Penalized for failing to upload tracking on local pickup order?!

[chaos215bar2]

This is more a warning than a question at this point.

I recently had a sale where the buyer selected local pickup, with cash on pickup. As a result, there is, obviously, absolutely no tracking. The buyer handed me cash, I gave them their item, and that was that. Or so I thought.

Now, I see a negative mark on my seller rating for this order, because I did not upload tracking information within the required time period. After multiple hours chatting and emailing with eBay support, they admit the issue, but still refuse to do a single thing about it. This is the response I received:

“We do understand what you are pointing out however, as much as I would love to rectify this, I am sorry to say that there is no option for us to remove this and make an adjustment on it.”

Now, not only is this unhelpful, but to be frank, eBay is just lying here. Yes, the representative may not be able to do anything, but this is eBay’s police. There’s certainly someone at eBay who can fix this , but eBay clearly just doesn’t care.

The lesson: If you’re going to accept cash on pickup, you're better off just having the buyer cancel the order once you meet in person. No fee, and no negative points on your account. Otherwise, eBay will penalize you for something totally outside of your control. And they couldn’t care in the least about fixing the problem.

[fab_finds4u]

With local pickup the buyer is given a QR code and a 6 digit code when they pay. They give you the 6-digit code as proof of delivery and you enter the 6-digit code or scan the code on your eBay ap and that proves delivery.  Short of that you have them sign a copy of the order details. 

I'm sorry you didn't  read about offering local pickup before you offered it.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/local-pickup?id=4181

[chaos215bar2]

Wow, what an unhelpful reply.

Of course I read the policy. This order was cash on delivery, and if the buyer did receive a code (they claim they did not), there was certainly no place on any page related to this sale for me to enter it. I have made local pickup sales where the buyer paid through eBay, so I’m quite familiar with the use of QR codes to confirm pickup.

And to tell me that I should have had them sign an invoice? Did I say anything to suggest that the 5 eBay reps I’ve dealt with in the last 24 hours ever suggested that they could remove this negative mark if only I had a signed invoice? Please.

If there were any dispute on whether the item had been delivered, which there is not, there are multiple messages between myself and the buyer demonstrating that the item was delivered. I’m not a complete idiot, despite your unfounded accusations.

[heckofagame]

@chaos215bar2 

So, you did not scan a QR code? And then you scold another for giving you helpful advice on how to avoid your situation? Nice manners.  Clearly you just wanted to vent and really didn't want a solution.

[chaos215bar2]

I’ll just add, it’s really disheartening to see people marking fab_finds4u’s reply helpful. There is literally nothing on that policy which helps here. Even the eBay reps have not been able to explain what I should have done. All they’ll say is, to paraphrase, “we’re sorry, we understand there’s a problem here, but we can’t do anything”.

Maybe if sellers here were actually willing to stand up for each other rather than throwing around wild accusations, claiming I couldn’t possibly have read the policy, eBay would be pressured to actually fix problems like this.

[chaos215bar2 · Accepted solution]

There was no QR code nor a place to enter it. Was I supposed to just tell the buyer with cash in hand to go pound sand after driving all the way to pickup their order?

If there should have been a code, eBay still left me with no viable options here. If I had turned the seller away, I certainly would have had a worse negative mark than simply failing to upload tracking.

And again, not a single eBay rep has actually told me that there was a code here. Every single one has admitted that this is obviously a problem on eBay’s side, but they also then say there’s nothing they can do.

Had anyone responding here, accusing me of doing something wrong, actually done local pickup with cash on delivery? Even eBay hasn’t been able to tell me how this should have worked, and you think you know better?

And yes, you bet I want to vent after spending 3 hours trying to work with eBay, being told I did nothing wrong, and still not being offered any solution. All over a $40 sale.

[mtgraves7984]

"... I certainly would have had a worse negative mark than simply failing to upload tracking."

@chaos215bar2 

Hopefully your buyer won't open an INR claim. 🤞

[wrong66]

No, he gave himself a Solution.

[nanniestreasurechest]

This happens to me all the time when I mail my ACEOs (artist trading cards) using USPS 1st class postage.  There is no tracking number to upload and just about all of the ACEO sellers use this form of shipping because it's not cost effective to pay $4.00 or more to mail them.   No way can any of us ever reach a top seller status.   This category is not even included in Ebay's standard envelope 1st class mailing for sports trading cards so we don't even have that option. 

[trbl13]

The Same Thing Happened to Me...an Unexpected Local Pickup and a Defect on my account as a result...

The Buyer lived 6 Blocks away from me and Did Not Want the item Shipped.

The Solution eBay gave me..for the future.. is to Select Local Pickup as One of your Shipping Choices...

on Every Item you sell...That is the only way to avoid a Defect for a Local Pickup with No Tracking Uploaded.

I still have the Defect on my account. Done to satisfy a customer..like you did.

[motortown_inc]

I went through the same thing, I had a customer who lived nearby, and I just dropped the item off and refunded him the shipping. It was nice to meet one of my customers.  I got the ding just like you. 

There is the code thing which is an option, but after that I took the road of no local pick ups and moved on.  I try and not focus too much on the ebay rating system, it does have pitfalls and that is just the way it is. I have several defect strikes for orders I canceled to avoid probmatic customers. ebay won't remove them even though I have proof of the buyers bad behavior.  The upside is I sold the items to decent customers who are overjoyed to have them. That alone was worth ebay's dings.   Hang in there !

[chaos215bar2]

Indeed, I hope so as well. The biggest problem here is that the instructions from eBay on how to handle local pickup with cash are clear as mud.

For payment via eBay, it’s pretty clear. Buyer pays and gets a QR code. At pickup, it’s easy to insist on scanning the code, since that’s the only way to verify payment. Everything works.

For cash, I still don’t actually know whether the buyer received a code, though I have mo reason to doubt they didn’t. eBay representatives seem to have confirmed this, but I’ve gotten enough conflicting information from eBay’s own representatives to know they’re sometimes wrong.

I read the page on local pickup about 5 times because it was obvious there was missing information, and even chatted with an eBay rep to make sure I did everything I needed to, but apparently that still wasn’t enough.

Even in contacting eBay support to try to get the negative mark removed, no one seems to be able to point out a single thing I should have done differently. I do apologize for getting upset earlier, but the whole situation is infuriating. And being told that my mistake was that I didn’t read a page I read repeatedly while trying to find a clear answer is the opposite of helpful.

[fab_finds4u]

You're making up stuff. I NEVER suggested a signed order form has anything to do with removing negative feedback.

Ail I suggested is to prove delivery you needed to have the code or have them sign the order form if you're  not using the ap.  eBay says to ask the buyer to sign a copy of the order form if you're  not using the ap. 

I'm sorry you're upset but you shouldn't  be upset with me. Do your homework before ofering local pickup. If it's cash then you needed to have them sign a copy of the order form. 

[fab_finds4u]

Go back and read the link in message 2 offering local pickups. 

Read the part about getting the buyer to sign a copy of the eBay order form. It's  below the second "TIP."

Those eBay reps you are talking to are hired by the sub contractor that runs the call center. Many of them don't  even have an eBay account and they read from scripts. THAT'S unhelpful if you want to point out unhelpful.

You might not like my reply but I don't  sugar coat. Just the facts gleaned from eBay's local shipping policy that was provided by eBay in writing.

One defect won't hurt you. Live and learn.

Good luck with your next pickup.

[sylvercoins]

It's an ebay scam! Ebay WANTS you below standard so they can gouge you for an extra 6% below standard fee.

So costing you a total 19% on your sales