The Ebay Advice Column

davemfan · Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:27 pm

SpaceYourAntelope wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:20 pm
when you are creating a listing, why is there an option to accept returns or not accept returns, if eBay forces you to accept returns no matter what? They also force the seller to pay return shipping even if the item was listed as "returns not accepted", and i'm now learning will not reverse final value fees either.... any advice?

stop using eBay. eBay will always protect the buyer.

lightyears2010 · Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:29 pm

yep...i've mailed a $3000 poster and had the buyer say the tube was empty...ebay had him mail the tube back to me (on my dime) and when tracking showed it landed they took the $3000 out of my account and gave it back to him. sellers dont stand a chance.

ygolohcysp · Fri Feb 19, 2021 7:23 pm

lightyears2010 wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:29 pm
yep...i've mailed a $3000 poster and had the buyer say the tube was empty...ebay had him mail the tube back to me (on my dime) and when tracking showed it landed they took the $3000 out of my account and gave it back to him. sellers dont stand a chance.

Empty box scam. You file a police report, eBay takes it from you and covers you with seller protection since you shipped to the confirmed address. They are not going to offer this to you, but this is the solution you should always push for when being scammed.

jjttdw · Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:37 pm

ygolohcysp wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 19, 2021 7:23 pm

lightyears2010 wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:29 pm
yep...i've mailed a $3000 poster and had the buyer say the tube was empty...ebay had him mail the tube back to me (on my dime) and when tracking showed it landed they took the $3000 out of my account and gave it back to him. sellers dont stand a chance.
Empty box scam. You file a police report, eBay takes it from you and covers you with seller protection since you shipped to the confirmed address. They are not going to offer this to you, but this is the solution you should always push for when being scammed.

$3k is all sorts of a felony.

bsharp · Sat Feb 20, 2021 1:23 pm

SpaceYourAntelope wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:20 pm
when you are creating a listing, why is there an option to accept returns or not accept returns, if eBay forces you to accept returns no matter what? They also force the seller to pay return shipping even if the item was listed as "returns not accepted", and i'm now learning will not reverse final value fees either.... any advice?

And all that for the low, low fee of 13%!

kansasbbq · Sat Feb 20, 2021 7:30 pm

lightyears2010 wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:29 pm
yep...i've mailed a $3000 poster and had the buyer say the tube was empty...ebay had him mail the tube back to me (on my dime) and when tracking showed it landed they took the $3000 out of my account and gave it back to him. sellers dont stand a chance.

That's messed up!

mattlew69 · Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:35 pm

I am going to have to set a selling limit on ebay.

Limited my sales to less than $500 due to thats the biggest loss I can take on a sale that goes bad.

Lightyears, check out this page and try to document everything to send to ebay and paypal.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-B ... p/23904249

bubbie · Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:31 am

lightyears2010 wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:29 pm
yep...i've mailed a $3000 poster and had the buyer say the tube was empty...ebay had him mail the tube back to me (on my dime) and when tracking showed it landed they took the $3000 out of my account and gave it back to him. sellers dont stand a chance.

That’s pretty drymounting crazy. Sorry to hear, mate.

gunslinger · Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:28 pm

lightyears2010 wrote: ↑
Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:29 pm
yep...i've mailed a $3000 poster and had the buyer say the tube was empty...ebay had him mail the tube back to me (on my dime) and when tracking showed it landed they took the $3000 out of my account and gave it back to him. sellers dont stand a chance.

Name and shame, or at least DM the buyer's info. Sorry to hear that man, absolute bullshit. Ebay drymounts sellers any chance they get

lightyears2010 · Mon Feb 22, 2021 2:06 pm

i've had a few people ask for the user...i'll see if i can dig it up...it was a few years ago. he lives in cali i remember that much.

lightyears2010 · Mon Feb 22, 2021 2:08 pm

mattlew69 wrote: ↑
Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:35 pm
I am going to have to set a selling limit on ebay.

Limited my sales to less than $500 due to thats the biggest loss I can take on a sale that goes bad.

Lightyears, check out this page and try to document everything to send to ebay and paypal.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-B ... p/23904249

thanks...but i wrote it off long ago...allowance for uncollectable accounts lol. i rarely sell on ebay anymore because of it.

zeuscarver · Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:04 am

i done goofed and could use some help digging me out of this hole:

I shipped a ceramic (sold for just under 500 on ebay) and of course, it arrived damaged.

single crack but buyer wants full refund. no problem. managed payments if it matters.

i insured for full value via ebay (shipcover) and purchased label through them.

ebay wants resolution by 2/25, but i can't file claim until 3/3.
my hesitation is that insurance will want to inspect package/this guy's pictures are inadequate. but if i provide shipping label.. there's nothing to inspect.

If there's no more damage i think i can salvage cost out of the piece, even after paying 100 bucks on shipping both ways--hence my desire to get it back without more damage

I think the best course of action is to provide a return label and request the buyer pack it as well as possible? or even tell them to go to fedex and do pack and ship? any advice is welcome and good morning!

davemfan · Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:22 am

^^ You should make the buyer whole by issuing the refund. Insurance is for the seller, not the buyer. Is the package damaged in any way? Crushed box, torn open, etc...? Not sure how insurance works if the package is not damaged.

ygolohcysp · Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:52 am

Have them send the item back at your expense and refund their money when it arrives. The insurance through eBay will cover you based on messages and pictures the buyer has sent. Its highly likely this is all done electronically, in fact, I've never seen anything different with the 3rd party coverage on eBay.

For everyone else: you don't have to get drymounted on eBay, pm me if you have an issue, chances are I've had a similar experience and can help. There's no way I go down without a rabid fight, especially if we're talking over a couple hundred. 99/100 I'm made whole one way or the other. I just submitted a police report and got a refund on a scammer yesterday. I also had to track down a "give eBay a tracking number for a return that goes to an address in your zip code where a piece of paper was delivered with first class tracking so a return shows as delivered" scam this week already as well!

zeuscarver · Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:01 am

davemfan wrote: ↑
Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:22 am
^^ You should make the buyer whole by issuing the refund. Insurance is for the seller, not the buyer. Is the package damaged in any way? Crushed box, torn open, etc...? Not sure how insurance works if the package is not damaged.

thanks for quick responses. I definitely intend to make buyer whole. Buyer just did not send great pictures of box/packing at all, just the broken ceramic so I have requested new/more pictures.

And appreciate the offer ygolohcysp ! hopefully won't need to use it.