Late delivery 'defect'

[yellowfairdog]

I know this sounds like 'something about nothing' but it's a prime example about how Ebay sets expectations that are impossible to achieve.

I listed an item as collect only. A buyer asked if I would consider posting and I, reluctantly, agreed. I put myself out to package the item for it, which wasn't easy, and the courier collected it on time.

Unfortunately, Hermes managed to send it, to the wrong local depot. They then corrected it but it added a day or two to the time. 

Absolutely nothing I could do about that, right?

The buyer was happy, I kept him informed throughout and even emailed to thank me for my efforts and communication.

Then I notice I have a 'late delivery defect' because the tracking showed it was delayed. Not the buyer, he was fine.

I contacted Ebay through live chat who told me how to request the defect removal. They said they were sure it would be fine.

The defect removal page says 'if you recieved a defect that you believe was outside your control, let us know and we'll look into it'.

That fits perfectly with my situation, surely?

I told them what had happened with Hermes... and they turned me down.

They couldn't remove it, they said, because it was 'a reflection on an unsatisfactory buying experience'.

No, it wasn't! The buyer was more than happy.

They tell me this can't be appealed or escalated and followed this with a patronising lecture on sending this on time and using a service that will get there on time. 

IT GOT SENT TO THE WRONG HUB, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT THAT, EBAY?

Sorry chaps, rant over.

Have a Happy Easter.

[red_magpie]

their staff are not trained to be helpful, or to even understand what ebay tells sellers on the subject.

I think it's almost the reverse. I'm not saying that eBay trains its staff to be unhelpful, but there is such a culture of disinterest in the seller in almost all of eBay's policies - stated and unstated - that it amounts to the same thing.

I could give endless examples, but there isn't the time. Just the latest example is in the recent changes to the money back guarantee. Did you know that if an item arrives even one day after the latest estimated delivery date, the buyer is entitled to treat it as "not as described" , requiring the seller to refund in full and send a prepaid return label?? No postal service or courier offer such terms, which are far beyond any statutory consumer rights.

I keep thinking that that I must have misunderstood this, that even eBay wouldn't have imposed this in sellers, but that's what it says: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/money-back-guarantee.html

(Under "Exclusions and special coverage when the item doesn't match the listing")

[yellowfairdog]

I haven't had a chance to read through all that, but that is horrific. Perhaps we should start doing what a lot of companies do and say if will be delivered by 'a date 6 months in the future'. I think you're right re Ebay staff. They work off a script and if you fall outside their set response, tough. They have zero interest in doing anything other than that. To be fair, they probably have to work to a very strict time scale with their responses but that is Ebay's fault not theirs. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am definitely at the 'going elsewhere' stage. Thanks for taking the time to reply. Stay safe.