Sellers beware: Ebay DOES NOT honor their International Standard Delivery $100 indemnity for lost packages.
Here is eBay’s page about the international standard delivery program:
Introducing eBay international standard delivery
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Introducing-eBay-international-standard-delivery/ba-p/30...
It’s basically like the Global Shipping Program except the customs fees are not paid in advance.
The page states:
“Each purchase of the eBay international standard delivery service includes a shipping protection plan to help in case of lost or damaged items. eBay will also protect you by removing negative and neutral feedback and defects when things happen that are outside your control (like late deliveries due to weather or carrier delays.) “
*You have to click the link at the bottom to find this page:
https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/shipping/ebay-international-standard-delivery.html
*Where this can be found:
Seller protections
We will protect you by removing negative and neutral feedback and defects when things happen that are outside your control. This could include weather or carrier delays, or when the item arrives late but tracking shows you shipped on time.
Read our Seller Protections policy →
*Then you can finally click the shipping protection link and find this:
https://pages.ebay.com/sell/send/termsofservice.html
“
You’re Covered for Shipping Loss and Damage
You’re protected under this Shipping Protection Plan (“SPP”) in amount not to exceed the lesser of (i) the total sale price (including taxes) of those products or items contained in any individual shipment or (ii) one hundred dollars ($100.00 USD).”
***EXCEPT***
Except when eBay’s program loses you package, they actually try really, really hard to mislead you, delay you and exhaust you until time periods to resolve anything are passed.
**Note: During this entire case, my buyer never contacted me by messages. My buyer only communicated with eBay and Paypal and their interfaces and representatives. My buyer also never replied, not once, to any messages sent to my buyer. Nothing can be accomplished if communication is refused.
5/25/2020 - The buyer bought the item ($40) + $17 shipping [an address in Mexico]
5/26/2020 - I shipped the item via ISD program [not GSP] to Erlanger Hub as is the process.
5/30/2020 - Package arrives in KY
6/5/2020 - Package arrive in Melrose Park [Apparently somewhere in Germany?]
6/19/2020 - package is scanned in Frankfurt/M [Apparently a hub in Mexico]
7/21/2020 - buyer opens a case in the resolution center: did not receive item
7/21/2020 - I reply with tracking information provided to me by eBay.
7/23/2020 - I contact eBay by phone and explain this package is nearly two months in transit and obviously lost and request they please reimburse my customer (or me, so I can) according to their stated ISD policies.
The rep tells me they will put the resolution center case on administrative hold for a period to see if the package will show up and if it doesn’t then to proceed with ‘the package is lost’ scenario.
7/23/2020 - resolution center case put on administrative hold.
*I trusted eBay to resolve this as it is their obligation. They, apparently, ignored it and it did not go away.
8/DATE/2020 - I contacted eBay by phone, multiple times, related to the status of this case. I was transferred to multiple agents, multiple times. Numerous times I had to re-read the above indemnity declarations as the representatives I spoke to seemed to have no knowledge of this program or it’s guarantees.
8/9/2020 - My buyer gave up on eBay’s resolution center and opened an item not received case through Paypal to receive their refund.
8/DATE/2020 - I contacted eBay again about the case and was again assured I was not at fault and the responsibility lies with eBay.
8/10/2020 - email received: Eloise from eBay customer support suggested, via email, over two months after eBay lost my package, that I apologize for the delay due to the pandemic and advised me to send an invoice to the customer from Paypal and request the buyer pay for it again. —— ??!?! why !?!!??
8/14/2020 - After yet another phone conversation with eBay customer service, I received and email from Kelsey R. Global Shipping specialist stating my package: “was mis-routed to Germany instead of to your buyer in Mexico. After this, the tracking stops progressing. This is a rare situation but, one that can happen with our consolidation center and so we will get you and your buyer taken care of. I have closed the Item Not Received claim with a full refund to your buyer. They will receive their refund in the next 24-72 hours. Rest assured, you will not be held responsible for this refund. Your funds may be on a brief hold but, should be available to you again in a few days as well. I understand how important this is, and so I trust I have answered your concerns fully. I am glad that I was able to assist you today and hope you have a good rest of your day. Thank you! I wish you the best with your future sales, and hope you have a great rest of your day. Kelsey R. Global Shipping Specialist”
8/14/2020: I informed my customer through the Paypal dispute interface. In english and also in Spanish.
*** But they did not do that either.
8/18/2020 - email received: Marlon M., eBay representative, confirmed: “I do understand that you're having a situation about the item that you listed, it is unfortunate to see that transaction did not go as expected I will do my best to help you out. I see that you want to appeal the closed claim. Based on record that this claim was closed last August 10 as NO SELLER FAULT, meaning that buyer will be refunded and you will still get paid. So basically no loss on both parties. But the unusual thing is the buyer also filed a dispute on Paypal for a chargeback, I think the buyer was not aware of the result of the claim. What you need to do is to tell the buyer to contact us and since that the buyer filed a Paypal dispute, check within Paypal and tell them that eBay resolved the case.”
8/18/2020 - I notified my buyer by messages, as directed by Marlon, In english and also in Spanish, my buyer did not respond. I even asked the paypal representative that I spoke to on the phone if Paypal could pass this instruction to my buyer, my buyer did not respond.
9/7/2020 - Paypal debited my account $57 and gave it to the buyer.
9/7/2020 - not wanting to spend another 45 minutes+ on the phone with eBay customer service explaining everything all over again, I replied to my last received email describing the outcome I received and informing eBay they owed me $57. I received a generic email in reply stating they aren’t monitoring this address and a link to help/home (To call by phone)
***The solution was simple: From the first notice, the package had already been missing almost 5 weeks. It is lost. It is under the maximum indemnity by more than half. Pay it.
Instead, I received numerous uninformed customer service representatives. I received reimbursement assurances but no reimbursement. I followed all of the instructions and am still out the $57.
What a pitiful amount of money to hassle a seller with this much. I spent well over 3 hours on the phone with eBay through at least 5 phone calls, probably more… Not to mention all of the messages and resolution center instructions. I have spent well over any time warranted by $57 on this one transaction. It is not the dollar amount. It is the principle of the matter. I put this effort and time in, following every instruction given, to properly get my customer refunded. My customer did their part: Pay. I did my part: Ship / On time / To the given address. Ebay did not do their part: indemnity not provided to the seller for misrouted/lost package.
That is called Bad Faith.
That is what I received from eBay.
Thanks for reading.
Share with your friends.
Reply, I'll read it.
Hopefully you won’t have a similar experience.
David
