on โ28-07-2022 08:26 PM
Are eBay seriously for Real, or just sick as I suspect them to be?
I have an impeccable Feedback rating of 100%, mostly maintained in the very high 99% range up to 100% for the lifetime of my selling history on eBay. the last 15 to 20 years, and yet they have the nerve of late to have evaluated me to be a "Below Standard" seller.
Why, ??
Because of the last 6 months or so I had 3 transactions made , whereby no fault my own, these were delivery failures.
from Australia Post, nothing to do with my side of the equation, I know categorically 100%, these items were all posted, and detailed as such in the records I keep,. and in the effort to keep these low cost items at an affordable reasonable realistic price, and not made cost prohibitive, they are sent without the extra expense of tracking. Sent essentially as standard letters, whereby no comeback for myself when the item no fault my own but the Aus Post failure they go missing.
I explain this issue to the buyers, fully disclosing my side of the deal has been rightly transacted upon, whereby fully fulfilled the obligation to post such purchased item by standard mail, and yet eBay want to hold me accountable as to not "Resolving the matter with the buyer" and thus decide therefore to lower my seller rating to "Below Standard"
When in every instance, I do not automatically resolve the matter, because as I explain to the buyers, often these items need more time given in the post to fully accept as to whether they are a no show or otherwise, particularly of late due to the overloading of delivery services and Covid adverse effects on such services.
So I have usually left it to go full term without making any refund commitment, hoping against all hope that perhaps just maybe, knowing full well and having a flawless reputation as upholding my side of the deal in every eBay sale transaction evident from my high percentage feedback rating that just possibly like a snow flakes chance in Hell, maybe eBay might see it from my point of vies for a change and split the meagre loss, usually no more than $10 between the buyer and the seller for a change, Making it then an equitable solution, since it takes 2 to make a sales transaction, why should the seller always be the one to come out on the losing end,? specifically, when it is always the buyer who has initiated the transaction to start, surely some responsibility for low cost no show items ought to rest with buyers also.
But NO, as always the only resolution acceptable in eBays eyes and most every buyer who does not get his $5 item as expected, is to get a full refund and nothing else will ever be entered into negotiation, irregardless the sellers impeccable reputation and past stellar sales history.
So eBay refund the buyer the cash rightly still the sellers, having upheld his side of the bargain, Then eBay decide to hold these No Show deliveries against me as if somehow I have something to do with how Australia Post delivery service functions in every minute detail with its foibles and failures. So they concoct some rubbish that somehow on account of failed deliveries and non automatic refunds for such failed deliveries the seller, (myself) must pay with a "Below Standard" seller rating
Because of 3 items out of 153 Deliveries Failures and 1 late shipment rating out of 64 transactions, I get a below standard seller rating, potentially setting the seller up for an extra 5.5 % final value fee applicable on the following months sales as a penalty for a Below Standard seller rating as if somehow the low rating were issued to myself on the basis of any fair and equitable assessment in the first instance.
Really eBay, where do you get off?? and where do you dream up such rubbish, ?? at the bottom of a garbage bin?
Really stinky of you eBay just one more time.as seems to be par for the course these days in the eBay Bubble..
here's eBay's all so fair assessment made -
on โ28-07-2022 09:14 PM
You've been a seller long enough to know that with untracked mail the buyer will always win a case for INR.
The reason eBay has defected you to "below standard" is that you refused to refund the buyer until eBay stepped in and refunded for you.
Why on earth didn't you just refund the buyers before that happened ? You were in a no-win situation anyway.
โ28-07-2022 09:59 PM - edited โ28-07-2022 10:01 PM
All sellers are required to maintain the following minimum performance standard for their listings on eBay.com.au within their evaluation period:
We evaluate your performance on the 20th of each month based on your recent sales, and assign you one of the following seller levels:
What this means | When a buyer reports that an item hasn't arrived or requests a return, the seller is responsible for providing a resolution.
A case closed without seller resolution means that the seller didn't resolve the buyer's issue, eBay stepped in to review the case, and the seller was found responsible.
For full details of actions, time frames, requirements for sellers and how eBay decides the outcome of a case, please read our eBay Money Back Guarantee policy. | ||||
Minimum requirements | You're allowed 2 cases closed without seller resolution within an evaluation period, or 0.3% of your transactions โ whichever is higher.
Transaction defect rate
|
on โ28-07-2022 10:14 PM
I can understand your point of view in that items can run a bit behind in delivery.
All you can do, I think, is if a buyer messages you before opening a case, explain that it was posted on such and such a date and could they please give it an extra week, till xyz date to arrive but if it hasn't to let you know and you will refund immediately. Ask if they are happy to do that. Some buyers are reasonable and will be happy to give it a few extras days, I would if the situation was explained.
When something is overdue, buyers might be a bit anxious if they just get a vague message to 'wait'. If you give exact dates, they know what they are working with. I think in those cases it would be worth a courtesy message on the xyz date, to check if it has arrived. If not... refund immediately.
If, on the other hand, a buyer opens an ebay claim without contacting you, or after your message, you'd be best to just refund and resolve it. Don't go trying to string it out as buyers might suspect you are trying to get the case to time out.
What exactly do you expect of ebay? The situation is they have a buyer who has not received a product. The seller cannot show any evidence the product was posted or delivered. That was a business decision on your part to post that way.
Of course ebay will have to support the buyer. Doesn't matter if the item was $5 or $50, money is tight for a lot of people at the moment and they can't afford to lose it.
The only reason some buyers are prepared to buy is because they have the ebay guarantee they will be covered if things go wrong.
on โ28-07-2022 11:07 PM
OP apparently thinks the rules don't apply to them. After all they've been a member for 15 to 20 years (pick one) so that makes them immune to the rules. Or not
on โ28-07-2022 11:15 PM
Ring bells ?
on โ29-07-2022 12:06 AM
Indeed.
on โ30-07-2022 08:31 PM
That's the risk of untracked mail. You're not covered by Auspost, and you're not going to be covered by eBay either. OP should just send via tracked mail and charge the buyers for postage.
โ01-08-2022 12:05 PM - edited โ01-08-2022 12:05 PM
The days of "I pack your item, post it, and if you don't get it then too bad, so sad" are over. eBay (and every other online selling platform I can think of) specify that you, the seller, are responsible for ensuring that the buyer gets what they paid for. It's honestly that simple - the method you choose to deliver their item to them - be it AP, private helicopter, or pigeon - is irrelevant.
Your "word" that you sent it means nothing to eBay or to your buyer. A seller could record themselves undertaking a blood oath that they sent my item and I wouldn't care - I want what I paid for, and if I can't have that, then I want a refund.
If you choose not to post your items with tracking, then that's on you. There are plenty of sellers on this forum that choose to send items untracked for the same reason you do (cost), but the vast majority of them understand that if the buyer says they didn't get their item, then a refund is in order, because you cannot prove you sent it and have no recourse with AP.
My advice would be to either figure out a postage price structure that allows you to use tracking (eg: put some of the postage cost into your item cost) OR, if you're not going to use tracking, prepare and plan for the fact that there will be orders that you will occasionally need to refund.
on โ01-08-2022 06:50 PM
I'm with you, everard.
I send a lot of items untracked. On the rare occasion that buyers claim not received, I ask them to wait a week. If they still claim not received, I refund.
In my case the 'insurance' is probably about 5c per transaction.
I certainly don't let cases time out and then complain that eBay charge me more because I didn't follow their rules.