Need help/advice as i cant resolve things with ebay and might need to report them

[jasammalidabar]

hello everyone, i need a bit of help how to proceed as I'm unable to resolve an issue with ebay. They're spinning me in circles, play dumb about it like they don't understand what's going on and to resolve the issue, refund me the fee I've been charged.

Last year between jun and August i I've posted few items to sell when there was a promo to sell without final value fees. I've posted items, I've managed to sell some and some not. If I've sold some items on other marketplaces i would remove the items from ebay as out of stock as that's the situation, i had no idea by selecting that reason that i would be penalised. I've also had to cancel some sales as they were purchased but not paid, most probably because it's a scammer and i also had to cancel one that the buyer was from overseas even though I've made my listing that i only post in Australia and cancelled one more because the buyer forgot to apply a promo code and asked me to cancel. So due to that my account has been in below standard since then.

Due to that i wasn't able to accept any promo offer that seller could accept such as no final value fees, free postage, discounts to sell etc. Whenever I'd click on any promo in my eBay account when it pops up or its a link shared here in the community or other websites i would get the writing saying You aren't eligible for this promotional offer because your seller standing is Below Standard.

So here's is the problem, I'm supposed to be, as i still am, below standard until all my penalties clear, and that's supposed to be end of August 2024.

End of April this promo was available, 5 sales no final value fees, popped up for me in a banner if i remember well, but later i saw it on ozbargain also, I'm pretty sure it was posted here in community too.

https://www.rsvp.ebay.com.au/rsvp/signup/1013854/Vt_XtYfs5Gg

I clicked on it and i have no idea by what miracle it allowed me to accept the offer, i thought wow great, im finally out of the below standard and i can sell something (then i didnt know that im gonna be below till august 2024).

even now when i click on the link it still says the same, ive accepted and to start selling.

As you can see from the screenshot it says Promotional offer You've already accepted the offer Start selling on eBay today with 0% fees*

BUT below it says, as it always said to me before when i couldn't accept any offers:

Keep in mind To use this offer, you need to meet the minimum performance standards for sellers. See your Seller Dashboard for more info. Selling limits apply.

i DONT meet the minimum, that's the problem, i thought then since it allowed me to accept that I'm back into positive but I'm not!

I checked my ebay app, sellers section and it showed the promo that i have 5 out of 5 to sell without fees, so I've listed one item, I've sold it and just before i was to post it i went to check how much I'll be paid and i see ebay charged me 5.5% fee because im below standard and 0% final value fees, as shown in the photo.

So as you can see the promos terms under which a sellers should be eligible to use the promo and sell and whats happening here its contradicting each other.

ive spoken with more then 5 people on ebay, it was supposed to be escalated, but wasn't, then i called again and they've escalated and nothing and another call i  made the person didn't want to acknowledge the problem and just says i need to pay the fee.

interesting thing is, after ive made my first listing and sold the items the promo dissapeared from my dashboard, i've read on ozbargain that it happened to few other useres,

the other day ive received another offer in my app to sell 1 item without value fees.

https://www.rsvp.ebay.com.au/rsvp/signup/1014056/5A-bCWGqaN0

and surprise, surprise, i cant because im below standard still as i always was these last 10 months.

So please, help me out if you can, how am i to tackle this now, where to turn, to report to get this resolved as im literately out of my mind as they're playing dumb about it. Thank you all good people in advance.

[gutterpunkz05]

Using third party links for promos, does not mean you are eligible and the Terms of the promo are still applicable.  You were not eligible under the terms of the promo, so the fees as charged apply.

In accepting any ebay promo you indicate you have read and agree to the promo terms, which in most cases will also include a clause for non compliance and termination.   Time to pay the ferryman.

[sugar249]

You are going to report Ebay, interesting who do you plan to report them to.

But maybe you need to report yourself for substandard business practices, and therefore for being ineligible as it clearly says.

[springyzone]

Unfortunately, the devil's in the detail.

I think ebay has covered itself with the fine print, terms & conditions, where it says that to use the offer, you need to meet minimum performance standards.

It is a great shame the big red warning did not automatically come up when you tried to list, using the offer. That would have made more sense.

But all the same, I think you need to pay the fees because although I understand how you were caught out & there was confusion, they really  did mention beforehand how you needed to double check eligibility.

Just an extra note about how you got to this place where you are classed as below standard.

It sounds as if maybe you didn't go about things the right way to protect your own interests.

If a buyer doesn't pay, always  close things by listing that as the reason. You should then get your fees back and the buyer will get a strike against their own account.

If you list something, double check that you have specified what countries you don't sell to. You'll need to go into your account and tweak it, by the sounds of things, because it obviously has not been restricted to Australia only.

If you do get caught out with a buyer overseas, you could cancel, saying a problem with seller's address, or so I have read. That won't get you into trouble.

And if a buyer asks you to cancel, I think you need to tick that box too, to say it was buyer request, so ebay knows it wasn't just your idea.

[sugar249]

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@springyzone wrote:

If you list something, double check that you have specified what countries you don't sell to. You'll need to go into your account and tweak it, by the sounds of things, because it obviously has not been restricted to Australia only.

If you do get caught out with a buyer overseas, you could cancel, saying a problem with seller's address, or so I have read. That won't get you into trouble.

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I looked at their last sale, and it doesnt restrict it to overseas only a handful of countries,  so sounds like self imposed penalty.  And in which case they shouldnt use problem with buyers address, as that is deceptive,  they offered to sell it overseas, not the buyers fault.  In fact if they have restricted the country in question, the buyer can't buy it.

[springyzone]

If they restricted the country in question, the buyer wouldn't be able to buy it, which is why i suggested they go into their account to tweak it.

But I don't think it would be deceptive to use the excuse 'problem with a buyer's address' when a seller genuinely thought they had listed for Australia only.

In fact, I have plenty of times seen that advice given to people on the boards, to cite a problem with the buyer's address when they find themselves in this situation.

I realise the seller could, technically, post it, but if they really feel it is an at risk sale and one they had no idea they had not already blocked, then it is fair enough to use that excuse because the seller genuinely feels it is a problem.

[sugar249]

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@springyzone wrote:

In fact, I have plenty of times seen that advice given to people on the boards, to cite a problem with the buyer's address when they find themselves in this situation.

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Sure it may have been suggested on the boards,  that doesnt automatically make it right.  Thats just to avoid getting a strike, because they have not taken the care when listing the item.

[padi*0409]

Maybe the buyers that you've left false positive feedback for should report YOU to eBay.....

[jasammalidabar]

Oh man i can't write all day explaining everything in details individually YES! i have limited my listings in the past to Australia ONLY! im not and idiot, I'm an experienced seller. The buyer can still FIND your listing even though he's not in Australia! He purchased the item and then directly messaged me asking if i can post to his country.

As for all the fine print details and people literally ACCUSING me as if I've hacked ebay or somehow in a illegal way got into the deal and offer to be approved to me i HAVEN'T!

NO! i haven't had in the past big red warring writings shown to me before i post an item to sell, it pops up when you click on a link or banner of a deal and YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE! so you're straight away by the SYSTEM refused to accept the offer!

That's what was supposed happen this time also as all other items since August last year BUT for some reason didn't, is it a glitch on eBay's end, is it an on purpose attempt just to bait and trap, most probably, knowing ebay and how scamming, scheming they are and desperate forever business as Amazon is literally destroying them and they're firings workers left and right, most probably.

I strand my ground that i have been misled and baited, i was supposed to be declined participation in that promo as i DON'T fulfil the minimum conditions.

[jasammalidabar]

LOL! are you referring to me LOL? You know and what i did lol??? Why would i leave anyone any kind of feedback? I'm not a pitifully creature to go running individuals on ebay and leave negatives or positives over night. If i ever left anything it was to sellers I've purchased from and they've insisted to leave positive feedback and I'm more then happy to. Wow this place is so F toxic and people full of judgement, prejudice and jumping into conclusion slumping everyone in one basket and thinking they know what happened actually, wow.