Ebay getting worse for buyers

[metalnutmike]

Don't know about you but my experience of eBay has gone down massively this decade, they literally have gone against buyers giving us no protection against thieving courier companies even after proof provided and now they won't let you cancel orders even when seller hasn't dispatched!!! Not good enough ebay at all!

[*help_no_brakes*]

Buyers have never been able to "cancel orders"... and rightly so.

Please explain "thieving courier companies".

eBay do have a  Money Back Guarantee which protects buyers if correctly used.

[ottavio20210]

I'm not the OP but I think he's referring to the fact that rougue couriers (we know who they are) just dump their packets somewhere, mark item as delivered and Ebay will stand on the side of the seller.

I live in a huge block with 60 flats, I have seen 1st hand couriers dumping  packets onto the front door of the building and running away. How can Ebay accept that the item is delivered? I regularly see packets being stolen by kids and rough sleepers (apologies if this is politically incorrect).

To answer the OP, I only buy from Ebay when the packet is small and it comes through Royal Mail and/or I can pick it up at a collection point. I myself only sell using Royal Mail. Yes they make mistakes but at least they don't dump packets outside and mark the job done.

The only way to weed out these rougue couriers is getting them out of business by not using them.

[theelench]

I wouldn't call them  "rouge" sellers, but lets just say "not Exactly honest" sellers who know that the MBG safeguards them if any courier marks the Tracking as "Delivered".  No matter where it was left it's "Delivered" in ebays eyes.

Particularly galling to find a parcel left on my door-step, on a public walk-way and delivered by Hermes "Tracked" (sorry I've forgotten their new name) especially when the seller has quoted RM, who wouldn't leave anything on a door-step, but take it back to the DO for collection.  Which is why I bought from a seller who listed the item with RM delivery in the first place.

It happened so often that it was one of the main reasons I stopped buying much on ebay.  Having been reading these boards for years substituting cheap courier "Tracked" is quite a common occurrence, that often comes to light when a buyer has not received their purchase, although marked as "delivered" and the seller, knowing the Delivered status gets them off the hook with ebay, just tells the buyer "Tough luck" when their MBG claim fails.

[beechvale76_5]

What would happen if ebay sided with buyers every time they said their parcel has not been received even though tracking said it had? 

[plpmr]

If you mean that eBay accept the tracking says 'delivered' when the buyer claims it has not been delivered - exactly what do you suggest  eBay do?

[ile136yz]

The Sellers offer the Courier Service they use.

Best check which Courier Service offered &  leave the Seller a message the reason you cannot buy.

I go in a local Courier pick up point Garage & the parcels are piled up for anyone to take the pick, not impressed.

[osalk49]

People order something. Ebay and couriers sends emails about the status of their deliveries a few times. Buyers don't stay at their address and the courier leaves the parcels somewhere safe for their believes. Buyers complaint about the couriers. Why don't you do your part and wait your delivery at your address first?

[theelench]

And in reply to @plpmr 

When I see something I want to buy that's being offered with delivery by a courier other than RM, I message the seller and ask if they will use RM, making it clear that I will pay any extra cost, even if they want to send it RM Tracked / Signed For.

If they won't do that, or don't even bother to reply, then I don't buy from them. 

But all too often sellers quote RM on their ad. and then send with another company.  In that case, so far as I'm concerned, that is not what I paid for so Not As Described.

What can ebay do about it?

If a seller changes the delivery company to something other than they advertised, they should be required to get the buyers' permission before doing so, through ebay messages.

If they don't, then a claim by the buyer that their purchase has not been delivered should be treated as INAD and the buyer refunded.  This would still give the seller the protection given by "Delivered" on tracking if they have done what they agreed to do.

It would also protect buyers against those that do not. 

I say that as a seller who is quite happy to work with my buyers and accommodate their requirements and as a buyer with a very definite preference for one delivery company.  Like many others I have very good reasons for that preference  --  Too many items arriving damaged, left in public view, left with random neighbours in a block of 19 flats with no way of knowing where.

Because ebay does nothing about it, I buy less on ebay even though I've not yet  been left with no purchase and no refund and that will continue as long as some sellers are allowed to send by any company the like, whatever they put in their ads. with impunity.

[divine0606]

Cancellation requests are not garunteed it all comes down to the seller and how much volume there pushing out daily we get cancellations on a regular basis probably around 40+ a day we sell alot of low value items in the 1000's a day and we cannot garuntee a cancelation due to the high volume of orders we receive and the fact that we dispatch orders immediately so to keep up with dispatch times its like McDonalds in and out with no messing about therefore its very difficult to do so hence why we offer free returns when and where unable to do so. 

But try explaining that to a buyer they just don't understand and become arrogant, i really think buyers have to much power especially with the laws in this country they take advantage of these laws and mug us sellers of. 

As to courier issue why don't you just take it up with your bank personally i no longer trust any buyers no more i take there claims with a pich of salt especially on ebay its rife with buyers scamming we get so many daily and can't even block them anymore due to ebays limit on how many buyers you can block. 

Some buyers don't understand that we also have to feed our families, pay bills etc they expect everything for free making false accusations, stupid remarks its plane and simple if you want something for free then go to charity. 

[tressygirl]

@divine0606  wrote:

Cancellation requests are not garunteed it all comes down to the seller and how much volume there pushing out daily we get cancellations on a regular basis probably around 40+ a day.

Has that increased for you recently?  Just asking,  as someone on here has said when members go to pay there's a ' Do you wish to Cancel' your order option.

I haven't seen this, but then   I just buy and pay quickly,  but if this is the case,  it may well increase those cancellations? 

Not a good ' feature  ' in my humble opinion,  especially if you can change your mind after winning an auction if that feature is there.  Then, that's a waste of time,  and wreck of an auction for the seller.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

AND YET....   if you read comments on here you will find lots of complaints about scammer buyers!  I buy and sell on e bay and so far (x fingers)  i have been lucky with both, a few returns (disagreed with a couple of them but (falsely smiled) and refunded, no point in doing anything else.  Also had a couple of items that were not quite in as good as condition as stated but as small priced just went with the flow.  However, i can see that both sides have a genuine grievance but unfortuately i cannot see any real prospect of dealing with it any other way, you cannot keep both sides happy in this kind of situation.   Also if you do not want something do not order in the first place instead of wasting other peoples time.

[sesomas]

The thing that is annoying me  the most is the estimated delivery times.  If I sell something I've specified I will send second class, eBay estimates it will arrive between the next day and two days later.  And that's even if the purchase was made late at night.  Why can't we specify ourselves when it will arrive?  If someone says it will take a week, it's up to the buyer after that whether it's suitable.

[sliverandgold45]

I agree with you.  Having used eBay for years I am so disappointed the way they treat buyers .my son bought gold bars recently and took them to gold shop to make sure authentic.  Turns out fake .  When reported to eBay they were very unhelpful as he needed to get help .  This was not little money either he worked for and wanted a small investment as hoping to get married end of year .  We really don't know how they vet such sellers or allow scams .  Criminal. 

[kidmore_kats]

Did you actually use eBay's extensive money back guarantee to return the items at the seller's cost?

You don't need to contact Ebay, you use the MBG and open an Item Not As Described case. 

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

Buyers are much better looked after than sellers.

But you need to know your rights and the ebay money back guarantee procedure.

[steve648536]

I agree with you 100% I have been with eBay mainly a buyer for 22yrs, this is the worst I have ever seen. I have scaled back my purchases on eBay & now shop around, I only buy off eBay if I cannot find items elsewhere.

I don't even mind paying a bit more from other places at least I know they do not use Evri or some other useless delivery company, the amount of parcels I have not received has increased massively, for the first 15yrs with eBay I would not make a claim from a missing item because they where great.

But over the last few years it's a regular thing, they either don't arrive or they are left in my garden getting soaking wet or they are stolen, the delivery companies do not even ring my doorbell or knock anymore they simply drop & go.

I would not recommend eBay to anyone now days as a buyer, plus there has been a massive increase in bad sellers on eBay with low feedback, I always read feedback before I purchase now & have done for some years.

I see poor feedback for delivery or for the item I am trying to buy I move on to another seller, eBay does not care trying to get hold of them by phone is almost impossible now days, in the past you could call them they showed you the number & your problem was delt with, now you have to hunt for ages to find support they just direct you to forums to answer your problems.

eBay should ban sellers who have poor feedback back below 85%, personally I will not buy if a sellers feedback is 98% or lower I have learned my lesson. I also will not buy if the seller does not advertise there delivery method or courier, I just move on to the next seller.

Also I ALWAYS pay with PayPal if that option is not available I move to the next seller, why because PayPal are easy to call they deal with your problem quickly & you will get a refund a lot quicker with PayPal then paying eBay, I know they are the same company eBay owns PayPal but dealing with PayPal is a lot easier & quicker, my last purchase I have had nasty messages from the seller & had to report him to eBay first time ever for me to do this, eBay is becoming a battlefield, over the last few years I have never had to return  so many items it's getting crazy 5/10 items I have to return & I dislike purchasing now as it always feels like a gamble now days, will my item arrive, will it work, will if be damaged, is it good quality the list goes on & on.

[steve648536]

As for buying anything claiming to be "Gold or Silver" do not use eBay most are fake that's for sure, look on one of the Chinese bulk selling sites you will see exactly the same items for sale on there gold plated etc as you will see on eBay. I buy bullion myself but never from eBay only reputable sellers online from there own websites & I have never had a single problem so far.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

just out of interest how were E bay to know if they were real or fake?  As far as they are concerned it could be your son who was trying a scam.  Its always a risk on here which is why i would never buy a high priced item myself.  Same as with my selling, I do not think i have ever put anything on for more than £50 and i even do that with some trepidation but knowing that if i lose that money to a scam it will not bankrupt me.   As for buying gold bars.....  I cannot afford to lose that kind of money and if they were that cheap i would know they were fakes.

[magpiecorner1]

A rather damning comment, and very bad advice - my experience as a buyer is completely different, eBay has always been a fantastic place to buy and the MBG just makes very good better!!!  Then again, I don't buy from China, perhaps that is the problem?

How many purchases have your made of gold and silver on eBay and how many of those were not genuine?