The Evil Resolution Center

 This isn't news by any means and I realize I'm not the first. I've just about had it with eBay. I never thought I would say it as I'm usually the one encouraging others to hang in there.

 

 The defects system is slowly killing me. I know it is going to change but to me it's changing into something just as evil, perhaps more so. I am a small seller. I try to treat my customers as good as possible and I think I do. Have I gotten any neg or neutral feedback? Of course. Eventually we all take our lumps. I can say in all honesty that there was no need for any of it. Any unfavourable feedback I've been given was given without one message from the buyer first. If a seller is not even given a chance to fix the problem how fair is that? As it is I do have some item not as described defects because some beads a buyer bought from me didn't match the ones in her project..yes really. I couldn't get those removed because even though she gave me a low dsr she did give me positive feedback.

 

 The real reason I am venting is the way buyers who want to contact you are herded towards the resolution center. I have recently had two 'defects' given and then removed because the customers only wanted to ask me something. When I told them about the resolution center and how it effects sellers they were more then mortified. They had absolutely no idea...none.

 

 I have tried this out myself. The first selection when you go to contact seller is :I have a question about using my item or I want to send the seller a message. This is great and to me the only option that should be present at this point. It would give the seller a chance to fix any problems on their own. Instead there are the other selections. One being : I haven't received my item.

 

 Since the buyers who contacted me wanted me to know that they hadn't received their order they naturally chose this option. In doing so they opened cases against me. They were very nice people that only wanted to talk to me and find out about their orders. They didn't want to harm or damage my business but thanks to eBay they did. Yes I managed to get the defects removed and was due to have my TRS reinstated...that is until yesterday when another buyer wanted to ask me a question.

 

 Everything seems to be happening at once. Ebay decides to start rolling out a new designated ship time..ones that are totally inaccurate. Then I suddenly have a small window of time where for some unknown reason CP has dropped the ball on some of my orders. In all my history of shipping from more then one eBay store I have never had this many problems at once. I'm about to burst. By the way all these buyers referenced the designated ship times to me. They are right front and center now so customers are assuming that they are written in stone. The question is already being asked on the feedback form.

 

 Now I will not be getting my status back and I'm not sure eBay will continue fixing this for me. In the guise of making things better(snicker) eBay is really trying to get rid of small sellers by instituting policies that  make it so one or two mistakes result in the loss of our discounts. One day soon only the big volume sellers will be left. This truly does make me sad.

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The Evil Resolution Center

I understand what you are saying one hundred per cent. I used to love ebay. Now, I feel battered by it.

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The Evil Resolution Center

You are right in everything you say.  This place is a landmine for small sellers, with little chance of turning back within any reasonable time period.  

 

As I have been saying for months, if not longer, we smaller sellers are at higher risk for being downgraded simply because it's a statistical reality.  In addition, we drag our defects along like a sea anchor for a year, whereas larger sellers get off the hook every 3 months.  That aspect has not changed.  

 

There is no way to avoid defects generated accidentally by issues beyond our control.  I don't know what to say by way of a suggestion, other than to try and persist with eBay Customer Service, despite their ignorance and stupidity, to get the wrongful defects removed.  It might take an hour, or two, or three, to finally get to someone who both speaks English and has some grasp of eBay policy, but for a small volume seller, it's worth it to get such defects wiped off your record.  

 

On the subject of "The Question" concerning on-time delivery, I actually confronted this yesterday when I went to leave FB for an item I purchased from an overseas seller that took about a month to arrive.  As a buyer, I have no problem being patient to receive my purchases, but the appearance of the question about on-time delivery shocked me somewhat.  It was in bold, it is right under the main FB comment section, and it said:  "Did your item arrive by October 1, 2015?"  Yes ____  No ____.  EBay's estimated delivery window was shown next to this, with October 1st the date limit. 

 

Now, I really had to think about exactly what date I received the parcel.  It was a couple of days ago, I'd thrown the bubble envelope out, I've been busy, and I don't exactly keep a diary of such things.  I honestly couldn't recall specifically what date the parcel arrived.  What I was aghast at was that for an instant -- just a brief moment -- I actually hesitated and considered answering "No" because I really couldn't say "Yes" with any certainty!   Of course I didn't because I'm a seller and I realize the repercussions.  But what got me thinking was how little a buyer will realize the consequences of his/her answer.  

 

Unlike the DSRs which required some spread of opinion (1 to 5), this is black or white.  Yes or no, did you get it on time or didn't you.  If a buyer really isn't sure, instead of being offered a third option (i.e. "Don't recall/Don't know"), he/she is being forced to choose.  Will the buyer err on the side of caution, or on the side of generosity?  The dice roll says it's 50/50.  OMG, this is going to hurt.   Woman Frustrated

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The Evil Resolution Center

I always pick YES and I don't care.

 

I never check dates.

 

All I care about is receiving it and it is as described.

 

Ebay can choke on all their stupid policies.

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The Evil Resolution Center

 I plan on persisting with Customer Service though I expect there may be a limit on how many times I can get defects removed. I did succeed in getting two of the item not received defects removed. Surprisingly I talked to three different people, every single one friendly, each speaking clear English and all very understanding and friendly. Plus it didn't take much more then twenty minutes. Maybe all the planets were lined up correctly, I'm not sure. It was as close to winning a lottery as I've ever gotten. However I don't expect to have that same experience every time I call.

 

 Still I don't know how much longer I can go on selling on eBay. The mood has changed so much since I first started selling. More and more buyers seem to have become so cynical that they almost approach each transaction as a potential crime waiting to happen. Ebay has added to this atmosphere by bleating out at every turn how they are protecting the buyers. Protection is good because yes we all want a safe place to do business. However there seems to be an underlying sense that somehow sellers are shady and you can't quite trust them so eBay will make sure they keep us in check. This is how I feel some days and I have talked to other sellers that definitely feel it as well. I am going to try to hang in there. Who knows, sometimes miracles do happen.

 

  I still believe that there are more good people out there then bad. I will never consider that my eBay experience has been a mistake. I have met so many wonderful people here, both customers and sellers alike. But as they say, all good things come to an end.

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The Evil Resolution Center

You are among good company in feeling that, even as a seller with 100 per cent feedback doing everything that ebay tells you to do, you've met the limit of what you are prepared to tolerate in order to continue to sell here. It would be in ebay's best interests to note this yet, somehow, I expect they will not. I count three reputable Canadian sellers who are helpful members of the ebay Community that have said, 'I've had it with this place' in the past week alone.

 

There is a Board Hour each Wednesday hosted by a staffer. Perhaps it is time to consider a consortium of 'concerned sellers who are dangling from the precipice of departure' and raise our issues. Politely, as all Canadians do. I'm not certain, however, it would be worth the effort to do so in terms of a return on investment of time. 

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The Evil Resolution Center

I know exactly what you mean Rose. If I don't do the FB the day my parcels arrive I can't always remember the date. As a seller too I will always choose yes but I too wonder how many "buyers only " will do this. While I do not like the current defect system this new one is a major problem for those of us who do not use tracked packet (I rarely do because of the cost). Too bad they would not look at the date we print our label off Paypal for untracked items as that would even be a help for  many of us. I just finally got my TSR back but I too wonder how long I will be able to keep it.

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