[X]
Write ReviewJump to 
10
Helpful
Votes
Votes
Ebay - Seller Beware
Retail - Complaint
Review by tikiwiki18 on 2012-11-11
Rating: 
This was was my first (and probably last) experience with Ebay. There were just so many problems that it's really not worth all of the time and effort. All I wanted was to sell my iPod in the medium that I was least likely to have to deal with scammers. And I thought maybe that was eBay because they boast of the "hassle-free" process and you actually have very limited interaction with the buyer. But I was wrong.
So I list my item. A few days later, I get an email from someone trying to negotiate my price. So we negotiate, come to an agreement and I change my price. This person immediately buys my item. Three minutes later, I get an email saying they can't pay and they ask me to cancel my order. What the heck? We just spent 15 minutes negotiating the price. So I select the "report buyer" option. I wait. I hear nothing, so I send eBay an email. I wait. I hear nothing, so I relist the item.
Second buyer buys the item. I wait a few days then send a polite email about how I'd be happy to ship the item just as soon as they pay for it. Nothing. By this point it's been a few weeks since I first started trying to sell my item. I open an "unpaid item case." I still haven't hear anything from Ebay. So I call them. (Which by the way, they make tricky for you.)
I talked to three people there, even a supervisor. None of them could see the original report I filed. They finally tell me that they DID in fact receive my email, they just haven't gotten around to it yet. It would have been nice if they had told me, oh by the way, it takes three weeks for us to respond. But they don't. They say that they'll get to it as soon as they can. Which if you go to most sites, that's 24-48 hours, maybe up to a week if the service isn't as good. But 3 weeks? THAT'S what they mean by "as soon as they can." Seriously, give us some context. It felt like I was sending information into an abyss.
Additionally, as I am new to Ebay, I didn't realize that you could only leave positive feedback (which is stupid because it doesn't give the full story). So I tried to leave feedback on the first buyer's profile with a warning to other buyers. Ebay offers to remove my comments, but stands firm on the fact that they WILL NOT remove the RATING. Which means now, that buyer has a rating that he or she did not earn. Does eBay care? No. (And at this point, I was talking to a supervisor.)
I even told eBay that I probably wouldn't be using them anymore, and their response was "we're sorry to hear that." As in, my business is not important enough for them to care. Thanks Ebay, I'll take my business else where.
Bottom line: do NOT use Ebay. They have the worst customer service for sellers and they don't really care enough about your business to make any effort to retain it.
So I list my item. A few days later, I get an email from someone trying to negotiate my price. So we negotiate, come to an agreement and I change my price. This person immediately buys my item. Three minutes later, I get an email saying they can't pay and they ask me to cancel my order. What the heck? We just spent 15 minutes negotiating the price. So I select the "report buyer" option. I wait. I hear nothing, so I send eBay an email. I wait. I hear nothing, so I relist the item.
Second buyer buys the item. I wait a few days then send a polite email about how I'd be happy to ship the item just as soon as they pay for it. Nothing. By this point it's been a few weeks since I first started trying to sell my item. I open an "unpaid item case." I still haven't hear anything from Ebay. So I call them. (Which by the way, they make tricky for you.)
I talked to three people there, even a supervisor. None of them could see the original report I filed. They finally tell me that they DID in fact receive my email, they just haven't gotten around to it yet. It would have been nice if they had told me, oh by the way, it takes three weeks for us to respond. But they don't. They say that they'll get to it as soon as they can. Which if you go to most sites, that's 24-48 hours, maybe up to a week if the service isn't as good. But 3 weeks? THAT'S what they mean by "as soon as they can." Seriously, give us some context. It felt like I was sending information into an abyss.
Additionally, as I am new to Ebay, I didn't realize that you could only leave positive feedback (which is stupid because it doesn't give the full story). So I tried to leave feedback on the first buyer's profile with a warning to other buyers. Ebay offers to remove my comments, but stands firm on the fact that they WILL NOT remove the RATING. Which means now, that buyer has a rating that he or she did not earn. Does eBay care? No. (And at this point, I was talking to a supervisor.)
I even told eBay that I probably wouldn't be using them anymore, and their response was "we're sorry to hear that." As in, my business is not important enough for them to care. Thanks Ebay, I'll take my business else where.
Bottom line: do NOT use Ebay. They have the worst customer service for sellers and they don't really care enough about your business to make any effort to retain it.
Comments:
Posted by ok4now on 2012-11-11:
A well written post. I can understand your frustration with Ebay and why you no longer want to be a seller. Their customer service treated you horribly, shame on them! I stopped selling on their site for many of the same reasons you listed. They seem to favor the power sellers and treat the little guy with contempt. What they fail to realize is its the many little guy sellers that keep them in business. If enough sellers walk maybe they'll get the message.
Posted by madconsumer on 2012-11-11:
very helpful review, and voted as such!
Posted by DebtorBasher on 2012-11-11:
It is against Ebay's TOS for buyers to contact sellers and offer to buy outside of Ebay, which is what this first person done and that's when he should have been reported. Ebay can not do much to help the seller if they sell and advertised item outside of Ebay. (Of course they don't do much to help the seller who sells through Ebay anymore, either).
My advice as I have given to so many other unhappy Ebayers is to drop Ebay and sell on Webstore.com. You are not charged any seller fees at all. However, you won't be protected if you are contacted by someone, as you were, and sell off the site, but I think you have learned from that now. Anyway, check out Webstore.com and forget about Ebay, I think you will be much happier with them. Good luck!!!
My advice as I have given to so many other unhappy Ebayers is to drop Ebay and sell on Webstore.com. You are not charged any seller fees at all. However, you won't be protected if you are contacted by someone, as you were, and sell off the site, but I think you have learned from that now. Anyway, check out Webstore.com and forget about Ebay, I think you will be much happier with them. Good luck!!!
Posted by trmn8r on 2012-11-12:
I started by buying several items on Ebay, learning how the system works, and then turned to selling.
I've never "negotiated" my price with anyone, and wouldn't. That right there started your transition to having contact with buyers that is unusual. Then evidently you found out you were dealing with a non-serious buyer who welched on paying. Having to deal with all this as a newcomer to Ebay is bound to be a shock, and no, Ebay isn't the friendliest site to deal with.
I'll continue to use Ebay, because I know its quirks and pitfalls to avoid. I can see how someone having this as their first experience would go away with a bad taste in their mouth.
I've never "negotiated" my price with anyone, and wouldn't. That right there started your transition to having contact with buyers that is unusual. Then evidently you found out you were dealing with a non-serious buyer who welched on paying. Having to deal with all this as a newcomer to Ebay is bound to be a shock, and no, Ebay isn't the friendliest site to deal with.
I'll continue to use Ebay, because I know its quirks and pitfalls to avoid. I can see how someone having this as their first experience would go away with a bad taste in their mouth.
Note: All comments are reviewed by a moderator before being published. Please be sure to read our guidelines before commenting.
Company Reps: Post your company response!
