are MBG/INAD, black are remorse)

Doesn't fit
Changed my mind
Found a better price
Just didn't like it
Ordered by mistake
Doesn't work or defective
Doesn't match description or photos
Wrong item sent
Missing parts or pieces
Arrived damaged
Doesn't seem authentic

[nuclearomen]

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@heakal-54 wrote:

What do you mean "no refunds," how were you planning to enforce that?

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sadly, this is something i read on these boards on a weekly basis... if they mean no returns or not that wording is not attractive to buyers and a attraction for rip off buyers. Especially new sellers who seem to think that because they have a "policy" of no returns that should mean no refunds as well but everyone selling on ebay for any amount of worth while time understands that the sellers policy means squat, ebay policy rules supreme. When it comes to returns, not always worth having everything returned, maybe cause the item is worthless in actual value, maybe cause of shipping cost it's not worth the price of the return. So no, don't have to accept returns, but do have to refund. IMO it's better to just set returns accepted on account, set your auto approve reasons, refund when the item comes in, and move on, relist and resell if possible. 

[heakal-54]

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@nuclearomen wrote:

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@heakal-54 wrote:

What do you mean "no refunds," how were you planning to enforce that?

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sadly, this is something i read on these boards on a weekly basis... if they mean no returns or not that wording is not attractive to buyers and a attraction for rip off buyers. Especially new sellers who seem to think that because they have a "policy" of no returns that should mean no refunds as well but everyone selling on ebay for any amount of worth while time understands that the sellers policy means squat, ebay policy rules supreme. When it comes to returns, not always worth having everything returned, maybe cause the item is worthless in actual value, maybe cause of shipping cost it's not worth the price of the return. So no, don't have to accept returns, but do have to refund. IMO it's better to just set returns accepted on account, set your auto approve reasons, refund when the item comes in, and move on, relist and resell if possible. 

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Two things come to mind...

1.  The human affinity or ability to connect returns with refunds as if they were one and the same.  Clearly they are not but I too struggled with this initially... My mind always figured, if you don't want to give out refunds then you don't accept returns, simple.

I feel this is a problem with our world in general, we learn this through our lifetime and it is so ingrained in our minds that it can be difficult to separate the two later (like now).

2.  Ebay's lack of transparency in this regard, I feel this may well be intentional as it continues through every step of the process (as well as inflicting other areas). To me ebay has an innate knack of slipping you the oopsie and then acting like what is wrong, are you ok?

Ebay should make it clear to the seller that no returns does not mean no refunds, and be upfront about it.

This community has come a long ways in this regard, I can recall a time when the community was just as bad as ebay when it came to Snad MBG "No returns." A good ten years ago they'd suggest you fight it and then appeal it, someone had to have known that wouldn't work but they kept doing it over and over.

Like here, we're going to teach you this one the hard way...

These were the kind of fights I got into, things had to change if we were to survive, the resistance to change was incredible.

[nuclearomen]

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@heakal-54 wrote:

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2.  Ebay's lack of transparency in this regard, I feel this may well be intentional as it continues through every step of the process (as well as inflicting other areas).

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lol... Ebay's of idea/rules of "transparency" is lack as much factual information as possible, make all information available through help wrong or just explain in the most horrible and confusing wording possible, and then train every CS agent to just self interpret what it means to them so every CS has a different answer. 

[ed8108]

Should there be a courtesy warning ?

Do you want a conspicuous disclaimer stating that ebay is not held responsible for any harm resulting from any misinformation provided to you by our eBay customer support dept.?

[nuclearomen]

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@ed8108 wrote:

Should there be a courtesy warning ?

Do you want a disclaimer stating that ebay is not held responsible for any harm resulting from any misinformation provided to you by eBay customer support?

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would suggest you think i was harmed... do you want to be provided misinformation on issue(s) you may need answer towards from CS would be the better question, could bet the answer will be no. 

[mam98031]

A No Return policy on a listing by any seller does not mean no REFUNDS.  It means that the seller does not want returns.  A completely different thing.

[besb3]

I can do you one better than that.  I have been a Seller for 18 years and Top Rated since the Top Rating was started.  Last Sunday, all of a Sudden, after 18 years, I am Below Standard. Of course I quit checking my Seller Dashboard Regularly because I have always had 100% Feedback, and when an Item is returned, I refund the seller.  I was switched to Managed Pay the last of August, and that is where problems began, which I was unaware of at the time. A Seller returned an item, I went to give her a refund, and found I couldn't click the button to send her the refund because it was grayed out on my computer.  After attempting many times that day to send her a refund, I called Customer Service & told them the problem. I got the standard Answer from CS "NO PROBLEM, we are Happy to Help you with This".  They refunded the money to the Seller and I thought no more about it.  Then in October, the same thing happened again, and again I called Customer Service.  While Customer Service was helping me, they were also giving me Defects, because when they sent the customer the refund, they were saying that although I had promised the customer a refund, I refused to send it, so they did.  Now, I am Below Standard, and my items are buried.  When I list an item, it starts pages back, instead of the first page as it has always done. I have called Ebay numerous times, and although it has been a week tomorrow, it still isn't fixed.  The Defects have been removed, but that does Nothing as long as the Performance rating is Below Standard.  Now they are saying - it takes time to Manually Remove the Below Standard. I have gotten asnwers 24-48 hrs, 48-72 hrs, 3-5 days, all have pasted and still nothing  Everyone says something different, and in the meantime, on Black Friday and Saturday, I am below standard so the chances of my items being seen, are slim to nothing. Ebay sees where the problem Originated, & still hasn't fixed it other than they say they have removed the defects.