How Can Ebay Do This?

[diggummup]

So I purchased a couple packs of coils for the wife's Vape off eBay from a seller in (supposedly) Kentucky. The coils they sent were bootleg and not authentic. So I filed for a return under the option of "item didn't seem authentic" (that's a new one on me). Immediately after filing for both transactions asking for a return label and my money back I get a message from eBay each time that reads...

Good News! For being a regular buyer on eBay and a valued customer, we've issued a $7.88 refund to your PayPal account, and you get to keep the item too."

Now how in the heck can they just refund me $15.76 and tell me to keep the item? I parenthesized "supposedly" earlier when I mentioned Kentucky as the seller location. Once again the listing says Walton, Ky. but when you click on their feedback page you see they are located in China. An obvious drop shipper. The 460k feedback should have tipped me off. But I should still expect an authentic product.

So I ask, Is eBay in cahoots with these Chinese drop shippers? Do they have some kind of financial deal worked out? How are these sellers allowed to continually sell bootleg items on there? If it was me, they'd boot me off there quicker than a dog chasing his tail.

 

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[trdhrdr007]

I don't know what kind of deal, if any, they have. I do know that any time a buyer declares an item is not authentic it's extremely hard for the seller to win the case. Not something I like to see due to the potential for abuse.

 

[Kray Gelder]

$15.76 is a cheap and easy way to hear no more on the issue from you. Cahoots? Who knows.

 

[vpnavy]

FWIW - The wife and I get a lot of stuff from Amazon. On two occasions over the years we found one item was falsely advertised (used wrong pictures) and another item didn't work (out of the box). On the first item - Amazon apologized and said "keep the item - refunded cost" and on the other Amazon said "keep the item" and shipped me out a replacement. My only conclusion is it is cheaper to just say keep it then authorize return postage, human interaction required to accept, etc. So, to make a long story short (smile) - IMHO - it is cheaper to say "keep it" then go through the expense of returning it. But hey - what do I know!

 

[diggummup]

All I know is, if I was the seller and didn't have the option to get my product back, I'd be mad. I don't want eBay deciding what gets returned to me and what doesn't. Ebay did this, not the seller.

 

[vpnavy]

All I know is, if I was the seller and didn't have the option to get my product back, I'd be mad. I don't want eBay deciding what gets returned to me and what doesn't. Ebay did this, not the seller.

How about contacting the seller and asking?

 

[1320]

Vape/Juul related items are technically banned on ebay, that would be your answer.

 

[jerseyben]

Been going on like this for years. This is just part of buyer/seller protection. Ebay is basically self insured for stuff like this... A cost of doing business. You are reading too much into it.

 

[diggummup]

Vape/Juul related items are technically banned on ebay, that would be your answer.

You're right. That explains it. Unless your a Chinese company then your listings don't get pulled.

Ben - I honestly don't think I'm reading in to it, too much. US seller listings for identical items are routinely pulled yet the China based companies continue with their mega numbered feedback scores. If your a little mom and pop American seller you're more likely to have your listings pulled than some Chinese seller with thousands of items listed. I've been buying this item for a few years. I've talked with US sellers about this before. There is a double standard. It is what it is.

 

[fistfulladirt]

I lost $175 on an auto part that was never shipped. Seller had 100% positive feedback, and soon after shut down their account. This was before buyer protection, and in “mediation” I could be reimbursed 10%. That hurt.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I can't even pick up an order at a fast food joint without the order being screwed up anymore. When I order off the internet I'm lucky if anything ever arrives at all.
My latest letdown is now that I'm searching for an Angus sluice that was shipped to my billing address instead of my shipping address for some reason. Might be weeks before USPS can figure that one out.
I think the seller mislabeled the box with the wrong address and everytime it's some issue like this but never fails to irritate me. Seems like no one can get it right anymore.
Usually it's a shipping issue and between FedEx, ups and the post office they are all mostly incompetent at the basics but USPS seems extremely challenged. You'd think after 100 years they'd figure out how to carry mail.

Between dealing with sellers and the shipping process theres rarely any real customer service.
One thing sellers should do is list which shipping company they will use. Half the time I never know which carrier it is or how to expect delivery because they are all different.