Sucky eBay Policies

[SirPeale]

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-65523

[Ginsu Victim]

Holy ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---....

Just got through reading all of that.

---fudgesicle--- eBay. Here I was thinking of selling some items on there, but considering it would be my first time doing it....hell no.

Thanks for this. 

[SavannahLion]

WTF? Is that a joke?

That sounds like something Jack Tramiel would do. Was Jack's death faked? Is he running eBay now?

In any case, this is exactly the kind of ---That which is odiferous and causeth plants to grow--- I went through with eBay.

No phone support? I believe it. They have a fax number where they'll happily accept a scan of your bank statement and your drivers license though.

Oh ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, here's something that's rich.

7:25:44 PM Lankston P.
PayPal can confirm item delivery if you ship with USPS, UPS, or FedEx.
7:26:14 PM Lankston P.
You can do one of the following.
7:26:34 PM Lankston P.

    * Purchase and print PayPal shipping labels.
    * Enter tracking information on the transaction details page on PayPal.

7:27:19 PM Lankston P.
Once the PayPal has acknowledge and verified all this information, you will get your money in your account.
7:28:09 PM Lankston P.
To be honest, as I'm not a PayPal representative, I can not promise you the exact time frame on when you will get your payment.

That is ---smurfing--- rich.

I can't read the whole thing. The whole "I understand how you feel," nonsense those ---fudgesicle--- wads keep repeating makes me want to go ape ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.

Really makes me wish that Yahoo auctions was still around.

[Donkey_Kong]

Wow...is it really that good of a story to read through 2 hours of a support chat? Will I learn anything useful? 

Seriously, I have mixed feelings on ebay....(have had a couple ugly incidents in almost a decade) Overall it's all good though, IMO. I have like almost 700 feedback and its all positive. I have probably done over 1000 transactions in the past 10 years. The system can suck at times...but usually it's good.

Hard to ignore the plethora of horror stories though, and being informed of current scam tactics is always helpful.

 

[Ginsu Victim]

Wow...is it really that good of a story to read through 2 hours of a support chat? Will I learn anything useful? 

You won't learn anything you didn't already know about their new policy, but it will cement the hatred of eBay for many.

[Ed_McCarron]

You sell, you ship with tracking, when its delivered you get the cash.  I ship mostly priority, I get paid in 3 days.

Only problem I see with this is that I have to shell out money to ship, instead of taking the money from the buyer's paypal payment.

I'll hit 100 feedback in a few days, so I'm not losing sleep over it.  Wow.  100 feedback in 9 years.  I'm not a big ebayer.

[shardian]

I finally hit 100 feedbacks. It would be more like 150 if some people actually left feedback.

Anyways, I avoided the dreaded hold with my last sale somehow. I would have been PISSED too if they held my money with no reasonable cause. Needless to say, I emptied my paypal account as soon as the funds hit.

[HaRuMaN]

aww crap, I just listed an item this morning, too...   

[shardian]

Yeah, I have a great idea for policy enforcement of ebay... PUT HOLDS ON THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING WRONG!!!

There is no reason for holds to be placed on rule-abiding sellers.

[Samstag]

You sell, you ship with tracking, when its delivered you get the cash. 

It doesn't work that way.  Apparently even very new Ebay sellers can get the cash as soon as they provide a bogus tracking number.  I just got robbed by a guy with a month-old account and under 10 feedback.  He posted a tracking number he created before he even listed the auction.  I filed a claim less than a week after the auction closed, with the tracking info still saying it hadn't even been received by the USPS, but the money is already gone from his account.

You sell, you spend under $1 to buy a dummy delivery confirmation number, you get the cash.

[ark_ader]

I think that whole episode was very sad to read through.

Poor customer support from a company that was built on good business values.  Yes it had it's share of victims with counterfeit goods and broken items, but to hold money for a 5 year seller is a joke.

Somebody has to be looking at this scenario and is rubbing their hands on how to sue Ebay for these practices.

I like the gag about Sam Tramiel - just remembering my Federated Group experience returning a boken hifi only to get grief for my refund.  Sounds the same = poor customer service.

There again its a buyers market.  Sellers beware.   

[SirPeale]

To add insult to injury, I just read that of Jan 2009, they're dropping paper money payment methods (check/money order) entirely.  You either have to have a credit card service or use Paypal.

[ChadTower]

To add insult to injury, I just read that of Jan 2009, they're dropping paper money payment methods (check/money order) entirely.  You either have to have a credit card service or use Paypal.

Yep, so that the IRS can be given solid proof that the money changed hands rather than circumstantial proof that the auction ended.

[RayB]

This policy sounds like an "escrow". People get their panties in a twist too easily.

[ChadTower]

...because escrow bears interest.

[SithMaster]

I have read and understand that you have been a gem of a seller.

 

Please understand that this policy is not directed intentionally for sellers like you.

Hasn't the representative been saying that this policy is directed at people like him?

I'm curious as to how Lankston knew what the conversation was about.  He must have been reading it as they talked since he joined the session so fast.

This policy seems really ineffective.  I was scammed by someone with over 100 feedback meaning anyone who wants to scam just has to wait till they reach 100.  Does anyone know if this seller listed the item before the policy took effect?  It seems they wouldn't have let the sellers know of this policy change before hand just so they wouldn't be able to back out before ending.

If I ever felt like trying to sell on ebay before this policy has completely thrown away that urge.  Even if I had 100 feedback this is absurd.

To add insult to injury, I just read that of Jan 2009, they're dropping paper money payment methods (check/money order) entirely.  You either have to have a credit card service or use Paypal.

Yep, so that the IRS can be given solid proof that the money changed hands rather than circumstantial proof that the auction ended.

They can claim anything they want but they aren't protecting buyers with that one.  If the seller wants to accept them they should be able to and take the risk.

[hypernova]

Meh...doesn't affect me.

I was shafted of $363 by a seller with over 300 way back.  Short time of a member, he was, though.  Can't remember how long.

What I worry about is these "lotteries."  Look up the words "mystery auction."  Type in Wii, PS3, Iphone, any big ticket item.  You'll see regular sellers claiming that they are running these auctions, and you're bidding on a piece of paper, and whatever is on it, they give to you for free.  Every single one speaks the same language, claiming it's legal.  They're all doing it to raise their rating.  No doubt in response to this policy.

Who's monitoring these things?  Who wants to bet any of these people are giving away what they're claiming?  There's absolutely no way to verify it!

Some go so far as to say that the people bidding shouldn't divulge what they won when they place their feedback.  Some others make it a private auction.

I don't have much of an internet presence, so I can't really make some noise on this scam, but it undoubtedly has to be one, and people should spread the word on "mystery auctions."

[Ginsu Victim]

Yeah, I don't see how they get away with those. I've reported them in the past, but I'm sure it did no good.

[SavannahLion]

What I worry about is these "lotteries."  Look up the words "mystery auction."  Type in Wii, PS3, Iphone, any big ticket item.  You'll see regular sellers claiming that they are running these auctions, and you're bidding on a piece of paper, and whatever is on it, they give to you for free.  Every single one speaks the same language, claiming it's legal.  They're all doing it to raise their rating.  No doubt in response to this policy.

Just did what you suggested. First thing that came up is a mystery auction for a Xbox 360. From the auction:

3 of the envelopes have a card saying Console Gift. The Console Gift will be the exact item that is pictured above.

The wording reminds me of an auction back when the 360 first hit the market. Seller had a detailed auction describing the console. Bidding went insane, near a thousand. Thing was, nowhere in the auction did the seller actually say it was for the actual console. The entire auction description was worded in such a way that the winner would receive the item pictured.

The item pictured was a scan of a picture from a gaming mag.

[myntik1]

ebay and paypal can call it what they want, I see it as free money in a bad economy.   How many millions of dollars will they collect in interest by holding payments for 21 days.  And then when you are forced to use paypal as well.  I'm sure glad the gov't cares more about steriods in baseball than the shady business practices of an internet giant.

[jcassara]

WTF? Is that a joke?

That sounds like something Jack Tramiel would do. Was Jack's death faked? Is he running eBay now?

Jack Tramiel is alive and well, and I don't mean in eBay's policies.  (A little presumptuous of you to assume how he'd run eBay.)  He's living and breathing. 

[ark_ader]

I like the way Paypal can just take money out of your account without asking.

I would call it theft.

Luckily my bank does also.

[SavannahLion]

WTF? Is that a joke?

That sounds like something Jack Tramiel would do. Was Jack's death faked? Is he running eBay now?

Jack Tramiel is alive and well, and I don't mean in eBay's policies.  (A little presumptuous of you to assume how he'd run eBay.)  He's living and breathing. 

When you get back to Tramiel's bedroom, be sure to remind him to keep you there, you're not doing your job very effectively.

Spending a few minutes registering for a form to create a five second post and a YouTube video link isn't going to change most people's opinion of Jack Tramiel. Sorry.

Sorry to be so harsh on a new guy, but Jack Tramiel is right about at the bottom of my nasty list. As much as I wish there isn't space on that part of the list, eBay/PayPal are fast approaching the scuzziest.