WARNING TO ALL NEW SELLERS!

[loads-of-life-in-me-yet]

I've been a private seller here for nigh on 13 years and like others, am now ready to throw the towel in.

The 'straw that broke the camels back' is ebay's attitude to the toxic, dishonest scamming grifters on this platform. They encourage and reward them.

The buyer admits to you that they just don't like the item, it doesn't fit, they don't need it anymore, they've found one cheaper etc. etc. etc. and file a SNAD claim. In other words, they lie. ebay can see their messages but doesn't care about the truth. They just want the ball to keep on rolling.

So, not only do you lose the outgoing postage (you have to refund it), you also have to pay the return postage and you may also end up with no returned item (they can send any old thing) or a damaged returned item that you can't sell. You can appeal but as sure as onions make you cry, you won't get anywhere.

Also, you can't just close your account. You have to keep it open for 6 months past your last sale. Why? Because like the spurious returns mentioned above, ebay insist on treating private sellers like business sellers. So, any of your buyers can come back to you within 6 months and claim your item was duff and you have to have the funds to pay out.

It's not enough that we have to sell our unwanted items for a fraction of their cost (25p in the pound is probably an average for me) you also have to be available to be forced to fully refund several months after the buyer has misused your item. There is literally no downside for buyers, no risk, nothing. You, on the other hand have to be held to the same standards as John Lewis!

[tpogodin]

And eBay's response to this type of scamming is "You can report the buyer". Ok...great, that really doesnt make me feel any better because you're not privy to the outcome. 

Does anyone actually know how many reports it takes for a buyer to get blacklisted from the platform? Do buyers even get blacklisted?

The type of people who scam are highly likey to keep doing it if they get away with it. Whilst you can block buyer accounts that's not going to stop them using guest checkout instead then you're at the mercy of fulfilling an order and potentially getting scammed or cancelling it and opening yourself to negative feedback. Selling sometimes really feels like a lose/lose situation because of inadequate protections. 

[loads-of-life-in-me-yet]

You literally cannot win on this site.

They expect you sell stuff for next to nothing then treat you like you're a department store.

I can't wait until sellers get wise to them and take their business elsewhere.

[suelel1968]

Scammers use all the platforms equally! It annoys me more as a buyer to feel ripped off (currently feeling ripped off by Vinted) than it does as a seller. At least I can block the seller and feel like I have tarred and feathered him (Just me then?)

[loads-of-life-in-me-yet]

I agree, there are scammers everywere BUT at least Vinted understands and applies the correct law. Ebay make it up as they go along and it ALWAYS disadvantages the buyer. You can sell something BNIP on here which you paid £50 for and sell it for less than £10. ebay sellers can come after you for up to 6 months because the unscrupulous buyer has trashed it and understands how ebay work i.e. they will accept anything the buyer tells them - and will get their money back.

How is that right? Who in their right mind - once they know ( a lot don't understand this) would continue to sell on this dodgy platform? 

[myriad*seller]

eBay buyer protection is for 30 days only

Buyer card chargebacks are nothing to do with eBay and all to do with cardholder protection when buying using their card.

Buyers can apply to their card  issuer to do a chargeback for up to 180 days for ANY purchase they make, not just eBay purchases.

Buyer card protection has nothing to do with eBay and applies to all sales where they use their card to pay, 

The buyer can do a chargeback on any transaction of any sale on ay website or in person where you accept card payments rather than cash 

[the-nutwood-collection]

You're right that the buyer can issue a chargeback against any website.  However, websites have the power to block that buyer from ever purchasing again.

On eBay, buyers can chargeback time and time again.  It costs eBay nothing.  Why should they care?  I had a chargeback and also had a message from the buyer admitting that the item had been delivered.  As the item was untracked, eBay just said they could do nothing about it.  I should refund.  

[loads-of-life-in-me-yet]

Ok, then myriad*seller why do they insist on you keeping your account open until 6 months has passed? I'll tell you why, so they can facilitate the buyer to economically *bleep* you - that's why. I think they get a perverse pleasure and power fix from it.

If a buyer wants to come after me within 6 months, I say let them - I'll quite happily see them in court if they want to push it that far. But that should be between me, the buyer and their chosen method of payment.

ebay just does the equivalent of a puppy introduced to the pack - it rolls over in submission.

It can do that with it's own money but I bitterly resent them doing it with mine.

[loads-of-life-in-me-yet]

ebay are a law unto themselves.

They completely misinterpret the UK laws for auctions, second hand sales and private sellers. They do it to suit themselves because they've always done it and they're big enough to get away with it. In the past there was no competition but now, luckily they have competitors and fingers crossed plenty more will emerge. Especially the ones that understand THE LAW in this country!!!!!

My post is intended to get (some) people to wake up and 'smell the coffee'. They will only become aware of the selling reality of ebay when they get one of these buyers, themselves. Then they will understand what a lumbering, biased, uncaring, grotesque, dishonest behemoth ebay really is.

[tressygirl]

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@loads-of-life-in-me-yet wrote:

How is that right? Who in their right mind - once they know ( a lot don't understand this) would continue to sell on this dodgy platform? 

.....but you have 565 items listed ?

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[moldosgifts]

I had look and you have something i'd be interested in but you've trashed all your listings by changing you description to your opening statement,

You also solicit sales for vinted and Facebook.

So sorry i cant buy with such a description.

[lucy_farmer]

'....but you've trashed all your listings by changing you description to your opening statement,...'

'So sorry i cant buy with such a description.'

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Well, yes. But part of that statement does mention the seller *won't* be posting anything out, so nobody is going to buy from them are they?

Loads-of-life is using the listing as simply an advertising board for other sites..... which, as it's free, isn't such a crazy idea from their point of view!

(I wonder how long ebay will let it sit there for...?)

[moldosgifts]

not too long

[loads-of-life-in-me-yet]

If you click on any of my item pages, you'll see exactly why. 

BTW, when you quote someone, you use quotation marks. "".

[loads-of-life-in-me-yet]

I have cancelled several sales as I will not sell another thing on this platform while this organisation treats private sellers as businesses. They do not understand the law and have got away with it for far too long. No doubt they will continue to do so but the more innocent souls I can warn off, the better I'll feel.

My bank account is no longer attached so they will have to sue me for the last refund they did that I did not agree with.

[loads-of-life-in-me-yet]

Exactly. It's 'no skin off my nose' and makes me feel a whole lot better!

I don't care how long it stays up (it's been a few days now) because even if it puts one unsuspecting person off, then job done. 

[loads-of-life-in-me-yet]

I have tried to appeal after receiving my item back damaged and guess what? None of the appeal links work. Surprised? Not in the slightest.

[sunshinedior67]

Selling is selling and buyers have rights especially when distance buying. If it's a case of he said, she said over a claim eBay has no way to know who's telling the trust & will side the buyer . Rightfully you can't simply sell & close account as per the rules you agreed when you opened the sellers account. Your responsibility to the buyer isn't any different than if they purchased from a shop.

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

Ebay has to uphold distance selling laws which give buyer right to send something back they dont want.

Its not ebay, its the law.