eBay

quality-items-original · ‎05-27-2020

How do you protect yourself as an honest seller on Ebay? Dishonest buyers get away with everything, costly to the seller, who is honest. I've had enough, 64 years old, I don't need this anymore. Best wishes to all you honest Ebay Sellers.

japan-treazures · ‎05-28-2020

It is hard to protect yourself especially during the COVID-19 crisis. Unfortunately, there are lots of dishinest buyers as well a some dishonest sellers. I totally understand your frustration.

I have been here for over twenty years selling and buying and it seems that the dishonest folks are coming at out if the wood works. A recent move and then this crisis happening made me take a break from selling. I decided I didn't need the stress or frustration.

Hate to see another honest seller leave us! Good luck!

orangehound · ‎05-28-2020

@quality-items-original wrote:
How do you protect yourself as an honest seller on Ebay?

Several things ...

We do not list anything that is a high theft item on eBay (latest cell phones, high-dollar electronics, designer stuff).
We price competitively ... remember, thieves do not care about a price because they are not going to pay anyway. So, we want to attract legitimate buyers.
We offer 30-day buyer-paid returns so that a buyer does not need to lie to get a return through the MBG.
We list conditions accurately, according to the eBay definitions. We would not list something as "used" or "pre-owned" (which implies the product works) if it doesn't work or is missing core components (that should be "parts") ... we don't list an empty box as "open box" (that should be "parts") ... "open box" implies that the product is complete, included, and in unused condition.
We only sell internationally via the GSP. The GSP provides a couple of additional protections.
We charge shipping that is right at or below actual postage paid. Yes, I know there are other "handling costs", but most customers see it as dishonest to over-charge for shipping, particularly outrageous shipping. We demonstrate cost by including the printed shipping costs on the labels.
We never hide defects or lie about conditions ... we try to be accurate with condition descriptions so that a buyer is not surprised, and we describe that condition in multiple places to minimize the chances that they will overlook the description (sometimes putting it in the title).
We pack well, and we ship in clean professional packaging. We don't skimp on packaging to save a dollar, and we don't stuff our packages with garbage, for we want our customers to have a good impression of us as a seller. We also use USPS provided packaging materials honestly, and according to their intended use ... buyers get upset when the see the theft of USPS packaging.

Basically, we try to be honest at every level. I believe honest sellers attract honest buyers.

crescentstation · ‎05-28-2020

All good points, except I do my own International shipping, which is minimal nowadays. I especially like #8 because I have been shipping product for 33+ years and do not scrimp on packaging. I use my own (clean) cartons and mostly corn starch peanuts for packing. I might have had 2 items get damaged in that time. I too am bothered when a Seller sends me something using USPS Priority Mail boxes as packing material. Actually, I've never understood why the PO gives these away. I have only had a handful of returns in almost 20 years on eBay, but I'm selling model railroad items, not electronics or clothes.

whiteyswrecking · ‎05-28-2020

You don't , there is NO SELLER PROTECTION.

luxgoods · ‎05-28-2020

I absolutely do everything that was listed and have for 20 years. I have still been the victim of buyer scams from sending back a totally different inferior item to Stating that the item was not as described in order to avoid return shipping. I know I am not the only seller that this has happened to. Each and every time Ebay sides with the scammer. With that said, There really is no seller protection.

marie185antiques · ‎05-28-2020

Unfortunately, as far as sellers are concerned, e-bay views our scammer loses as a 'cost of doing business' expense that can be written off. Anyone out there defending this practice are either e-bay moles or bots.

Don't expect this practice to end anytime soon.

muskingum_relics · ‎05-28-2020

you are 100% right !! Ebay does not care about the seller whatsoever ! They just care about you selling so they can make their billions ! Now they want to stick up the seller even more with the stupid managed payment nonsense and pay you when they are good and ready but come fee time they get paid right now ! Ebay is sliding down the slope at breakneck speed and is to stupid to see it !

orangehound · ‎05-28-2020

@luxgoods wrote:
I absolutely do everything that was listed and have for 20 years. I have still been the victim of buyer scams from sending back a totally different inferior item to Stating that the item was not as described in order to avoid return shipping. I know I am not the only seller that this has happened to. Each and every time Ebay sides with the scammer.

What I wrote are just things we do that I believe reduce our exposure to abusive buyers. But, it is true that there is no way to fully protect oneself.

We've had a couple of returns in the past month where buyers thought it was OK to try out a new product and then return it. If a buyer wants that kind of return policy, then they need to go to a store that charges full retail price ... not a place that is offering discounts.

With that said, There really is no seller protection.

eBay provides limited seller financial protection to Top Rated Sellers who offer 30-day or longer returns, and they offer limited seller protection to any seller who offers free returns.

turtlehouse47 · ‎05-28-2020

Your only real option as a seller is to retain the scammer's name & address, then post that info elsewhere off-eBay to warn people. As long as what you post is factual in regards to the transaction, they can't do anything about this despite any threats to the contrary.

gwzcomps · ‎05-28-2020

@orangehound wrote:
@quality-items-original wrote:
How do you protect yourself as an honest seller on Ebay?
Several things ...
We do not list anything that is a high theft item on eBay (latest cell phones, high-dollar electronics, designer stuff).
We price competitively ... remember, thieves do not care about a price because they are not going to pay anyway. So, we want to attract legitimate buyers.
We offer 30-day buyer-paid returns so that a buyer does not need to lie to get a return through the MBG.
We list conditions accurately, according to the eBay definitions. We would not list something as "used" or "pre-owned" (which implies the product works) if it doesn't work or is missing core components (that should be "parts") ... we don't list an empty box as "open box" (that should be "parts") ... "open box" implies that the product is complete, included, and in unused condition.
We only sell internationally via the GSP. The GSP provides a couple of additional protections.
We charge shipping that is right at or below actual postage paid. Yes, I know there are other "handling costs", but most customers see it as dishonest to over-charge for shipping, particularly outrageous shipping. We demonstrate cost by including the printed shipping costs on the labels.
We never hide defects or lie about conditions ... we try to be accurate with condition descriptions so that a buyer is not surprised, and we describe that condition in multiple places to minimize the chances that they will overlook the description (sometimes putting it in the title).
We pack well, and we ship in clean professional packaging. We don't skimp on packaging to save a dollar, and we don't stuff our packages with garbage, for we want our customers to have a good impression of us as a seller. We also use USPS provided packaging materials honestly, and according to their intended use ... buyers get upset when the see the theft of USPS packaging.
Basically, we try to be honest at every level. I believe honest sellers attract honest buyers.

Although I agree with most of this and have been doing this for years. (I think GSP is horrible) Bad buyers have proven they just can not help but to be a huge burden on eBay. I am starting to think cutting corners and making up for the problems in volume is the better route. No matter how good your listing is and how good of a service you provide eBay will always find a way to scam the sellers and let bad buyers run wild.

southern*sweet*tea · ‎05-28-2020

Self-insurance.

On every transaction I take a small percentage and put it aside. I save it up. It's used to cover any sort of loss, be it transit damage, a lost package, or yes, even fraud. Been doing this for seventeen years now. I have never had a financial loss because of this, because the money is already there to cover it.

Yes, my buyers pay for my insurance, just like they pay for my boxes and envelopes and ink and paper and time and all that good stuff. That's how a business works.

Never, EVER depend on any third party selling venue to take care of you. You have to take care of yourself.

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.

We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell

reallynicestamps · ‎05-28-2020

As a Canadian I am required to detest the GSP, and I won't buy anything shipped that way, but it does offer good Seller Protections against any fake claims except Not As Described.

The usual number retailers accept for failed transactions is one percent. If more than one in one hundred transactions ends with a Claim, there is a problem, but it is as likely to be with the seller as with the buyer.

Poor descriptions being the biggest error made by sellers.

Combatative terms of sale are another, driving off potential good customers and ignored by scofflaws who know they can ignore the unenforceable terms.

I don't think there are any more scammers just now that usual as a percentage, but it is possible that the surge in online sales means one percent of 200 sales instead of one percent of 50 sales.

Looks like that surge in sales is over until the September return of the plague.