This is now way beyond a joke!!!
The new Returns/Cancellations system processes have caused me nothing but headaches since being implemented last year. What used to be simple and straightforward procedures for communicating with buyers and then actioning agreed refunds, partial refunds and transaction cancellations; has now become an arbitrary and inflexible automated flow that seems to discourage meaningful communication between buyers and sellers to reach mutually agreeable resolutions to disputes.
Ebay’s new solution has proven to be poorly conceived, clumsy, flawed and completely biased towards buyers. The process flows lack transparency and are unclear to users with woefully inadequate explanatory material/guidelines. The system functionality remains incomplete and does not adequately cater for the full range of scenarios that arise between buyers and sellers (such as partial refunds where returned items turn out not to be faulty, or returns for replacement/exchange)
The above factors are bad enough, but could almost be adapted to and compensated for by sellers if not further compounded by eBay’s complete incompetence in the actual administration of Cases ultimately requiring arbitration/decision.
The nett result places the vast majority of reputable sellers in a completely vulnerable and powerless position where they are unable to meaningfully manage Returns in a manner that is consistent with both their obligations AND THEIR RIGHTS under Consumer Law.
I have now experienced first-hand the disastrous effects of all these factors combining together. I recently had a buyer initiate the Return process due to a claimed fault with a $600+ item he had purchased. Here is how the resulting fiasco has unfolded:
- After initially asking the buyer a couple of basic trouble-shooting questions, I requested that he return the item to us and that we would be happy to replace it for him once we had verified the claimed fault (in my experience, a replacement item is what most buyers want in such cases, but I am also perfectly happy to refund upon request).
- The buyer responded: “I seek a full refund on this item as it is faulty and not working, I do not intend to send it back to be assessed by you and be informed if I will receive a refund or not. That is not acceptable to me.”
- The buyer then immediately opened a case stating “I have been asked to return the item to the seller to determine if it is faulty or not. I do not accept this outcome.” At this point I am locked out of the resolution process and am unable to record any comments or send any further communications to the buyer attached to the case.
- Within a few hours I receive an (obviously automated) email from eBay stating that the case has been put on hold for a week to allow me to “work with the buyer” to facilitate return of the item. The message contains a warning that if I do not do so eBay may refund the buyer without requiring them to return the item to me.
- I continue to be locked out of the resolution process and am unable to record any comments for eBay or details of communications sent to the buyer.
- I obtain the buyers contact details through eBay and attempt to call him to facilitate the return and clarify any concerns he may have regarding the returns process. The buyer does not answer my calls or respond to my voicemail messages.
- I message the buyer through eBay’s regular messaging system to attempt to facilitate the return and clarify any concerns he may have regarding the returns process. I explain that from his description of the issue I do not anticipate there being any issues with the return and assure him he will be offered a choice of full refund or replacement. The buyer does not respond.
- I message eBay customer service to notify them of my attempts to communicate with the buyer and voice my concerns regarding the lack of any facility in the resolution system for me to document my actions and communications attempts in this regard. After about 3 back & forth ‘canned’ responses by service reps that completely failed to understand/acknowledge the concerns I raised, I finally got a response from a rep (probably more senior) who assured me as follows: “Once the hold expires and the buyer remains unresponsive, we will send them an email requiring them to return the item through PayPal's free return shipping. If they do not respond or do not return the item with tracking, we will then decide on the case accordingly. As long as you maintain the communication within eBay messages, we will have the records and will see all your efforts in resolving this with the buyer.”
- I then message the buyer again asking them to please confirm tracking details if/when the item is returned, or alternatively to please contact me to discuss/resolve any outstanding concerns they may have. The buyer again does not respond.
- Several days later I receive an (again obviously automated) email from eBay stating that they have decided the case in favour of the buyer, have refunded the buyer’s payment in full and have debited my seller account for this amount ($600+).
- My only remaining option is to appeal the decision, which I have now done but this appears to involve me having only a single opportunity to enter e few reasons for my appeal before again being locked out of a totally non-transparent decision process (also automated?)
Obviously, I am completely outraged at this course of events which seems to me to be not only completely negligent and incompetent, but also little short of complicity in theft on the part of eBay. I consider the extent of the negligence eBay has demonstrated in handling this case to effectively be a breach of their user agreement and of any reasonable standards of fair trading that apply in this country, and am resolved not to accept liability for eBay’s decision to refund should the appeal not reach a sensible outcome.
All sellers out there should take heed that this could well happen to you also, and you are thus now bearing an entirely new level of risk when trading on eBay.
