eBay allows potentially dangerous items to be sold
Summary: The discussion centers around the concern that eBay permits the sale of potentially dangerous items. loustanis initiates the conversation by highlighting this issue. sandypebbles, lezned-toycollector, and several other participants engage in the conversation, contributing their viewpoints and experiences with eBay’s policies. The discussion evolves as participants share insights on the possible consequences and preventative measures that could be implemented to enhance user safety on the platform. A variety of opinions and suggestions are offered by multiple participants, but the thread concludes without a definitive resolution.
I purchased a 42V battery charger. Checked my eBay email a few days later I found that, even before the item arrived, eBay emailed me to advise that the charger was under a safety recall. Given that eBay was aware that the item was under recall, why did eBay not prevent the sale from proceeding or at least warn me of the recall at the time of the purchase transaction. eBay's email starts as follows "We take product safety very seriously. We’re reaching out to you because an item you purchased may have been recalled or pose a safety hazard. We recommend that you stop using this product." So lets look at this logically. eBay, who claims to take product safety very seriously, allows an unsafe product to be sold. eBay clearly has visibility of and monitors each transaction. So why the notification AFTER the purchase? Why not as part of the final steps BEFORE finalisation of the sale and payment for the item? eBay's expectation is that I will now contact the seller, arrange return the item and seek a refund. As far as I'm concerned, eBay should refund me the cost of the item and deal with the seller directly to avoid such issue to arise in future.
gutterpunkz05
·1 year agoRe the CPSC link, that appears to be a general safety notice issued as a media release.
There does not appear to be an actual product recall issued for such items in or around the stated release date.
In any event a USA recall would not be valid in Australia and if the product is unbranded then a recall is pretty much useless,
twyngwyn
·1 year agoproduct safety.gov.au
kh-jean
·1 year agoHi everyone,
This discussion has gotten a bit heated. Please remember that, while it is fine to disagree with others, discussion should always remain friendly and respectful as required by the Community Guidelines .
Thank you for your cooperation.
countessalmirena
·1 year agoBased upon identical title wording, the seller is registered in Hong Kong, and the battery is unbranded.
twyngwyn
·1 year agoDid you see my post at 3:46pm?
*casey*
·1 year ago@loustanis
Let's get back on track.
To summarise eBay in general:
"eBay allows potentially dangerous items to be sold"
Yes they do
from the Countess
"Re eBay vetting purchases … I think you may be assuming a level of care and personal involvement that doesn’t exist. eBay use bot-driven processes for almost every aspect of eBay transactions and customer service - and increasingly use AI as well. They’re not vetting the items themselves in any way, other than to have templated emails automatically sent to buyers when the bot-driven processes match up purchase with list of recalled products.
They won’t remove a seller’s items based on that list; that’s been demonstrated by repeated attempts to report items listed by sellers registered on eBay.cn. It just won’t happen - for various reasons"
Very True
From Springy
" don't know how seriously ebay takes product safety. Not very, as far as I can see. They do what they have to do, legally, and that is about it.
Ebay isn't stopping any of it, every sale is a bit of extra commission to them and it is perfectly legal for them at the moment to allow those ads.
You'll notice they don't take the extra step of checking if your particular product is the specific one under recall"
Very True
Do you know how many fraudulent listings aren't removed after being reported ?
We'd ALL like this to be different but it's getting worse
twyngwyn
·1 year agoFrom your link, the item has been recalled in USA……have you looked to see whether they are recalled here?
loustanis
OP1 year agoI agree, US recall. Trying to find whether recalled in Australia is a nightmare - so many items and trying to isolate is a bit daunting. My logic says if dangerous in the USA, why would it not be dangerous here. Having read the details and reasons for the recall in the US, I'm not able to logic out a reason why not in Australia.
Just as a point, I've already experience a revious recall situation relating to household solar batteries manufactured by LG.. The batteries were recalled in the USA in mid 2017 after causing fires. It took till 2021 for the recall to happen in Australia (same make and model as in the USA). LG continued to sell the batteries (that caused fires in the US) in australia until early 2021 and you can still see them listed on the Australain list even now. So country of recall is not really relevant as far as I'm concerned.
twyngwyn
·1 year agoYes, but if they’re not recalled here, then eBay should not have sent you that??
gutterpunkz05
·1 year agoHey Lou, You are quick off the mark to reply with abuse, but for some reason you appear unwilling or unable to provide basic information that has been requested.
As you have been unable to provide the listing number, a link to the recall notice will suffice,
loustanis
OP1 year agoHere's the entire message from ebay:
Hello loustanis,
We take product safety very seriously. We’re reaching out to you because an item you purchased may have been recalled or pose a safety hazard. We recommend that you stop using this product. If you have questions about the item(s), please reach out to the seller or the manufacturer. Item details are listed below.
This item has been recalled for safety reasons. To learn more about the recall affecting this product, please visit the website at: https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2024/CPSC-Urges-Consumers-to-Not-Buy-or-Use-Universal-Chargers-with-Micromobility-Products-Due-to-Fire-Hazard
If you have any problems, we recommend that you contact the seller from your Purchase history and try to reach a resolution. If you can't reach a resolution, or the seller doesn't fulfill their return policy, you may be eligible for eBay Money Back Guarantee.
Item details: 387764973317 - DC42V 2A Power Supply Charger For 36V Li-ion Lithium Battery With 6 Connecters
If you have questions, please go to "Help" at the top of most eBay pages.
Regards,
eBay
springyzone
·1 year agoI don't know how seriously ebay takes product safety. Not very, as far as I can see. They do what they have to do, legally, and that is about it.
You say you purchased an item located in Dandenong South. I well believe you as a fair few warehouses are located there. I've had a friend do the same a while back.
The thing is that for a lot of buyers, when they see something as located here, they are going to assume that it is a legal import, the same as they could buy at the shop & that they are just buying from a different retailer.
The fact it may be made in China won't worry most people because, as you say, what isn't made there these days?
I don't blame buyers for thinking this way because before I frequented these forums, I would have assumed anything I picked up from a warehouse in Dandenong was a legit product too.
But if you read countess's posts, you'll see that a lot of things get into this country under the radar, almost, so to speak. They haven't passed Australian safety tests, they are not being sold here by legal distributors.
Sometimes the stuff people buy is coming direct from China. Ebay isn't stopping any of it, every sale is a bit of extra commission to them and it is perfectly legal for them at the moment to allow those ads.
As far as your warning message goes, from what I have read of the replies, it seems to be just a generic message to alert you to the fact that there has been a recall of the type of product you bought. May not be the same brand, may have nothing to do with what you bought, but I'd guess it is their legal responsibility to do it, so they do it. You'll notice they don't take the extra step of checking if your particular product is the specific one under recall.
What I have taken from all this is that ebay, as a huge business enterprise, will stick strictly to the law, but it will rarely (that I can see) go above and beyond. There are just some items it is not worth buying on ebay, full stop. Not unless the seller is a licenced distributor and in that case, the price point isn't going to be much different anyway, you're better off to just go to the actual store. Anything electrical comes into that category. Plus phones and what have you.
As for buying direct from China, don't do it at all unless it is for non electrical incidentals that can't void your home insurance etc
You as buyer need to be the one doing the investigations, don't rely on ebay at all.
countessalmirena
·1 year agoYes; if I were more gracious, I would have pointed out their data flaws was well, but I was cruel enough to let them stew in their errors. I’m ashamed of myself…
countessalmirena
·1 year agodavewil, you’re more gracious than I…
davewil1964
·1 year agoI wanted to prove a point.
I did mention that scheduling a test on a fictitious date didn't reflect well on the society, their staff or their claims to be above average. Got the normal corporate garbage in response.
Which is pretty much why I did the Groucho.
gutterpunkz05
·1 year agoSo again, What is the item number, or don't you want the listing scrutinized
loustanis
OP1 year agoitem number is 387764973317
i-once-was-bump
·1 year agoI just did a lazy search of 42v battery chargers in Australia.
Out of the first three, (in the list of about 250), two of the stores have product located in Dandenong.
Of course, they are registered in Hong Kong.
I only looked at the first 5 listings.
I am now curious to know the item number of the 42v charger purchased.
loustanis
OP1 year agoItem number is 387764973317
countessalmirena
·1 year agoThe difference between China as country of manufacture to a company, under contract, required to meet product specifications subject to quality control as per the Australian standards (a rigorous and expensive process), with product under warranty (fully enforceable under ACL) … and China as in a factory dodgily churning out cheapest possible unbranded items copying the look and the minimum function of the original item but not even bothering with composition of the components (making them of raw materials that are the cheapest possible and not as required for safe and effective function), the stated capacity or function or the quality or type of components “under the hood”…? Life and death.
There are regulations that apply to the supply of electrical equipment and appliances. The requirements set out in the regulations must be followed. A failure to do so is a criminal offence.”
“Regulations and Standards apply to all electrical equipment sold or offered for supply in Australia. Certain types of equipment are classified as prescribed. These pieces of equipment must go through a certification process which ensures the equipment is compliant to the relevant safety standards before being offered for supply in Australia.”
“Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM)
Prescribed electrical products must have an RCM on the appliance or an Australian approval number to show that the product has been certified.
This mark is currently recognised by all States and Territories of Australia.”
Don’t buy from Chinese sellers if you need a warranty, or if a flaw in the product could kill you. Buy only from the manufacturer or local distributor or approved Australian reseller - no grey imports, no unbranded rubbish, no cutting corners. If part of the reason why you’re buying a particular electronic item or battery etc is its cheaper price, stop and think and investigate and be suspicious lest you are being lured like a gormless garfish.
loustanis
OP1 year agoGee, thanks for joining the crowd and stating the obvious - which is totally irrelevant and of no help.
gutterpunkz05
·1 year agoWhat is the item number.
loustanis
OP1 year agoTo LEZNED - you responded too quickly and without any diligence. If you'd checked, you would have discovered that the seller has been the subject of and eBay black mark in the last day or so for breach of ebay policy. As far as "may have" - ebay actually posted a link to their email to me that provides far more information.
As far as Sandypebbles - I challenge you to buy anything on ebay not made in china. As far as "before the fact". What does that even mean? My suggestion was that ebay should alter their product vetting processes so that they set a warning on the purchase prior to completion. If the item is on a recall list, as the item I purchased was, the warning should appear prior to buyers committing to the purchase.
domino-710
·1 year agoLOL - you bought - from China.
loustanis
OP1 year agoNo- I bought from a supplier in Dandenong, in Victoria, in Australia.
padi*0409
·1 year agoIs that where the item was located or is that where the seller is registered.
I suspect the former.
Again, what is the item number ?
loustanis
OP1 year agoBoth. They actually also have a physical walk in shop
padi*0409
·1 year agoIf they are a Chinese registered seller on eBay, they may have a walk-in shop but still send on-line orders from China.
Again, what is the item number ?
sandypebbles
·1 year agoIt does not tell you what suburb/town the seller is registered in
So again, attacking others for your poor choices
How do you figure Australians in Australia voted for that grub?
loustanis
OP1 year agoAs far as poor choice - not sure what else I can do. The store I bought from has a physical precence - a shop - in Dandenong, Victoria Australia. So face to face as well as online vendor.
My point still stands - ebay monitors/vets each purchase. A process that all purchases are comparedto a recall list - prior to purchase completion as opposed to after completion - makes sense.
countessalmirena
·1 year agoYour denigrating comments are not only against the community guidelines, they are designed to inflame rather than encourage informative discourse. But let’s pass on that and get to the informative discourse bit.
Are you certain that the seller has an actual store in Dandenong, staffed by themselves? Or is it rather a warehouse owned by a logistics company?
Many Chinese sellers use such logistics companies, where the warehouses stock some of the most-ordered items to be dispensed by the warehouse staff as orders come in to the individual sellers. The stock is still as I’ve described - unbranded rubbish sent on pallets from Chinese factories, rubbish that hasn’t gone through the intensive and costly process of being authorised.
If it is rather an actual shop, go to the shop and have a constructive friendly talk about ACL.
Re eBay vetting purchases … I think you may be assuming a level of care and personal involvement that doesn’t exist. eBay use bot-driven processes for almost every aspect of eBay transactions and customer service - and increasingly use AI as well. They’re not vetting the items themselves in any way, other than to have templated emails automatically sent to buyers when the bot-driven processes match up purchase with list of recalled products.
They won’t remove a seller’s items based on that list; that’s been demonstrated by repeated attempts to report items listed by sellers registered on eBay.cn. It just won’t happen - for various reasons.
loustanis
OP1 year agoMy denigrating comments are a reaction to the helpfull - not - contributions from people who went on the attack as soon as my post went up. eg a single line post "LOL you bought from chna"
As far as ebay changing processes - all I'm looking for (or was looking for) was for sufficient customer support for ebay to consider an improvement to their processes. Instead of "after the horse has bolted" perhaps "prevent the horse from bolting". At present, ebay has created a conflict situation between buyers and sellers. The buyer is supposed to request a refund from the seller is fine, but ebay allowing its platform to be used to sell products that are subject to recall because of a fire risk, where they are aware of the rsks prior to the sale - is simply irresponsible. Even if its a bot driven process, if ebay set it up one way, they should look at making an improvement to the bot driven process. I was hoping to gather sufficient voices to make ebay take notice. Ahh well, so be it. The failure is not mine, its ebay's.
padi*0409
·1 year agoThat may be so, BUT when Chinese items are made for the Australian market to be sold here by Australian businesses they MUST comply with Australian Standards (particularly electrical/electronic items).
The goods that come here from dubious Chinese sellers may look the same but they certainly will not comply with those standards.
sandypebbles
·1 year agoAbuse all you like, many do when they get factual replies rather than they reply they want
I am not the one buying dodgy knock off batteries from a random in China, putting myself and others at risk with poor buying choices to save a few bucks as you have
But I do know the difference between ‘made in China’ and cheaply made not to Australian safety standards from a random in China
Huge difference
And ebay have zero idea who I am, so no idea how you figure I am protecting them
davewil1964
·1 year agoYou are asking 'questions' on a member to member board.
We don't know any specifics unless and until you provide them.
We cannot change eBay policies.
Your concerns and posited remedies are not things other members can affect.
Why come to the boards, post non-questions then attack members who supply facts?
Ps: I AM a genius according to Mensa. No sarcasm required.
loustanis
OP1 year agoYour response is simply irrelevant.
lezned-toycollector
·1 year agoI did not respond "too quickly" at all... I considered all of the information you provided and responded accordingly.
I double and triple checked the content of your post before I responded. Obviously, you're implying that you have additional information which you failed to share here. So how exactly do you expect me to check said information which only you have access to??? Unlike you, I know nothing at all about your situation other than that which you have chosen to share. The information you provided is what my post related to... nothing more and nothing less. I'm not a mind reader and I definitely never make assumptions.
At the end of the day, it's not my issue if you're deliberately withholding information - that's entirely on you.
May all your chooks turn into emus.....
loustanis
OP1 year agoHey Lenzed - given that you believed that you only had part of the story, why not post something like "Is there other information you can provide?" . Irrespective of the source of my purchase and any other details, my point has merit. ebay is clearly monitoring and vetting each transaction, sufficient for them to email me because of a specific item I purchased. They also have a list of products subject to recall. Their processes need to improve to prevent a purchase of a product which, at the time of the purchase, is not only not fit for purpose but potentially can cause damage. I actually used the charger immediately I received it and prior to reading ebay's warning and being aware if the risk. What would have happened if the potential danger had become reality? Who would have compensated me for that?
I was hoping that my post would have been accepted in the spirit it was intended - to get others on board to convince ebay to change its processes. The way it is now, a transaction to purchase an item under recall is allowed to be completed and then we, the buyers, have to go through the process of arranging/arguing over a refund with the vendor.
Your attempt at obfuscation as a means of protecting your earlier comments are just that, obfuscation.
lezned-toycollector
·1 year agoSurely you're not serious. Why are you attacking me without reason?
I didn't believe I only had part of the information - you let slip that the information you provided was incomplete by openly admitting to withholding information. That's on you - not me.
As stated, I replied to your OP based on the information you provided. I gave truthful and factual information which I stand by. I also included legitimate examples of 2 separate instances of my similar personal experience - again factual.
Then you had the audacity to attempt to belittle me because you had deliberately withheld relevant information - woeful behaviour! I could (and would) have provided more factual information had you shared that which you chose to withhold.
I find your bullying and provocative posting style to be highly inappropriate and extremely offensive. I have no intention of playing your silly games, so please cease and desist immediately.
As for your misapprehension that eBay monitors each individual transaction, you are waaaaay off the mark. Do you have any idea how many items are listed on eBay? Do you have any idea how many employees would be required to actively monitor every listing? The simple suggestion of such is an astronomical joke of the highest proportions... but thanks for the repetitive laughs - very much appreciated.
Don't bother replying to me as any response will fall on deaf ears. My input here is over.
Have a great day ☺️
lezned-toycollector
·1 year agoWhich part of "may have" are you having difficulties with comprehending in the stock, system generated email you have posted?
If eBay had confirmed the battery charger model you purchased has been recalled, they would remove the listings for that particular model.
If the item hasn't been removed, the email you received is simply a warning advising you to check if the item is/isn't among the battery charger models that have been recalled. The recommendation to stop using it until you do the research is also a standard comment, although it is basic common sense.
They send such emails to all buyers of a particular product - whether the one they purchased is on the list or not. I've had a few such messages over the years... a baby monitor and an electric kettle as a couple of examples. Neither of which was actually on the recall list, but other brands/models were.
sandypebbles
·1 year agoAsk eBay
Or don't buy items which are a potential safety hazard at the best of times from some random seller on eBay
Plus, eBay do not vet/check listings 'before the fact'
You will notice the 'seller assumes all responsibility for' on every listing
Plus, if this battery charger was from the seller in China you bought from that is 100% on you
Batteries/battery chargers etc from random sellers in China are not to Australian safety standards to start with
You really can't choose to buy such items from sellers registered in China and then try to say eBay does not care about safety