eBay is getting so sad & desperate...

[scodot]

This is more a rant than a question but I feel at some point eBay has to start cultivating and doing something for their sellers. This year has been nothing but efforts to exort more money from sellers and for sellers to take the brunt of all the unreasonably expectations from eBay. I make all of these statements below knowing that I have an option to use eBay or not and my team is working diligently on getting us off eBay. eBay won't understand until enough sellers leave and they have no product to bring in buyers. For every buyer you try to keep with your unfair policies you are going to lose a seller that brings in thousands of buyers with good products. I could have 500K inventory listed on eBay if I wanted but because of their complete disregard for sellers I only maintain about 150K in inventory.  How can that be a successful business model.

I have reached out to eBays customer service multiple times and have been promised call backs from eBay leadership and not one was ever kept. As the CEO of a multi million dollar company I feel I deserve enough respect not to have to call a $10 customer service rep. to discuss my unhappiness with eBays performance. Everytime I speak with eBay customer service rep they can't even defend the idiotic policies that are being rolled out by eBay leadership this year.

1st eBays new return policy...

Beginning in April eBay basically admits that sellers can fraudulantly open up item not as describe return requests and customer service can not correct it if it is wrong. Then coincidently eBay decides that we are going to start charging sellers an additional 4% if they have too many item not as desribed returns. Clearly eBay is trying to inflate the number of item not as describe returns so they can charge this additional 4% fee. How unsavory is that? The billions they make each year and they go after their sellers like this. SHAMEFUL!!!

2nd - Free return policy

In follow up to a replacement return request that we received, we were required by eBay to ship out the replacement before the item was returned. Subsequently the post office lost that return and the item has never been received back. After calling eBay we were told that eventhough eBay required us to ship the replacement item before the original was received back we are responsible for the item being lost as we agreed to the return postage being sent. So if a buyer buys an item and the post office loses it the seller is responsible and if the buyer returns the item the seller is still responsbile if th eitem is lost. So again eBay has no accountability for their terrible and unfair seller requirements. Many other ecommerce platforms offer free returns because the platform is resposible for the return after the transaction occurs. If you are going to force sellers to offer free returns I want to know how many returns a buyer has sent back through eBay before I agree to do business with them. eBay has this information but won't share it with the sellers that actually own the products so we have to do business with everyone and hope eBay weeds out those that abuse returns. Keep in mind I own all my merchandise and should not be penalized if I cancel an order because I don't want to do business with an individual.

3rd New eBay Payment Processing

eBay can't roll out even simple quarterly updates without impacting everyones sales. In april I lost almost $15K in sales due to an eBay system update. Atleast this last incompetent roll out we got an apology (usually are told nothing is wrong). Costed sellers unimaginable lost sales but we got a generic apology letter (Senior Leadership at eBay should have lost their jobs). That leads me to this point. eBay can't manage their platform no one has any confidence that they can manage payments as well. No one likes Paypal but guess what we get our funds with very little exceptions. The batch process eBay is offering is horrific, I have already had to cut ties with a payment provider that used batch processing. The delay in funds with batch processing is completely antiquated technology and causes tons of aditional man hours within accounting department (Reconcilling sales). Real time processing is the only acceptable option and I still wouldn't want eBay or some flunky of a payment processing team doing it.

All in all eBay you are truly letting down your sellers..I may be a small fish in a big pond ; but I have a good pulse on the industry and you are in for a rude awakening. Without sellers like myself on your platform you won't get all these new buyers you want so badly. My recomendation is buy your own stuff and sell it on your own platform and then you can lose all the money you want with your unfair seller policies. Big box stores don't even come close to these types of policies for their customers and you know why? Because they would go out of business if they had to adhere to these types of represive seller policies. Clearly ebay does not care about the success of their sellers so it is time for us to take our great inventory to a market place that actually appreciates what we have to offer and treats us as if the want our business.

eBay leadership thinks they are smarter than everyone else, trust me your not!

Thanks

[auctionpet]

"Beginning in April eBay basically admits that sellers can fraudulantly open up item not as describe return requests and customer service can not correct it if it is wrong."

I only scanned your very lengthy post, but the above makes no sense! I'm guessing you mean buyers. They've always been able to do this! If the buyer made a mistake or changed their mind, they can close the request. I know, I've done it myself.

[turquoisetulips]

Beginning in April eBay basically admits that sellers can fraudulantly open up item not as describe return requests and customer service can not correct it if it is wrong. Then coincidently eBay decides that we are going to start charging sellers an additional 4% if they have too many item not as desribed returns. Clearly eBay is trying to inflate the number of item not as describe returns so they can charge this additional 4% fee. How unsavory is that? The billions they make each year and they go after their sellers like this. SHAMEFUL!!! - OP - unquote -----------------------

It's also shameful that this new policy is the  work of an evil genuis posing as a'' helper ''  . What better way to make more money while the sellers  not only have to  take their own  hit  but pay e bay  extra money for having to do so ?  Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

eBay leadership thinks they are smarter than everyone else, trust me your not! - OP ------- unquote 

I agree , because sooner or later the increasing  one sided unfair practices  will come back home to roost . I believe its called '' Karma '' . When one entity continually  increases its own rights  by stepping  over the line  onto someone elses rights  then often its not long before everything comes crashing down  taking both sides as it goes . Somewhere  someone who can  provide the perfect alternative to e bay   is watching  and learning as they go . Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

I only scanned your very lengthy post, but the above makes no sense! I'm guessing you mean buyers. They've always been able to do this! If the buyer made a mistake or changed their mind, they can close the request. I know, I've done it myself. auctionpet to OP ---  unquote -------------------------

I believe the OP was referring to the expected  increase in fradulent returns  because of e bay's new 30 day free returns policy . Dishonest  buyers out there can now use our merchandise  for a full 30 days  then make a claim the item is not as described[ true or not ]   and the sellers not only have to give full refunds  but also pay for the buyer to ship it back. The OP believes that e bay knows the scammers who already do this on a constant basis  but will not share the information  with the potential victims ,, thats us . Tulips 

[ten_o_nine]

Ask not what ebay can do for you — Ask what you can do for your ebay, and you'll feel better.

[pb*bikes]

Sellers on ebay are also big buyers in many cases. When they get treated like garbage they can stop buying. Not sure how they account for that in their tests. They must think that large buyers stop becasue of sellers when in fact they are also sellers, many buying inventory to sell back on ebay. Then it starts looking too risky to keep investing in a platform that seems to want them gone or suffering so they hang onto their capital and dont buy from ebay for multiple reasons.

[ed8108]

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote

BTW Ebay doesn't like buyers any more than they like sellers. They run tests, run the numbers and take the most lucrative path. It just happens that buyers are harder to replace and they're the ones with the money.

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That  is Absolutely correct 

EBay appears to intentionally play seller against buyer.

Some policies encourage rather than discourage scammers.

Some bad buyers and sellers appear to be treated as a protected species.

Etc.

What are some of the advantages for ebay to have dysfunction present ?

Example:

Good seller vs bad seller

Sellers fail to form a large cohesive group to advance their interests in opposition to ebay interests.

Stockholders are educated to believe certain policies are necessary because of the threat of internal and external enemies that ebay faces.

[hillbillymedia]

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@paudoh-16 wrote:

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@hillbillymedia wrote:

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@paudoh-16 wrote:

We all will have to wait for the second quarter numbers. As mant hsve saud, if negative growth is mentioned, the stick holders will know.

I feel for those suffering right now. My partner and I are not tethered to ebay for groceries or any kind of necessity. We are financially set. This is nothing more than an extra we really don't need but we have enjoyed the experience.

That being said, we are humane enough to know how many are suffering, have been devastated. How in good conscience can we not care about them?

What does it say about those who don't care?

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No doubt ebay`s bean counters have weighed it all out to benefit their bottom line and to hell with anyone else. If the bean counters are anticipating any loss, ebay will just run promos like crazy to pad the bottom line.

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There is only so much that been counters can do before stepping over the line. Sure businesses can pad numbers from overseas money but then It's negative growth. I truly do feel sorry for those who don't see the writing on the wall.

All the supporters, all the nay sayers are not going to stop this bleed. It's started. Don't care about who believes or who doesn't. The markets dictate and they are all starting to say the same thing. Kupbens apology did not go unnoticed. Sorry.

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Exactly. When they have to start (examples : padding numbers, laying folks off, liquidating assets, making major changes in business model etc. it becomes a house of cards.

[hillbillymedia]

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@pb*bikes wrote:

Sellers on ebay are also big buyers in many cases. When they get treated like garbage they can stop buying. Not sure how they account for that in their tests. They must think that large buyers stop becasue of sellers when in fact they are also sellers, many buying inventory to sell back on ebay. Then it starts looking too risky to keep investing in a platform that seems to want them gone or suffering so they hang onto their capital and dont buy from ebay for multiple reasons.

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I agree. I have bought probably 95% (or better) of what I sell from ebay sellers. I have a building full. When I`m not selling, I`m not buying. I will list items elsewhere if I need to. I`ve done it many times.

[hillbillymedia]

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@ed8108 wrote:

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote

BTW Ebay doesn't like buyers any more than they like sellers. They run tests, run the numbers and take the most lucrative path. It just happens that buyers are harder to replace and they're the ones with the money.

---

That  is Absolutely correct 

EBay appears to intentionally play seller against buyer.

Some policies encourage rather than discourage scammers.

Some bad buyers and sellers appear to be treated as a protected species.

Etc.

What are some of the advantages for ebay to have dysfunction present ?

Example:

Good seller vs bad seller

Sellers fail to form a large cohesive group to advance their interests in opposition to ebay interests.

Stockholders are educated to believe certain policies are necessary because of the threat of internal and external enemies that ebay faces.

---

We were discussing something similar on another thread. Ebay is attempting to remove the "human" aspect out of selling by replacing it with automation. I have been able to "fix" any problem I have encountered with a buyer by simply talking to the buyer kindly and careingly and simply asking them what they would like to see done to resolve an issue. It seems ebay has discouraged that option and is removing that option from me. Communication IMO has always been the cornerstone of any good relationship. Instead of communicating it seems there is disdain between seller, buyer and ebay. IMO ebay is doing this in an attempt to controll as much of the transaction as possible.

[paudoh-16]

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@hillbillymedia wrote:

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@ed8108 wrote:

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote

BTW Ebay doesn't like buyers any more than they like sellers. They run tests, run the numbers and take the most lucrative path. It just happens that buyers are harder to replace and they're the ones with the money.

---

That  is Absolutely correct 

EBay appears to intentionally play seller against buyer.

Some policies encourage rather than discourage scammers.

Some bad buyers and sellers appear to be treated as a protected species.

Etc.

What are some of the advantages for ebay to have dysfunction present ?

Example:

Good seller vs bad seller

Sellers fail to form a large cohesive group to advance their interests in opposition to ebay interests.

Stockholders are educated to believe certain policies are necessary because of the threat of internal and external enemies that ebay faces.

---

We were discussing something similar on another thread. Ebay is attempting to remove the "human" aspect out of selling by replacing it with automation. I have been able to "fix" any problem I have encountered with a buyer by simply talking to the buyer kindly and careingly and simply asking them what they would like to see done to resolve an issue. It seems ebay has discouraged that option and is removing that option from me. Communication IMO has always been the cornerstone of any good relationship. Instead of communicating it seems there is disdain between seller, buyer and ebay. IMO ebay is doing this in an attempt to controll as much of the transaction as possible.

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I think what is being felt and said outside of these forums is entirely different to the representation spread here.  A mom and pop business are more likely to call CS when they experience a drop in sales, not here.  I never came here before. I'm sure there are millions of buyers and sellers who have never been her.  This is eBays forum, not a buyer or a sellers. 

As a side note, we had five sales in a space of 3 hours last night, after two weeks of nothing. Magic isn't it. I believe eBay has removed the obstruction for those of us who were down the tubes. 

Anyone else get a blast of sales in a few hours? 

[turquoisetulips]

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@ten_o_nine wrote:

Ask not what ebay can do for you — Ask what you can do for your ebay, and you'll feel better.

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Maybe too late  for all that . Some of us are already standing on the grassy knoll . Tulips 

[dazzlecity]

16 - no there's been no MAGIC blast of sales - good for you - kinda sad it went to a seller who doesn't need the money but good for you none the less. So many sellers have either left or are on the edge - after 19 years here I'm with that crowd. I'm simply tired. 

I can not continue to fork over $'s to ebay for the privilidge of selling here.  All the while spending 12 hours a day hoop jumping and trying to make something happen which doesn't. With these kinds of sale eBay has simply become a sweat shop now.

I had 3 stores - One is entirely gone and it was doing fairly well.  2nd store I just downgraded to starter and this store is on it's way to basic - who knows maybe starter.  After 42 years in my preferred industry like many others here I know how to sell. I didn't do anything to deter traffic or sales - eBay did this. I didn't change things ebay did. I still have a good product at a fair price with excellent service.

Traffic on my website is increasing - selling my house for a cash infusion and moving to a smaller house on a lake where I can just sit on the proch sipping my tea watching the birds mirgate and the sun come up.

I truly feel that eBay has over the last 10 or so years totally undervalued the sellers and their BUYING as well as selling power. With this weeks downgrading on wall street of their stock - this is a grim forecast of things to come. I've laid my plans and hope that many are doing so as well.  For those who have no alternative I truly am sad for you and you have my sympathies 

[paudoh-16]

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@dazzlecity wrote:

16 - no there's been no MAGIC blast of sales - good for you - kinda sad it went to a seller who doesn't need the money but good for you none the less. So many sellers have either left or are on the edge - after 19 years here I'm with that crowd. I'm simply tired. 

I can not continue to fork over $'s to ebay for the privilidge of selling here.  All the while spending 12 hours a day hoop jumping and trying to make something happen which doesn't. With these kinds of sale eBay has simply become a sweat shop now.

I had 3 stores - One is entirely gone and it was doing fairly well.  2nd store I just downgraded to starter and this store is on it's way to basic - who knows maybe starter.  After 42 years in my preferred industry like many others here I know how to sell. I didn't do anything to deter traffic or sales - eBay did this. I didn't change things ebay did. I still have a good product at a fair price with excellent service.

Traffic on my website is increasing - selling my house for a cash infusion and moving to a smaller house on a lake where I can just sit on the proch sipping my tea watching the birds mirgate and the sun come up.

I truly feel that eBay has over the last 10 or so years totally undervalued the sellers and their BUYING as well as selling power. With this weeks downgrading on wall street of their stock - this is a grim forecast of things to come. I've laid my plans and hope that many are doing so as well.  For those who have no alternative I truly am sad for you and you have my sympathies 

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Dazzle, if  could pass those sales on to sellers who need it desparately for their livelihood I would. A friend of mine and I run our own charity in Costa Rica. Nothing fancy. I send her money, and she helps out  people at the grocery stores, gives them money for bus fare. Has found paint for them to brighten up their homes. It's small but it counts. Two people can and do make a difference. 

There's only 1 at fault here and he's at the top. Everything unfortunately rolls down the from the mountain.

We will be also opening up our own website over time, but have already started diversfying. It is the only thing you can do. I'm sure my sales will be dead in the water like they have the past few weeks. I certainly have no faith this was a turnaround. There is no sense fighting when the battle is already lost.

[dazzlecity]

Costa Rica - good for you - I actually went there a few years back seeking refuge from America - one of my good friend who I had met in Egypt in 95 lived there for 20 years.  It was not the location for me. I found that the natives kind of think all Americans are rich and real estae was stupid high at that time. They are so poor most of them not sure if things changed or not. Lovely country just not for me and I believe you would have passed those sales on. I work with St Judes and have for many years. It's a good cause - we have so many people here suffering too.