eBay is NOT a store (small rant)

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

I don't understand all these recent threads about ebay not being buyer friendly, people don't offer returns etc... Someone went as far as to compare eBay to Amazon. Amazon = online marketplace. eBay = online auction site, or online garage sale site.

When I sell on eBay I use it to get rid of stuff I don't want. If I don't want it now I certainly don't want it back because you decide you don't want it after it gets to you.

I guess I've been lucky in my selling. I've only had one person ask for a shipping refund (I charge cost = $0.25 for printing, paper, tape and time) because a VHS tape didn't work when it got to her. It was tested before listing and it worked fine and I offered her a full refund of shipping both ways and her purchase price if she sent it back and it didn't work here with the caviet that she pays for shipping back to her if it did work. I was fully ready to accept it was damaged in transit. Needless to say she wasn't happy and disappeared. No feedback either. Now if it really didn't work wouldn't she be happy to send it back to me so I could stick it in my VCR and see that it doesn't work?

The only time I have ever returned something was because of misrepresentation. The item said it fit cars of a specific model range and it didn't fit mine (within that model range). They took it back, no problem and I paid return shipping.

If I buy an item online I pay shipping to get it and to return it unless there is a free shipping special. I don't expect a partial or full refund and be able to keep the item if it isn't what I thought it would be or a shipping refund if I don't like the item and return it.

I don't leave retaliatory feedback. I've never gotten a neg but if I do oh well.

In conclusion I would like to say ebay is NOT a store and while customer service is nice the expectations of eBay having all the perks of an actual store is one of the things ruining it.

Flame suit on. Hit me with your best shot.

 

[imsayin]

Well said!

 

[DianeV]

I agree!

 

[alacazander]

I'm actually getting tired of seeing all the post's about ebay here on the budget board.

I don't read them anymore - just the titles. But there has to be at least one rant about ebay a day.

 

[disneysteve]

I understand your point, and I basically agree with you. But you need to keep in mind that online commerce in general and ebay in particular have changed a lot over the past 10 years. In the early years of ebay, 99.9% of sellers were individuals like you who used it to sell off unwanted items. It was a friendly informal community built on mutual trust between buyers and sellers.

Today, the vast majority of ebay sellers are businesses, either big or small. The casual individual seller is a minority today. You've got major companies like Disney auctioning there. You've got states auctioning surplus items or big corporations selling off excess inventory or outdated equipment. As a result, some expectations have changed. Buyers often assume they are dealing with a business rather than with some stay-at-home mom in Nebraska. Buyers have come to expect a different level of customer service. I've had buyers get upset when I didn't e-mail them within a few hours of an auction ending. I've got a life - a full-time job - a family. I don't do ebay 24/7. Lots of folks forget that in many cases there is just one person on the other end of an ebay transaction, not some large warehouse with dozens of employees.

 

[magiroux]

WatchinCaptKangaroo (BTW, being a preschool ager of the '60's, luv your screen name)...not a flame and this certainly has nothing to do with you as an eBay seller personally, but I was ripped off from an eBay buyer for over $400.00 and can tell you that niether eBay or Paypal gives a hoot about the buyer.

After that experience I find it a bit of a pet peeve whenever I do a search (google, askejeeves, dogpile, ect.) for ANY product I might be trying to purchase eBay comes up in the search results within the first five choices for websites that might offer the product I am looking for although, not until after I click on the website, it is not always clear eBay is where I am being re-directed to. I have wondered how many people searching this way, that have no experience as to what eBay is all about, go as far as to purchase something thinking it is a regualr retail outlet on the web just like any other.

I think eBay is a great place for sellers AND buyers, but until they get a hold on how to control trolls on eBay that use it as a vehicle to commit crimes it is a deeply flawed and doomed website...JMHO

 

[crisi]

I understand your point, and I basically agree with you. But you need to keep in mind that online commerce in general and ebay in particular have changed a lot over the past 10 years. In the early years of ebay, 99.9% of sellers were individuals like you who used it to sell off unwanted items. It was a friendly informal community built on mutual trust between buyers and sellers.

Today, the vast majority of ebay sellers are businesses, either big or small. The casual individual seller is a minority today. You've got major companies like Disney auctioning there. You've got states auctioning surplus items or big corporations selling off excess inventory or outdated equipment. As a result, some expectations have changed. Buyers often assume they are dealing with a business rather than with some stay-at-home mom in Nebraska. Buyers have come to expect a different level of customer service. I've had buyers get upset when I didn't e-mail them within a few hours of an auction ending. I've got a life - a full-time job - a family. I don't do ebay 24/7. Lots of folks forget that in many cases there is just one person on the other end of an ebay transaction, not some large warehouse with dozens of employees.

Although the reason big companies list through eBay is because THEY can not act like a big company. EBay is a garage sale. Even if you are Disney or Wal Mart or Best Buy. They don't want their surplus back anymore than an individual seller does. They are auctioning it because they are dumping it. And that should be the expectation when dealing with a big company on eBay.

 

[shades]

I don't understand all these recent threads about ebay

I agree with you! Enough with the "rants" & "vents" already Where's all of the posts that have to do with a budget forum?
Where's all of the posts with information about good deals people are finding?

 

[imsayin]

Where's all of the posts with information about good deals people are finding?

You can get a good deal on Ebay (kidding)

 

[robinb]

Since when did "customer service" become a dirty word? If you are a seller who examines and describes their items carefully when offering them for sale on eBay, then you should be able to stand behind your items with confidence.

I don't understand how sellers do not treat their customers as they themselves would want to be treated. I don't understand sellers who feel it is not worth their time to negotiate a return or partial refund to make a buyer happy. I don't understand sellers who seem to view buyers who may have a problem with an item as scammers and scumbags first and honest people last. I don't understand sellers who treat newbies to eBay as people who can have a few selfish dimes squeezed out of them instead of someone who can be encouraged to become a frequent buyer to the good of all of eBay. I don't understand sellers who triple their shipping and "handling" so they can pocket more profit while appearing to keep their prices low.

Are there some bad buyers out there? Are there buyers who get cold feet and make up stories to get out of their winning bid? Are there buyers who lie about the condition of an item when they receive it? Are there buyers who manipulate the system to get free or discounted items? Sure. Have I been stung by bad buyers? You bet. Anyone who sells on eBay for any amount of time will run into a bad buyer. In the same vein, anyone who buys on eBay any amount of time will also run into a bad seller who misrepresents their items and hides behind a "no refunds" policy.

I, for one, prefer to be a seller who is considerate of her buyers. Not one who just sees them as a cash cow who buys whatever slop I throw into the eBay trough.

 

[DMRick]

I was just going to type this, and there you were. That has become a real issue with us. Not only do they expect us to email back immediately, they expect it even if it's 3 am here LOL! We email right after the auction, we email when they pay via Paypal and give shipping date. We email when shipped payment arrives...and it's still not enough, they want us to email the very minute we ship (even though we give them a ship date, when we email to tell them we have payment. I had a problem with someone mad because we shipped too fast, before she could tell us she changed her address LOL. Sometimes it's overwhelming. But I still love it.
I do wish we could get our own eBay area on the budget board, like the resort code area.

I've had buyers get upset when I didn't e-mail them within a few hours of an auction ending. I've got a life - a full-time job - a family. I don't do ebay 24/7. Lots of folks forget that in many cases there is just one person on the other end of an ebay transaction, not some large warehouse with dozens of employees.

 

[DMRick]

it is a deeply flawed and doomed website...JMHO

You think eBay is a doomed website?

 

[shades]

You can get a good deal on Ebay (kidding)

I'm tellin' ya...there should be a forum just for Ebay. Everybody that has responded to these threads are all saying the same things - over and over and over again. Sellers want to be paid for purchases (no buyer remorse on Ebay - it's an auction afterall - not Target or Walmart). Buyers are tired of getting ripped off by Ebay sellers - overcharging shipping/hdlg, defective mdse., etc.

So...off to look for some freebies and/or good deals.

 

[DMRick]

I don't think customer service is a dirty work on eBay. I give good customer service when I keep in touch with my buyers, ship quickly and thank them. I don't do returns unless I have made a mistake in the personalization, or description (and that has happened less than a half dozen time in thousands of sales). If they make a mistake, I will usually work with them and give a discount to redo the item..but I won't redo it for free. If I were to make a mistake, I would re-pay shipping both ways, and replace (or have them scan me a picture of the item, and just send out a new one). I stand behind my item, that it will be just what I describle, but I won't take responsibility for people not reading my description, and bidding on something it isn't. Most sellers are just like me. Nope, I won't negotiate or replace, unless it was something I did wrong.

Since when did "customer service" become a dirty word? If you are a seller who examines and describes their items carefully when offering them for sale on eBay, then you should be able to stand behind your items with confidence.

I don't understand how sellers do not treat their customers as they themselves would want to be treated. I don't understand sellers who feel it is not worth their time to negotiate a return or partial refund to make a buyer happy.

 

[MyGoofy26]

I'm tellin' ya...there should be a forum just for Ebay.

I've been thinking the same thing. . . any chance they can add a forum for "online auctions" or at least a subforum for this? There's a lot of eBay info to be had on these boards, but it seems that every few threads is about eBay.

 

[robinb]

I don't do returns unless I have made a mistake in the personalization, or description (and that has happened less than a half dozen time in thousands of sales). If they make a mistake, I will usually work with them and give a discount to redo the item..but I won't redo it for free. If I were to make a mistake, I would re-pay shipping both ways, and replace (or have them scan me a picture of the item, and just send out a new one). I stand behind my item, that it will be just what I describle, but I won't take responsibility for people not reading my description, and bidding on something it isn't. Most sellers are just like me. Nope, I won't negotiate or replace, unless it was something I did wrong.

Doris, I think your policy is perfectly acceptable and respectful of your customers. We all know that you're one of the good sellers . Just to make things clear ... I don't expect sellers to roll over and refund for buyer's remorse or that the buyer didn't read the description properly (as long as the auction is not one of those that runs on and on and on and on and then hides the fine print on page 4 of the auction after all kinds of bouncy animated icons that distract your eye).

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

Perhaps I came off as a cold heartless seller expecting people to buy whatever slop I throw out there. I am far from that, and here's why:

1) I start my auctions low and charge cost + $.025 shipping

2) I am totally honest in my descriptions and offer additional pictures. They are short and to the point. My terms are laid out in plain English.

3) I email when the auction is done, when I receive payment, when I am going to ship and when I ship.

4) Whatever I sell is brand new and I lost the receipt or took off the tags or almost new, I used it once or twice and I don't like it anymore. I usually list something once, if it doesn't sell I donate it.

Maybe it's because I when I use eBay I don't think of myself as a customer. I don't think I'm always right. I have bought several things that wern't what I thought. I never contacted the seller, I just re-sold them. It isn't there job to make sure what they are selling is what I want. If I wanted to be able to return something I didn't like I'd go to Target.

 

[ohiominnie]

Perhaps I came off as a cold heartless seller expecting people to buy whatever slop I throw out there. I am far from that, and here's why:

1) I start my auctions low and charge cost + $.025 shipping

Wow!! 2 1/2 cents?
You should charge at least a quarter!!! $0.25!!

If I buy anything from you and find you charged more than 2 1/2 cents, I'm leaving you negative feedback!!

Just kidding ya. Just kiddin him, everyone! Stand down!

 

[DianeV]

I'm not sure if some of the posters on here are aware of this but there is a publication (or some type of disc or book) that was put out by someone who tells all kinds of ways to scam sellers on ebay. Things like asking for partial refunds, knowing that they can get a full refund if they buy from a seller who happens to not use a delivery confirmation and they pay through paypal..believe me there are even more "tips" in this thing and its getting worse and worse. Customer service can only go so far when you have to deal with these kinds of people more and more. Yes it does ruin it for the honest ones but many of us sellers cant afford to keep making those decisions of who is who

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

Wow!! 2 1/2 cents?
You should charge at least a quarter!!! $0.25!!

If I buy anything from you and find you charged more than 2 1/2 cents, I'm leaving you negative feedback!!

Just kidding ya. Just kiddin him, everyone! Stand down!

I'm a her and it's ok. It's been a very long night. I should go to bed.