All EBAY/PayPal related posts here please too

[ETC]

Probably eu competition law or something like that after the battering Google got earlier this year

[Lebowski]

Bidding on something on eBay notice seller is local, msg to see if I can do local pick up, seller says "ok no probs" can't bid on item anymore,

[Decider-VT]

So, this is finally being explicitly acknowledged by eBay now.



I recently had to deal with a complete idiot on Facebook that demanded proof of the practice. So, there it is.

[importaku]

Err why are ebay opening packages? Is there something i have missed?

[Decider-VT]

If a US seller sends a parcel via the Global Shipping Programme, it gets sent to a domestic US address and forwarded to the destination. (Presumably eBay does this in bulk for discounted shipping costs.) When the parcel arrives at their centre in the US, it's often opened and repackaged in cheaper, less protective packaging. The workers that do this are often careless and slash packages open, damaging what's inside.

eBay had previously been very quiet about this, and if an item was damaged by them in transit they'd often encourage the buyer to open a case against the seller instead. This sticker is the first time that I've seen explicit acknowledgment of eBay repackaging things when they're sent through the programme.

[importaku]

Damn thats a sucky practise, i never knew they did that.

[Decider-VT]

Indeed. Quite a lot of the sellers I talk to about it are horrified when they find out. Luke Morse has some excellent videos on the topic. His experiences of dealing with eBay on the matter very closely mirror my own:

https://youtu.be/ijmdVlQ36-w

https://youtu.be/qZwZgcoc_zw

[Decider-VT]

Another tale of horror: I bought two NTSC-U PS1 games that were listed as "Very Good" condition, paid shipping and customs and was distinctly Not Amused to find that the backs of the manuals had been torn off and the front covers were completely separated on one and hanging on by a staple on the other.

I initiated returns for both and got a really pompous, rude and self-righteous e-mail from the seller refusing to give a refund, crowing about the games not being listed as New or Mint and inferring that I had intentionally damaged them myself because he is "on the side of righteousness." So now I have to wait for over a week for eBay to intervene because he's shut down communication and pretending to be the most honest seller on the service.

Nothing quite like the sheer bloody nerve of an arrogant gimp that tells you that you're in the wrong because of their own mistakes and/or dishonesty. So rude.

[Mayhem]

I'm guessing the pictures in the auction had not shown the manuals then? Because I tend to get those sort of questions, I usually snap both front and back of the packaging for auctions, so there's no doubt about anything.

[Decider-VT]

There wasn't, but the seller prides himself on pointing out the flaws on all of his items in the listing. What rankles is the way that he seems to believe himself to be infallible on the matter, to the point of implicitly accusing me of being dishonest. I'm tempted to believe that it was an oversight but the immediately defensive behaviour leads me to believe that this was probably a lie by omission, which quite a lot of US sellers seem to be especially guilty of. Usually I'm very thorough when questioning a seller about condition but his listing was so emphatic that I took what he wrote to be true.

Won't make that mistake again.

[importaku]

I wouldn't worry too much as a buyer ebay seems to be a lot more favourable, let him keep up his act as it won't get him far when ebay/paypal take the money back off him.

[Decider-VT]

Another day, another horror story. Managed to win an auction for Crimzon Clover last night, for ?2.75. The seller immediately cancelled the sale, refunded my payment and told me it was because they needed more money. Cue a sob story about how her ex has the games she's selling and how she can't get to them. I'm sure her failing to sell the same copy for a ?70 BIN has nothing to do with it, of course. All of her other listings remained suspiciously active.

eBay's customer service alternated between "But you've been refunded" and "I hope you understand" when I spoke to them. Absolutely useless. No point in having rules if you're not going to enforce them.

I should start naming and shaming these people.

[MartyG]

Doesn't seem to be a lot you can do and eBay don't give a left testicle, even though the contract is completed once you've paid (it may even be binding once the auction ends, not sure). I leave negative feedback and at least they still have to pay the fees.

I had one seller claim he'd been burgled so was no longer able to send the item once. It could have been true I suppose, but I was the only bidder and it went very cheap so I didn't believe a word of it.

[Decider-VT]

Ironically enough, it was being a seller myself that hardened me to hard luck stories from people trying to delay payment or otherwise waste my time- people trying to hide behind their kid's pocket money to haggle over the postage of a DS game that sold for ?3.00 or something similar. Really insignificant, penny-pinching stuff. Funny how all of these things seem to happen just as payment is due. It makes me think that the leg-breaking element of being a loan shark must be especially satisfying.

Oh well.

[wakka]

This thread is the reason I never use Ebay. Lol.