Chasing chargeback fees from 10 years ago

[blackburnbelle]

Hi All, I would appreciate your feedback on this please. 

I have had my UK ebay account for 10 years. Last weekend, for the first time, I decided to list an item for sale. I created the listing and then at the final stage, received a message saying there was a restriction on my account. 

I contacted Ebay who told me i sold 2 items in 2015 and a fee of circa £27 is outstanding. I have never sold anything and have no seller feedback on my account to prove this. 

I have disputed this in multiple email exchanges with eBay customer service but keep getting the same response - the charge stands and the restriction won't be lifted until I pay the outstanding fees. 

I asked to raise a formal complaint and Ebay said they have logged it, investigated but the charges still stand. I'm rapidly going round in circles with this and getting nowhere. They can't even tell me what im supposed to have sold, just the transaction number.

Has anyone any ideas on how I resolve this?

[papso22 · Accepted solution]

Simple answer is you can't argue with ebay.

They also don't usually make fee errors.

So either you pay a fee you don't agree with, or you can't sell.

[plpmr]

have a read making note of FOS -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/payment-policies/file-complaint-ebay-commerce-uk-limited-paymen...

[*guinevere*]

@plpmr  

That's a handy link, I've never seen it before so I've saved the link for future queries. Thanks!

[moonlight-rhapsody]

You can make a Subject Access Request to find out what information ebay hold about you.  They will have 30 days to respond.  Check out the ICO web site (Information Commissioner's Office).

[porte2425]

Based on posts I’ve read in this forum over the last 2 years, my advice would be to pay it. If you don’t, then you will not be able to sell on eBay again. Not only that, anyone at your address will likely face the same consequences.

It’s eBay’s site, so their rules.

As your account was created in 2015, there is a chance you listed an item back then and incurred fees. Lack of feedback does not mean lack of a sale. Regardless, the item didn’t even have to sell to incur fees – reserve fees are payable even when the item does not sell. And that would make more sense – as there would be no buyer payment to deduct the fees from; and this is a common mistake of new sellers.

So are you 100% sure you did not even list anything to incur these fees?

Are you not bothered about being able to list on eBay again?

If you answer yes to both, then you may want to fight this. Otherwise, it would be simpler just to pay and move forward.

[jckl1957]

Digging back to the last page of your feedback left for buyers, I found the following two transactions.

[4_bathrooms]

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@plpmr wrote:

have a read making note of FOS -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/payment-policies/file-complaint-ebay-commerce-uk-limited-paymen...

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That link won't help in the OP's case. It is specifically to complain about ECUK's managed payments or credit brokering services; neither of which existed in 2015 when the OP is supposed to have incurred the fees (ECUK wasn't incorporated until 2019).

If it was me and I was 100% certain I didn't owe the fees I would definitely start with a subject access request to pursue my right to rectification.

[theelench]

Ten years ago I'm pretty sure that ebay was still using paypal to process payments from sales and if I'm not mistaken was also charging Listing (Insertion) Fees. 

Ebay didn't deduct its fees from the buyers payment, anyone selling got a bill from ebay each month.  Paypal took their fee from the buyer's payment and credited the sellers paypal account.   I thought that ebay made it mandatory for anyone with a selling account to set up a D/D so ebay could take what it was due automatically (but may be wrong).

Two things strike me as odd about ebay's claim.

Listing Fees were on a sliding scale according to BIN price or Starting price if an auction.  Most of the fee was in the 10% FVF.  If ebay says the outstanding amount is "circa £27" that means the two items sold for around £270.  Quite high for a new seller back in 2015 IMO, so wouldn't ebay have asked paypal to Hold the cash in case of problems including the seller emptying their account and not paying ebay?

Also it was often stated by regulars on the boards that ebay didn't take non-payment of what it was owed lightly and wouldn't hesitate to send in Debt Collectors to get its money and would often close the account.  It seems strange that ebay didn't do either of those things 10 years ago, but has just left the debt sitting there?

I would definitely go along with @4_bathrooms  suggestion of getting a Subject Access Request  although it's a long shot as I've, like others have said, never found ebay to be wrong when it comes to accounts fees and charges.  But it does seem to be a long time for ebay to do nothing about it until now.

[lucy_farmer]

'Also it was often stated by regulars on the boards that ebay didn't take non-payment of what it was owed lightly and wouldn't hesitate to send in Debt Collectors to get its money and would often close the account.  It seems strange that ebay didn't do either of those things 10 years ago, but has just left the debt sitting there?'

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Yes, that is something I find rather odd as well.

@blackburnbelle  I take it you have been *buying* stuff on ebay over the last 10 years? 

[porte2425]

You may well be right about the fees not automatically being taken. Especially as @jckl1957  has found evidence the OP did leave feedback for 2 buyers.

It could well be that eBay only refer it to a debt collector when it is over a certain amount. Or their procedures could have changed since then.

So given that they most likely did sell 2 items, then I think the outstanding fees are genuine. So I would definitely advise to pay them and just move on. Taking it further would just be a big waste of everyone’s time, for the amount in question.

[*vyolla*]

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@blackburnbelle wrote:

I contacted Ebay who told me i sold 2 items in 2015 and a fee of circa £27 is outstanding. I have never sold anything and have no seller feedback on my account to prove this. 

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Except that you did, so it's not impossible that a fee is outstanding.

Personally, for a £27 fee dating back nearly a decade I'd pay it.

Is it possible that a family member used your account if you're sure that you've never sold anything?

[dancewithadingo]

Good Evening blackb

Just pay it.  Once settled you will be able to start selling and very shortly will have sold enough to cover the debt, otherwise you will just be cutting off your nose to spite your face and unable to make any money. Don't be stubborn, just do it.

[dancewithadingo]

After drafting my reply to this situation I tried to post it and initially I couldn't instead I had a message from eBay telling me that my 'maximum flood limit had been reached'. For heaven sake eBay write in plain english. Does anyone know what that message means?

[4_bathrooms]

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@dancewithadingo wrote:

After drafting my reply to this situation I tried to post it and initially I couldn't instead I had a message from eBay telling me that my 'maximum flood limit had been reached'. For heaven sake eBay write in plain english. Does anyone know what that message means?

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It means you have posted too many messages - or performed too many edits - in a short space of time. I have no idea what the limit is.

[dancewithadingo]

Good Evening 4

Thank you, that's really helpful. Quite why eBay couldn't have said that is beyond me.

Thank you.

[rainbowtrax]

@blackburnbelle if you look at your feedback left for others then you'll see more detail on those two feedbacks than we can as it's your account. From 2015, it should show the item title which may jog your memory as to what was sold.