Can I cancel a purchase when it is not allowing me to pay?

[julie_serendipity]

I committed to buy an item but am unable to pay as I keep getting an error message when I try. I get told to try again later. This has been going on for over 24 hours and the seller has not responded to my messages. I want to cancel the purchase and buy from someone else. Can I do that?

[countessalmirena]

@shatz52,

Just to let you know... because these are public boards, each member can read each reply, so that if you a reply that is in essence a repetition, simply directed to a number of different posters, you're best off clicking onto the REPLY button of one of the people to whom you're replying, and then copy-pasting the user IDs of everyone to whom you're directing the reply.

For instance...

❝@padi*0409, @davewil1964, @k1ooo-slr-sales, @enigmabear, @imastawka (with apologies if I've missed anyone)

Thanks for the headsup.

Don't need to find out you are right about the app - I reeaaalllly don't trust anything right now that has eBay in front of it.

Ciao for now❞

The way in which the Community content policy is written means that it's possible that duplicate posts are against policy. The exact wording is:

❝ Not allowed

Publishing more than one identical piece of content or more than one identical product at the same time and in the same context.❞

There's also information hidden away in a thread that the average eBay user wouldn't have a clue about finding, called the Community Rules of Engagement. (Worth bookmarking.) Here it says:

❝8. Avoid duplicate, repetitive or disruptive threads and posts.❞

I can only confirm what other posters have said here about not using the app. It would only increase your difficulties rather than diminish them.

[davewil1964]

---

@shatz52 wrote:

Thank you for letting me know about the app - but since it's an eBay app I'm not game to try it and other posters have told me to avoid it like the plague.

Besides, too I really need to start another thread about a complaint about the eBay app – I don’t think so.

Ciao for now

---

You don't need to reply to 6 people with the same post. 'Everybody' would suffice.

I didn't let you know about the app, except in passing. I asked you if you were using it, as that might have been the source of your problem.

I realise you think that complaining on the boards (inhabited by a very small percentage of members) will make eBay take notice, but the issue is that nobody will know, apart from the few who read the boards. eBay certainly don't.

[imastawka]

Sorry Countess.

In reply to Shatz -

Oh yeah.  Didn't we tell you that bit?

Ebay don't read here.

[countessalmirena]

imastawka, I think that needs to be written "in big", as Judge Rinder says...

@shatz52,

As imastawka has said, ebay don't read here.

The Community Guidelines say (misleadingly), that ❝Community [sic] is a peer to peer support community. While eBay employees will be on the discussion boards from time to time, the Community is not a dedicated customer service channel.  This is a peer-to-peer support community – inclusive of sellers, buyers and eBay employees. It is a place to get tips and advice from Community members.❞

(Red text formatting mine for emphasis.)

Bearing in mind that michelleoz@ebay.com stated on 7.6.2017 that there would be ❝Chat with eBay staff (for regular eBay hosted discussions)❞, the last time that michelleoz@ebay.com was online (Date Last Visited: ‎25-09-2017 06:58 PM) doesn't bear that out. I cannot see any evidence that eBay employees currently visit the boards. There may be hidden viewing by eBay employees - it's not beyond the realms of possibility - but they certainly haven't posted.

eBay employee trading and community content policy states that:

❝   Allowed

• When eBay employees submit community content as members, not as employees, they need to identify themselves as eBay employees and state that the content reflects their personal views and isn't written on behalf of eBay.
• Content posted by eBay employees acting in an official eBay capacity will normally be identified by a different treatment from content published by members; for example, a blue border highlighting the username.❞

I consider it not very likely that eBay employees read these boards as part of their job. eBay pays Lithium to moderate these boards and it wouldn't be a cost-effective measure to keep a dog and bark themselves. There's also no evidence that eBay fixes the problems and glitches that have been complained about on these boards for years. On the contrary, the problems remain, while eBay's IT department spends their time tinkering with things that don't need fixing.

If some eBay employees do bother to read these boards (in their capacity as eBay buyers and sellers – since eBay employees are allowed to buy and sell on eBay with certain conditions), they are unlikely to be passing along what they read to anyone in an administrative or managerial position. There'd be no point. eBay management don't care what the posting members want; eBay's approach to what its members want is to create a survey whose questions are designed to elicit a particular response – the response that eBay wants. eBay will then tell its members that ❝xyz❞ (eBay's desired outcome) is what they (the members) want.

Spoiler

See eBay's Unsolicited idea submissions policy for details: ❝At eBay, we appreciate comments from our members on our products and services. But we have a long-standing policy of not accepting unsolicited suggestions, ideas, or proposals.
[...]
We appreciate your input, but we can't respond to suggestions that are sent to eBay.
[...] eBay's long-standing company policy does not allow eBay to accept or consider ideas, suggestions, proposals or materials other than those eBay has specifically requested.❞

(Of course, "we appreciate comments" and "we appreciate your input" is code for )