eBay not allowing buyers to cancel items

[kaibacorp*]

This has happened to me twice recently.

Note: What I mean buy accidentally buying an item is that a second after I press the final confirmation button I no longer want the item.

I have tried to close the page as soon as I realise that buying the item was a mistake, but strangely, the order still goes through. On other sites closing the webpage will cancel the transaction.

After accidentally ordering an item I have cancelled the item seconds later. Strangely, eBay are now giving sellers the option to reject or to allow buyers to cancel orders. Which I suspect might be breaking consumer laws.

1st time this happened to me, I cancelled the order and contacted the seller. The seller admitted that he hadn't posted the item and that he stands to lose nothing by cancelling the order. But, he still decided to post the item because it was to his financial advantage.

On this occasion I decided to let it slip.

It happened to me a second time just then. I cancelled the item seconds after I purchased it, I got eBay's message "You are at the mercy of the seller." So what does the seller do? They completely ignore the cancellation reqest and days later, posts the item.

So, I contacted eBay live help and they said "on this occasion, we will refund your money." But, they made it clear it's a once off.

And they refused to explain themselves.

I am extremely suspicious that eBay is breaking Australian consumer law and as a buyer I think it's outrageous.

I'm also pretty sure that this new rule they have is only a few months old. The previous rule they had gave the buyer 3 days to cancel an order if it was a mistake.

I don't really have any questions for the community about this, I'm just making a statement.

*If eBay ever refuse to cancel my orders for no good reason I will take it up with CBS.*

[digital*ghost]

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@quesevery-0 wrote:
What is the bet “enigmabear” works for the huge corporation that owns eBay. I’ve had an issue recently as well and the basic eBay options regarding immediate cancelling of a bid are clearly in convention of Australian Consumer Law. eBay should tread lightly because consumers are rapidly waking up to their basic rights and no longer wish to be illegally forced into buying items they don’t actually want.

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Which law in particular? I'd prefer a link, just so I can see it for myself in back & white. 

eBay does not force people to buy things they don't want, though. In all my years on ebay, I've never once heard of someone placing a bid, or confirming a purchase, on something against their will. I've also never heard of someone having to pay for something against their will.

There can certainly be consequences if people choose to bid on or buy something and then change their mind and simply not pay, though. 

Consumers aren't the only party to a transaction, and therefore they aren't the only ones with rights. Bidding on an auction changes the outcome of an auction, and withdrawing bids still interferes with the outcome - people have the option to do it, but you can't expect decisions to enter into a contract with someone to be able to be entered into with reckless abandon, nor have the ability to interfere with someone else's business with no consequence whatsoever.

Aside from the ability to withdraw bids (up to a point), buyers can request the cancellation of a transaction within an hour of auction end, or purchasing it through Buy It Now, as well - emphasis on request, a seller has no obligation to agree. However, that still doesn't force someone to pay for an item.

On a sidenote, just once I wish someone would have a little more imagination when wanting to make an accusation about someone who has posted something they don't like. Instead of working for eBay, can I be a highly skilled ninja working for aliens?

[collect247]

I thought ebay owned ebay lol

[padi*0409]

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@collect247 wrote:

I thought ebay owned ebay lol

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At the moment yes, but with Pitney Bowes rapaciously thieving money from innocent international buyers through the GSP, they might try a takeover of eBay   

                                                                    

[6o7o8o]

Strange you say you haven't  heard of ebay buying against one's will......You have now

It's happened to me 9 times in the last 3 months where ebay have bought for me and paid for me. On one occassion I had already picked it up and paid cash and two days later I noticed I had funds withdrawn from my paypal account for it.......go figure that one out and of course each time it has happened I call and of course ebay blame me.

The last one bought was for over $1200 USD.

It happens

[digital*ghost]

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@collect247 wrote:

I thought ebay owned ebay lol

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Not today they don't - today, eBay is owned by ninja aliens. 

[digital*ghost]

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@6o7o8o wrote:

Strange you say you haven't  heard of ebay buying against one's will......You have now

It's happened to me 9 times in the last 3 months where ebay have bought for me and paid for me. On one occassion I had already picked it up and paid cash and two days later I noticed I had funds withdrawn from my paypal account for it.......go figure that one out and of course each time it has happened I call and of course ebay blame me.

The last one bought was for over $1200 USD.

It happens

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How does a payment get made without authorisation, though? 

Did you ever call PayPal about it and ask them what authorisation was provided, because there is literally no agreement between PP and eBay to withdraw funds automatically. Sellers can authorise eBay to debit via PayPal for payment of fees, but it has to be set up and confirmed (i.e. authorised within PayPal), it doesn't just happen. 

[countessalmirena]

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@quesevery-0 wrote:
What is the bet “enigmabear” works for the huge corporation that owns eBay.

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I doubt anyone would be placing money on such an unlikely supposition.

eBay employees would of course be readily identifiable through saying eBay lies. (Gentle satire.)

Cancelling a bid is different to cancelling a purchase. Nothing in Australian consumer legislation prevents you from withdrawing a bid on eBay (subject to eBay's terms and conditions to which you agreed upon becoming a member). eBay allow you to retract your bid in certain circumstances. However, you should be aware that when you place a bid, you are agreeing to buy if you win the auction.

eBay's terms for buyers cancelling bids are exceedingly generous. "If there are 12 hours or more left before the listing ends, all of your bids can be retracted." Additionally, "If the listing is ending in less than 12 hours, you can retract your most recent bid if it's been less than an hour since you placed it."

Australian consumer legislation does not give you a "get out of sale" card if you bid but change your mind and fail to retract under eBay's policies.

If you're talking about cancelling a purchase, under Australian consumer legislation you are not entitled to a change of mind cancellation (as has been copiously discussed on this thread). It makes no difference if your change of mind is a nano-second after purchase; it's still CHANGE OF MIND/BUYER'S REMORSE, and you're not protected by legislation in such circumstances.

You're not being forced to buy anything unless you want to suggest someone's got a knife up against your throat and is murmuring in a gravelly tone, "Buy! Buy! Or I'll cut you like a Christmas ham."

It's not illegal for sellers on eBay to expect you to pay for items you've bought.

If you don't pay, there are consequences, but they don't involve corporal or capital punishment.

If you don't want buyer consequences on eBay and don't want to feel forced into paying for items that you don't want, don't bid on items that you don't want unless you retract for a valid reason in time, and/or don't click on BUY NOW. 

Disclaimer: I'm not an eBay employee either. 

[6o7o8o]

Yes both ebay and paypal and both said '9' times that the buy and the payment was made from my ISP address which is impossible as I live alone and nobody has access to my computer.
The items that were bought were in my 'watches' and items that I had bought previously (the seller had multiple stock). It bought me the same item 3 times over two weeks.
And yes I've changed passwords multiple times. The best I could do was to unlink my paypal account so at least I wouldn't be charged for items I just did not buy.

[digital*ghost]

How bizarre. Did unlinking the account stop the purchases as well, or did they still occur? (Apologies if I bombard you with questions, I've never heard of this scenario before so am massively curious about the surrounding circumstances - it may also help if someone else comes to the board with a similar problem in the future). 

[6o7o8o]

Yes it did. I haven't had a fake buy for a month now.
Yes and of course neither had ebay.....but you know ebay phone service they don't know much of anything.
Surprisingly they and Paypal confirmed it was from my ISP address which is impossible from this computer....only I have access to it.
The poor buyers that were mucked around though, I feel sorry for them as I initially went hell for leather on one after the second faux buy blaming him or her.....One is still waiting for $1200 USD payment.