Ebay suck royally

[sillyvainman]

A Buyer bought an item from me on December 5th 2013 and there was a huge snow storm.  Canada Post doesn't do pickup in the weekend so I mailed his item on December 9th. On December 11th 2013 this guy opens a case with Ebay stating that he didn't receive his item yet and he wants a refund.. He didn't email me at all or inquire about it I live in Canada and he lives in the States. Clearly this guy is a pain to deal with. Like cmon we are in different country and this guy needs to be a little bit more patient since it's the Holidays and it may be a little bit slow. Also if customs takes his sweet time then it's not my fault. So at the end I lost. This guy received my item for free including shipping!!!!   So I am so done with Ebay... 

[rose-dee]

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@ricarmic wrote:
Absolutely! (Which is how I would like to be treated by a seller if it was me who hadn't received an item. It is interesting how impatient I can be awaiting something I've purchased to arrive vs what I "expect" of my buyers awaiting stuff they bought from me....!!!)

I wouldn't personally "report" the buyer until enough time went by that I figured a conversion wouldn't happen.

I also generally don't "block" the buyer till I see what happens with the conversion effort. For certain I normally don't block them until after they've left feedback, I blocked too soon one time and I turned a conversion into a problem as a result...... having said this every situation is different you have to decide on a "case by case" basis so to speak...

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Wise words, and worth careful consideration.  

To the OP:  Sometimes we make assumptions about people's actions that are erroneous and based on very little real information.  There may be a reason why this buyer expected his item in 6 days, not just that he's a naturally impatient person.  If a seller begins from an assumption that the buyer is wrong, or acting unreasonably, it's easy to come to the wrong conclusions, make bad decisions and/or send messages that can worsen the situation.  

I'm of the "kill-more-flies-with-honey" tribe.  When that route is finally shown to be futile (and I mean really finally), then I work on the basis of professionally trying to control or mitigate any damage that might result to my selling reputation, not in wasting effort fighting pointless personal battles.  If I were faced with these circumstances, I'd be doing as 'ricarmic' suggests.  I think he's quite right that other outcomes are possible.  

Nonetheless, I also agree with 'honeybed's comment that eBay does make it far too easy for buyers to jump the gun and make a formal claim for non-receipt before a reasonable time has passed.  It's a bit ridiculous to permit claims for international shipments before 2 weeks has passed, since often customs processing is involved in delays.  Also, differing statutory holidays and weather issues can play their part in shipment delays and misunderstandings about delivery times, as the OP has discovered.  I say tssk-tssk-tssk eBay in this regard.  

Incidentally, it's not really helpful to the OP (who doesn't have an eBay store), but I quite often put my store on "vacation" just prior to a Canadian long weekend -- or an expected snowstorm! --  to avoid unreasonable expectations of shipping times by US buyers (I leave my listings visible, but place a large announcement on my home page concerning extra shipping time as well).  

[aqyera]

Calm him down, many time buyer only needs reassurance and ebay now opens dispute whenever someone asks about the item whereabouts. Dispute is just a question until escalated to claim, then it's different story, you want that closed ASAP before Ebay does. Dispute will last 30 days then expires, so it's ok to keep it open.

Give them money back and expect to repay? Right after Christmas when everyone is spent out? Phleeeease  Whoever said that owes me a half decaf and keyboard and monitor cleaning

OP, do not let that money go so easy.

[bb_cool_stuff]

..do not let that money go so easy.

I wish I read that before we had children.

[mr.elmwood]

You look good in "4000".

[soulpurity]

I do too deal with ebay saying package does not arrive and asking me for tracking number when item is letter mail. Ebay should make a section where seller can set uninsured mailing priced and insured price then this whole issue would be gone if client want tracking he can pay for the tracking, otherwise all responsibility should be on him not the seller

[pierrelebel]

This is a very old thread (2013).

eBay has little to do with it.  It does not matter where a seller advertises goods for sale (eBay, website, other online venues, etc...) the seller is always responsible to get the goods to the buyer.  Period.

[skylarstuff]

This is actually a good idea for international sellers.  Ebay to create an option for the buyer to choose.  Do they want to pay double or triple for tracking or just pay the lowest amount possible, but have no protection if the item is not delivered.

[recped]

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@skylarstuff wrote:

This is actually a good idea for international sellers.  Ebay to create an option for the buyer to choose.  Do they want to pay double or triple for tracking or just pay the lowest amount possible, but have no protection if the item is not delivered.

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Yeah that would be great, buyers will usually pick the cheapest method and then sellers don't have to bother shipping anything because no claim can be made.

[reallynicestamps]

That option is already available.

The seller can give multiple shipping rates for various services.

It doesn't work.

The buyer immediately forgets that he paid for the slow untracked service and demands a refund. The seller has to give back the payment. The item arrives a couple of months later. The (perfectly honest if impatient) buyer has no idea how to refund the refund and counts it as a gift.

The seller has to decide whether she will go with untracked, cheap service and self-insure against occasional losses or claims or to turn off good buyers with high shipping charges.

[fungusamungus]

I only suggest this idea as I know from first hand experience that I can send a poster to the USA with tracking for $20. to send that same poster with tracking say to Brazil, Europe or Australia the cost jumps to around $80.  $80. is too expensive, for say a poster only valued at $100.   Incidentally our friends in the USA can send that same poster with tracking to those same countries for around $12.

The way to make sure that a seller indeed does ship the goods is to force a seller to use pay pal shipping.  That way Ebay would see that a label and payment was made to Canada Post to indeed ship the item.  I also know of sellers who email a photo of the package with shipping label etc to the buyer as some sort of proof that it was indeed processed to ship out.  Of course there will always be the opportunity for a unscrupulous buyer to claim they never go the item.............but that's the risk they would take if choosing the cheaper shipping option.  Ebay would need to make it clear that if that option is selected that there is no possible refund.   Our postal rates for international deliveries do not provide insurance or tracking at competitive rates.   And yes of course there could be sellers who indeed do not ship the item out even though they pay for a label or create a phony picture of a package they never intend to ship........There would need to be some sort of tracking in an Ebay system of quantity of non delivery of items.  I know this all sounds like something that is nonviable.  Especially since its not a problem for USA sellers and Canada is not a major concern for Ebay.  I am trying to think outside of the box, to see if there is some middle ground for being able to ship out goods to international areas at reasonable prices but not get hit with defects or non delivery of goods.  For expensive items, of course it makes sense to use the more expensive tracking that Canada Post sells via Express Post etc.

[momcqueen]

Yes. Regarding delivery delays around Long Weekends, specifically Canadian Long Weekends, I start to twitch at Easter since we lose Good Friday AND Easter Monday and those two extra days added to delivery times are nearly as bad as Christmas Day and Boxing Day (which is, of course, only Canadian) at which point I make sure to explain the additional stat holidays and potential delays to every buyer that makes a purchase at that time. 

I think sellers would be better served if it was not now so very easy to inadvertently open an INR case when a buyer is really just looking for tracking information or delivery times. Especially those to whom English may be a second language and I mean, of course, those overseas who comprise a portion of my business. My sales to the USA are not as plentiful since Americans already have much of what I sell. Canadian sellers and buyers are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to reasonable pricing on postal services with tracking in comparison to those in other countries.

That being said, I recently had a USA buyer open an INR when the tracking on his parcel clearly showed delivery had occurred before he opened the case and even though I was able to successfully conclude the matter within the hour, I still ended up with a defect on my account for it. I had to call eBay to get that removed. This offended me. 

Afterwards, the buyer said the parcel must have been stolen from his front steps. I sympathize but not to the extent I was willing to take a defect for it. I do, however, get quite irate when I've got a gut feeling I'm being defrauded. It's not as much the loss of goods and/or revenue as it is the dishonesty. Naturally, I keep these thoughts and feelings to myself. I am apologetic and work quickly to make things right in the rare cases when this issue arises. Even when I have my doubts. Like any honest seller, I live in constant fear of defects. 

p.s. I don't agree that ebay sucks royally. (Just moderately. Sometimes. Ha ha ha.) I really do think it's a great marketplace for buyers and sellers from around the world to meet. And I do understand the reason that sellers have to be kept on such a short leash BUT wish the 'good' ones weren't punished so often for inadvertent (or anticipated) errors when the 'bad' ones seem to get away with it for awhile. It's like that old saying: 'A locked door only keeps the honest people out.'