Seller opened a dispute over an item I had no control over once shipped.

[thoa25]

Recently a buyer opened a dispute over an item that I had shipped, but due to circumstances out of my control the item was not scanned accepted for several days. Now eBay has taken my money, and the buyer has the item free of charge. I have tried every which way or contacting eBay and the buyer. The buyer is completely ignoring me and eBay just constantly tells me "we stand by our original decision". This is complete robbery and all due to something that quite literally no one has any real control over once they drop their package off to be shipped.

[kmr-crafts]

Did you upload the tracking in the dispute?

[thoa25]

Yes I did

[blingfling123]

It is not "robbery". eBay is following their process under their Terms and Conditions/User agreement that you agreed to when you signed up to sell on eBay. I know that is not what you want to hear but it is what is happening.

It is your responsibility to get the item to the buyer in a timely manner and that means you are responsible for the carrier for any delays or damage as well within the timeframes that eBay requires. 

If this dispute was a case opened within eBay, you should upload the tracking.  If it is not delivered within the required timeframes, eBay will refund the buyer.  If it is delivered later, you can file an appeal to eBay, but it is rare they reverse a decision. 

If you are selling higher priced items, it is worth taking the package to the carrier and getting a receipt for that first acceptance scan. Sometimes if the item shows movement eBay can keep the eBay case open longer if you contact them. You can also open a missing mail case if it was sent USPS, that also can update the tracking. If nothing is showing like the first scan, eBay is not going to hold the case open past any required timeframe as there is no proof the item was actually sent.

If this dispute was done via the buyer's payment method i.e., credit card dispute, there is nothing eBay can do, they (and you) have to live with the decision of the financial institution. (Also in the User Agreement)

[thoa25]

And that is the exact reason why I will no longer use eBay because of bull**bleep** like that. I can understand that a dispute was opened. But what I cannot understand, now that the item has been delivered is that they will not allow me to appeal.

Contrary to what you said, carrier issues are not the responsibility of the seller. Which is the reason that all online retailers state so. You cannot control what happens to an item once in the hands of a carrier service.

I find it rather hilarious how often people defend eBays asinine decisions.

[bonjourami]

Ebay cannot take the payment from the buyer. I dont see anybody 'defending' Ebay, but just stating the facts of selling here.

[maxine*j]

---

@thoa25 wrote:

And that is the exact reason why I will no longer use eBay because of bull**bleep** like that. I can understand that a dispute was opened. But what I cannot understand, now that the item has been delivered is that they will not allow me to appeal.

Contrary to what you said, carrier issues are not the responsibility of the seller. Which is the reason that all online retailers state so. You cannot control what happens to an item once in the hands of a carrier service.

I find it rather hilarious how often people defend eBays asinine decisions.

---

You are wrong.  The seller is responsible to get the item to the buyer, just as the buyer is responsible to get the payment to the seller.   That is part of the United States Uniform Commercial Code, and always has been.  (I refer you to Sections 2-301and 2-309, USC).

Back in the days of snail mail order, do you think a buyer could say, "I sent the check and it's not my problem if you didn't get it in the mail, and you must send me the merchandise I ordered!" and you'd have to send it?  Of course not.

There is contract for performance between the carrier and the shipper, too, so if the carrier fails to deliver the seller must reimburse the buyer and then the seller files a claim with teh carrier for reimbursement. 

This is Commerce 101.   And if "all retial sellers" say otherwise, they're just blowing smoke hoping that ignorant buyers will believe their nonsense.

-

[blingfling123]

Contrary to what you said, carrier issues are not the responsibility of the seller. Which is the reason that all online retailers state so. You cannot control what happens to an item once in the hands of a carrier service.  You are correct that you cannot control what a carrier does but that does not mean you are not responsible. It also does not matter what other retailers do, it only matters what eBay does, on their platform, within the requirements of their User Agreement. 

I find it rather hilarious how often people defend eBays asinine decisions.

Whether you think them asinine or not, you agreed to them. Pointing that out is not defending eBay. 

We all have to play by the same rules, whether we like them or not.  If you do not agree with their policies, then you have options to sell elsewhere, but be forewarned, every platform pretty much has the same policy. You are responsible for getting the item as described to a buyer in a timely manner.  Every other platform out there would also refund the buyer if the item was not scanned or received within their required parameters, and they also very rarely refund the seller if something is delivered later. 

[thoa25]

So you think it's perfectly ok that the buyer received his item for free and I'm out a couple hundred dollars?

[7606dennis]

---

@thoa25 wrote:

So you think it's perfectly ok that the buyer received his item for free and I'm out a couple hundred dollars?

---

And you know that the buyer received the item for free, how?  If you provided tracking in the dispute that showed that the item had been delivered you would not have lost the case.

[7606dennis]

You are aware that leaving negative comments in a positive feedback for a buyer is not allowed, right?

[thoa25]

Because my eBay account is still -$210, eBay stated they refunded him and tracking shows delivered. That's how I know.

[thoa25]

I'm not sure what you mean. The buyer left negative feedback, I left no feedback.

[bonjourami]

"So you think it's perfectly ok that the buyer received his item for free and I'm out a couple hundred dollars?"

Nobody here thinks that, we see this seller complaint every day in here.

[little.font.lord.leroy]

---

@thoa25 wrote:

Recently a buyer opened a dispute over an item that I had shipped, but due to circumstances out of my control the item was not scanned accepted for several days. 

---

The highlighted phrase is the only thing that matters in this instance. Ebay is looking for sellers who have a better control of the circumstances of their shipments. That's it. You had to pay. If this is a one time thing, there is no problem, we all make mistakes and eBay is still willing to allow you to sell on their platform.

Perhaps you will see this as a warning and make plans to take better control of your shipments? If this is likely to be a recurring problem, then eBay may not be the best fit for you, or perhaps you should change your shipping setting on you listing to allow for a longer handling time on your end.

See eBay's help pages on how to set your handling time.

On a side note I recently purchased a lovely item from a Senior Citizen who wrote in his auction description that he had a 21 day handling time and buyers should expect delivery a month after purchase. This was reflected in eBays estimated delivery as he had set the handling time as per instructions linked above. Took a while to get it, but a lovely item at a very fair price.