Lost money and expensive item - 3k

[sistemix262]

Hello, 

I would like to share my experience with selling item on eBay. 

I sold item on ebay 2k, buyer choice local pick up method delivery. After he asked me to ship it and provide me he's shipping label. I was not sure is this safe and called ebay support. Ebay support told me that it's fine and I am protected even if my item will be damaged or lost. Also they told me that if buer shipped and provide he's owned shipped label he  will be responsible for this as well.  After that I shipped my item to the buyer. Thereafter buyer riseved  damaged item and ask me retern if. I called ebay and esplanade this, at the same time get responses that I am covered and 100 % we gonna  decline the request for a refund. After that buyer opened a case, a contract him and told that I am not responsible for the delivery. It was your decision to ship it. E bay confirmed that I don't need to do anything, just wait till thay decline the buyer request.  That's what I did. Thereafter I received another email from ebay that if I don't provide a sipping label to the buyer ebay will refund the money. I contract ebay support one more time and as what I need to do. It's was a local pick up why I have to do all this.. I got an answer "that this is some kind of mistake and we will settle everything. don't worry, you're protected." Thereafter I reserved another email from ebay that buyer got full refund and he can keep my item. I was shocked whith this discussion. Contact eBay support and thay again told me that this was mistake and thay will appear that discussion. After appear my discussion left the same. Ebay garage me fo the fee 13% tax 10%. So basically right now I still don't get my item, add fave to pay more +500$ that I sold it. Total lost - 3k.  Please help me. Ebay support told me that thay are sorry.... 

[nocoolnamejane]

When you say you called eBay, how did you obtain the number?

[sistemix262]

I got number from ebay app on my phone 

[albertabrightalberta]

@sistemix262 

1.  he asked me to ship it and provide me he's shipping label.

He provided the shipping label and you didn't purchase it through the order? 

2. I was not sure is this safe and called ebay support. Ebay support told me that it's fine and I am protected even if my item will be damaged or lost.

If the buyer provided the shipping label,  you are not protected. The item was local pickup so there's no record on the order that it was shipped. 

Ebay support (if that's who you spoke to) often gives inaccurate advice.

3. I called ebay and esplanade this, at the same time get responses that I am covered and 100 % we gonna  decline the request for a refund.

If you decline the request for a return/refund, ebay will decide for you, let the buyer keep the item and use your money to refund the buyer

4. After that buyer opened a case, a contract him and told that I am not responsible for the delivery.

Once it was shipped, you ARE responsible! The seller is always responsible for the safe delivery of the item.

5. I called ebay and esplanade this, at the same time get responses that I am covered and 100 % we gonna  decline the request for a refund. After that buyer opened a case, a contract him and told that I am not responsible for the delivery. It was your decision to ship it. E bay confirmed that I don't need to do anything, just wait till thay decline the buyer request.  

Buyer may have requested you ship but in the end, it was YOUR decision to ship. You're responsible. And ebay's "confirmation" was wrong! 

6. I contract ebay support one more time and as what I need to do. It's was a local pick up why I have to do all this.

No, it was supposed to be local pickup but YOU decided to ship it.

7. Contact eBay support and thay again told me that this was mistake and thay will appear that discussion.

You need to stop calling ebay because either you're calling a fake number or you're getting bad advice! 

[rugerskick]

Your post highlights a masive problem everyone here seems to be incredibly content and passive aggressive about.

That being, why does ebay have a call in support help line if it regularly provides inaccurate and wrong advice detrimental to sellers experiencing problems?

That also being, why sellers are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and not demanding either fix the call support to offer correct advice, or at least stop the service altogether so as to stop offering incorrect advice?  And just put up with a billion dollar company that can't seem to be able to provide proper advice to the sellers paying them to use their platform?  

Everyone here seems just totally content to say oh yeah, its not great, maybe not use it........and thats it

Its no wonder because ebay has experienced zero seller pressure to get it working, we're ok with it, dum de dum de dum....

[dirk12955]

As I've posted in the past,   eBAy rule #1   Anything out of the ordinary,  step away. 

Why can't ebay take a shot at making a "How not to get ripped off"   video and force every new seller to watch it before they can make a listing?

[albertabrightalberta]

---

@rugerskick wrote:

That being, why does ebay have a call in support help line if it regularly provides inaccurate and wrong advice detrimental to sellers experiencing problems?

---

In this case, we don't know whether it was even ebay that the OP called. Since ebay no longer has a phone number for members to call, it's possible that @sistemix262 googled and called a fake (not ebay) number.

[sistemix262]

1. When the buyer choice local pick up you can't print shipping label because it's local pick up. I put at notes tracking #. Item was delivered and buyer confirmed that. 

2. I ask this question on ebay support. Phone number was correct. Also on shipping label buyer was as a receiver and shipper. I payed attention this to support service. Thay read my correspondence mail with buyer. 

3. A am not decline the request. I follow that thay told me. Whay and don't do anything as thay told me I am 100% right. That's what I thought...

4. Again I am not a shipper. Buyer provide me he's own sipping label... 

5. Buyer choice local pick up. I contract him and told that you can come anytime today and pick it up you item. He massage me after and told me he whonts just ship. He also mentioned thay he made insurance for 4000 $. That's why I was aware that if  something's  happen buyer could get money from his insurance.

6. I was ship it after I called ebay support and where aware that's its is safe and I am protected. Support guy aware me that buyer is not protected and if something's  happen buyer responsible for that.

7. I always called ebay on correct phone number. 

[lakefor94]

I read thru the OP's post a little earlier. There is so much wrong there, I would not even know where to start. Though quite typical of what we see here in the boards, this buyer was led down the wrong road 4-5  times, in a row.  I really don't have much more to add after that. What a train wreck.

[sistemix262]

I gave them item number and thay told me what item I am sold, also thay can read messages. I pretty sure it was ebay support. 

Now it's looks like I'm an idiot. I lost everything plus money for taxes  and and ebay fees. ( 500$) plus I still didn't not received my item back. 

Not  now it turns out that everything has been earned, I lost everything plus money for taxes and

[sistemix262]

 This is how much time I spent on the phone, every time that I called ebay thay told me you a 100 % right and don't worry... That's why I was sure.

[dirk12955]

Rather than being an idiot,   What you are is the victim of a crime.   

Was this an "Off ebay"   transaction.    I see no items sold on this ID.   

[sistemix262]

I always thought that ebay protects both buyers and sellers from all of that. And I never shipped my item if I were aware that's this is safe for me. Also whan the buyer request return thay asso told me that I am right and protected. All this phone calls that I made  I were convinced not to accept the refund and wait for the case to be decided in my favor, which I actually did. After I receive email that I lost my case and buyer can keep my item I was shocked. This is ridiculous and totally wrong !

[albertabrightalberta]

I'm so sorry @sistemix262 but I think your buyer took advantage of your naivete and lack of experience. 

But the bottom line is that you are the one who mistakenly let it happen. 

• If an item is listed as local pickup and doesn't offer the option of shipping, you need to cancel the order and relist with a shipping charge for a buyer who wants it shipped. 
• If a listing does have shipping, NEVER let the buyer supply the shipping label. You should print your own label, either through the ebay transaction, paypal ship now, pirateship, Fedex, UPS, etc. 
• Be cautious calling phone numbers that claim to be ebay. Most numbers found in a google search are scams. 
• Never exchange texts or emails with buyers
• Unfortunately, whether it was really ebay or not, they misinformed you by telling you that you were protected. 

I'm so sorry you lost your money and the item.

[fashunu4eeuh]

eBay closed the overseas call center during the pandemic. I question it was ever re-opened, and if it was, certainly not to pre-pandemic staffing levels. At the closing, i remember thinking eBay was glad to have an excuse to shut it down purely as a cost-saving measure, with little thought given to the lack of customer support.

Currently there is “better” customer service manning some phones in the Utah center, and apparently some not good overseas support who are untrained with written scripts to read to callers. I would never advise anyone to call, given the alarming amount of incorrect, often damaging advice given, as this OP described. In addition, there are also a number of scam sites/phone numbers who prey on unaware eBayers who think they have reached legitimate phone support.

For a thoughtful, detailed, comprehensive history of the customer service and phone support meltdown, see the link below.

https://www.valueaddedresource.net/what-happened-to-ebay-customer-support/

@rugerskick wrote:

“why sellers are suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and not demanding either fix the call support to offer correct advice,..”

My observation has been that eBay is not swayed by seller demands.