13 Years and 6,000 Positive Feedbacks & We're Below Standard?

[cathykelly]

We have been selling on E-Bay for 13 years and have over 6,000 positive feedbacks.  Now we are considered below standard?  We had 4 customers leave glowing feedback then, for some reason, click on the “item not as described” button.  None of these customers contacted us for a refund,  none of these customers left negative feedback in fact our customers love us, its E-Bay corporate that is causing us major grief.  There is no problem with our customers yet E-Bay has (1) dropped our preferred seller status, (2)dropped our listing discounts (in fact we are being charged to list), (3) limited us to 135 listings per month, and (4) directed PayPal to hold our funds for 21 days (they have over $6,000. of our funds now). 

So to recap:

We have been selling on E-Bay for 13 years

We have over 6,000 positive feedbacks

We haven’t had a negative feedback in over a year

We give prompt and full refunds with no questions asked.

We get glowing feedbacks and are known for our careful packing

And for this we get:

Below standard rating from E-Bay corporate

We didn’t receive a personal call saying that there had been a problem and watch our dashboard.  We just got this Bomb dropped on us.

We’ve talked to E-Bay Josh 8-23, Susan and Patrick (Supervisor) on 8-24, Dillon, Jason, and today Spenser and they all agree that we are great sellers but considered below standard by E-Bay.

Unfortunately we built up quite an inventory, thinking we were in “partnership” with E-Bay, and then this happened.  It will take us a while to sell off and get out of this unpleasant relationship.

If you are a Josh or Susan or Patrick at the E-Bay call center just remember if E-Bay will treat a long time seller that has been with them since almost the beginning this way just think how fast they can close and move a your job.  There’s always Houston or Boise wanting to add a center for less $.  Just a thought. 

P.S. Everytime we pull up our PayPal account there is a banner at the top stating "While you establish a successful history, you may not have access to your money for up to 21 days."  !3 years and we are establishing our successful history?   

[femmefan1946]

 They keep our money for the extra weeks in their account gaining interest on our funds. If they are going to do that it should have to be an escrow account that gains interest in our favor not theirs.

Paypal has stated that the Held funds are kept in a non-interest bearing account. I am not sure what the difference is between that and escrow, but PP does not appear to be making any money by holding these funds and would have some minor bookkeeping expenses.

[fabulousrefurbs]

An escrow account is when a business holds your funds in an account to cover your expenses. I own a trucking company and if we hold a drivers funds we are required to hold it in an interest bearing account. I also have a mortgage on my home and they hold a lot of money in escrow too but they don't have to keep it in an interest bearing account. I don't know why some have to and some don't. Really doesn't make since.

[songbird2003]

ebay ALLOWS THEIR CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO LIE TO US. TELL US THEY WILL MAKE SURE TO REMOVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK THEN DON'T. THEY TELL US THEY UNDERSTAND OUR FRUSTRATION AND THANK US FOR BEING A LOYAL AND OUT STANDING CUSTOMER AND  HOW MUCH THEY APPRECIATE OUR BUSINESS ,THEN SOON AS YOU FEEL MAYBE YOU ACTUALLY FOUND HELP, YOU CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT AND NOTHING CHANGED! THEY TRAIN THEIR SUPPORT TO LIE.

EACH TIME YOU CALL, YOU GET A DIFFERENT PERSON, USUALLY  THEY CAN'T EVEN BE UNDERSTOOD! I HAVE ONE LAST ITEM FOR SALE THEN I AM DONE WITH THIS SO CALLED JOKE OF A BUSINESS. I WAS FORCED TO LIST THE LAST ITEM AS LOCAL PICK UP. EBAY ALLOWED A CUSTOMER TO LEAVE ME BAD FEEDBACK BECAUSE SHE  DEMANDED I SEND A LARGE CHANDELIER INTACT.EVEN AFTER I EXPLAINED TO HER IT HAD TO BE PARTIALLY DISMANTLED FOR SHIPPING AND INSTRUCTION WOULD BE INCLUDED TO RE-ASSEMBLE.CUSTOMER REFUSED AND I WAS INSTRUCTED BY A CUSTOMER SUPPORT AGENT TO SEND A REQUEST TO REFUND FUNDS THEN TO JUST SEND THE FUNDS BACK BEFORE WAITING FOR HER RESPONSE I DID, SURPRISE SURPRISE ,SHE REFUSED AND NOW I AM TOLD I WAS IN VIOLATION OF POLICY FOR SENDING REFUND BEFORE WAITING FOR A RESPONSE..

SHE LEFT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK OFCOURSE. I MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM WITH THE CUSTOMER AND SHE REFUSED TO ALLOW ME TO SHIP THE VERY LARGE CHANDELIER THE ONLY POSSIBLE WAY TO SHIP IT AT WHAT I CHARGED FOR SHIPPING. I AM NOW IN VIOLATION AGAIN FOR ALTHOUGH ONLY BEING ALLOWED TO GIVE BUYER A POSITIVE FEEDBACKUNDER THE COMMENTS SECTION I SIMPLY SAID I RETURNED ALL HER MONEY AND SHE WAS DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH SELLERS BEWARE.! OOPS ANOTHER POLICY VIOLATION. OH WELL.

[alternativefreedom]

It is bad enough when eBay combined with their paypal makes more $'s on an item than I do but it is even worse when a psycho from Great Britain leaves me bad feedback because she wants me to pay the value added tax on her purchase and claims that it is part of shipping. I asked her to refuse the package and I would refund her money but she would not do that. So instead she "reported" me and my funds were frozen. Finally all got settled (in my favor) except the bad feedback of course. I am daily becoming less enchanted with eBay and their expensive service. They keep upping their fees and I especially resent paying fees on shipping. I pay fees on shipping when I have lost money!!!! I remember making all of $2 on an item shipped to Canada. You are correct in thinking eBay is only interested in buyers. Sellers beware!!! We are on the short end of the stick when it comes to ebay.

[closetcreations]

Open a Twitter account. Tweet about EBay. Follow other people who tweet about EBay across the country. That's only way to get any action. It won't happen on this site. Go to consumeraffairs.com and read what others are saying. I'm hearing Bananza and Webstore are other good sites to sell. Let's see how long this post lasts. 🙂 EBay has some PR and customer relation problems. Even though we sell we are their customers. They make plenty off us as a combined group.

[reallynicestamps]

alternativefreedom  - That neg mentions the problem being British tax and duty. Excellent. That is a reason that eBay accepts for removal of feedback.

Don't know if it will also remove the Detailed Seller Ratings which are so much more important.

Contact Customer Support. You may want to look up the policy on mentions of foreign duty/customs/sales taxes to quote at the customer rep, since many are poorly trained.

You might be happier if you call between 8 and 6 Pacific Time, because I believe that is when the Utah centre is open.

[reallynicestamps]

alternativefreedom - As a Canadian, I detest the new Global Shipping Program, but if you plan to sell overseas, I would certainly encourage you to enroll in it.

Your products are mostly over $100, and are going to attract considerable duty and tax. (British VAT is around 17% I believe) . The GSP makes the buyer pay their government's taxes BEFORE you even ship.

Don't use it on items under $100 (eBay says under $50) if you are shipping to Canada. The costs are higher than using First Class International which now offers the Delivery Confirmation to Canada.. Delivery Confirmation is the usual reason US sellers opt into the program.

[tclaw99]

I have 6000 positive feedbacks and they still stopped me from selling because of 3 people within one year that gave me low seller ratings after i satisfied their unworthy needs and they still stabbed me in the back. I checked on some of the class action lawsuits on Ebay and it would take you a year to read them all. Horror stories. Ebay thinks they are above the law so i am getting me a lawyer in St Jose, Ca.  just to make a point. Its not right to take care of a customer and then they be allowed to give low seller ratings. This is just a plain and stupid.

[coyote-56]

PLEASE SAVE MY NAME, I ALSO WAS TRAUMATIZED FROM WHAT EBAY DID TO ME, AFTER 10-11 YEARS, POWER SELLER, FOR NO REASON AT ALL 2 PEOPLE GAVE ME RED MARKS ON MY FEEDBACK WITHIN 1 WEEK, I WAS IN SHOCK TO SAY THE LEAST I HAD ALREADY FIXED THE PROBLEM, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE A COUPLE WEEKS LATER.. I THINK THEY HAVE SPECIAL PEOPLE DOEING THIS JUST BECAUSE IT HAPPENED THAT FAST. 

GOOD LUCK BUT IF YOU NEED MORE WITNESSES ILL BE THERE IN A FLASH!!

[tclaw99]

I will keep this from you. We have to spread the word to everyone we can so Ebay will change their unfair policies. As many rich people as there are in America i can't believe no one had opened up another auction site like Ebay. Like i said spread the word. Several law firms in St Jose taking on class action lawsuits against Ebay by the hundreds. They must be stopped of their unfair practices. Like a bunch of kids running the show that need to grow up. Give them a little authority and watch it go to their heads. Just plain stupid.

[alternativefreedom]

The problem is that eBay has turned into a huge bureaucracy with lots of policies and rules with no one watching or caring to see if they make any sense. Because of this they will get their comeuppances like the IBM's of this world. It is too bad, I was beginning to grow a decent business on eBay until I had two bad experiences within six months. Of course, I too had to deal with an unreasonable buyer but decided then after I got my $'s to stop doing any business with eBay altogether. Along with their high seller fees, unreasonable fees on shipping (even when the seller loses money), and their non protection of high value sellers I saw that it was time to leave ebay. A loss of income is the only way ebay will see that their policies do not work. So if you can quit ebay.

[tclaw99]

I think feel that somone will step up to the plate and  give them a run for thir money which would not take much to do that. A little tv advertising and they would be wide open. Lower their rates by a per cent and people would flock to get away from crooked Ebay. Setting up another Paypal system would be a walk in the park. Maybe we need to spread the word on this. I am sure our government would encourage it.

[tclaw99]

This is not about me anymore. I was doing it for fun. This is now about families that depended on Ebay to put food on the table for their kids. Thats when it hit my button. Fight Fight Fight is waht we have to do and nothing less. Don't give up. FIGHT. I hope Ebay chokes on it for the crooked ways they have done people. We will all will answer to God some day. It is written.

[tclaw99]

WE ALL ARE STRONGER IN NUMBERS AS LONG AS WE DON'T THROW IN THE TOWEL AND LET THEM PREVAIL IN THEIR EVIL WAYS.

[femmefan1946]

a psycho from Great Britain leaves me bad feedback because she wants me to pay the value added tax on her purchase ,--alternativefreedom

If this was mentioned in the feedback or even in eBay Messages,  call Customer Service and ask for a supervisor to consider removal of both feedback and more importantly DSRs.