I take issue with eBay's options for reporting.
I report a fair number of items every month. I do this due to listing violations such as offering a vehicle for sale and "reserve the right to end this auction as it is for sale elsewhere" - which is a direct violation of the seller agreement.
I bought an item which did not come in the configuration listed in the item description. How the hell do I report this? How do I make eBay aware of the inaccuracy and misleading nature of the item description?
Do eBay care in the least?
I find a lot of problems with items where I KNOW the information provide is contradictory, misleading or fraudulent. If I report them, I have no chance to leave a comment as to WHY they are such, I have to leave it up to the eBay "investigation team" to make a deliberation without them having the knowledge that I have.
I'm expected to pick from a few dropdown lists, and then leave it up to eBay. Which invariably results in NOTHING happening.
I reported an engine I saw listed as "will bolt into a Pajero with no modifications or changes" - it was a Mitsubishi motor, but to fit it to a Pajero would require a LOT of changes, including a custom made sump. I contacted the seller and they ignored me, so I reported it to eBay. But they don't know the seller is incorrect, and they didn't contact me to find out why I listed it. End result? The seller sold his engine, probably to a Pajero owner, who just bought a motor that will cost them a small fortune to adapt to fit.
I won a BA Falcon XR6 Turbo in an eBay auction for $10000. The seller straight afterwards contacted me and told me he wanted $14000 or I couldn't have it. It ended up that we talked on the phone and he told me he sold it and so "sucked in" and "you are in another state so you can't touch me". I reported him, tried to take the seller to task through eBay, and they did NOTHING, including allowing the person to continue on eBay with no penalty. I'm actually glad as I found out the car was two halves of two cars stuck together to do a dodgy to get past the writeoff register but that's not the point.
I see dodgy stuff all the time. I see people ripped off and try to get fair recompense after the fact, where eBay should have been able to stop it occurring in the first place.
It's very frustrating. I go out of my way to be the best community member I can be, including looking out for other people by trying to do something about the liars and charlatans. But at the end of the day, a lot of sellers on eBay think they can hide behind anonymity, or demanding you pay their PayPal fees, or lying, or even physical threats. And eBay do NOTHING about these people. At least in my experience.
I have basic rights under Australian statutory law. Whether you are a professional seller or someone selling something for the first time, how about treating people with respect and giving them those rights?
"Oh the item is faulty - send it back and we will send you a replacement, but you have to pay return postage" - guess what? Fair Trading say this is BS. But it happens THOUSANDS of times a day.
Listen here matie - if you send me an item that is not fit for purpose, is not as described, or has a manufacturing fault, it is YOUR responsibility. I DO NOT CARE if you paying for return postage and sending out a new one wipes out your profit. That's NOT my problem.
If it's damaged in transit, it is YOUR responsibility to take it up with the courier/postal service, not mine. YOU paid the company to courier it/post it, not me. Therefore YOU have the contract with that service provider, not me. YOU get the money back for yourself, and YOU refund me or take the item back and take it up with the courier.
I honestly DO NOT CARE if your "policy" is this that or the other. That's a business/operational decision and is not backed by law.
If I'm being a prat of a buyer and not giving you your fair share, or being painful, well then I'm being a prat. But I'm not. You resolve the issue and I'll be happy. You tell the truth and I'll be happy. You take responsibilty and I'll be happy. If I'm wrong, I will admit it and openly apologise.
I'm sick and tired of the blatant lies, fraud, misrepresentation, inappropriate terms, extortion, fraud, deliberate flaunting of responsibilities and breaches of seller terms. Right now I could confidently assert that more than 20% of all items listed and/or sold on eBay AU breach one OR MORE terms of eBay.
