Any thoughts on how Ebay buyer protection guarantee exclusions enables bad actors for digital items

[ol.olugb]

Ebay buyer protection guarantee has put exclusions for digital items . Meaning a bad actor seller can list a digital product for collection and sell comfortably on the platform as the process is that once an order is placed, buyer gets a collection code which needs to be passed on to the seller for  the seller to send the e-item (digital product). At this point, seller would have the code and can have their way by not sending the product as expected. To make matters worse, Ebay marks the order as Picked up and does not give buyer the option to raise a complaint that item has not been received.  Then seller is going on to repeat the cycle with other innocent buyers. 

[papso22]

That requires 'cooperation' from the buyer too.  A collection code is only to be handed over when the buyer is in possession of the item.

[fargvs]

See > https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/digitally-delivered-goods-policy?id...

[ol.olugb]

i believe the aim of the collection code process is to protect both buyer and seller but it seems to have a more valid use case for physical item. So seller is sure that the actual person collecting is got the right code to collect likewise the buyer. For didital products, it seems Ebay is leaving it to both buyer & Seller to trust each other in good faith.

[ol.olugb]

Thanks for chiming in here. But i dont make much of this link as it relates to me post. Point is if Ebay is calling out exceptions, there should be a robust process in place to avoid abuse of the platform with loop holes in the exceptions.

[papso22]

It's not a loophole, it's only possible because the seller breaks the rules and the buyer doesn't follow Ebay's policies on collection.

Buyers can still get caught out by not knowing the rules even when these items are listed correctly and sellers can be caught out by savvy buyers.

Have you been caught out by this?

[ol.olugb]

I have unfortunately hence the deep dive to these discoveries. Ebay's guidance on items listed for collection only advices that buyer inspects the item and confirm they are okay with it before releasing the collection code. 

"After completing your purchase, you’ll receive an order confirmation email with a collection code (a QR code and 6 digit code) to show the seller when you meet. You can also access your collection code on the order details or via Contact Seller on the eBay app.

The seller will scan or enter the code to confirm collection and ensure a safe and protected transaction."

How does that apply to digital items. 

[plpmr]

As digitally delivered items must be listed as a classified ad a collection code does not come into it.

[ol.olugb]

Here is a clear example of such listing and you can see that there are feedback calling this out as fraudulent.  This is not a physical product but definitely does have a collection code. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317061074098

[plpmr]

 digitally delivered items must be listed as a classified ad.

[ol.olugb]

I dont know the inner workings of Ebay and the guardrails they have in place to determine how and what digital listings should be. . All I know is that they are enabling bad actors to use their platform to target innocent buyers. 

I shared a link above for a listing that is not a physical item, but somehow Ebay is giving buyers collection codes