Is anyone else DONE with E-bay!!!

Stitch76

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Messages
432
I always used E-bay to make a little extra money, to help with Christmas or to make money for Disney. Usually I just sell clothes and toys the kids have outgrown, or the occasional thrift store find, that I think may make a little $$.
I don't sell very often, usually about 2-3 times a year, when I get 20-30 items saved up, so I can do it all at once and get it over with.
I have had some non-paying bidders, and an occasional hard to please customer in the past, but they were few and far between. UNTIL this round. :headache:
I hadn't listed anything in about 6 months until about a month ago. I listed around 35 items, from those around 25 sold. Okay, not so bad. Until, from those 25, only about 20 paid.:confused3 For the other five, I had to report to E-bay and wait about a week to get my fees refunded. From the 20 that shipped, 2 have contacted me (more than 2 weeks after getting their item), and stated that everything they purchased wasn't in the box, when I know good and well it was when I shipped it. They are wanting a partial refund. And, since I can't prove it was in there (even though I know it was), I'll have to go ahead and give it to them.
To top it all off though, I have one customer who is really nasty. She demands a refund, because she says a button on one of the toys she received doesn't work. (I tested before I sold, but I realize something could have jarred loose in shipping). This was a LOT auction, so since one of the toys is apparently damaged, all the rest are fine. I offered her a partial refund of half the original price paid (More than fair if you ask me), but she wants a FULL refund. I told her to return all the items and I would issue the refund when I received them. She said that the only way she would return them is if I paid for her RETURN shipping:confused:. She informed me that if I didn't give her what she wanted that she would be filing a Paypal claim.
Everyone knows how Paypal and E-bay always side with the buyer, so I can guess how this is going to turn out. :sad2:
I am so frustrated, at the amount of dead beat bidders, and con people I have dealt with this time. What has happened to this business, to society it's self??? To beat it all you can't even leave negative feedback for troublemakers like this anymore, to warn other sellers. I only sold 25 items, and had 8 problems, how do people that try to make a living at this manage?? All I can say is this is my LAST time selling on E-bay, and paying their outrageous fees, until they change their policies back to the way they were years ago, where it protected the buyer, and the SELLER from cons and scams. :mad:
NOW, I am worried to death that the person that purchased DD's flute (the only high dollar item I sold), is going to be a scammer as well.:sick:
We'll see.
 
Ugh, so very sorry for your experiences!

I, too, am now wary of ebay and quite frankly amazon too. Any stranger-based retail site now raises my suspicions over the bulletin board at my local kroger.

My first recent sale was an xbox. it was brand new. It sold quickly and I heard back from the buyer that it was broken. I read about all sorts of scams where they replace the electronic with a broken set and ask for a refund. I told him I wanted to verify the serial number and he sent the correct one back, but who knows what he may have done.

The second most recent sale on ebay was a pair of high end men's shoes. They sold and all was well. I also sold a saddle on a tack site and I was really worried as it was $599, but the sale went off fine.

Not sure what the answer is but I agree that it seems the scammers are taking over.
 
I was done with them LONG ago. Their fee structure is ridiculous, especially since ebay and paypal are the same company but they charge you for both.
 
I have found that the amount of non paying bidders have grown a lot. You can no longer leave bad feedback so really what do they have to lose? The fees have also gotten quite out of hand. You can no longer make much profit.
 

I gave up a while ago, when they stopped allowing honest feedback. There's nothing to rein in scammers any more so of course they've flourished at the expense of honest sellers. I get rid of my kids' gently used items and other things I want to sell via local Facebook sale/swap groups now - selling to a real person keeps things honest, with the added benefit of being a nice way to meet neighbors that I might not have otherwise.
 
Ugh - so sorry for you! Back in the day I was in a selling group on ebay and even had power seller status. I sold year round, but, got so fed up with the dishonest buyers, fees and anytime there was a dispute ebay always sided with the buyer:( I gave up and now just bring things to the local consignment shop. They don't give you much, but, are always happy to take everything off my hands!
 
If the buyer files with PP they will have to return the items at their own expense to get a full refund (original price and original shipping). You offered a full refund if the items were returned, if they refuse you can then offer a partial refund. Just keep the communication going :thumbsup2 I know PP and Ebay are a pain but the buyer does have to follow the return/refund policies.
 
I still sell on ebay quite a bit - I do it as a side business while I'm in law school. If you are going to continue ebaying, make sure to set your buyer requirements as strict as you possibly can. That will stop buyers with bad history from bidding or buying any of your items. I know I miss out on some okay buyers that way, but I figure I would rather miss a couple good ones by also missing a lot of bad ones. By no means does that fix everything, but *knock on wood* I really have very, very few issues with my buyers.

To change your settings:

Account > Site Preferences > Buyer Requirements (Click 'Show', then 'Edit')

Options to block:
No Paypal account
Unpaid item strikes (strictest setting offered is 2 Unpaid Item Strikes within 2 months)
Buyers in locations to which I don't ship
Buyers with a negative feedback score (not all that applicable anymore, but I still have mine set)
...and a couple of others.

Again, definitely not going to stop every problematic buyer there is, but will hopefully eliminate a good amount.

ETA: Also, definitely report the buyers giving you problems that you think are dishonest. I know it seems pointless, but eBay does actually watch those things. I had a buyer issue a few months ago, and then received an email from ebay a few weeks later that the strike against me was being removed because they figured out that that buyer had a history of filing disputes. I don't know if they were kicked off of ebay or what, but I felt a little better (like, a really tiny bit better) that they do watch the buyers at least a little bit. But I still HATE that I can't leave negative feedback to warn other sellers.
 
I have been an on and off ebay buyer and seller for years. I just ran into my first problem seller. Item sent is not the item in the picture. So i am out the cost of return shipping at the very least. Seller refuses to refund anything. So i get stuck waiting a week until ebay will step in and hopefully get at least some of my money back.

Bad buyers and sellers out there. Like you OP im done with ebay.
 
Years ago, I did a lot of selling on ebay. It was great --- I never had a complaint and always had great buyers who would pay immediately. I always had a 100% positive feedback.

Toward the end, however, things started getting ridiculous. I had one guy contact me two months after the auction and claimed I never sent him the item. I always shipped the items within 24 hours of payment. I had the tracking number, so I responded to him with the date/time it was received at his address, along with the signature name. He responded and apologized and claimed it was just inside his front door and he never saw it there :sad2:

Another one claimed the item I sold him was counterfeit. No way, no how. It was a high-end designer lamp that costs about two hundred dollars retail and he got it for $75. I got it at the warehouse where they are imported. It was absolutely authentic. I told him he can ship it back to me at his cost and I will refund his money once I verify it is the same lamp I shipped to him, etc...... I never heard from him again. He was obviously trying to "get over" and then realized it wasn't going to work on me.

Yet another one who bought a bunch of Sesame Street and Elmo VHS tapes complained. She made her purchase in the morning and paid for them. I shipped that afternoon and she got them the next day (she lived about 20 miles from me). She then claimed that NONE of the VHS tapes worked! I told her I know for a fact that they all work and that she should check the setting on her VCR. I told her if there is still a problem, I will gladly stop by her house and help her out. (LOL!) Suddenly, no problem with the tapes! She emailed me back and told me there was no problem and she changed the setting and they all worked.

I no longer sell on ebay. I would love to but with the sellers having absolutely no protection and their outrageous fees, it's just not worth it anymore.
 
Agree!

More trouble lately it seems. I'm back to Craigslist (whole other set of issues but at least once its sold, it's sold) and consignment.

I recently sold a lot of 12 sets of crafting rubber stamps on eBay. Each set had 10+ stamps so well over 120 stamps. The lady emailed me after and said 1 stamp stuck to the case and tore. She left me a scathing feedback and since your percentage only includes the last 12 months and I don't sell very often, this dropped my positive 100% to 75%. Great. Who wants to buy from someone with a 75? I would have given her a partial refund, but she didn't even ask.
 
I have been an on and off ebay buyer and seller for years. I just ran into my first problem seller. Item sent is not the item in the picture. So i am out the cost of return shipping at the very least. Seller refuses to refund anything. So i get stuck waiting a week until ebay will step in and hopefully get at least some of my money back.

Bad buyers and sellers out there. Like you OP im done with ebay.

I just had a problem seller whose advertised item did not match what was sent. This one did refund the money, but not the shipping and was indignant that I was upset at getting the wrong item!

Yeah, I'm done with Ebay as well. As a buyer, I like Amazon; their customer service is nice and easy to work with. I just bought some ink cartridges through the Marketplace for my printer and one was defective. When I returned the one that didn't work, the seller refunded my money but not shipping. (On Amazon, of course, if an item is defective the seller pays for shipping.) I called Amazon and I got my shipping fees refunded.

Amazon may cost a bit more, but it's worth it - if I ever bought something from Amazon Marketplace, got it and then realized it was advertised falsely, Amazon would have my back. Ebay, not so much.
 
Consider setting up a buy/sell page on FB... I belong to a few and they do great in my area.
 
I've been selling on eBay for many years. Problems come up every now and then but I still view it as the easiest place to sell, I think you just had bad luck this time.

Let her file a claim, eBay will make her ship at her own expense. And, in
 
I've been selling on eBay for many years. Problems come up every now and then but I still view it as the easiest place to sell, I think you just had bad luck this time.

Let her file a claim, eBay will make her ship at her own expense. And, in

Regards to non payers use "immediate payment required". This will end that.
 
I still sell on ebay quite a bit - I do it as a side business while I'm in law school. If you are going to continue ebaying, make sure to set your buyer requirements as strict as you possibly can. That will stop buyers with bad history from bidding or buying any of your items. I know I miss out on some okay buyers that way, but I figure I would rather miss a couple good ones by also missing a lot of bad ones. By no means does that fix everything, but *knock on wood* I really have very, very few issues with my buyers.

To change your settings:

Account > Site Preferences > Buyer Requirements (Click 'Show', then 'Edit')

Options to block:
No Paypal account
Unpaid item strikes (strictest setting offered is 2 Unpaid Item Strikes within 2 months)
Buyers in locations to which I don't ship
Buyers with a negative feedback score (not all that applicable anymore, but I still have mine set)
...and a couple of others.

Again, definitely not going to stop every problematic buyer there is, but will hopefully eliminate a good amount.

ETA: Also, definitely report the buyers giving you problems that you think are dishonest. I know it seems pointless, but eBay does actually watch those things. I had a buyer issue a few months ago, and then received an email from ebay a few weeks later that the strike against me was being removed because they figured out that that buyer had a history of filing disputes. I don't know if they were kicked off of ebay or what, but I felt a little better (like, a really tiny bit better) that they do watch the buyers at least a little bit. But I still HATE that I can't leave negative feedback to warn other sellers.

I already have my settings like that, and it still didn't help this time. I think the problem is just getting worse. Maybe people trying to get all their Christmas shopping done for free?????
I looked into reporting the one who was giving me the major headache, but from what I could understand, unless she threatened me or used profanity I couldn't. She hasn't done that, just sounds like a bratty demanding child so far.

Years ago, I did a lot of selling on ebay. It was great --- I never had a complaint and always had great buyers who would pay immediately. I always had a 100% positive feedback.

Toward the end, however, things started getting ridiculous. I had one guy contact me two months after the auction and claimed I never sent him the item. I always shipped the items within 24 hours of payment. I had the tracking number, so I responded to him with the date/time it was received at his address, along with the signature name. He responded and apologized and claimed it was just inside his front door and he never saw it there :sad2:

Another one claimed the item I sold him was counterfeit. No way, no how. It was a high-end designer lamp that costs about two hundred dollars retail and he got it for $75. I got it at the warehouse where they are imported. It was absolutely authentic. I told him he can ship it back to me at his cost and I will refund his money once I verify it is the same lamp I shipped to him, etc...... I never heard from him again. He was obviously trying to "get over" and then realized it wasn't going to work on me.

Yet another one who bought a bunch of Sesame Street and Elmo VHS tapes complained. She made her purchase in the morning and paid for them. I shipped that afternoon and she got them the next day (she lived about 20 miles from me). She then claimed that NONE of the VHS tapes worked! I told her I know for a fact that they all work and that she should check the setting on her VCR. I told her if there is still a problem, I will gladly stop by her house and help her out. (LOL!) Suddenly, no problem with the tapes! She emailed me back and told me there was no problem and she changed the setting and they all worked.

I no longer sell on ebay. I would love to but with the sellers having absolutely no protection and their outrageous fees, it's just not worth it anymore.

Funny:rotfl2:, That is priceless. I wish my sellers were close by, I would so tell them I'll come to their house and take care of the problem. :rotfl2:
I too have 100% feedback, and used to sell A LOT, but have slowed down in the past few years. I usually have a pretty good experience, but this last time has done me in.

Consider setting up a buy/sell page on FB... I belong to a few and they do great in my area.

:thumbsup2 I do use this for some things already, but used to you could make a little better on E-bay for certain items. I'll be doing this from now on though, because E-bay is just not worth all the stress. :headache:

Regards to non payers use "immediate payment required". This will end that.

You can only use this if it's a Buy It Now item, not if it sells in an auction style listing.:confused3
 
Wow ! I buy on ebay, and never sold, this is discouraging.

I don't complain ever, but I'd say 90-95% is always good. 2 broken items, and 1 evidently counterfeit Mickey Mouse baby outfit. I laughed do hard when the 29.99 outfit came. It was a bad Chinese knock off. But I don't ship things back, I did rate a 3 with this was for sure a fake.

Mostly I save thousands of $$ from second hand justice clothes my dd8 seems to be obsessed to a recent 100 feather set gor hair, at about 1/100 th of the price of a beauty store here.
 
i have only ever purchased, but very often now i use kijiji. it is way better than craigslist
 
I feel that I am done with Ebay also but I have so many items to sell! I sold something back in April for $160. I received an email from Paypal saying that this buyer tried to get a refund two weeks ago. It was past the 45 day mark so Paypal said no. They said the buyer was not happy. I received another email from Paypal last week saying that the buyer filed a claim with Visa and that Paypal removed 4160 from my account and put it into holding. If the buyer was not happy with an item why did they wait 4-5 months to say anything? I KNOW this is a scam to get a big sum of money back. So upset and not sure how to handle this.
 
Wow ! I buy on ebay, and never sold, this is discouraging.

I don't complain ever, but I'd say 90-95% is always good. 2 broken items, and 1 evidently counterfeit Mickey Mouse baby outfit. I laughed do hard when the 29.99 outfit came. It was a bad Chinese knock off. But I don't ship things back, I did rate a 3 with this was for sure a fake.

Mostly I save thousands of $$ from second hand justice clothes my dd8 seems to be obsessed to a recent 100 feather set gor hair, at about 1/100 th of the price of a beauty store here.

I buy on E-bay a lot too! That's the only way I can find DD(14) the anime stuff she loves (HTF around here), and keep DD(12) in her name brand clothes. However, I'll NEVER!!!!!!!!! sell again.

I am just wondering how if I had so many problems as a small seller, how do these people that sell hundreds of items at a time do it??:confused3
If they are having the problems I had, I really don't look for E-bay to be the power company that it is for much longer. If they don't change their policies to deter the scammers, sellers will get fed up and find another option. If there are no sellers, there will be no buyers. They need to realize that. I have been a loyal customer for YEARS, almost since they started, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way. They are running the whole company in the ground, and it's a shame.:sad2: E-bay used to be a good thing.
 





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