What Australian ombudsman do I contact to file a complaint against ebay?

[schmoolou]

I have beeen trying to sort an issue with ebay out for a while now. In a nutshell ebay has been the most evasive and unhelpful organisation I have ever dealt with.

Is there an ombudsman that can help with this issue? I am based in Australia.

[jaszsan-0]

I am seller who has been feeling stress from ebay. Is there body help me? I want to make a official complaint to obudsman

[repentatleisure1952]

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@jaszsan-0 wrote:
I am seller who has been feeling stress from ebay. Is there body help me? I want to make a official complaint to obudsman

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Why are you "feeling stress from ebay"?

What do you wish make "a official complaint to ombudsman" about?

Perhaps some members on here are able to offer advice if you provide details.

[naturesd_64]

I am having enormous trouble with eBay. I've been trying to resolve a dispute for 7 weeks after they suspended my account in error and unnecessarily. The buyer saw my account was suspended and lodged an appeal. I contacted eBay who apologied and advised to proceed with the sale and send them a tracking number. Item sale was $1470. 4 weeks later expecting the funds to clear in PayPal, I enquires and they advised eBay hasn't released the funds as the case is under investigation. I phone eBay and they ask for a signature from the courier for proof of delivery. I obtained this from Aus post and provided to eBay. 4 weeks after supplying that and after 15 phones calls and twice as many emails they haven't resolved the case and I get an email to say the buyer is being refunded the $1470 as I didn't provide a tracking number or delivery signature. Another 6 phone calls and confirmed by eBay staff that they have both the tracking number and signature in file, and still no resolution! I am furious and getting now where with their incompetence. I have sent the item, and supplied everything requested. Any advice to lodge an official compliant through appropriate government department channels would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[max-power-models]

Plain simple truth: Ebay Australia has nothing to do with it.

You are bound to the rules and regulations of the destination country. As I found out the hard way as well. They'll take the refund out but don't do anything to make the buyer return the item.
Think ebay just want us to lie down and take it like a dog.

[naturesd_64]

I'll be taking my matter all the way through appropriate departments to get my money or item back. It is complete and utter negligence and incompetence from eBay. I did everything they requested of me and have wasted in excess of 10 hours of my time on the phone and writing emails to them. I have everything documented including emails from eBay staff stating that they have the requested information on file. To **bleep** me off even more, they deducted $160 fees for the transaction over a month ago! This is the first time I used eBay and will never use it again. Absolute disregard for their customers and the most unprofessional and pathetic so called 'customer service' I have ever experienced!

[countessalmirena]

@naturesd_64,

I would suggest that you call PayPal Customer Service

1800 073 263 (toll free)
+61 2 8223 9500

Go to this page (https://www.paypal.com/au/smarthelp/contact-us) for your one-off passcode.
[You'll be asked to enter this unique code on the phone.)

Customer Service hours

6am to 10pm AEST Monday to Friday
8am to 7pm AEST Saturday and Sunday

You should be eligible under PayPal Seller Protection.

Spoiler

PayPal's Seller Protection Policy

What’s eligible

If you sell something to a buyer and the transaction is later disputed or reversed under Reversals, Claims or Chargebacks, you may be eligible for reimbursement under PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy.  When it applies, PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy entitles you to retain the full purchase amount and we will waive any related chargeback fees paid (for debit and credit card-funded transactions).

PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy may apply when a buyer claims that:

• They did not authorise, or benefit from, funds sent from their PayPal account (referred to as an “Unauthorised Transaction” claim); or
• They didn’t receive the item from you (referred to as an “Item Not Received” claim).

PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy may also apply when a transaction is reversed because of a successful chargeback by a buyer or when a bank funded payment is reversed by the buyer’s bank.

This section describes PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy as it applies to you, but you should also be familiar with the Impact of various Buyer Protection processes on sellers.

Basic requirements

To be eligible for PayPal’s Seller Protection, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• You receive payment via PayPal from a buyer’s PayPal account.
• You provide us with valid proof of shipment or proof of delivery.
• For eligible tangible items, unless we otherwise agree with you, you must ship the item to the shipping address on the transaction details page in your PayPal account for the transaction. 
• For eligible intangible items, unless we otherwise agree with you, you paid us the Standard Transaction Fee for accepting the original payment.
• You must respond to PayPal's requests for documentation and other information in a timely manner as requested in our email correspondence with you or in our correspondence with you through the Resolution Centre. If you do not respond to PayPal’s request for documentation and other information in the time requested, you may not be eligible for Seller Protection.
• If the sale involves pre-ordered or made-to-order goods, you must ship within the timeframe you specified in the listing. Otherwise, it is recommended that you ship all items within 7 days after receipt of payment.

Item Not Received additional requirements

To be eligible for PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy for a buyer’s Item Not Received claim, you must meet both the basic requirements listed above and the additional requirements listed below:

• Where a buyer files a chargeback with the issuer for a card-funded transaction, the item must be sent to the address we specify on the payment notification on the Transaction Details page, which can be accessed by logging in to your PayPal account.
• You must provide proof of delivery as described below.

(See this link for PayPal's Proof of Delivery. The signature from Australia Post is proof of delivery, so you should have this ready to upload or send to PayPal while you're on the phone with them.)

But ... before you contact PayPal, be prepared.

Let me add that if you have not already contacted eBay via the Have Us Call You option, you should do that first. Not all eBay Customer Service representatives are equal. The ones available through eBay Chat are poorly-paid without any executive decision capability or authority. Calling eBay directly will probably get you the tier of CS slightly higher than chat, but still not equipped to handle anything that isn't straightforward. That's why the responders here recommend going straight for the "Have us call you" option.

Please read through this post, and through the two linked posts in that post. (In case you can't immediately spot those links, I've copy-pasted here:❝First of all, make sure you have all the information ready, neatly organised and to hand. Also, read through this post, and this post.)❞

If you have no success after contacting eBay via "Have us call you", and after contacting PayPal, then you would need to make a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (formerly FOS - i.e., Financial Ombudsman). But you cannot do this before going through the required steps with PayPal. Quoting from another post:

❝Complaint to Australian Financial Complaints Authority (formerly FOS).

Finally, another option is to make a complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) (formerly the Financial Ombdusman Serivce (FOS). You should only start such a complaint if you've tried and failed to achieve a resolution through PayPal or whatever financial institution was involved in the transaction. (They will ask you about this!)

You can read more about contacting PayPal before making a complaint with AFCA in this post. (Please keep in mind that where I referred to the FOS/Financial Ombudsman, that is now AFCA - as of the beginning of November 2018.)❞

I'll just summarise:

1. Contact eBay via  their "Have us call you" option - available from 8 am to 10 pm AET, 7 days a week. This is by far the best way to get in touch with eBay. (Emails are useless, for a number of reasons, but primarily because the responses, when they are finally sent, are bot-generated.) You will also get a better-informed CS rep, and also this rep is more likely to have the power to act rather than to mouth soothin platitudes at you.
   Make sure that you read the links I have given you BEFORE contacting eBay in this way. This is essential.
2. If eBay does not resolve this situation for you, contact PayPal Customer Service. Again, do not do this unless you have read the links I have given you. It's essential.
3. If neither PayPal nor eBay give you your money within a reasonable period of time (for instance, I would say something like "I would like this resolved within 72 hours. Do you agree that this is a fair period of time for resolving this issue?"), THEN (and only then) lodge a complaint with AFCA.

IMPORTANT:

• Don't contact either eBay or PayPal until and unless you have prepared fully, with a point-by-point agenda for the phone conversation.
• Know how to record the conversation legally.
• Don't move to the next bullet point in your agenda until you have obtained the CS rep's agreement on the current bullet point.
• Take notes throughout the conversation.
• Go through a summary of the main points (with CS rep agreeing on what's been discussed and agreed upon) before you end the call.
• Read the posts to which I have linked! All of this is covered in detail in those posts.

[naturesd_64]

Thanks for your advice. I will start the process tomorrow

[craigfingal]

eBay and pay pal are both evasive and arrogant I have been trying to sought a problem out for ages it's just a big round big wall. I suggest every one send lots of good old registered snail mail

[bruijame0]

ebay are hostile towards small sellers who have to suffer high metrics standards for a period of 12 months
bigger sellers are 3 months and that does not compare
smaller sellers go through hell to recover their accounts
i wont be get stuffed feebay

[daydreams_12]

Your feedback leaves a lot to be desired.  Not too sure what you are here complaining about.  Do you have a specific promblem that responders may be able to help you with? 

Ebay do not read these forums.  If your problem is with them specifically why are you still listing?