eBay

gooddealtom · ‎11-16-2017

SUMMARY: The way I used to sell, I put USPS insurance on the item ($100 sale or more), which I provided, and if the item was damaged during shipping (never happened), buyer would have to go thru the USPS process to get a refund, (and if they made up a story they were lying to the Gov't- not good). Now, if I have my info correct, buyer makes a claim to eBay or PayPal for a return/refund, and without any proof by buyer to eBay or PayPal, money gets removed from my account and returned to buyer (if I don't voluntarily issue a refund). If I accept returns, I have to pay for shipping if buyer claims the item was damaged upon delivery. If I don't accept returns, eBay or PayPal issues a refund, and the item doesn't get returned. Almost anything counts for "not as described", so it doesn't make any difference how many photos I've previously taken or how well I have described the item in my description. Do I have all this about right?

IN DETAIL: Hello everyone- I've been a part time seller of antiques and collectables since 2004, and have been away from it here on eBay for a couple of years. My track record includes 400+ sales and never a negative feedback. (I would say 1 to 2 % of sales included retracted bids, nonpayers and trouble-makers). EBay policies had always covered me in the past so I avoided any permanent negative feedback.

I had usually done this during the winter only, and had learned a while back that when you take a break selling on eBay, you have to update yourself yearly on changes before you start again, which used to and still do (apparently) happen frequently.

Here's the concern- the eBay money back guarantee for "damaged during shipping items" or "item not as described" really worries me. That is, a buyer seems to be able to get a refund for anything, no matter what, including shipping, just by clicking on the right reason box. It makes no difference what my policies are. EBay, according to the many discussions I have read, will always side with the buyer no matter what the details of the situation. Items I sell are older, used, sometimes not at all "like new" condition, sometimes heavy and awkward and relatively expensive to ship ($50+). My descriptions are well articulated with all well done corresponding numbered photos with arrows. In the normal course of events it would be difficult for anyone to claim that a description of mine was inadequate. But this IS eBay- money trumps logic and reason. I do not take a couple of photos and tell buyers that the photos are the description. That's **bleep**.

A recent discussion post a few days old (11-15-2017) explained that an eBay rep on a phone inquiry explained that if your item is insured through USPS, a buyer must go through that USPS process of a claim first, before being reimbursed by eBay for "item not as described" due to damage during shipping. Has anyone heard anything like this? Are there any written policies to this effect that someone can point me towards before I describe that policy in my listings?

Is there anything I am missing in my review of this "seller-eats-it" policy? That is, the way I read it, if a seller does not accept returns and pay the return shipping, a disgruntled or otherwise inadequate buyer can simply damage the item (in my case, perhaps a $600 antique bottle), and claim damage in shipping, to which eBay or PayPal automatically sides with the buyer and takes $ out of my seller's account. Is there something I am missing here?

Thanks in advance for any reply.

holycowsincanada2011 · ‎11-16-2017

@sam9876 wrote:
Since it is a $549 package of books, I would use Priority Mail so it isn't in the mail stream for a week or two with Media Mail.

actually you have a point. Would it be ok to ship one order in two priority mail flat rate boxes with two different tracking numbers. It would cost me more than twice what I would pay for media mail, which has never taken more than 5 business days so far for my shippings. My last two shipments to Hawaii were sent over two weeks back, and are still stuck in SFO - I realise now sending anything to Hawaii by media mail is a mistake.

sam9876 · ‎11-16-2017

I would think that all five books in one box might be less expensive than two flat rate boxes, but I don't know the exact weights of the books.

ted_200 · ‎11-16-2017

I didn't read all that, but yes.

eBay will tell buyer to return to you, eBay will NOT require buyer to do anything in regards to your insurance coverage, even if returning it to you invalidates your insurance, and you get to give a full refund and pay for the return shipping too. So, unless your buyer voluntarily helps you out with the insurance claim (and eBay will tell them not to), your USPS insurance is useless.

The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.

castlemagicmemories · ‎11-16-2017

Sort of.

If you don't take returns, you can still ask for the item to be returned for refund.

If it is a snad, you pay return shipping. If it is not a SNAD, and you want to accept the return, the buyer pays return shipping.

Yes, a buyer can damage it and claim it came that way, sadly.

But the rep who said buyer must go through USPS insurance first was misinformed. The MBG protects the buyer, and the insurance protects you, the seller. You are responsible to refund the buyer, and the USPS insurance is responsible for refunding you, if they find your packing adequate.

But most transactions go off successfully. However, you are wise to be prepared with a thorough knowledge of how things work and any changed thereof.

luckythewinner · ‎11-16-2017

@holycowsincanada2011 wrote:
@luckythewinner wrote:

If you do not offer eBay returns, the buyer cannot make an eBay return.

I would like some clarification about this. If my listing says "no returns", I was under the impression that the buyer still HAD to return the item to get a refund (unless I specifically state that item need not be returned). Also, if it's a remorse return, I may choose not to refund the buyer at all. Of course, if it's a SNAD claim, then I pay for return shipping and refund 100%.

if the above is not true, that I should be spending the next few hours changing all my listings 😞

Like the OP, you are using th word "return" ambiguously.

An eBay return is the situation where a seller offers an eBay return policy, and the buyer requests to return an item for a refund.

If you do not offer an eBay return policy, the buyer cannot request an eBay return - but he can file an eBay dispute for "significantly not as described".

If you do not offer an eBay return policy and the buyer files an eBay dispute, the seller can respond to that dispute and require the buyer to ship the item back to the seller (notice that I avoided using the word 'return' at the end of that last sentence 🙂 )

But if you do not respond to the dispute in a timely manner and ask eBay to step in, they all bets are off because you are agreeing to let eBay resolve the dispute in whatever way they want.