03-11-2021 04:35 PM
I am so frustrated - I have been on here since the beginning and had a situation with a return that was unusual and I needed guidance on working it out so I was not the once to get screwed since the lady returned a completely different item than what I sold her. I called in to ebay because once they see it was delivered you have a short window of time to issue the refund or they do it automatically. The customer service rep insisied there was only one way to handle it and I questioned him knowing this was not going to work out in my favor but he insisted that if I did what he told me to do he was going to handle it while I was on the phone with him. He documented it all so his ill advised instructions are there to be read. He than said he took care of it through the appeals process and that they would reach out to me and ask me for photos of what I received (the item she sent back was a bracelet she had been trying to sell - I found it in her ended listings). He said I would get an email with 24 hours - 15 minutes later I got an email saying that I handled it improperly and that they were not going to help me. I called back and was told only a supervisor can help me - that was 5 calls and more than 3 days ago - what is the deal? We are a year into the pandemic and I just cannot tolerate the excuse "we are all working from home and we cannot transfer calls" - somehow my call got transferred to the customer rep sitting in his house? When the CS reps read what the guy told me to do they laugh and they say that they cannot believe he told me to do that! How am I supposed to get help? I cannot sit around waiting for the phone to ring 24 hours a day? Why cannot I not speak to someone when it is somewhat convenient for me? This is rediculous - any ideas how to expedite being contacted by someone that can actually help me?
03-11-2021 04:50 PM
IMHO the idea that a "supervisor" can help you is a myth.
If there were a magic process for a seller to defeat a fraudulent return, this message board would be filled with posts detailing the step-by-step process for accomplishing it.
The pictures you are hoping to upload will only prove one thing - that you are capable of uploading pictures. They do not prove what you shipped, what the buyer received, or what the buyer returned.
If all it took was a picture for a seller to win a dispute, then fraudulent sellers would drive eBay out of business in a matter of weeks.
03-11-2021 04:51 PM
Lately I've been doing through facebook. I'm not a facebooker. I created a facebook account just to talk to ebay CS.
I log in, leave them a facebook message with my info and my issue, then check back in an hour or so and my reply will be waiting. Sometimes i will need to message back, sometimes not.
Good luck and stay safe!
03-11-2021 04:59 PM
I'm afraid that there is no one who can help you, once the scam has reached this stage there is nothing that can be done to stop it. Should you fail to refund the buyer eBay will do it for you using your money and they will give you a nasty defect for your troubles. Calling CS is an exercise in futility and they will tell you anything to get you off of the phone. The bottom is that you should expect to lose 1 - 2% of your sales to fraud and theft, similar to what Brick & Mortar stores lose.
03-11-2021 05:12 PM
Don't know if it is too late now, but since you are a TRS you had the option of issuing a 50% partial refund. Should have done that to stop the clock and then started the appeal process.
03-11-2021 05:50 PM
You're absolutely right, from what we've seen. The only problem with your answer, and the real problem with eBay now, is that the 1-2% you find acceptable is no longer just 1-2%.
In the past three weeks we have had five fraudulent return requests - from people who clearly didn't read the listing's description at all - or simply knew that (as one eBay scammer told us) "you know eBay always gives cases to the buyer, don't you" right after he threatened giving a negative feedback because we refused to accept his buyer's remorse return. Seven different reps had read the listing and communications, and all agreed with us. Yet eBay didn't find us having done anything wrong, but PAID THE SCAMMER AND LET HIM KEEP THE MERCHANDISE AS WELL. We also explained that the buyer use using a false name - and they found he'd been banned from eBay previously - but started a new account with a false name because hey, eBay is a great place to scam sellers, and he didn't want to miss out on anything!
Ebay has taken that 1-2% supposedly lost by B&M stores and successfully grown it into a 22-28% rate, all the while wondering why sellers are leaving.
And now we just found they haven't been remitting the state sales taxes they've been collecting! Imagine that - theft from the government!
03-11-2021 06:06 PM - edited 03-11-2021 06:07 PM
what is the deal?
@apsolutions
Basically, the deal is this:
There is no seller protection for false claims of "item not described."
There is no seller protection for "faulty returns".
Therefore, since you had no seller protection for either occurrence, ebay is not going to help you. They might sympathize with you and the problem you are having to make you feel better, but they are unable to do anything to help with your monetary loss. Talking to someone else at ebay CS is not going to change the outcome, supervisor or not.
The return system here is an automated process. The outcome is pre-determined the second the buyer files a "not as described" dispute. Returning something other than what you sent does in no way prevent the buyer from getting refunded from your proceeds. eBay CS doesn't consider pictures, they don't read messages, your description doesn't matter, and what is in the parcel coming back to you is of no consequence.
As suggested, because you are a TRS you may be eligible to only provide a 50% refund. That way you only get half ripped off, unlike the rest of us in this situation.
What ebay expects you to do now:
Refund the buyer
Report the buyer
Appeal the decision
Be advised that this is appears to be automated as well, with your appeal denied message arriving in a few minutes. eBay expects sellers to bear these losses as "part of doing business on the net." I feel strongly that it is more like "part of doing business on ebay".
Just about anything can be had for free (at the seller's expense) on this site with a fraudulent claim. Unfortunately, you are finding out how it is done by being victim of same. By being a seller here, you agree to let ebay decide these issues. And consequently, you agree to become a victim of buyer fraud.
There are still a few things you can do, but calling the same old CS phone lines and/or waiting around for a call back from these people will not accomplish what you have in mind.
03-11-2021 06:25 PM
There are no supervisors. In the CS world they put you on hold for a few minutes and then when the CS agent sitting next to your agent is free they simply pass you to the next person in the line.
And there is no seller protection. Ebay sees it as the "cost of doing business". And if you complain and contest then Ebay will fine you a $20 dispute fee. When the new 1099K limit of $600 goes into effect next year I will be out of here after 22 years of selling.
06-13-2021 11:55 AM
i.how do i put a toilet paper cabnet to gather on ebpk21062516128/w048476727251 from2125 Gateway blvd hebron ky 41048 to me at 16201 allen rd apt 327 southgate mi 48195. just got it on 6/12/21.please help me out.
THANK YOU
GLENN E MERZ JR
02-11-2023 04:53 PM
What are the few things you are speaking of to do? IC3 Internet Fraud Report Should be at least one I know of. I just reported a fraudulent return as the buyer waited 10 days to request a return and sent the item back broken.
02-11-2023 04:54 PM
eBay refunded the buyer and basically lied to me. I'm about ready to close my store.
02-11-2023 05:31 PM