eBay seller protection is a joke

[pro_carbine]

I've been buying and selling on eBay for 19 years. 100% feedback, lots of small and some larger sales. It seems that I have had more problems with buyers in the past 4 years than the previous 15. Today I got burned by eBay's money back guarantee and lost $50 for the cost of shipping and now the unrefundable paypal fees. All because a buyer () decided he would lie about an item being not functional and return it, of course, 6 hours before the 14 day ebay money back guarantee expired. Even when I asked eBay to step in when the buyer never communicated with me or replied back, the case was automatically decided in the buyer's favor. I tried to work with  eBay today to not refund the buyer the cost of shipping ($50), but of course, they can't, because it was claimed to be defective and their money-back guarantee. 

Ebay's solution? Off a return policy. I'm not a store, I don't have time to rent items to buyers and let them decide to return beat, banged up and destroyed items. I am selling stuff to never see it again. I am not a retailer - just a hobbyist with several hobbies through the years that have a lot of gear and equipment. 

It is more than evident after several exchanges that the only thing eBay cares about, and the only thing its reps care about, are keeping buyers happy, ALL BUYERS. The good ones, the scammers, the ones suffering buyer's remorse and the downright evil buyers... All.. Must... Be... Happy... The ones left to pay the bill? The sellers. The larger sellers that don't notice, to the smaller sellers trying to simply get rid of unused stuff. I am better off going to facebook market place, craigslist, obscure forums and offering items at a firesale price or simply throwing things away, than losing money with ebay or fretting over getting ripped off. Ebay has lost touch with the crowd that made it great. I think I'm close to being done on eBay. The only way to make it better is for people to simply stop using this cesspool of a market place and run. 

[mam98031]

What other sites do that?

[pro_carbine]

Any forum. The hobbies that I am active in typically have a site with a great forum - like rcgroups.com. People can and do call out shady buyers and seller in the classifieds and can essentially warn others of unscrupulous members. I've never had a problem selling on a forum, just takes longer.

[redmodelt]

Re selling used stuff. When was the last time you took something back to a flea market or swap meet vendor?

[cashvaluerecovery2011]

Buyers have no problem shaming sellers publicly with negative feedback and ebay has no problem allowing it. Sellers warning other sellers of fraud is called good community common sense.

[atikovi]

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@pro_carbine wrote:

Isn't that what eBay is there for, to help the seller as well as the buyer?

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Ebay has maybe 10 times as many buyers as sellers. Who do YOU think they want to keep happy?

[kensgiftshop]

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@pro_carbine wrote:

Isn't that what eBay is there for, to help the seller as well as the buyer?

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Yes, they are here to help, but when it comes to an unhappy buyer or an unhappy seller, who's side do you think they are going to take?

Sellers have very little protection here and there's not much we can do about it.

[3rdandwestervelt]

I agree with this..  Ebay has completely lost touch.  I have had similar experiences where a buyer report something "not as described" simply because an item does not fit, and I get stuck paying the bill and get to receive a used item.  There is simply NO seller protection.  

I also have been doing this for over a decade and have noticed a dramatic shift on ebay within the last year.  The sellers simply rent items for free... 

[3rdandwestervelt]

lies

[3rdandwestervelt]

you have 0 listings and 0 feedback.. your input is meaningless

[atikovi]

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@3rdandwestervelt wrote:

you have 0 listings and 0 feedback.. your input is meaningless

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Here we go.

[pro_carbine]

"Re selling used stuff. When was the last time you took something back to a flea market or swap meet vendor?"

Couldn't agree more! There is some risk buying anything without a manufacturer warranty. Unfortunately, eBay wants seller to assume that risk as well as assume the risk of buyers remorse, or, in some cases, a buy that is a moron. I had one buyer return a large $150 lipo battery because the connector didn't fit... Turns out he knew nothing about what he bought or how to use it, and simply wanted his money back, but claimed INAD... And of course, ebay sided with the buyer. A seller shouldn't loose money because a buyer is a moron and cannot read. 

[atikovi]

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@pro_carbine wrote:

A seller shouldn't loose money because a buyer is a moron and cannot read. 

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But that's the target audience. 

[kensgiftshop]

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@redmodelt wrote:

Re selling used stuff. When was the last time you took something back to a flea market or swap meet vendor?

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The difference with a flea market or swap meet, buyers can see, feel and inspect the item before they buy it, buyers can't do that online.

[picknparley]

All the more reason online buyers need to look at the entire listing and READ it. 

People shopping off their phones are the problem. It isn't going to matter if our listing descriptions are 1 line or 20 lines of pertinent information - the phone addicts are either too lazy or too d-u-m-b to look and know what they're buying. 

[mschacha]

Re selling used stuff. When was the last time you took something back to a flea market or swap meet vendor?

I actually had a buyer at a flee market return a game he bought from me saying it didn't work. He purchased it 6 weeks prior and brought his dad with him too. I apologized, asked him what he paid for it and gave him is money back. So it does happen.