This is how bad the system can be
Summary: padanpcparts shared a frustrating experience with a customer who falsely claimed a product was delayed and not as described on an online marketplace, leading to penalties against the seller. Despite delivering the item on time, the seller was unable to resolve the issue with customer service. sheba-knows-best advised persistently asking for a manager in such cases, while acknowledging the declining service. maarsy and buyapartonline also discussed similar issues with returns and voiced concerns over policies that unfairly impact sellers, suggesting changes to better protect them.
So I rarely put my dirty laundry up here, and I do try to be positive about the platform which I actually love considering the career it has given me.
Now that's out of the way, let me tell you a story of todays customer case.
Customer orders an item. Value £9.95. This is a larger item which costs me £3.10 to send + packing material + time. They ordered on Saturday 20th June at 3pm. (I don't work weekends....well I don't post at least). The item was posted on Monday 22nd June and delivered on Wednesday 24th June.
This all sounds fantastic, right?
Customer opens an 'Item Not Received', case. (Black mark from E-bay for this). I reply saying that the item has been left with a neighbour and to go collect it from next door. I send a link and a map for him, I tell him the exact property it has gone to. I hear nothing back, then 2 weeks later he messages to say that it took too long and now he want's to return it. I say, that's absolutely fine. We offer 30 day returns. Just open a return as 'No longer required', and send it back.
He raises a return....you know what's coming...'Item Not As Described'. In the description he writes 'It took too long!' in capitals.
Alright, cut and shut. Obviously fraud as he has raised it as one reason, and given another. Let me see if Customer Services can help. I actually got a native speaker, so was hopeful. That hope was soon dashed.
First of all, it seems the customer had been quoted a delivery time of Monday 22nd - Tuesday 23rd June. So the agent told me it was outside the estimate given to the customer. I tried to point out the impossibility of this. Just not having it. I said OK, well at least you can see that the reason he gave for the return is fraudulent. Nope, not having this either.
Started blithering at me with ridiculous answers, talking over me, not listening. I had to literally shout at the guy to stop him blithering garbage at me. That's crazy! At this point, I don't want to waste any more time so I say, 'Look, it's obvious that the INAD and 'Item not Received', are incredibly unfair. If you can take them off, I will refund the guy in full and get on with my day. For £9.95, the actual pain point here is that E-bay punish me for the customer being fraudulent. Nope. Not having it either. Starts going on about the garbage estimated delivery date they gave the customer again. Call ends after I lose my temper with the guy and I just say 'Look, if you aren't going to help me in any way, we may as well end the call here'.
E-bay please take note, I have done absolutely everything needed here. Answered every message from the customer within a timely manner and got the parcel safely to them in a timely manner. You have punished me for this.
It feels like the customer slapped me on one cheek, I turned he slapped me on the other, and when I shook the stars out of my eyes, E-bay punched me in the face! Twice!
Rant over, had to get this one off my chest. Has anyone else had a similar experience to this one? I class myself as an experienced seller, just not sure what I could possibly have done differently to avoid the black marks here.
I have now refunded the customer in full for the item without providing a return label because it is not financially viable. So he actually gets rewarded as well. Another slap.
buyapartonline
·3 weeks agoFrom a seller note point of this is becoming increasingly the case with customers, hence we are slowly finding other avenues to sell as there are a lot of good customers, but an increasing number customers of shall we say with dubious actions / motives and it has seeming got out of control since free returns which sellers are charged for. Surely it would of made sense to give customers x number of free returns every 6 months then they can apply to be granted another allowance once their returns have been reviewed etc. If people returning for returning for genuine reasons their faulty etc wrong item sent seller pays if the buyer is returniing just as changed minds etc they pay Legally the law does state buyers do pay for returns (this is in the uk) . Royal mails terms and conditions of postage also mean (which binds us all) do state a delivery next door is a sucessfull (delivery now We know a lot of sellers whove left the site or downsized because of this or are selling via other avenues. Its ap ity we used to love ebay buying and selling,
maarsy
·3 weeks agoi have had several cases for returns where they pick the option whatever suits them not to have to pay , even when they order wrong or have broken it trying to install it wrong they still try to get every penny back
padanpcparts
OP3 weeks ago · EditedYeah it's a shame BUT it wouldn't bother me too much if E-bay didn't use it as a stick to beat us with. I can absorb the cost of the odd return post. What I cant absorb is my fees increasing 50% because of it.
sheba-knows-best
·3 weeks agoYou have my sympathy. Not fair.
You asked what you could have done differently. In your shoes - as soon as I realise CS is not the type / or in the mood to help - I ask for a manager. And keep asking for a manager. 90% of the time I eventually get put through to one. On the few occasions when they keep on saying no, no manager here, I ask for their name, request the SR number for the call (that's the 1-xxxxx number). Then as soon as we hang up, I request a call back and try it all again. Obviously I do all of this whilst I am working at eBay anyway - so any time waiting is spent doing jobs on speakerphone.
It is true that the angst and annoyance with this kind of thing makes it maybe not worth the effort. However, I would say 90% of the time I get my way with the manager/second CS if the case is as clear cut as yours is. I also report the first CS at the same time.
padanpcparts
OP3 weeks ago · EditedYeah fair, and as always good advice. I haven't rung E-bay for months because of this sort of thing and have just been taking the hit on these occasions. Their service level has plummeted this year. I've just had a message from another customer asking where their item is. Here is the estimates given to customer:
Label created – ensure courier has the package by 24 Jul to meet promised dispatch time.
Estimated delivery date shown to buyer: 24 Jul 2026 - 27 Jul 2026
sheba-knows-best
·3 weeks agoYeah - end of concierge was a blow. eBay shooting itself in the foot was my first reaction, given that it was usually a service for experienced sellers, who only bother with CS when the issue is tricky and needs knowledgeable help. So they simultaneously lost A HEAP of goodwill from experienced sellers at very little saving to themselves (I thought).
Having said that - looking now at EIP (replacement for GSP) and the policy of sellers not having to accept returns (ebay does the lot) that is 90% of the reason I ever rang Concierge... so maybe I can see where they have spent their savings...
padanpcparts
OP3 weeks agoI switched to GSP recently after 12 years of doing it myself. Just too much admin and complications with tariffs and rules. Seems to be working well so far in honesty.