ebay has no support whatsoever for Sellers

[xxivcarat]

After 13 years of selling I only recently realised that "Returns not accepted" does not apply on ebay at all. It is blatantly contravenes the UK Trades description act as it's false and ebay should be made to take that down. Buyers can return anything for any reason whatsoever and their "helpful" articles and agents all repeat the one ebay mantra "refund the buyer at once". 

Although not related to "not as described", I sold an item that was apparently damaged by the couriers that I booked through ebay. Legally, that would be ebay's responsibility. ebay, as usual, wants me to pay return postage and refund the buyer within a set timeframe. The couriers is saying leave the package where it is until we examineit  otherwise you will not get any compensation.  after ten days they still haven't gone to examine the package and the buyer has no choice but to return the item.  There are no helpful articles on ebay about this and the  ebay agent, based somewhere in the far east, continued to read from his transcript " you have nothing to worry about sir, just refund the buyer".

Another item I sold, the buyer has not collected after 4 weeks and many emails. I need to clear my property out and and the ebay agent's response: you have guessed it,  "refund the buyer".

ebay is a paradise for buyers and hell for sellers. after many years of selling I shall stop selling on ebay. I tell all my relations and friend the same thing; don't sell on ebay.

We can stop big companies behaving like this if take collective action.  You may me alright today but it will get you the next day, so stop selling on ebay.

[coastaltechsolution]

Looks like you are in the UK

This is the USA board 

[downunder-61]

Probably best to post on the UK boards if it is UK llaw you are stating.

When you sign up to sell on eBay you agree to the terms and conditiions, and eBays MBG over rides any seller's T&C's

[stainlessenginecovers]

Even if UK law; the statement is 'no returns'. The statement is not 'no refunds'. 

So, you can be forced to 'refund' and if you don't want the item back, then your 'no returns' still stands. The 30 Day Money Back Guarantee given to ALL buyers covers all this. The Terms of Use that you agreed to when you signed up on ebay, means you read and understood all that. 

[meme6253]

It Doesn't Make It Right!!

[eleanor*rigby]

@xxivcarat 

While your issue is universal, you might want to post this on your "home" board for your fellow sellers to discuss.

Here's the link to the ebay.co.uk discussion boards:

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Discussion/ct-p/13

[wesk_36]

"Legally, that would be ebay's responsibility."

It is the sellers responsibility, even if the shipping courier damages the item... Ebay doesn't sell anything nor ship anything. The seller has options to go after the courier, as fruitless as that may be.

The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 deals with businesses or salespeople to sell a product or service based on misinformation. That is all. It has nothing to do with your no return policy. Buyers have a right to return or receive a refund in the case of not as described or in receiving a damaged item.

Your opting for no returns simply means that you don't want the item back, not that you can refuse a refund for damaged goods.

So actually the UK Trades description act protects consumers from sellers who refuse to make a buyer whole/

"Tip
Even if you specify “no returns accepted,” under the eBay Money Back Guarantee, the buyer can still return an item if it doesn’t match the listing description."

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/handling-return-requests/setting-rules-re...

"ebay is a paradise for buyers and hell for sellers."

Ebay is "buyer-centric". Although it is the sellers that have made ebay successful and rich, ebay caters to the buyers. This is true for most retailers online or not. Ebay goes to great lengths to protect buyers and unfortunately that has opened the floodgates to scammers who take advantage of sellers..

Your other issue of a silent buyer not picking up their order after a month is also not a problem of ebay. It is your dilemma to solve, not ebay's.

The fact that your courier has ignored you has nothing to do with ebay and everything to do with the courier.

[inhawaii]

ebay has no support whatsoever for Sellers?

They do in the US.  I see you are in the UK. 

[luckythewinner]

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@xxivcarat wrote:

I sold an item that was apparently damaged by the couriers that I booked through ebay. Legally, that would be ebay's responsibility.

---

This is the USA board and I'm in the USA, so I'm not familiar with UK law.

But is eBay's responsiblility for the courier absolute and immutable?

Or is it something that could be waived by the seller through some sort of user agreement? 

[tools*]

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@xxivcarat wrote:

After 13 years of selling I only recently realised that "Returns not accepted" does not apply on ebay at all. It is blatantly contravenes the UK Trades description act as it's false and ebay should be made to take that down. Buyers can return anything for any reason whatsoever and their "helpful" articles and agents all repeat the one ebay mantra "refund the buyer at once". 

Although not related to "not as described", I sold an item that was apparently damaged by the couriers that I booked through ebay. Legally, that would be ebay's responsibility. ebay, as usual, wants me to pay return postage and refund the buyer within a set timeframe. The couriers is saying leave the package where it is until we examineit  otherwise you will not get any compensation.  after ten days they still haven't gone to examine the package and the buyer has no choice but to return the item.  There are no helpful articles on ebay about this and the  ebay agent, based somewhere in the far east, continued to read from his transcript " you have nothing to worry about sir, just refund the buyer".

Another item I sold, the buyer has not collected after 4 weeks and many emails. I need to clear my property out and and the ebay agent's response: you have guessed it,  "refund the buyer".

ebay is a paradise for buyers and hell for sellers. after many years of selling I shall stop selling on ebay. I tell all my relations and friend the same thing; don't sell on ebay.

We can stop big companies behaving like this if take collective action.  You may me alright today but it will get you the next day, so stop selling on ebay.

---

I would argue that eBay has minimal, virtually worthless, second-world customer support. Almost what you've described.

As far as the unclaimed item that you mentioned, DO NOT refund the payment. If the buyer never picks it up, it'll be yours to keep or sell.

[tools*]

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@xxivcarat wrote:

After 13 years of selling I only recently realised that "Returns not accepted" does not apply on ebay at all. It is blatantly contravenes the UK Trades description act as it's false and ebay should be made to take that down. Buyers can return anything for any reason whatsoever and their "helpful" articles and agents all repeat the one ebay mantra "refund the buyer at once". 

Although not related to "not as described", I sold an item that was apparently damaged by the couriers that I booked through ebay. Legally, that would be ebay's responsibility. ebay, as usual, wants me to pay return postage and refund the buyer within a set timeframe. The couriers is saying leave the package where it is until we examineit  otherwise you will not get any compensation.  after ten days they still haven't gone to examine the package and the buyer has no choice but to return the item.  There are no helpful articles on ebay about this and the  ebay agent, based somewhere in the far east, continued to read from his transcript " you have nothing to worry about sir, just refund the buyer".

Another item I sold, the buyer has not collected after 4 weeks and many emails. I need to clear my property out and and the ebay agent's response: you have guessed it,  "refund the buyer".

ebay is a paradise for buyers and hell for sellers. after many years of selling I shall stop selling on ebay. I tell all my relations and friend the same thing; don't sell on ebay.

We can stop big companies behaving like this if take collective action.  You may me alright today but it will get you the next day, so stop selling on ebay.

---

Just the thought of someone in the Philippines contracted by eBay who makes $300 a month telling you "you have nothing to worry about sir, just refund the buyer." They must really get off on living vicariously through people who don't live in a military dictatorship.

[lacemaker3]

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@xxivcarat wrote:

...

Although not related to "not as described", I sold an item that was apparently damaged by the couriers that I booked through ebay. Legally, that would be ebay's responsibility. ...

Unless you described the item as being damaged, if it was delivered damaged, then it was not as you described it. So the reason for the return/refund request was valid and appropriate.

In the USA, legally damage during shipment would be the seller's responsibility because with items that are sold by distance-sellers and are delivered to the buyer, the title to the item remains with the seller until it is delivered to the buyer, at which time the title transfers to the buyer. At no time does the title to items sold on eBay ever transfer to eBay itself, so this would not be eBay's responsibility. This is based on the UCC (Uniform Commercial Code), which has been adopted as law in all US states. Common law in the USA is based on English common law with one exception (the state of Louisiana, which is based on French common law) so I expect that the common law in the UK is probably similar.

It makes sense that the risk and liability of damage stays with the seller until the item is delivered, because it is the seller who chooses what courier(s) to make available for delivery, the seller is the one who packages the item to prepare it for shipment, and the seller is the one who contracts with the courier for the shipment. 

[isalesamerica1]

eBay took a huge smoldering dump right on my forehead for the second time. Amazon doesn't treat sellers like that. GO TO AMAZON!!!

[tdumonde2014]

You're living in a Dream World if you think Amazon treats there sellers better. I've seen 7 figure sellers have their accounts suspended because one buyer claimed their item was not authentic. This despite 10,000 other buyers being satisfied with the item's authenticity. Never heard of that happening to an eBay seller.