eBay

rockbottomauto · ‎08-21-2020

We are one of the larger sellers of OEM auto parts on eBay, and have been for many years.

We offer completely free returns, even for buyers that simply "change their minds", but of course every month we enter the "very high items not as described" threshold.

Every single case that has been opened against us for "items not as described" has been completely proven that the buyer simply ordered the wrong part for their application. The words "items not as described" should equate that we sent the customer the wrong part, or a part that was not in brand new condition etc. Buyers know in all facets of online shopping they just need to lie a little to get what they want.

Furthermore, if we are offering "free returns", why should we be penalized with an extra 5% of fees anyway? It's not like the good folks at eBay are footing the bill for us, we are still out the shipping costs both ways.

We sell exactly the same amount of parts on Amazon every single month, and guess what? We get about 80% less in returns from the parts sold on Amazon. Why is that you ask? eBay encourages scam behavior.

I know you guys are losing market share and there probably won't be an eBay in 10 years, but you really should strongly consider erasing this policy and I mean quickly. We started last year making plans to leave eBay, and are going to do so sooner rather than later.

Shameless cash grabs are a sign of desperation, and a message to the community that you are scared to death of going under.

rockbottomauto · ‎07-26-2021

@gjs_16 wrote:
@rockbottomauto wrote:
eBay employees are out in force today I see, and with your big 0 feedback, I can see why you would stay away from us. (we would not sell to you anyway)

What would be ideal is if eBay would block all the little scammers like yourself.
I am not sure how else to explain that your brick and mortar store policies can only work in either your store or on your own web site, they don't work on eaby and the fact you fight eaby when "your" policies conflict with eaby's is why your metrics are suffering and why you're paying more and more.

However, none of us thus far can seem to get you to understand that...
Because of that eaby wants sellers like you gone because the way you fight with us and our buyers hurts us all. You can not sell here according to how you think things should go. When you joined eaby as a seller you agreed to abide by eaby's Policies in their User Agreement, you agreed to follow all policies as outlined by eaby and not the other way around, eaby never once agreed to do things your way.
Remember that, the user agreement you agreed to abide by?
Maybe go read it, from beginning to end.
Make sure to take special note when your policies do not align with eaby's.
When that happens, should you fail to take those into account it will be you who suffers.

First and foremost, you cannot even spell "eBay", long less muster anything that resembles a rational thought. I assume you are part of the eBay support team in India right?

numisnorway · ‎07-26-2021

ssshhh! the mods will start deleting your posts if you indicate in any way that this forum is compromised.

rockbottomauto · ‎08-23-2021

Another month, another time we need to reach out to eBay and have these shameful fees removed. We are currently in the "High" metrics but are still being charged extra fees for "Very High". What is it going to take to shut this cash grab down? How much of the revenue share does eBay need to lose before they realize they won't be here in 10 years with these business practices?

fashunu4eeuh · ‎08-23-2021

This thread is a year old and your opening post stated this:

”…We started last year making plans to leave eBay, and are going to do so sooner rather than later.”

A year later and you still have 10,000+ listings on eBay. I guess you changed your mind?

rockbottomauto · ‎08-23-2021

70% of that is all dropships now, compared to only 20% a year ago. So yes, we are phasing out completely, consider yourself owned.

dentalrprtek2012 · ‎08-23-2021

exactly right Ebay does encourage these dishonest buyers and do nothing to protect sellers. Sorry this happened to you and as a high volume seller it just shows how out of touch ebay is. It is a shame the higher ups have decided to ruin ebay. wait until you get the employee responses saying you are at fault and dont sell if you are not ready to be scammed out of your money and item. good luck in the future.

chuckscardstore · ‎08-23-2021

They are doing the same with sportscards and charging so much they have ruined my business. I was on pace to do possibly a million in sales this year, and I shut down operations. Closing my eBay store for good in protest. Now they get nothing. The fees are more, and more , and MORE! Robbery!

dentalrprtek2012 · ‎08-23-2021

maybe they will learn but i doubt it. Sorry to see you go but maybe it will help us small guys. Good luck

fsquaredperformance · ‎08-23-2021

eBay is about to hit us with the penalty fees again for "Item Not Received". We haven't been affected by penalty fees since November of 2020, and I documented our unsuccessful BBB case in this thread.

When I checked last Friday before the update on Aug 20th, our "Projected Rate" was at .88% for "Item Not Received", and we were in the "High" category. We've had no additional cases over the weekend, but now that we've passed the 20th, and our "Projected Rate" has transitioned to our "Current Rate". The rate actually adjusted DOWN to .75%, however our peers must have been adjusted down more because we now find ourselves in the "Very High" category.

Penalty fees will start Sept 1, and will likely cost us around $2,000 for the month. I've downloaded the 7 offending transactions. 2 of them were delivered EARLY, with tracking confirming delivery, but the buyers claimed they didn't receive. Both of those cases were decided "in our favor", and the cases say "We received tracking information that shows the item was delivered to the buyer's address. This case will not affect your seller performance. Any feedback left for this transaction will be removed." Unfortunately, they still count against us in Service Metrics. On another, the buyer provided a non-deliverable address, and the package was being returned to sender. Customer opened an "Item Not Received Case", which we closed by issuing a refund before the item was even delivered back to us.

I called and spoke to an eBay rep who was very polite and assured me that these would be sent to the appeals department, that I should expect an answer within 48 hours, and that she would schedule a call back with me to follow up.

Past experience tells me we will never get an answer from the appeals department. We won't get a call back from the rep I spoke to today. Filing a BBB complaint will accomplish nothing. And we have no ability to file a lawsuit due to eBay's "Agree to arbitrate" clause in the user agreement.

eBay is LOSING market share every quarter, while at the same INCREASING revenue. They are doing it by stabbing sellers in the back at every turn. This is not sustainable. The only question is how much longer we continue to do business with these f*cking crooks.

flyingmvp · ‎08-23-2021

Just a bump, before this important issue will be buried by another vague question from another seller from Sri-Lanka...

frugality_inc · ‎08-23-2021

Nothing has changed.

Still unrealistic peer levels. Sub categories all lumped together into one category that produces inaccurate peer levels. Punished for offering free returns and good customer service. Brilliant.

Sinking ship and eBay knows they have to abuse service metrics and promoted listings to fund the life rafts.

rockbottomauto · ‎08-23-2021

@frugality_inc wrote:
Nothing has changed.

Still unrealistic peer levels. Sub categories all lumped together into one category that produces inaccurate peer levels. Punished for offering free returns and good customer service. Brilliant.

Sinking ship and eBay knows they have to abuse service metrics and promoted listings to fund the life rafts.

This is about as good of a response as there has ever been. They can't compete by being a reputable, upstanding business, so they need to steal from their long time reputable sellers.

frugality_inc · ‎08-23-2021

0.10% peer level. What a joke.

Program actually had some potential to bolster quality on the platform, but they decided to turn it into a printing press. Forces sellers to waste time and money versus growing their business that makes more money for both parties. eBay once again being narrow minded. Just proves how disconnected eBay is from their base.

Sure doesn't stop the sellers below 95% feedback on this platform that abuse promoted listings that I'm sure have a true 'Very High' service metric standing. eBay doesn't care about quality, all about making money while the platform burns.

rockbottomauto · ‎08-24-2021

@frugality_inc wrote:
0.10% peer level. What a joke.

Program actually had some potential to bolster quality on the platform, but they decided to turn it into a printing press. Forces sellers to waste time and money versus growing their business that makes more money for both parties. eBay once again being narrow minded. Just proves how disconnected eBay is from their base.

Sure doesn't stop the sellers below 95% feedback on this platform that abuse promoted listings that I'm sure have a true 'Very High' service metric standing. eBay doesn't care about quality, all about making money while the platform burns.

All this new scheme has done is to cause more and more sellers to utilize Amazon more, and leave eBay by the wayside. Apparently eBay is ready to go under permanently rather than die the slow death they have been working on for years.

First and foremost, it is not possible for all other sellers in your category to be at .10% on their metrics. Either you are miscategorized, or they are adjusting the numbers you are seeing. Similarly, it is unavoidable in the auto part sales business for people to not blame the seller when they simply order the wrong part. There are literally ZERO sellers that do not have a high rate of returns for car parts due to incompetent buyers who refuse to verify their part fitment prior to purchasing. Punishing sellers for buyer negligence will be the straw that finally brings eBay down for good.

gjs_16 · ‎08-24-2021

@rockmafia5 wrote:
The BBB is a joke. It is well known that a business with a less than stellar reputation can buy a AAA rating with them regardless of the number of complaints. Many shady businesses are quick to tout their great "rating". The BBB also has no power to do anything to ebay.

Yup, another list with a great spout that in actuality does nothing.

And it would be nice if the BBB actually worked as purported or presented, it's a great concept in a sense, to have a watchdog organization that keeps businesses in line.
One would think the BBB spends time and effort litigating complaints and such, one would think that is what they get paid to do but that is actually only a tiny piece of the BBB if they even spend much effort at all doing just what they claim to do.

The first clue is it costs MONEY to get on the BBB, everyone starts with the best rating. This however is easy to overlook, after all if they're really that good, what's a few to several hundred dollars a year?
If customers complain and a business wants to retain their best rating, they want more money.

To get more businesses to join them, the BBB spends an inordinate amount of effort telemarketing.

They call, and call, and call to get you as a business to join, that is what those people get paid to do.

I know, once you get on their list they will call even after you clearly ask them repeatedly to stop. They will tell you just like every other telemarketer that your name has been taken off the list, then literally a year later it starts all over again, if they even wait that long...

No sir, to get off the BBB's "call list" I had to block more than a few numbers, these people are incredibly persistent advertisers who spend 90% of their effort spouting off great stuff that never truly happens...

Because to the BBB, it's ultimately all about the money.

Oddly enough I stopped paying years ago and my business is still listed.

Yes, it's like that.

Angie's list is another, thou that one's mostly disappeared now too, because a business that lies to its consumers (mostly by not doing what they're supposed to be doing) can't survive indefinitely, the BBB thus far has escaped most of that fate.