Ebay 2017 - The new rules and buying scams... has already began.

[oredigger62]

As you all know the selling rules changed for the worst this month. As a matter of fact i am at a point that i am wondering if it is worth it now. They keep raising fees and that is bad enough.

I just had my first 2 returns that i have had in almost 10 years. Both returns were the same too. I had sold 2 dolls to 2 different people. both filed a return for " missing parts " and asked for a refund. My wife and i both inspect all items as they are being packed because i lost a bunch of money years ago when i shipped out an item that was shipped to the wrong person as i had sold 40 + items that day. I learned my lesson. We check everything.

Anyway , one claimed a bootie was missing , the other claimed a bonnet was missing. They funny thing was , as we were packing the african doll with the bonnet we decided to check the back of the head to see if we could find any ID marks and noticed that the bonnet was tied so tight and in a knot that it wouldn't move at all. That's when we realized that this doll had 4 heads which had different facial expressions so you could make it smile , or frown , or sleep just by turning the head to a different side. So now they claimed the bonnet was missing.

So i see ebay says that because somebody claims an item is missing they get a refund. If they want a refund then i want the item back. You don't get to keep the item and also get your money back. NOW , ebay states that if they return the item i am charged the return postage as well EVEN THOUGH the listing stated the standard " 14 days , buyer pays return shipping " Just a matter of time til ebay has a million buyers and no sellers.

 

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[GibH]

If it is a legitimate return, I don't think a buyer SHOULD pay return shipping. I once bought a mini milling machine. I can't honestly say well it was packed, because when I got it, it looked like it had been dragged behind the delivery truck. I refused the package and contacted the seller. He wanted to refund the purchase price, but not the shipping. Büll, I'm not going to fess up $50 for something that wasn't my fault.

 

[Geobound]

I think that I you buy something and then decide that you don't like it, or want it, then you should be responsible (as the buyer) to pay the return shipping.

If however you buy something and it isn't as advertised or defective and the item needs to be returned, then it's the sellers responsibility to pay the shipping.

The sad part is as you say, you've shipped something out complete and for whatever reason both parties have argued the point.

In future I would suggest taking a picture of the product before it ships, and sending a copy of said picture to the buyer. FYI, here is what I am sending you in the mail.

You will have a documented copy of your AD, as well as a final picture of what the product looks like before going out the door.

If there is a complaint against you, then you will have more than enough proof to provide to EBay (or PayPal) to argue your reasons for refusing the return.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

 

[oredigger62]

I agree Gib , If we couldn't remove the bonnet is sure as heck didn't just vanish from a sealed box. She never claimed anything about a damaged box or broken doll... in which she could have had an insurance claim as priority mail includes up to $50.00. Things DO get damaged and that is what the insurance is for. David Copperfield didn't make this bonnet magically untie itself and disappear. Yet per new ebay rules a $4.99 sale is going to cost me either $18.99 and she gets a free doll or $32.99 and she doesn't get to keep the doll.

 

[oredigger62]

I think that I you buy something and then decide that you don't like it, or want it, then you should be responsible (as the buyer) to pay the return shipping.

If however you buy something and it isn't as advertised or defective and the item needs to be returned, then it's the sellers responsibility to pay the shipping.

The sad part is as you say, you've shipped something out complete and for whatever reason both parties have argued the point.

In future I would suggest taking a picture of the product before it ships, and sending a copy of said picture to the buyer. FYI, here is what I am sending you in the mail.

You will have a documented copy of your AD, as well as a final picture of what the product looks like before going out the door.

If there is a complaint against you, then you will have more than enough proof to provide to EBay (or PayPal) to argue your reasons for refusing the return.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

Thanks Geo ! At least now i know that if i was going to buy a doll i could just go file a return claim stating it was missing a shoe or something else and get my money back and get to keep the item. WOW Ebay certainly wont make her prove she doesn't have the bonnet.

 

[GibH]

I'm not saying this was the case with your sale. I too have dealt with less than scrupulous buyers. It's a damn shame it has gotten to the point where you darn near need to video tape the packaging. That's why I specified a legitimate return.

 

[oredigger62]

The worst part is she attached a message to the claim stating she wasn't asking for a refund , yet unless she closes the claim before the 6 day dealine Ebay automatically issues the refund. I copy/pasted her message below.

The buyer requested a return because there's something wrong with the item.
Please take action by Mar 21.
Your PayPal funds from this purchase will be unavailable while this request is open.
If you prefer you can automatically approve the return or automatically issue refunds based on specific conditions. To set up or view your return rules go here.

Info from the buyer

Reason

Missing parts or pieces

Comments

Hello, I am not looking for a refund, however the bonnet is missing. If you have them could you please send it to me. Respectfully Faith

 

[Xraywolf]

I agree that a buyer should not pay any shipping if the item was damaged/misrepresented.
Amazon does it that way too, damaged and you get a full refund, just change your mind and they deduct shipping.

Since there is no way for you to prove it wasn't damaged/defective, then you have to pony up. If its just a matter of a $5 doll, obviously you should cut your losses on it and not pay even more to get it back.

 

[oredigger62]

I agree that a buyer should not pay any shipping if the item was damaged/misrepresented.
Amazon does it that way too, damaged and you get a full refund, just change your mind and they deduct shipping.

Since there is no way for you to prove it wasn't damaged/defective, then you have to pony up. If its just a matter of a $5 doll, obviously you should cut your losses on it and not pay even more to get it back.

The system is broken when a buyer never has to prove anything but a seller does, which is why every item is inspected by a second party during packing. That is made clear in all my ads. Even though she specifically stated that she wasn't asking for a return she will automatically get a refund due to the method. Instead of emailing me first she just did it through a claim. 6 days now and the money is hers. people catch on quick. not to mention the hit on my seller rating for a return.

 

[Xraywolf]

Well, ebay started their anti seller strategy a few years back when they ended a sellers ability to leave anything but glowing + feedback for buyers no matter what.
That gave buyers a green to get obnoxious and scam as they please ,,, And its went downhill from there apparently.
I used to be a power seller, haven't sold a thing is years there and glad of it, really not worth the headaches it produced.

I once sold an item [$25 crafted silver piece], buyer left me glowing feedback and asked if I had any more. I wrote back and said no that was it. He sent another message and we got into an at first friendly back and forth dialog.
Started drifting into other areas and this guy impressed me as hyper opinionated and the type who can never be wrong about anything. We were on a topic [completely unrelated to the sale] that I happen to make a living at so I know a thing or 2 about it, the exchanges got increasingly acrimonious. He offered some unsolicited and condescending advice to me, I decided to end it there. I said thanks but don't need any advice from you, if and when I ever do I'll look you up.
That sent him into a tizzy and he flooded me with butthurt rantings, insults and threats. I said keep going like an 8 year old girl I'll just put you in my spam filter and you can whine to the wind.

He said aha ! You know the silver you sent me ? Well I already flipped it for a profit dumb ass ! And now, you are going to pay for it !

He filed a not received complaint, I wasn't worried a bit. Here, he had already left glowing feedback saying "Great item, great seller, quick shipping AAAA+++" And I had him on ebays own mail system admitting that he received it, sold it for a profit and then threatened to make me pay for it.
I forwarded all that to ebay thinking it was a slam dunk for me but nope, since I didn't have tracking they found in his favor and refunded him everything, so indeed he got the last laugh on me.
I was furious needless to say, even though he lived half way across the country I was seriously considering taking a trip. Wife talked me out of it, that was about the last thing I ever sold at that dump.

 

[oredigger62]

That whole story stinks... makes me sad for you. I spent the day removing all my automatic relists and have the same feeling as you about the whole thing. After 20 years i am done. I talked with my brother today and he had a complaint as well. He had a person email him about a Muncie shifter out of an old chevelle that he had listed. It was his fathers but he has been dead for 10 years now. Anyway , the guy emailed asking if it was for a bench seat or bucket seats. My brother emailed back stating that he didn't know and to reference all 6 pics. The guy bought it last week. Yesterday he filed for a refund as " not as advertised " So ebay seized the 80 bucks... in 5 days the buyer will get his money and get to keep the shifter... will probably relist it and sell it too... if he didn't use it.

Just not worth the BS anymore. I'm with you. I'm done !

 

[Xraywolf]

Believe me, once you make the move you feel less stressful by default.
Dormant paypal account takes a while to get used to ,, But I pretty much used ebay for gas & ciggy $$ so it didn't hurt too bad - And sure don't miss all the trips to the PO and packing. Have probably wasted a good couple months of my life just looking for boxes, packing and standing in lines - Now, I put that wasted time to use.

Shame though, it can be fun, exciting and profitable without all the BS.

I make hand crafted thing so still sell a bit on etsy, and I tried Bonanza, maybe it has potential but I only sold 1 thing in about half a year. Hopefully some effective competition will come around some day, but they have been talking about that fora decade and still nowhere in sight.
I guess if they get to a certain point where so many sellers leave they will have to adjust their policies, but as long as 1,000,000's put up with the BS, their gravy train will continue.

 

[oredigger62]

I sure won't miss the shipping hassles. I used the money for the wife to spend and to buy things for the kids in the neighborhood. That is the part i am going to miss. Thanks a million... i do feel better already ! Xray ur awesome !

 

[AlienLifeForm]

I miss the good days of ebay. I am considering just using a local auction house for my items from now on. You get a 25% screwing but you don't have to worry about shady buyers, returns, feedback, claims or packing and shipping. If you start thinking about it, that 25% starts to sound more reasonable.

 

[deserdog]

Why no tracking, xraywolf?

 

[Xraywolf]

It was a dollar bill composed out of silver, wafer thin but very detailed.
Came with a COA, never saw anything like it before. bought it at a flea market for like $12, figured I'd throw it on fleabay and see what happened.

Being so thin and relatively non valuable, I just sent it in a plain stamped envelope to save on shipping. Concept worked great until I ran into a butthurt crook.
I had a threshold of about $30 below which I wouldn't get tracking to keep from enriching the post office [this was when you had to pay like .90 to get tracking on a 1st class package, now its thrown in].
I figured I had saved $100's doing that over the years, and rarely ever got called out on it.

 

[Paleo_joe]

Somehow or somewhere you have the option to make a partial refund. I simply ask people what it would take to make them happy, and do that.

 

[RustyGold]

When I send a package out to someone who purchased it on eBay, I video the whole process from weighing it to packing it up. Then I take a marker (blue) and while still taking video, I mark the package discreetly then weigh it one more time on camera showing the weight on the scale and the shipping label and the mark I made.
I got ripped off once and that was the last time.
What a pita! Just to sell an item on eBay.

 

[Xraywolf]

Somehow or somewhere you have the option to make a partial refund. I simply ask people what it would take to make them happy, and do that.

Easy to say and do when dealing with a decent, honest person.
Which does happen, but I think are outnumbered by duplicitous screwball scammers. What if they require you to stand on your head and whistle Dixie to make them happy, then what ? At some point, a man has to stand on principles.
If you've never been the victim of a scammer or screwed by ebay itself, hate to tell you but its only a matter of time. No one goes through 1,000's of transactions unscathed.

 

[smokeythecat]

I don't sell on Ebay anymore. Get it at my estate sale, but you'll probably have to wait awhile for that.