eBay

ten_o_nine · ‎12-07-2021

Hello Everyone,

I have been selling on eBay for the last 18 years, I experienced the good, bad, and ugly, but it was quite a journey and I learned a lot in the process. I will be winding down my operations as we start 2022 in order to finally retire by end of 2022.

The one thing I want to share about my experience with eBay CSR's for the few times I called them, is they have a culture of lying to sellers to end the call. They tell you you're on a recorded line for training purposes and after you explain the situation, they will agree with you and promise to refund your account or remove a negative but they never do.

Last one was a negative I received because buyer wanted a partial refund but will not return item, and stated that in 3 messages on eBay that they will give me the worst review if I didn't refund.... HAHA I thought eBay would defiantly remove, so I called eBay and the CSR told me what they did is against eBay policy and would be removed in 24 to 48 hours.. HAHAHA eBay, go listen to your own recorded line...

For all the new sellers. record your conversations with eBay CSR to train other sellers about this lying eBay culture

cstpos · ‎12-08-2021

@ten_o_nine I watched an very revealing documentary a while back that showed actual call centers, in the US and abroad. They have supervisors who do nothing but walk up and down the aisles, listening to their replies. For those CSRs who tried to actually use common sense and help people, they are either disciplined or just fired right there. They are given scripts to follow and can be fired if they deviate at all from that script. I had a friend who worked for a credit card company here in the US. They kept writing her up because she actually helped people instead of pushing people to put themselves into even more debt. She finally quit because she just couldn't stand the hypocrisy any more. She had that option; many don't.

So, as many here have mentioned, it's not the person who is working for a paycheck who's to blame. It's the corporate structure and management for nor enabling their employees to help customers. I'm aware that there are lazy or ignorant people in every line of work, but the majority are good people like us just trying to make a living.

abkaa-82 · ‎12-08-2021

you totally right !!!

abasskaabal

sin-n-dex · ‎12-08-2021

@cstpos wrote:
@ten_o_nine I watched an very revealing documentary a while back that showed actual call centers, in the US and abroad. They have supervisors who do nothing but walk up and down the aisles, listening to their replies. For those CSRs who tried to actually use common sense and help people, they are either disciplined or just fired right there. They are given scripts to follow and can be fired if they deviate at all from that script. I had a friend who worked for a credit card company here in the US. They kept writing her up because she actually helped people instead of pushing people to put themselves into even more debt. She finally quit because she just couldn't stand the hypocrisy any more. She had that option; many don't.
So, as many here have mentioned, it's not the person who is working for a paycheck who's to blame. It's the corporate structure and management for nor enabling their employees to help customers. I'm aware that there are lazy or ignorant people in every line of work, but the majority are good people like us just trying to make a living.

I'd like to see that documentary. My advantage is that I get to take my phone calls at home, and they are only listened to when my supervisor decides to (which isn't happening, she's too busy, and there are new people that need training). We're also encouraged to think outside the box and help people with their claim, but we're also there to stop calls from going any further with repeat callers who won't accept the decision on their claim.

C.

flea_market_mom · ‎12-12-2021

I've been lied to about 10 times in the last 2 weeks on a refund situation. They'll say anything to get you off the phone. The last call I made the rep was boxed in as I told her I wasn't getting off the phone without a resolution, and every dumb thing she tried to tell me someone else already promised that...all lies. So she did what any good CSR without a brain would do...she hung up on me. LIES, LIES, LIES just to get off the phone and make it someone else's problem. Oh, and that clicking away that you hear when they tell you they are noting the account? hahaha..that is all it is...clicking away. What a joke eBay. What a freaking joke.

soh.maryl · ‎12-12-2021

It's been fairly well established here, I believe, that CS reps are in the "promise them anything just to get them off the phone and move on to the next caller" mode.

Most issues here can be resolved without actually having to contact any eBay employees. For the issues that do require one-on-one contact, I understand that social media works well.

sin-n-dex · ‎12-12-2021

@flea_market_mom wrote:
I've been lied to about 10 times in the last 2 weeks on a refund situation. They'll say anything to get you off the phone. The last call I made the rep was boxed in as I told her I wasn't getting off the phone without a resolution, and every dumb thing she tried to tell me someone else already promised that...all lies. So she did what any good CSR without a brain would do...she hung up on me. LIES, LIES, LIES just to get off the phone and make it someone else's problem. Oh, and that clicking away that you hear when they tell you they are noting the account? hahaha..that is all it is...clicking away. What a joke eBay. What a freaking joke.

It's what's called a "terminal conversation" where no path chosen will lead to a resolution. At work when we tell people things (like what's happening with their file, or that their case handler will call them back) and they persist in arguing because it's not the resolution they want, we're allowed to end the call. eBay has probably given the CSR you spoke with the same power when all promised solutions don't work out and you won't allow the call to end. The best solution when you get no where with a CSR is to call back and speak to someone else. Some people call in and get one of my colleagues on phones and for whatever reason that doesn't work out, so they hang up, call back and get me. I help them as best as I can. I have a decade longer with the company to know things that will help callers. New phone reps don't know everything.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎12-12-2021

@soh.maryl wrote:
It's been fairly well established here, I believe, that CS reps are in the "promise them anything just to get them off the phone and move on to the next caller" mode.
Most issues here can be resolved without actually having to contact any eBay employees. For the issues that do require one-on-one contact, I understand that social media works well.

One way to get promises kept is to get the "call number" (and I ask first name too) of the agent you are speaking with, and have them make notes while you're on the phone. When you hang up, they get the next call, and you're forgotten about. I tell all my callers they have to stay with me on the phone while I help them and I won't help them if they hang up. I only ever make notes after they hang up if they're rude or irate and it wasn't possible to do notes with them on the phone.

At my work we don't have call references, we just go by file number and agent spoken to. I find that only half the time notes are made, and eBay probably isn't much different. If I have to speak to a rep I get a call number and tell them "so that if I have to call back I don't have to explain everything again", and have them make notes for the next agent I speak with. I've had good success speaking with CSRs (but not always... they are not very good at dealing with system glitches).

I can give advice to anyone who needs to call a CSR if I know what the issue is.

C.

soh.maryl · ‎12-13-2021

Exactly how would one know that "notes" are being made at the other end of the line?

soh.maryl · ‎12-13-2021

When you are told that your call may be recorded for training purposes, it means that possibly eBay or whoever you are calling may record the call.

And I believe you may be mistaking the word "defiantly" for the word "definitely".

burbknight · ‎12-14-2021

I am having a similar experience as we speak. I have called twice for them to lift the limit off my account. I can't sell anything because my feedback is poor.

It's only poor because I haven't sold anything in a few years, therefore my feedback is at 0%. I have always had good reviews from when I bought and sold in the past. So I called them and they said "Oh, it's because of your feedback" and I said both times that it's because I haven't sold/bought anything in a few years.

They proceeded to tell me that I would receive an email within 24 to 48 hours that I will need to reply to, so that they could lift the account limit. Welp, two calls over the past two weeks and still no email to reply to.

It's frustrating

bc-auto · ‎09-04-2022

The ebay call center in the USA is nothing like that. A large portion of people even work from home.

kh-stanley1 · ‎09-04-2022

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.