Live support down?

[vtgbeersigns]

Anyone else having a problem contacting ebay through phone ?  Won't let me contact support.  Long story short I as a seller was scammed , illegal return , large $1200 back to me destroyed they refunded buyer in full I'm out $1400 no insurance on return label from ebay 

[pburn]

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@vtgbeersigns wrote:

Anyone else having a problem contacting ebay through phone ?

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Live support has been all but non-existent since March or so. You can try the other avenues of reaching customer service:

• Follow all appropriate prompts from Help & Contact page linked on every eBay webpage. If there's a "Have us call you" option, that's been successful for sellers, depending on the wait time.
• Via private message on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/ebayforbusiness
• Via direct message on Twitter: www.twitter.com/askebay

Good luck.

[vtgbeersigns]

I used to be able to call them after going thru live chat etc , now can only email.  I got totally screwed on a very expensive item, ofcourse the buyer knows how to cheat the system and force ebay to auto return and refund.  Sales have plummeted, this is turning into a burden rather than hobby 

[zanmart]

Contact them via Facebook on eBay for Business. I've had pretty good luck with communicating with them and resolving issues there

[pburn]

@vtgbeersigns 

You may have been able to call them in the past, but if all you can do now is email them, go ahead and email them. Or use the Facebook or Twitter links I provided above. 

I read your original post, and the details were pretty sketchy; for example, what is an "illegal return?" Did the buyer open a case with eBay? If so, for what reason? How did you respond to the case (if filed)? Did you approve the return? Did you provide a return label? If you did, did you include insurance on the package?

Really, some unemotional, straightforward detail would be helpful if you'd like community members to help you.

[vtgbeersigns]

They bought a very large expensive item , I reluctantly gave them $50 discount , they get it , mind you I have 12 pictures and video , description says scratched and minor wear , a 50 year old motion bud carousel.   He gets it , says the bulb isn't working properly , I offer partial refund for bulb if bad and instructions how to change , he comes back and says I misrepreset the item it's all scratched up , light not working refuses to look at bulb and requests return for defective item wants full refund.  I open up request , as I didn't want to accept but ebay will make me anyway due to reason , and I'm scrolling and it automatically accepts return.  Ebay says they can't do anything , send label and tell buyer I won't refund if damaged.  I get it back and it's all smashed up, improperly packed , ebay provided label has no insurance even though I paid for $999 insurance to get it him and cost $150 in shipping and materials .  I try to fight full refund , ebay says 20% only I call they tell me to click every defect for 50% no go.  So I did 20% rather than full And appeal because I know what's it's gone its gone.  Today buyer appeals 20% with another false statement , I threaten legal action thru small claims because the dollar amount , and he flips out calls eBay and they auto pay him 20%.  I'm out $200 in shipping and my $1200 item is ruined worth a few hundred in parts.  That's my problem.   

[vtgbeersigns]

And mind you it was well described and photos were accurate of all defects  , stated he bought another today likely found a nicer one cheaper or didn't see the damage or read description , that's why this whole return happened in the first place , a total disaster.

[pburn]

• You opened up a request? What kind of request did you open up? Did the buyer open a return request?
• "I'm scrolling and it automatically accepts return." Do you mean you accidentally clicked on something that triggered acceptance of the return?
• "ebay provided label has no insurance." Do you mean eBay provided the label to the buyer? Or did you buy the return label through eBay?

Frankly, it sounds like you attempted every possible maneuver to try to avoid this return/refund, and ended up making it much more complicated that it should have been or had to be.

While I know it's heart-wrenching to have a buyer request this kind of return, it's a common occurrence for online sellers to have someone want to return an item--for whatever reason. Rightly or wrongly, eBay is a buyer-centric platform. They will side with the buyer pretty much every time when the buyer claims  the item is not as described (again, whether it is or not).

This may have gone much more smoothly if you had expressed your regret that the buyer was unhappy with the purchase and told him/her to return the item for a refund in the first place rather than fighting it every step of the way and threatening to take the buyer to small claims court. Maybe not, but that's my guess. I'm afraid you've been hoisted by your own petard.

As far as contacting customer service, unfortunately, I think it's pretty clear this situation is what it is. Again, you can try email them or having them call you through the Help & Contact process or message them on Facebook or Twitter.

Good luck!

[vtgbeersigns]

I didn't open the request , they did.  I opened to view it and it was auto accepted.  The label used was usps not ups which was original carrier , I couldn't view any details of the return label and was too large for usps to begin with.  The item was working properly and detailed in the listing , did not warrant a return.  Now it's destroyed and not working , I'm out alot of money at no fault of my own, and a very nice , hard to find item is destroyed.  

[pburn]

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@vtgbeersigns wrote:

I didn't open the request , they did.  I opened to view it and it was auto accepted.

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Oh, sorry. Your post said, "I open up request . . . " I misunderstood that, apparently.

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@vtgbeersigns wrote:

 The label used was usps not ups which was original carrier , I couldn't view any details of the return label and was too large for usps to begin with.

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I'll ask again--third time--did you provide the return shipping label or did eBay?

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@vtgbeersigns wrote:

The item was working properly and detailed in the listing , did not warrant a return. 

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At the risk of repeating myself, if a buyer files a "not as described" dispute, s/he will win. Hands down. Every time. That's the way eBay operates to keep buyers satisfied. Read the Money Back Guarantee--the buyer is literally guaranteed a refund if s/he claims the item does not match the description. Do some buyers lie about it? Of course they do, but eBay can't prove otherwise, so a seller has to refund.

It's a raw deal, and I'm sorry about it, but that's the way it works.

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@vtgbeersigns wrote:

Now it's destroyed and not working , I'm out alot of money at no fault of my own, and a very nice , hard to find item is destroyed.  

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It's moot now, but maybe for next time: understand this return/refund process and accept returns/refunds for "not as described" disputes that are opened against you. MAYBE if you had accepted the return, provided the UPS label, been professional and cooperative about the whole deal, the buyer might have been more careful about packing and returning your item. We'll never know, but that's my guess.

[vtgbeersigns]

I tried and understand the whole process.  And the label I clicked to use on eBay didn't allow me to change or edit anything , I have no idea why they used a generic label.   It was described very well, couldn't get much more detailed.  It wasn't a valid return but I know the process due to "reason selected"    I did everything I could to make the buyer happy and avoid a return , because I knew this would probably get damaged because hardly anyone packs correctly.  They also said it was professionally packaged by a store, but had multiple flaws that's why it was damaged.  I guess when the shoes on the other foot it's no big deal.  I could have sold this anyone , anywhere in a day for $800 instead I sold it for $1200 including shipping and fees , and I get it back , worth a few hundred in parts or $500 in parts to fix another 4hrs of my time, and im out  $200 in shipping and my initial cost.   Yeah, I get it, I'm the bad guy.

[pburn]

No, you're not the bad guy. I apologize that it came across that way, because I certainly had no intention of imparting that kind of impression. I should've worded my posts more carefully.

I would just leave you with a caution to take a good, hard look at the rest of your eBay listings and make sure you want to continue to offer all of them for sale . . .

There's a pretty common caveat among community members:

"Never list anything on eBay that you can't afford to lose--and pay for the privilege."

[skeletonstore]

I get the impression customer service is being prioritized.  My brother who has a more active store can get through on the phone or calls back and chat but I can't.  I've had to contact them via facebook and twitter,  mixed results.  

[lamber9347]

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@vtgbeersigns wrote:

Anyone else having a problem contacting ebay through phone ?  Won't let me contact support.  Long story short I as a seller was scammed , illegal return , large $1200 back to me destroyed they refunded buyer in full I'm out $1400 no insurance on return label from ebay 

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I understand why you are upset, it was a lot of money, but not following policies on here will cause you more grief. You've left negative comments under a positive rating three times this past month. That is a violation of the feedback manipulation policy. Activity that doesn't follow eBay policy could result in a range of actions including for example: administratively ending or canceling listings, hiding or demoting all listings from search results, lowering seller rating, buying or selling restrictions, and account suspension. All fees paid or payable in relation to listings or accounts on which we take any action will not be refunded or otherwise credited to your account. 

It's not worth risking your selling account just because it makes you feel better to leave remarks on buyers who return an item of yours. Best of luck to you....

[skeletonstore]

I don't want to get your hopes up but I really think Ebay needs to own up to this.  I know what is being said and I've had to eat things before but certainly for the dollar amount you'd think they would add insurance.  I mean they probably know the sand silt and clay percentages of the dirt under the buyer's nails,  are they really expecting a buyer to properly package something so large?  I don't even trust UPS to open my boxes and re-ship them.  Does this buyer have any experience shipping?  Does he have a whole lot of no (you know what )given?   Was all the original packaging used?   Again I think Ebay needs to own it when they had a duty to insure it.