topic Re: eBay reporting fail in Buying

eBay reporting fail

bellas1777 — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 01:46:23 GMT

I have twice been sent an item that was advertised by the seller as remote-enabled. When the first arrived, it had no remote and no capacity for use with a remote. They said it was a mistake and I returned and it was refunded. I re-ordered. Another non-remote item was sent. I then reported it, but eBay rejected my report with the message that it was decided by AI.
Where do I go next? I have found no mechanism to appeal, or to contact a person at eBay.

Re: eBay reporting fail

sandypebbles — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 01:51:30 GMT

The best option would have been to open an item not as described dispute the first time

I would not have gone for a second go with a seller who 'made a mistake' the first time, sorry

What is the item number? (was it the seller in China)?

How did you report it?

Did you just report the eBay listing or did you open an item not as described dispute?

You could also leave the seller in question neg feedback

Re: eBay reporting fail

sandypebbles — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 01:55:07 GMT

To add, you are spot on about reporting listings

Bots are worse but even things I have reported which are very very clearly against listing policies are said to be 'fine' and supposedly looked at by a human

Re: eBay reporting fail

etb321 — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 09:05:40 GMT

AI implies some sort of intelligence. If the outcome is the result of a linear string of 'if this than that' statements it's an automated response, normally provided by call center staff, but it's not AI. My thinking would be ebay has now reduced (to zero?) call center staffing

When I go into the bank it's a twenty minute drive and if I'm unlucky, twenty minutes in the que. While waiting for a teller I read a sign, respect our staff...

When I'm waiting at Coles or Woolies I see similar signs...

Ebay is saying 'this decision was made by AI'

I'm thinking this respect that is being called for is very one sided.

Tom

Re: eBay reporting fail

mdgli — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 11:59:40 GMT

Fooled you once, shame on them. Fooled you twice, shame on you.

Agree with Sandypeblles - "I would not have gone for a second go with a seller who 'made a mistake' the first time"

Re: eBay reporting fail

sandypebbles — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 21:32:43 GMT

I have reported two different listing for used underwear

One listing was an AI/Bot saying it was fine

The other listing was a customer service rep saying it was fine

So certainly

Re: eBay reporting fail

sandypebbles — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 21:50:57 GMT

I would not have bought from a seller registered in China with such poor feedback to start with

But I certainly would not have bought from them, got sent the wrong thing, been 'lucky' enough to be refunded (without having to get stories from the seller or go through eBay) and then gone ahead and given the now even more dodgy seller a second chance to do the same again)

Still no idea if the OP reported the eBay listing itself (in which case neither bot nor human is going to be able to judge/guess/know if what is in the listing is what is being sent to people) or if the actually opened a not as described dispute

And if they have not yet opened an actual dispute, that is where they ought to go next, and neg the seller

Re: eBay reporting fail

springyzone — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 21:55:01 GMT

@bellas1777 wrote:
I have twice been sent an item that was advertised by the seller as remote-enabled. When the first arrived, it had no remote and no capacity for use with a remote. They said it was a mistake and I returned and it was refunded. I re-ordered. Another non-remote item was sent. I then reported it, but eBay rejected my report with the message that it was decided by AI.
Where do I go next? I have found no mechanism to appeal, or to contact a person at eBay.

I can see you gave the seller the benefit of the doubt but at least if you had to do that on ebay, you've gone about it the right way. You had 2 separate sales, so you got a refund on the first one before buying the second time.

So that leaves you with options. Do not bother contacting the seller. Go straight into an ebay claim now for an item not as described. The great thing is, you should have time as you get 30 days after an item arrives in which to open your claim.

Had you done what some buyers do and allowed just an 'exchange' or replacement, your time might have expired.

So that's your first priority, getting your money back now off that seller.

Then my advice would be to go into a reputable store and buy what you need, give ebay a wide berth for those types of things.

As for the issue of reporting a listing, you've done your best to protect other buyers, you've contacted ebay. All you can do is leave factual feedback. It's on ebay, I understand they need to be careful before banning ads on a random say so, but at the same time, if they ever get a reputation for having lots of dodgy sellers, they'll be in trouble.

Re: eBay reporting fail

davewil1964 — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 07:51:39 GMT

Most alleged AI is simply Boolean tests, which have been around since Lovelace was a child.

Re: eBay reporting fail

countessalmirena — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 08:12:25 GMT

Δ ⁷ u ₂ = 0

Re: eBay reporting fail

weirdguy79 — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 21:35:30 GMT

Ebay is full of listings for freeze dryers but 99% of them are dehydrators, ebays AI says it's all good. Apparently false and misleading listings are fine with ebay, who cares if it now takes hours to sort through all those fake listings, well ebay should because I just went somewhere else that better controls their listing and so will others. As for appealing, they don't seem to offer that option and forget trying to get in touch with an actual person as ebay has made that near on impossible.

Re: eBay reporting fail

bellas1777 — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 18:29:22 GMT

You possibly would have in this situation. This was the only seller that had the item I needed. It didn't cost me anything, I had to try to get the item.

Re: eBay reporting fail

bellas1777 — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 18:31:14 GMT

There was no "fooling", as you so judgmentally claimed. This was the only seller that had the item I needed. It didn't cost me anything, in fact I was allowed to keep the initial item, but I had to try for the only avenue to get what I needed.

Re: eBay reporting fail

bellas1777 — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 18:41:11 GMT

Sorry, I though I asked what my next step might be, I certainly didn't ask for your judgment, or what you would do, since you have zero idea of the circumstances, as your assumptions show.
This was the only avenue I had for what I needed. No other seller had the item. It was $8.99 and free post. I was told to keep the first item, and received a refund. Zero risk, but a possibility of finally finding what I needed. Yes, I tried again. The sensible thing to do.

Re: eBay reporting fail

bellas1777 — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 18:42:41 GMT

And you bothered to not answer my question with that? Really? This isn't social media.

Re: eBay reporting fail

bellas1777 — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 18:44:46 GMT

Thank you for taking the time to give a reasonable response.

Re: eBay reporting fail

bellas1777 — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 18:48:24 GMT

Thank you for the reasoned response.
I made a mistake in my post saying I returned it, they actually told me to keep the item both times. Yes, I left neg feedback, despite their entreaties to change it.
Sadly, I cannot find a seller that has what I need, so this was a chance, but worth it if it panned out.
Cheers.

Re: eBay reporting fail

bellas1777 — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 18:49:55 GMT

You possibly would have given them the benefit of the doubt if it was the only place you could find what you needed, and had not been out of pocket the first time.

Re: eBay reporting fail

springyzone — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:23:58 GMT

My advice still stands though. You were refunded for the first item, but were you refunded for that second item you bought?

If so, okay & you have done what you can re reporting the ad.

If you were not refunded for the second item though and if you have time (ie it is within 30 days of receiving the item), do not correspond with the seller, go straight into an ebay claim for not as described. Do not mention the first purchase, that is all sorted, keep all details relevant to the claim on that second purchase.

If time has expired for an ebay claim and you paid via paypal, you get longer, up to 180 days and could claim that way, but always try via ebay first if you can.

Re: eBay reporting fail

sandypebbles — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 21:19:29 GMT

No judgement involved, just because it was not the answer you wanted to hear

You asked other members

Most regular posters here are not going to buy from a seller registered in China, who has poor feedback, who 'made a mistake' (common excuse made by such sellers) and then get a refund (very rare from such sellers, with the buyer having to go through eBay instead) and then give them another chance to do the same thing, which, no surprise, they did

So, no, as soon as I saw the feedback they had, I would have hit the back button and given them zero chances