Inconsistency with customer support

[rlmmem587]

I thought customer support was spotty when dealing with staff on the one, I couldn't expect what it would be like when it was email only.  Most of my concerns deal with the conditions of returns I receive.  I mostly deal with replacement parts for small handheld equipment.  Here's an example:

 A buyer returns a small fuel tank saying they had ordered for the wrong model, fair enough.  When my items go out there are all individually bagged, normally in a heat sealed plastic bag.  When I received this item bag I saw that it was actually the item the buyer had been replacing, meaning that it was old, used and broken.  The buyer simply returned his own used part and used the return system to ship it back to me.  I photographed everything I could, this part next to a new one in its packaging, the old part as it came in the box, etc.  I added those pictures to my return details asking the buyer for an explanation.  Naturally they remained silent.  After the window had closed I emailed customer support and pushed for a case.  I was quite shocked when the member came back and said that there was no way to prove my concerns were valid and not only did the buyer receive a refund, they also were given their original shipping cost back as well.  In the past on the phone I could work through the evidence and normally prove my point.  I also pushed for an appeal but this was never acknowledged in any replies I received.  I tried starting a new email and was told since I had willfully, what??, given the buyer a refund I had consented that there wasn't anything wrong with the return I had received.  Since the mail delays have taken me out of Top Rated contention for the moment, I'm going to do some revisions and limitations to my return policy.  I simply get frustrated at the fact that a buyer with a double digit feedback is treated so much better than a seller that pays a four figure fee invoice every month.  My only other comment is regarding the language that is used by buyers in their messages that is never addressed either.  I can only report it so many times.  Stay safe and stay busy.  

[wastingtime101]

You've encountered what all of us have at some point or another - the ol' buyer switcheroo. This is especially common when you sell parts.

eBay almost always takes the buyer's side - that's just how it goes. The mistake you made was escalating to a case.

Sellers are offered protections in the instance you described if:

• You're a top rated seller with a 30 day (or longer) return policy
• You offer free returns with a 30 day (or longer) return policy

In some categories it's 14 days, but only a select few.

The "protections" offered come in the form of being able to withhold up to 50% of the refund and neg feedback removal, occasionally a shipping label credit of $6 if the buyer is determined to be abusive. There's a little more to it than that, but that's the basic gist of it.

"Since the mail delays have taken me out of Top Rated contention for the moment"

Change your handling time if you need to and take advantage of the current listing promos to get more inventory up and run some markdowns on price using your store's promotions feature. If you can boost sales enough to offset the late shipping marks you might be able to get TRS back more quickly.

You can and should appeal the loss of TRS from late shipping (source). Sellers are supposed to be protected from March 20 - June 20 evaluations.

[rlmmem587]

Sellers are not being protected. I've contacted them several times because my late shipping rate changes daily. Last week in swung 5% in one day. As far as escalating, that is EXACTLY what customer service told me to do. Shame on me.