Auction Site Selling Problems ....
| Related: | Entertainment & Leisure•Shopping•Scams & Fraud |
I am hearing some stories of concern lately about people selling items via auction sites, mainly on Ebay, where the buyers are submitting complaints about items 'not matching the description of an item' and delaying the complaints until the 45 day appeal zone has nearly expired. IT appears that in the majority of cases, Ebay uphold the complaint leaving the seller to face a forced refund and sometimes not even receiving the item back. And the nature of the complaint can be so minor or debatable that the matters have to be questionable and why people wait until the sixth week after payment to complain.
I am also hearing horrific stories about 'items never being received' and despite recorded delivery and tracking information being available, the issue still seems to boil down to the seller having to deal with it financially. I am seeing sellers now openly negating claims for lost items in the post and all they will do is to provide proof of posting or the recorded delivery details to let the buyer 'sort it out'. I understand that Ebay still support the buyer in the majority of cases. I would also suggest that once a seller posts something by recorded or special delivery ( ot even a simple certificate of posting ), the contract lies between the poster and Royal Mail and can only be resolved between these two parties. So is it fair to tell the buyer to 'make his own invesigations'?
Or are we simply seeing the end of decency in society where even selling simple items on Ebay can be a potential nightmare in waiting? IT does make you think twice before listing anything, particularly when you make so little on the deals nowadays.
Responses (7)
I highlighted this very issue 11 months ago https://my.money.co.uk/discuss/discussion-details.htm#id=341 and ebay have done nothing to put a stop to it. They are biased towards buyers and sellers are charged high fees an get a very raw deal off ebay. Ebay need to watch out as it is only a matter of time till sellers stop selling and ebay takes a dive.
I agree Snoopy that you make very little selling cheaper items on Ebay these days. I used to sell lots of things through them and was happy to declutter and make a bit of money on redundant items that were still in good condition. Today however I hardly ever use Ebay either for buying or selling. You highlight one of the reasons and I also find that when searching to buy, there are so many lists of items from traders that it is hard to find any good second-hand buys any more. I just can't be bothered with it and look for other ways to sell or recycle such as specialist forums (often free to advertise) and the like.
That's pretty much it Sidesalad .... far too commercial now and gone are the days when it was a great buy and sell forum for Joe Public. And frankly, if I want to buy something, I find Amazon so much more reliable and often with the best deals.
i agree too many people have made it their online business and few genuine bargains anymore
Yip I got ripped of by a Hong Kong seller for £50 for a tablet pc - arrived broken - sent it back - said he never received it and I never used tracking which would have cost me an extra £12 so not worth it but in the end even though i had paid with credit card and through paypal I lost - credit card company and paypal and ebay told me to sod off even though I had an email from another buyer who had the same thing - seems the seller was selling broken items and using this ploy to ensure he never got a return.
Atrocious service - paypal and ebay are one in the same - a huge con - you cant make any money anymore on ebay.
It seems that what I am hearing is totally correct then OD ... I can only say that unless eBay and Paypal get their act together, no one, but no one, will trust the system enough to buy or sell again through them. And don't we just need something in life that shines through this malaised, greedy, dog eat dog society?
I heard another con mentioned on the radio yesterday. Someone sold an iPad on eBay and had agreed to send by recorded mail. The buyer ten rang him and said that he would collect instead. Payment was made through Paypal and the guy duly collected the iPad. The buyer then complained to eBay that the iPod had never been sent as arranged and claimed his money back. The seller had no proof of collection and neither eBay nor PayPal believed him. He went to the police and eventually and with great difficulty as he was banned from eBay the buyer confessed and said that he had 'made an error'. This is happening a lot so worth being very careful if someone collects an item as even a signed receipt can be rejected as a fake.
That's actually an excellent suggestion Sidesalad ... I guess if someone is clever enough to play the system for criminal benefit, the odds can be on their side. The story you tell actually sends a shiver down my spine .... people have spoken of a 'malaise' in today's society and this is definately an indication of this happening!
It's such a pity as eBay used to be an efficient way to sell unwanted items and avoid waste. It now makes me very nervous as there are so many con artists at work now.
I think you always hear horror stories about things like this but given how many transactions must happen on eBay on sites like that you can imagine how small percentage it is!
PureOrange
You are probably right PureOrange but alas the horror stories continue to increase .... and while the percentage may be small, it does lead to a poor perception of using the site as people have already stated. It is the pure fact that Ebay tend to support a complaint from the outset, scam or otherwise, and while that may support good business practice and a so called 'stable and safe' environment to trade from, it puts a lot of people off big time. Sad to say, we live in a world of crime and deception.
ebay... where do I start? Non paying bidders, however, ebay happily take their fee even if you have not been paid for items. I am currently out of pocket to the tune of £40 for 3 items that have not been paid for. Yes I will probably get a refund of fees but im still out of pocket. 10% commision on everything. It is hardly worth bothering selling smaller items now, too expensive. And then paypal take their commision too, Just blatant rip off. We need a new Auction site. That is for Joe public, no business. simple 2nd hand stuff, nothing brand new in box unless its an unwantd gift. But you should not be allowed to list the same product more than once a month. Cmon, there must be someone out there that could start this site up. Call it www.secondhandbay.com
There are other many other auction sites out there already. I would certainly like to use one that does not allow traders. They have taken over eBay these days and it's difficult to find secondhand bargains.
Great idea Kipper!!!
Hmmmmm
Been looking for a good idea myself....
It is time somebody got an honest ebay clone going - I am sure everybody would desert ebay as no-one is happy with their so called service.
I've never had too many problems. I did recently have a non-paying bidder but due to the low profits that you make nowadays I only list on free listing weekends which I find out about thanks to my Money.co.uk e-newsletter!
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Yes I recall replying to it Wendi. Seems like things are no further forward. Shame really as I often like to peruse the site.
Still when it comes to trust issues I think we are hoping for too much in this dog eat dog world that we now find ourselves in.
It seems that things are getting worse alongside the recession .... and you cannot choose who you sell to so it's just like a lottery in many ways. I use Ebay simply to buy nowadays.