eBay! Seller Problems?

Anyone here ever had a problem with eBay as a seller? Let me tell what happened to me yesterday.

First, let me say I have been a member with eBay since April 2002. 100% feedback for sells and purchases.

I sold a Yamaha YP-B2 turntable that was delivered on 10/14/2014. I hear nothing from the buyer or eBay until yesterday Oct. 30 2014 at 4:10pm. A message from eBay saying that buyer says item not as described[one channel not working]

eBay says; "You should respond to the buyer and try to resolve the problem by Nov 04, 2014. Most buyers and sellers are able to work things out by communicating with each other directly."

At 4:11pm 10/30/14 I receive another message saying; "The buyer has asked eBay Customer Support to review this case and make a final decision.
We'll get back to you within 48 hours"

At 4:13pm 10/30/14 I received another message saying; "We're sorry there was a problem with this transaction. After reviewing the case, we made a final decision in the buyer's favor.
Details:
Decision:
This case has been decided in the buyer's favor.

Comments:
The buyer has been asked to return the item to you. Once tracking shows the item has been delivered to you, the buyer will be issued a full refund."

What? This was all done in 3 MINUTES!

I did not even know there was a problem until it was all over.

If the buyer had contacted me I may have been able to work something out. The turntable was working just fine when I shipped it.

TankDonovan

I would call eBay, the only time I had something resolved in a day was an abusive seller. That all happened in our communications and when the resolution center read them they paid for the shipping back, then a full refund when the tracking show it was delivered.
Something is fishy if you have no notice of a case being open.

eBay stopped caring about sellers a long time ago.

tankdonovan said:

..........The turntable was working just fine when I shipped it...........

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It won't be when you get it back.

hi*ball said:

eBay stopped caring about sellers a long time ago.

Click to expand...

Just the small potatoes sellers. They still care about the big money.

A while back I received a record that was listed as Vinyl NM, but the first track didn't play. I opened a case and received a refund from eBay within a couple of days, no communication from the seller ever, and I couldn't even return the record as I had no one to send it to. I wonder how much of the process is automated, certainly makes it difficult for sellers, which is one reason I try don't sell much there anymore.

this thread will be closed because audiokarma has a policy of no ebay bashing threads.

For posterity, I will add a brief story. I was defrauded by an ebay buyer. I went through the investigation process with both ebay and paypal and both agreed that the seller has likely dedrauded me and at least 20 other sellers of Mcintosh equipment in the last year.

The end result was they offered to have him return the now damaged goods at my expense from Italy and the fraud artist would receive a full refund. Additionally, they would investigate him but, 60 days later, he is still happily buying and selling on ebay and doing the exact same thing.

Their "don't give a sh*t" meter was red lining.

Accept your losses and move on. Being defrauded, "with paypal and ebay's knowledge and permission" is a fact of life on that site.

stereofanboy said:

It won't be when you get it back.

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I've wondered about this as I've recently sold some electronics on Ebay; luckily without an issue. If a buyer ships back this turntable totally improperly...like just tossed in a box with maybe a single layer of bubble wrap...is there any further recourse available when it is received completely destroyed?

fleksta said:

I've wondered about this as I've recently sold some electronics on Ebay; luckily without an issue. If a buyer ships back this turntable totally improperly...like just tossed in a box with maybe a single layer of bubble wrap...is there any further recourse available when it is received completely destroyed?

Click to expand...

no recourse. The seller will claim it was like that when he got it.

In the future, spring for the cost of having the item packaged by a professional firm like the UPS store. No, they won't do a better job than you. But they will insure the shipment if they do the packing.

There is a small clause in most shipper's standard insurance (this includes UPS, Fedex, and in some cases the US Postal Service). They will all sell you shipping insurance. But if something breaks or fails, they won't honor the insurance claim unless you either:

1) shipped in the original packaging (rare on vintage goods), or

2) had a professional package it. In my experience, UPS is the best at honoring what their retail stores package.

On intricate or expensive items I also take pictures or video of the internals in case someone wants to swap things out. Having said this, I rarely use Ebay if I can help it for things like turntables. International Ebay sales of turntables have burned me more than anything else.

Finally, I would try to force Ebay to recover my item at my cost. This was a promise Ebay and Paypal made a few years ago to counter chargeback scams and fraudulent counterfeit claims by International buyers. I haven't seen any formal change to the policy, although the pending breakup between Paypal and Ebay may have led to a new policy change against sellers.

Paypal put a negative balance in my son's account when a buyer of a gift card he sold on Ebay made a claim that their account was hijacked and they never bought the card to begin with. So Paypal refunded the buyers account the $80.00 and put my son's in the red $80.00. His balance was 0 so now its $-80. He's precluded from using Paypay again unless he gives them the $80.00. I recently sold an item for $800 to a person out of state. I requested they pay me as family or friend. I thought I'd be safe but hearing my son's story I realize paypal could put my account in the hole $800 and I'd be done with them as well. I think a Postal money order may be the only safe one left. If I had heard what happened to my son just a day earlier I would have requested a money order.

This isn't ebay or paypal bashing, this is go in with your eyes wide open life lesson material.

"Caveat venditor" - let the seller beware a different take on caveat emptor

These stories make you never want to sell on ebay again. It was a great vehicle for me at one time, but all the buyer has to say now is that the goods are not as described. Then.....you're screwed.....plain and simple.:yes:

I just sold a Shure M93E box and manuals for $7 shipped. I clearly stated in the title and description that it was the box, manuals and literature only. I get a bid and it sold. The buyer messages me several times saying that I was a crook, dishonest, amoral, etc, and that he would not be paying and that I couldn't make him pay. I messaged him that he must be proud of his attitude... he is a seller himself. I also said I would let Ebay's unpaid assistant handle it, and that I was done with his threats. Today he paid. I only wonder what he'll do next...claim he never got the item, leave negative feedback, who knows, but I already called Ebay about it. They read his messages (6 or 7 of them) and they are on my side already.

I do a little research.... the address is a vintage electronics store. I do a little more research and find that I am very likely dealing with a member here. My guns are loaded..we'll see what this asshole's next move is. All of this over an item that I will clear $3.75 on.

You definitely should have cancelled the sale. Is the probable negative feedback and the hassle really worth it?

I had a local jerk in the Bay Area try to pull some crap on me and not pay.

I told him postal fraud was against federal law and state law as well and that I was going notify the authorities.

He stopped his ignorant game and stopped his Ebay complaint and released the funds pretty quick.

If you use USPS you automatically have federal law enforcement on your side.

Something FedEx and UPS does not deal with.

https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/

I had a similar experience when I sold a step up transformer. Working properly when sold but the buyer insisted it had a hum in one channel, probably a problem with his interconnects but they sided with the buyer and gave them a refund.I resold it at a later date to a buyer which knew what they were doing and had no problem. I clearly stated as is but ebay did not want to hear it.I try to sell my electronics locally nowadays.
Their fees have gotten out of hand also,

I would call the buyer and see if it can be resolved. You can get the contact information from eBay. Sometimes a personal call works wonders if the claim is ligament.

Well, I see I`m not alone on eBay problems.

I contacted the buyer today and he told me that he contacted eBay a couple days after he received the turntable. Why did eBay not contact me sooner?

TankDonovan

Check your ebay message in box and see what date and time ebay sent you the first message relating to this issue. You may have received an email from ebay long after the first message went in your message box. Delays happen all the time.

The first and only date of messages from eBay where Oct. 30, 2014. I also checked by gmail account[eBay notification email address] and found no other notifications. I check my email everyday or two at the most.

TankDonovan