Screwed by customer and ebay won't investigate...

[ncchoppeshoppe]

I sold an item to a relatively new buyer in Canada and he swapped his old broken parts for my parts and complained that they were damaged in shipping.  When I tried to get an ebay  person to investigate, all they would tell me is that when the customer is not happy we give him back his money. After over 20 years of selling on ebay with no problems, they blew me off and refunded this persons payment. I could not get anyone to talk to that did not have a heavy foreign accent. Now I can't sell on ebay anymore as I will never know if I will get paid or screwed. Apparently long time sellers are due no recourse or respect by ebay employees.

[mam98031]

The OP isn't participating in this thread so we have no additional information to go off of other than what they originally posted.  Some seem to be assuming what the seller is saying is accurate.  How do we know that?  How does the OP know the buyer switched parts?  How do we know it wasn't damaged in shipment?

The buyer may be perfectly innocent and the OP my just misunderstand.

[rainbowcolorz]

---

@secretsquirrelisnowhere wrote:

---

@this*old*attic wrote:

Did you formally report the buyer?

I had a buyer file a bogus INAD awhile back, and packaged the return so poorly she damaged the item.

The “Report Buyer” link allowed me to upload pics. Then I called EBay, and CS was able to look at my listing pics compared to pics of what I got back.

They released my money, although I think she got a courtesy refund (my case was less blatant than yours). 

---

Actually you were the one getting the courtesy refund.  

---

Hmmm ... @secretsquirrelisnowhere, that's very interesting.  How does a seller know whether they got the courtesy refund or if their buyer got the courtesy refund especially if both parties got their $ back and, as in this instance, the seller got her (damaged) item back?  

[robot-hands]

---

@rainbowcolorz wrote:

---

How does a seller know whether they got the courtesy refund or if their buyer got the courtesy refund especially if both parties got their $ back and, as in this instance, the seller got her (damaged) item back?  

---

Just about none often divided by the number of phone calls made.

[vintagecraze50]

Let's hope that the re vamped seller protection promised for this year will improve the situation with these types of situations. 

[no_zero369]

---

@this*old*attic wrote:

I don’t think the system is perfect. I think EBay is training buyers to purchase carelessly and approach transactions with a department store mentality rather than as a contract (a philosophy upon which the old EBay was founded).

In the meantime, it doesn’t do anyone seeking knowledge or help on the boards to spew hatred at EBay and make extreme blanket statements that are rarely true.   Ding, ding, ding!

1. There ARE protections, buzzwords, business practices/approaches that can protect sellers. Use them.

2. Keep frustrations in perspective. The post up above about AZ policies is a good example. EBay is still a GREAT pasture, and under many circumstances still the greenest.

3. Don’t forget that loss IS an inherent part of doing business. There’s no way to 100% insure against it... so make sure you are knowledgeable and have #1 in place.

---

This is some good stuff!  I would add number four to the list:

4.   Have a "cookie jar fund" or contingency set aside (build it up from a small "tax" on each sale) for when these situations occur. 

With no plan in place the loss stings more than it should. With 20 years of selling experience the original poster (OP) should have one nice cookie jar fund set up?  And as #3 states, in Retail selling, loss is just part of doing business.  So if one has a plan for handling issues UPFRONT and has a contingency set aside, then one is better able to deal with situations as they occur.

Then again, perhaps OP wishes to follow through and quit selling on eBay?  No would judge the OP harshly for doing that either.  But me thinks with a some understanding of the processes and a few adjustments  to the business OP can continue to reap the rewards of selling here.

OP has some business decisions to make and I wish OP the best in making those!

[robot-hands]

---

@no_zero369 wrote:

---

  And as #3 states, in Retail selling, loss is just part of doing business. 

---

#3 How to mitigate that loss is not the industry standard "free return shipping and give the buyer your lunch"

that ebay tries to make us think.

I owned my own brick and mortar retail business for 25 years. Two times had I ever given cash back to a person.

Never once did I pay anyone's shipping.

Never once did I allow a customer to take advantage of me because some webhosting service told me I had to, to keep my webpages up that I paid them for.

[ncchoppeshoppe]

One issue in 20 years that cost me 600.00. Can't afford to take a chance on what is anymore a **bleep** shoot.

[ncchoppeshoppe]

Not possible for the type of damage reported to happen in shipping, with no damage to the packing box.

[ncchoppeshoppe]

I did report the buyer and sent pics to ebay. Was told that the buyer was always right.

[ncchoppeshoppe]

Pics of the damage and no damage to the packing is my proof. It would have taken a 40 mph crash to mess up the parts and reported.

[mam98031]

---

@ncchoppeshoppe wrote:
Pics of the damage and no damage to the packing is my proof. It would have taken a 40 mph crash to mess up the parts and reported.

---

This thread is old.  I'm unsure why it is coming back up for you at this late date.

Reporting a buyer is a separate function on Ebay.  Not the same as trying to battle the claim or filing an appeal.  

[ncchoppeshoppe]

Sorry. While I did learn a lesson on how to steel from ebay sellers, I choose to be honest and honorable and refuse to lower myself to that level .

[tracdea1]

Another member asked me earlier today why I don't sell internationally.

Hello.