New Seller, Good Ebay Experience for Once!!!

[Nitric]

I'm fairly new to selling on Ebay again. I'm starting out slow and just kind of playing around mostly, to feel it out. I've heard and read horror stories of sellers having to accept returns! I have to post my good experience and quite the opposite of what most of the things I've read about this. I also think other sellers that do not accept returns should voice there opinions to Ebay! If you yell loud enough and are persistent they will side with you! Here's what happened in case someone else runs into this situation or is worried about "held" money! You can speed that process up!! Which I just learned today!

All my listings are "As-Is" "no returns". I do not want to play that game. Especially with the stuff that I'm selling. For a few reasons.

I sold an Item, $275 I paid the shipping and insurance. The buyer receives the Item and is not Happy! "Buyers remorse" basically. So he starts off complaining,,,,,, "there are scratches", I respond with "Are they in the listing pictures" . I get no response, then it moves on to wanting some money back. Either way after about 20 back and forth messages and him changing his complaint a few times, I still say " no return, your complaints are petty, that is tough! You own it! Look at pictures and ask questions next time", Basically. He is using the "item is not as described" BS. He's telling me pictures are not a description. They sure are! They are the best non-subjective description there is!!!

Now, Since he clicked the return button that money is locked! You have to wait for it to go to the next step and so on. As sellers we need the option to escalate it now!!! Not days from now!

So, I'm ticked just on principal and the idea that I do not have the item, I don't really have the money until a decision is made on Ebay's part. I know I listed honestly and I feel I'm in the right! And after reading and searching I'm not finding any answers in the "Help" section. I'm an impatient person! I want to know now! Not days from now, if that money is really mine or not! At this point in time that is a lot of money to me for my hobby or anything really!! After a few days, I get a "threat" this morning. "I need a return address, I'm leaving feedback tonight!" I still say "no!DO NOT ship it back to me! I am not refunding!!!!!!" And I don't do well with threats or scare tactics! So..I'm on a mission to get this settled right now! Not days from now! If I'm forced to pay this clown? Then I have to change my listings, may not list anymore, or anything listed in the next few days has to be worded differently. I need to know now so I can proceed!!!

Try to call Ebay on this issue? You can't even get a number! So, I had to get creative and I'll leave that part of it out of this post. The whole point to this! As a seller you can get someone on the phone, escalate the case right now and have your money released within an hour!!!!! Not days or weeks!! This was a very good feeling! I'm happy that Ebay is siding with sellers and they do not make you accept returns! Unless, it's for a real reason and I get that! I would have given his money back for a real mistake on my part. After the phone call he is even blocked from leaving negative feedback!!! Ebay might be starting to warm up to their sellers again?

Next, I want them and maybe others that read this might too, to put the option for the sellers to escalate case now! That would be a good option instead of the return default, and what? Three options? Then have to wait while money is tied up for it to run it's course from some idiot buyer? I also learned how to block buyers!! Which everyone might already know! I'm a little behind times right now!

Ok, We are usually all complaining about how bad Ebay is to the sellers! I had to give my good experience!

 

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[dieselram94]

Good to hear! I have yet to run into someone wanting to do a return. Can you pm me how you did that?


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[Nitric]

Good to hear! I have yet to run into someone wanting to do a return. Can you pm me how you did that?


Sent from a spun out toilet paper tube (one ply)!

Part of it is, to ask them(the buyer) as many questions as you can about there complaint. Get pictures of there complaint!! Make them send you a picture! If what they send you is in your listing pictures? They are done! Pictures are an Item description! And if your listing is straight forward? There is no reason for a return. It has to be a real complaint! Also, On the phone they will try to shove you off with" that's our policy" "no! I need to talk to someone that can override policy then! I want to file a complaint on the buyer for "return Policy" abuse, Thank you!"

My whole point was, Take a used item. I may think it looks great! The next guy might think it looks horrible. It's all subjective! Pictures are the only way to describe some items! There is no question then! The buyer was trying to tell me it didn't matter, Every detail has to be written out in the "written description" Which there is nothing in Ebay rules that defines this very well. Really? As an example....You and I can describe the condition of a 100 year old watch and have two very different , but honest to each of us descriptions! Pictures are the only thing that are accurate descriptions in some cases!

It was the first one I've had out of about 160 sales, since most people don't leave feedback!

 

[dieselram94]

Good points, I've been noticing this more and more that nobody leaves feedback anymore...


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[Nitric]

Good points, I've been noticing this more and more that nobody leaves feedback anymore...


Sent from a spun out toilet paper tube (one ply)!

Ya, I forget at times too, I usually go in when I remember and do them all at once. Sometimes it has been two weeks later.

 

[foilfinder]

used to sell pages of stuff there but stopped when they continued their buyers alway right policy, sold there long enough to know there are plenty of dishonest buyers and with their new policies even folks that were normally prone to honesty would take advantage of sellers,Fast forward to last week I got an email saying they were changing their policy and to come on back, well for how long will the pendulum swing the new direction , they really soured me..having trouble deciding whether to go back.

 

[Nitric]

used to sell pages of stuff there but stopped when they continued their buyers alway right policy, sold there long enough to know there are plenty of dishonest buyers and with their new policies even folks that were normally prone to honesty would take advantage of sellers,Fast forward to last week I got an email saying they were changing their policy and to come on back, well for how long will the pendulum swing the new direction , they really soured me..having trouble deciding whether to go back.

I sold on there years ago. When it cost 40 bucks in total fees to sell a $1000 item. I call myself new, because it has been so long and it is way different now than what I remember! Shipping is even horrible now!!! I still feel they have ruined it! But maybe they will come back around! I like playing around on there, but I don't want to be forced to put up with nonsense either! In the watch category for example, I have heard horror stories from friends who got watches back with swapped parts, because some parts are impossible to find or very expensive! I've also known guys that have done this. They get a customers watch, can't locate a part? Just buy one on Ebay, then swap parts, and return. It happens more than people think!!! And who would ever know or prove it! I think it's a dirty thing to do! That is also one reason I do not accept returns! I will go out of my way with any questions or extra pictures to make sure someone knows exactly what they are getting. But some of this stuff you can't do that unless they ask! It would take days to write descriptions and research some of this stuff. For a couple of hundred dollar sale.

I would never list My grading on coins! I have some to list and haven't yet. I want to make sure I do it right. I would not accept returns on that kind of stuff either.

 

[foilfinder]

I sold on there years ago. When it cost 40 bucks in total fees to sell a $1000 item. I call myself new, because it has been so long and it is way different now than what I remember! Shipping is even horrible now!!! I still feel they have ruined it! But maybe they will come back around! I like playing around on there, but I don't want to be forced to put up with nonsense either! In the watch category for example, I have heard horror stories from friends who got watches back with swapped parts, because some parts are impossible to find or very expensive! I've also known guys that have done this. They get a customers watch, can't locate a part? Just buy one on Ebay, then swap parts, and return. It happens more than people think!!! And who would ever know or prove it! I think it's a dirty thing to do! That is also one reason I do not accept returns! I will go out of my way with any questions or extra pictures to make sure someone knows exactly what they are getting. But some of this stuff you can't do that unless they ask! It would take days to write descriptions and research some of this stuff. For a couple of hundred dollar sale.

I would never list My grading on coins! I have some to list and haven't yet. I want to make sure I do it right. I would not accept returns on that kind of stuff either.

Sold there early on too..was a good honest place in the beginning, I think being able to leave negative/neutral FB on a bad buyer kept people honest but never had to leave anything but good FB, sold vintage and high end electronics some in the thousands and on occasion had to settle disputes in the hundreds just to satisfy a buyer, I knew what I sold and I knew there was no problem but it was that or risking a bad return packing and getting a pile of junk back on top of refunding their money..I might go back and sell as you sell but not doing high dollar stuff anymore.
Good luck on the Bay.

 

[trdhrdr007]

Couple comments. Last time I needed a phone number for eBay it was readily available on the website. It sounds like your buyer sent emails that influenced this situation. If they had skipped the messaging & simply opened an Item Not As Described (INAD) this probably would not have turned out the way it did. A no return policy doesn't protect you from INAD. Clear pictures of any issues will go a long way towards protecting you from returns & can help in an INAD case.

 

[Nitric]

Couple comments. Last time I needed a phone number for eBay it was readily available on the website. It sounds like your buyer sent emails that influenced this situation. If they had skipped the messaging & simply opened an Item Not As Described (INAD) this probably would not have turned out the way it did. A no return policy doesn't protect you from INAD. Clear pictures of any issues will go a long way towards protecting you from returns & can help in an INAD case.

I'm still trying to navigate the "help" part of the site. That might be my fault for not knowing how to get a phone and whatever other number they give you, fast. It usually asks questions and then when you click no phone number comes up. It tries to lead you to a solution without you calling, which is fine if the answer is there. But it isn't always there.

They can't just return without a reason. Even a INAD has to have a reason. "Buyers remorse is not a reason. Also it may depend on category and how it was listed. All my listings are" "As-Is" parts or repair." You are right! a "NO return" alone does not stop a INAD. Buyers are abusing this with a just saying Item wasn't as described, so they have to give a reason or description of "what wasn't described".

Anyhow, I'm still new and everyone might already know all this crap. I like having rules and policies very clear so that when I list, there is no future problems. And I was hearing horror stories about returns and thought from those there was no exception. But us that do want a "no return" policy can make it honest and safe for us to have it.

 

[dieselram94]

I always state in several places on my auctions, no returns accepted. I make it very clear. So far I've never had a return... But I post many clear pictures of the item and most times I sell parts that people need so their not so inclined to play games as they need their vehicle running. I'd rather miss a sale than take a return...


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[Oregon Viking]

Make sure you give us the %*%$@!@#%& name so we can block him too!!

 

[dieselram94]

Make sure you give us the %*%$@!@#%& name so we can block him too!!

Absolutely, and make sure your buyer preferences/requirements are set where you want them.

 

[mugsisme]

When you go to the help, it asks you what you need help in. I had a shipping issue that wasn't listed under their ideas of help. So I picked what is closest to it. I do it all the time. I never deal online with Ebay; I always call. Yes, they will solve the problem most of the time there and then.

Always have buyers write to you through Ebay. Don't ever write to someone off Ebay. Ebay can go in and see the messages. I had a buyer write that she didn't like the bracelet. I told her to return it, since I do accept returns. She tried to pull an INAD. I called Ebay, and when they went through the messages and saw that it was buyers remorse, they decided in my favor. End of case.