Buyers returning allegedly faulty items nd abusing Ebay Buyer Guarantee

[stev_pede]

As sellers, Ebay charge us exorbitant fees and provide us no protection from buyers who abuse the Ebay Buyer Guarantee Policy.

Below is a message from an Ebay employee regarding a buyer return:

"I have looked into this transaction and I see that the buyer is requesting a return as they claim that the item is not as described in your listing. As you may know, items you post do not pass through us. Hence, we are unable to negate the buyer's claim. Our best course of action in situations like this is to have the buyer send the item back so you can assess the condition of the item yourself.

I understand the possibility that the buyer may have been the one who damaged the item just to obtain a full refund. Apparently, there's no way for us to prove this nor are we able to confirm the condition of the item prior to you sending it"

Anyone else think its time for Ebay to start protecting the very people who pay their wages?

[lyndal1838]

If there were no buyers you would not be able to pay any ebay fees, so really it is the buyers who pay the ebay wages.

[casbit33]

If there were no selllers, there would be no buyers - so no ebay.

Everything started to go pear shaped when ebay removed the negative feedback button for sellers.

It has been a downward spiral for sellers ever since with every new policy to protect buyers with money back guarantees etc.  

When are they going to start protecting sellers?

[*tippy*toes*]

No, it's the chicken and the egg thing. EBay needs both buyers AND sellers. Other platforms have lots of sellers but very few buyers, so aren't really growing. You can argue the point until you're blue in the face. Without sellers, eBay would be nothing. Without buyers, eBay would be nothing.

Everything did not go pear shaped when eBay removed the ability to leave negs for buyers. Buyer feedback is pointless. It means nothing apart from a record of some of the things they bought. If they receive feedback for 100 items and 99 of those are negative, it ain't gunna stop them buying. Not much you can do to stop them after they've bought your item, is there? I'd much prefer a bad buyer to not leave feedback, rather than revenge red dot me because I gave them one.....which is what was happening. Then the revenge buying starts.

I do agree that sellers should have more protection though. It should be a 2 way street in that regard.

[thecatspjs]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

If there were no buyers you would not be able to pay any ebay fees, so really it is the buyers who pay the ebay wages.

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Not really the same.  Buyers pay no direct costs to use eBay. 

Whilst the cost of selling or doing business may be passed on indirectly to buyers, it is not always the case that it is. 

[digital*ghost]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

If there were no buyers you would not be able to pay any ebay fees, so really it is the buyers who pay the ebay wages.

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And those buyers are employed, or receive Centrelink payments, so really it's the employers and the government who pay eBay's wages... 

I get what you're saying, just by the way, and I know it has a level of truth to it, but I just also wanted to say that I've noticed it's kinda rare for an eBay seller's income to actually be considered theirs - as in, I hear or read the following a lot "you didn't pay your fees, your buyers did" and "you didn't buy your new computer, your buyers did". 

No. I paid my fees, and bought my computer, with the income I earned by selling on eBay. 

[pacotrading]

Hmmm got a email for our store ID from Ebay with the heading ' You are a Valued Seller " Yep so there ya go LOL

[lyndal1838]

Of course you are a valued seller....your handing over all those lovely fees to ebay, aren't you.

[pacotrading]

Yes must be that, have not got one like that for the buying ID. ie You are a Valued Buyer. LOL

[springyzone]

And those buyers are employed, or receive Centrelink payments, so really it's the employers and the government who pay eBay's wages... 

I get what you're saying, just by the way, and I know it has a level of truth to it, but I just also wanted to say that I've noticed it's kinda rare for an eBay seller's income to actually be considered theirs - as in, I hear or read the following a lot "you didn't pay your fees, your buyers did" and "you didn't buy your new computer, your buyers did". 

No. I paid my fees, and bought my computer, with the income I earned by selling on eBay. 

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Amen to that.

I used to get a gut full of that attitude when i was a teacher as in people saying-we pay their wages, they should do this or that.

Well, no, they didn't directly pay my wage. I was directly responsible to my employers, not to every taxpayer.

I *also* was a taxpayer.

The reality is ebay sellers are the ones paying fees to ebay. They are one of the direct sources of income for ebay.

Buyers are simply the customers.

It's regular sellers who have most at stake. They are the ones who have to tow the line, read up on conditions or risk having their account affected.

Buyers should follow guidelines but basically, if they don't, they won't lose money, they won't lose their business, they don't have as much at stake-even if they are blocked from buying they can just go elsewhere on the internet.