eBay Programming Error Causing 100,000's hours of Wasted Time

[punkydawgs]

ATTN: Chief Technology Office, eBay

             CEO, eBay

RE: Serious Programming Issue

eBay has had a serious programming issue for years. It’s caused us endless frustration, wasted hours, and certainly the same hours of needless frustration for thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands, of your sellers and eBay's employees.

We frequently ship eBay-sold goods internationally. We usually select the “eBay International Standard Delivery” option. This shipping method carries $100 insurance for loss, etc. (according to eBay’s written policy).

eBay’s international parcels are sometimes lost in transit, especially to places like Italy, Russia, China, etc.. The buyer then files an eBay claim. And this is where the problem occurs. In every case, eBay automatically debits the SELLERS PERSONAL ACCOUNT for the total amount of the claim. This is an error in eBay's programming. 

Every time this happens, we have to get into eBay’s support system, wait for someone to connect with, then explain the same problem -- over and over -- and then wait to be transferred to another person who finally tells us  that our “complaint” must be escalated to somewhere else where a “decision” will be made. This process typically wastes 20-30 minutes of our time and eBay employee time. Multiply that by 100,000 sellers doing this many times per year.

Your inability to properly program the eBay international shipping refund has probably, easily, caused a half-million collective hours of wasted seller time. Moreover, it has wasted eBay employee time on a similar scale. What a  profound waste!   

Obviously, the answer is simple. Re-program the eBay international shipping refund system so that eBay automatically pays the insurance claims on non-delivered eBay-shipped parcels. I trust eBay will take immediate action to fix this soul-sucking, massively time-wasting problem.

And, yes, when you realize that your programming error is costing eBay millions of wasted dollars every year, you can send me a thank you check. 

[wastingtime101]

It sounds like you don't understand how it works.

Seller ships using eISD. Package is lost in transit. Buyer files claim through eBay. Seller refunds buyer. Seller has to wait 30 days, then can file an insurance claim. Seller is reimbursed through insurance.

Please read this page for a more comprehensive overview.

[punkydawgs]

Thanks. 

This is even worse.  

If eBay offers a direct eBay shipping service, they should also offer direct insurance, not some 3rd party insurance that the seller must "wait 30 days" to make a claim, etc., etc.. The "30-day" waiting period is silly. If the parcel was lost, and eBay has forced a seller-refund, then the transaction is done, complete, and the insurance refund should be made immediately to the seller. There is no valid reason for a 30-day wait if the seller's account has been debited for a refund.

 
No other shipping service requires such middle-ware:  UPS, FedX, USPS ... all offer their own direct insurance. eBay should not force sellers into a waiting period, and should not be using a 3rd party insurance carrier that does. If anything, eBay should re-negotiate their 3rd party contract to remove the 30-day waiting period. 

This is all just another burden on the seller (paperwork, time wasted, waiting, etc) -- when in fact all of this insurance process could be done automatically with some simple programming mods by eBay. What a waste. 

[wastingtime101]

Well I believe it's a 30 day wait from the time the item was shipped. So for an international shipment, it's going to be at least a couple of weeks or more before an item not received can be filed - so there shouldn't be much of a waiting period (if any) before you can file with insurance.

This isn't an eBay direct service. It's contracted through a third party. eBay doesn't have its own delivery service.