eBay

reece74 · ‎07-09-2018

I sold an Iphone 8 on ebay a couple of weeks ago and advertised it with marking to the front and the back..... Phone sold and i shipped it next day guaranteed delivery... The buyer recieves the item and signed for it... 5 days later i get a return request from ebay, apperently the buyer claims the item was not as described!! i have sold a few mobiles on ebay and never had any come backs! ok,,, i give my statement to why i will not accept the item and sit and wait now for the outcome..... 9 or 10 days later i get a message from ebay saying they have decided the buyer should return the Iphone to me.... ok accepted... Today i recieve an unusual and scruffy package being delivered by royal mail.... i did not sign for the parcel... i knew the returned iphone was being delivered and i thought no way is this the item... i started to tear off the seloptape on the parcel and noticed a colour blue through the open bit of the box,,, i tearjust a little more and to my horror was a TUB of Vaseline (petrolium jelly)!! i opened the lid a little through the hole in the packaging and seems the tub is half empty.... i am fuming by this point so straight away i make a call to ebay and basically i have to appeal after 24hrs... i rang the local police and they give me a crime ref number to ring should i have no luck with ebay. I am peeed off to say the least and im 437 pound out of pocket 😞

anyone been through this and can offer some advice please.

seems this is an easy trick to get free items!!

the attached image is of the parcel. half opened!!

geirharalstensun0 · ‎07-09-2018

This happens all the time at eBay. They never take any kind of resposebility. That`s why I don`t use eBay When I am buying, unless I HAVE TO! I wouldn`t risk selling anything at eBay! Use Amazon or other more reliable sites.

orangehound · ‎07-09-2018

@luckythewinner wrote:
Any change to the dispute system would require eBay to either abandon it's long-cherished "money back guarantee" or to start footing the bill for losses themselves. Neither of those seems likely

Since eBay is taking responsibility for all return policies - disarming all power from sellers - it would make sense that eBay would fully handle the return process (like Amazon). I think there is a possiblility that we could get a new program whereby eBay fully handles returns for a hefty FVF increase.

Personally, I believe eBay needs to have a program whereby sellers can be certified to handle returns properly.

As it is, there are three things happening:

eBay's reputation as a den of thieves is (both sellers and buyers) is not getting corrected ... a site's reputation is very important for sales. Who wants to be the reputation as the next K-mart or Sears?
Sellers are increasingly removing valuable inventory and listing it elsewhere, places where there are more favorable policies and fewer theives.
Since eBay is not punishing thieves, this means that the population of thieves is growing. It is so easy to steal things on eBay with little to no consequence, that there is no incentive for them to operate elsewhere.

harleyman49-us · ‎07-09-2018

Just food for thought, but has anyone selling high end items ever consider having a notary public meet them at the post office, and have what you are sending notarized? It would seem this would be sufficient evidence of what was sent and would only be about a $35.00 expense to do so. Just thinking.

emerald40 · ‎07-09-2018

Ebay will not look at it.

It has been suggested people photograph at the Post Office, have the Postal personnel watch you pack and unpack, but all of these are feel good measures. And if you put it in your description it may even scare off a scammer of two.

But in actuality ebay will not look at any of it and factor none of it in their decision.

harleyman49-us · ‎07-09-2018

I hear you, but what you're saying and what I am suggesting are two different things. What your saying is it's your word against theirs. What I am suggesting with the notary public is an official of lntegrity appointed by state government, typically by the Secretary of State, to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud deterrent acts.

emerald40 · ‎07-09-2018

Again, ebay will not take it into consideration.

And even if they did - is that notary going to stand there and inspect every inch of that product for defects?

Is she proficient in designer bags to know a real one from a knock off?

Does she know diamonds - the difference between a VVS1 diamond and a SI2? The difference between a real diamond and a CZ?

Is she going to test the electronic to make sure it works? Will she know if the phone has been bricked and is useless?

See why this would not work?

grayirongolf · ‎07-09-2018

Why buy when you can get it Free on eBay?

harleyman49-us · ‎07-09-2018

In the case the OP has presented, I don't believe the notary public would have to be a phone or condition expert to tell the difference between a phone and a tub of Vaseline. Plus they could also verify the phone serial number. Doesn't always take an item expert to cover common sense.

luckythewinner · ‎07-09-2018

@harleyman49-us wrote:
Just food for thought, but has anyone selling high end items ever consider having a notary public meet them at the post office, and have what you are sending notarized? It would seem this would be sufficient evidence of what was sent and would only be about a $35.00 expense to do so.

"Sufficient evidence" has no meaning unless eBay recognizes it as such. Otherwise it is a complete waste of time, money and emotion.

That aside ... notaries screen the signers of documents for identity, volition, and awareness of what they are signing. Their duties do not include verifying the accuracy of shipments.

harleyman49-us · ‎07-09-2018

I appreciate your efforts to protect EBAY's flawed return Policy as unbeatable, but your statement is not accurate. Notary services at the UPS store will make sure to ship any necessary notorized items where they need to go. What Ebay recognizes is not always the law.

grayirongolf · ‎07-09-2018

Crypto curreny or Western Union is the only real solution for the high value seller.

Once that payment is in your account no one can touch it.

You have eBay, paypal & the credit card company all siding with the buyer. The buyer has 3 layers of protection & you as the seller have zero.

eBay's & Paypal say they have seller protection but I think thats a strong case for false advertisement.

drusalina · ‎07-09-2018

And this is why I don't sell high priced items. I will only sell items at low prices, because of the scammers out there and the fact that eBay does not back their sellers.

Change the channel!

springs_2013 · ‎07-09-2018

@harleyman49-us wrote:
Just food for thought, but has anyone selling high end items ever consider having a notary public meet them at the post office, and have what you are sending notarized? It would seem this would be sufficient evidence of what was sent and would only be about a $35.00 expense to do so. Just thinking.

Unless I am mistaken, a notary public only witness and certify that the signature of a document is indeed signed by the person claiming to be the person signing the document. They do not witness what is in a parcel or the condition and such.

I have read many posts in the past where sellers took videos of them packing the package from beginning to completion of the packing. Unfortunately, that did not help them to win a SNAD case either.

emerald40 · ‎07-09-2018

@grayirongolf wrote:
Crypto curreny or Western Union is the only real solution for the high value seller.
Once that payment is in your account no one can touch it.
You have eBay, paypal & the credit card company all siding with the buyer. The buyer has 3 layers of protection & you as the seller have zero.
eBay's & Paypal say they have seller protection but I think thats a strong case for false advertisement.

Ebay warns against Western Union, and no buyer with half a brain would send money that way to a stranger.

harleyman49-us · ‎07-09-2018

Thanks for providing the first real objection to my suggestion. I agree a video will provide you absolutely no protection. And I not completely sure that a notary public can notarize anything other than a document. I will do a little more research on this. Thanks for providing a helpful comment.