Outside recourse for Sellers who are forced to accept a return on a high value item?

[industrialfactorysurplus]

eBays return process is flawed.  I am a seller of a “high-value” item that went completely sideways quickly.   eBay held my hand almost every step of the way and now I’m out $4500 + 3 weeks of my life in living hell + the cost of the item.  Seller beware.  If a buyer claims ‘not as described’ that’s the kiss of death.  You HAVE to accept the return even if the item was exactly as described.  Even if you state ‘no returns’.   😳🤯

I have hit a brick wall and have been unable to speak to a decision maker.  Their appeal process is seriously flawed.   They have VERY low standards in how they determine appeals.  

I am hoping someone has had luck in getting a response or has had a successful legal outcome in pursuing such a case.   This is a lot of money and no one seems to have common sense.  

What am I missing?
Here’s the list so far:

•BBB

•CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) Washington DC

•Attorney Generals Office in my state

I hope no one else finds themselves in this situation.  Hopefully this thread will provide good information for others who find themselves in the same boat.  Am I **bleep** off?  You bet.  I am NOT going to stop until they make this situation right.  Their system automatically sets the seller up to fail.  I refuse to pay for their wrongdoings.  Period.

[kensgiftshop]

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@industrialfactorysurplus wrote:

I’m a relatively new Ebay Seller. I’ve never had to deal with a return like this before. Especially an international one / a breakable valuable item. I was trying to work it out with the buyer as they suggested but I didn’t get my return label uploaded within their timeframe.  Apparently they gave me an extension however they failed to mention that to me.  Even though I was on the phone with them multiple times during the whole process including on the last day (I found this out after the fact)   I went over and beyond trying to work with the buyer.  This entire process has been a nightmare.  

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Sorry this happened.

When a buyer files an INAD, seller only has a couple days to provide return shipping.

Since this was an international order, it would be hard to supply a return label, so you need to send the buyer the funds to purchase the return label.

If return shipping it not provided by the time Ebay gives you, buyer can ask Ebay for help and once they do that, buyer usually gets a refund and gets to keep the item.

[divwido]

The only safe way to sell is to meet someone with cash and make a trade.

Excuse me, but this needs to be said-Amazon is alienating sellers very rapidly.  No other site is doing a wonderful job selling.  This could have been eBay's chance to step up and be the good, honest and safe site.  But no, they decided that's not what they want to be.

Besides cash, the next safest way is to open your own site and set your own rules.   eBay has been very clear about not caring about sellers.  Stock prices are all that matters here.

[ma-647837]

Look for this EMAIL @industrialfactorysurplus which eBay sent you on Sep 24:

"We’ve placed the return on hold for 5 days to allow you to arrange the return shipping with your buyer. If you don’t provide a resolution to the buyer by Sep 29, 2019, we’ll close the return in the buyer’s favor and issue them a refund, even if they haven’t returned the item.

There are a few ways you can facilitate the item’s return:

• If you have a preferred courier, you may wish to send your own return shipping label to the buyer.
• Find out the return shipping amount by using shipping calculators from the buyer's local carrier website (e.g. USPS for US), then issue the buyer with a payment through the “send money” option in PayPal.
• Contact the buyer through eBay's messaging system and see if they’re willing to keep the item and accept a partial refund for the damage/missing parts.
• Issue a full refund without needing the item to be returned – doing this will automatically close the return immediately."

[industrialfactorysurplus]

Well hello eBay employee employee!!!!   Maybe you can help me!!!  

I absolutely got that email.  As soon as I read it I lit the phone up to eBay and was on the phone with them numerous times during the initial 5 days.  This is not the deadline I missed... 

I called and was freaked out on Saturday night, Sept 28 at 10:58 PM and was told, verbatim:  "Don't worry.....  You have time ..... We SEE YOU ARE IN CONTACT with the Buyer and are trying to work this out"  "keep doing what you are doing"

Unbeknownst to me I was given an extension by one of the "high value team" members.... At no time did he ever say, we've given you an extension.  This needs to happen by 4:00 on --insert date  & time here--  I called them again at 9:24 PM Tuesday Oct 2 to let them know I had problems on the UPS website but would readdress it first thing in the morning which I did.  I uploaded detailed shipping instructions and the shipping label Wednesday Oct 3 at 9:30 am. I thought all was taken care of.  NOPE.  

I spoke to the HVT members on Monday (Oct 1) morning for 55 minutes AND Wednesday (Oct 2) night for 15 minutes.  Not a peep about the deadline.  I also had multiple messages back and forth with the buyer on those days as well.  Not ONCE did anyone say to me that my time was almost up.  This is the perplexing part.  I basically had to put my life on hold for 3 weeks of hell to deal with the bogus SNAD claim.  Why on earth would I drop the ball and 2 inches from the field goal line????  If a person would of taken the time to actually read the correspondence they would of seen what was going on and that I was jumping through all kinds of hoops trying to make this right.  It was spelled out in the messages and should of been noted on the call log from Oct 2nd.   **I really wish I could get access to the notes after each phone call into eBay.  The only thing better would be if eBay would actually listen to the conversations (if they were recorded).  

The buyer should not of been able to start a return for the tubes to begin with.  He most certainly received the item, exactly as indicated in the listing.  He had numerous months to ask questions and clarify what was what.  One of the earlier eBay employees I spoke to was a 'tube guy' and he indicated exactly the same thing.  I uploaded good photos and information and his reason was bogus.  He understood the situation because he understood what I was selling to begin with. 

CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME????

[industrialfactorysurplus]

You keep bringing up the eBay agreement.  It isn't as simple as "I didn't read it and memorize every word"  

**it wasn't a stoplight at all, it was a very small sign.

Besides, I did my job.  I listed my product using these eBay guidelines below:

Ensure your products match their descriptions or photos

• Clearly and accurately describe your items and return policies.
• Use lots of high-quality photos and item specifics in your listings to set the right buyer expectations. Photos help buyers to see exactly what they're getting as well as specific details they may be looking for.
• When selling used items, photos are especially important because they let the buyer see the actual condition of the item along with other details like color.
• Specify your item's condition using structured specifics and ensure the selected condition is accurate and consistent with the rest of the item description.

eBay didn't protect me, as a Seller - at all.   Now the buyer opened a bogus return.  Now, he has his money back and has my rare and scarce original Western Electric 300 B vacuum tubes....  FREE.  He isn't going to send them back and as a matter of fact, he has sent them "abroad" ....whatever that means.  He scammed the eBay system.  I am paying for it, me, the tubes were all I had.  If eBay would read all the correspondence in the last week or so they'd see exactly that.  They have very low standards and ridiculous blanket policies for high value returns.  COMPLETELY counter productive and always changing.  eBay is trying this 'One size fits all' and its failing miserably.