Close to giving up on eBay

[rain2sunshine]

In the past I have enjoyed selling on eBay as a way to make a bit of money on clearing out clutter.

Now I just feel like people use eBay to get something for nothing.

I'm going to stop posting abroad since items are apparently not arriving and eBay are refunding my buyers

The latest, is I sold a jigsaw puzzle in May - and the buyer messaged today to say pieces are missing. I know full well they aren't as item was completed and checked prior to listing. No doubt they are expecting a refund!?! But really...from MAY?

[makingmiracles]

ebay has def changed over the last few years, very much a buyers market. I haven’t posted abroad for years as I got stung sending a pricey item to New York which supposedly never arrived, put me right off as I lost the item, the money and the postage cost.
Thankfully not had anyone mess me about since then, but just today wondering if I’ve got a chancer on my hands as they messaged to say what address did I send the item to(others posted on the same day have already arrived and people have left feedback) I posted to the address on file with eBay and PayPal, so left wondering what happens if they don’t receive It as they ebay changed address but not changed it on eBay, hopefully the onus is not on me to refund, grr..

[blueshoes]

I've stopped selling my children's outgrown clothes. Hardly anyone bid and not worth the hassle for the pennies I make. As a buyer, I also note that recently, it is largely commercial sellers (using it as an alternative to eBay) rather than the personal sellers. I prefer to buy from personal sellers but there are not many of those left.

[blueshoes]

alternative to Amazon

[rain2sunshine]

Well I'm reassured to hear it isn't just me feeling like this. Sorry to hear you 2 have also had problems.

I definitely won't be posting abroad again. I go out of my way to get the postage price; send them an adjusted invoice; wait for payment etc - and then 5 weeks later eBay refund the money to the buyer as the item apparently didn't arrive.

Maybe eBay has had its time. I might try GumTree?

[Oldtiger]

I’m with you on this rain2
I sold a high quality snowsuit barely used and the buyer reckons the cuff was torn when she turned in inside out to wash. I am suspicious that a seam has been tampered with as never noticed any fault. Also she was questioning the colour combo too after bid had been successful. Guess what, despite not accepting refunds apparently, because it’s arrived damaged, I have to refund.
I’ve just posted in chat actually about people’s experiences of other second hand sites to try

[greencatbluecat]

I had a buyer accuse me (in private messages and public feedback) of being a bully because I suggested a few hours after the auction end that it would be good to pay..... and then she wrote back to me saying she would pay one day and at her own convenience. So I explained that eBay stipulated that she was supposed to pay within 48 hours. She then paid after about 47 hours and left me horrible feedback.

The whole deal was for £4.99 + £2.90 P&P!! I might have understood if it was £££.

Ebay is definitely a buyers market. I reported her to eBay and blocked her from future purchases but eBay did not remove her ridiculous feedback comment. Interestingly, she has hidden all her feedback!!

[LizzieBennettDarcy]

We've stopped selling on there after being well and truly had with a buyer. We were left substantially out of pocket and it was an item of my lated FILs so left a very bitter aftertaste to be honest.

We use local FB selling sites now. You get the odd person that messes you about by not turning up when they say etc but there are no fees and we've got rid of loads of stuff. Anything else goes to the charity shop.

[TheEndofIt]

I'm using less eBay than ever; the increasing fees, taking a percentage of postage costs etc.

[19lottie82]

I'm going to stop posting abroad since items are apparently not arriving and eBay are refunding my buyers

Why are you not sending them using a service with a proof of delivery? And if you have been then surely the insurance should pay out if they don’t arrive?

[19lottie82]

I had a buyer accuse me (in private messages and public feedback) of being
a bully because I suggested a few hours after the auction end that it would be good to pay.

Buyer sounds like a knob but why on earth would you message someone a couple of HOURS after an auction had ended asking for payment?! That’s a bit extreme. A couple of days, yes, but hours?

[19lottie82]

I haven’t posted abroad for years as I got stung sending a pricey item to New York which supposedly never arrived, put me
right off as I lost the item, the money and the postage cost.

Again, no proof of delivery? Insurance? Surely the buyer covered the postage cost?

[Ohyesiam]

Is there an alternate website now that eBay seems to be dying a death?

[chumbal]

Ebay was so disappointing when I sold £318 worth of toys to find I ended up with only £250 of it with ebay & paypal charges- bonkers!

[OhFlipMama]

I use Facebook marketplace, I find it brilliant.

[LuckyDiamond]

I stopped selling abroad after a buyer in Italy was never in to sign for their parcel, was getting cards through the door but raised a complaint anyway.

All correspondence was in Italian with me using Google translator. What a ball ache!

They were refunded the same day they finally signed for their parcel. Took me an age to get the money.

[19lottie82]

I sold £318 worth of toys to find I ended
up with only £250 of it with ebay & paypal charges- bonkers!

That can’t be right. eBay fees are 10% and PayPal 3% plus 20p per transaction.

[greencatbluecat]

@19lottie82

auction finished lunchtime. I messaged in the evening saying I was going to the post office the following morning and I could take her parcel too..... apparently that was bullying.  All her messages were written in capitals too.

[DaysOfCurlySpencer]

I am still battling on with Ebay after many years but I don't enjoy it any more, people not reading the listings or measurements even with a tape measure in the photo as well, low stars with feedback that says fast delivery, things supposedly not arriving although signed for.

I stopped sending overseas a long time ago, too much hassle.

I keep going because I have to get rid of stuff.

There is also Ebid which works, probably as well as Ebay since they changed the search engine to restrict the amount you can view or sell. If I search for something and save an item in watch, then another day search again, most of the same items have vanished from search. Change to another browser and user name and run the same search and the items will show up. Manipulation.

[ileclerc]

I gave up on it a couple of years ago. Too much hassle.

[rain2sunshine]

19lottie82 yes I always obtain proof of postage, but it's so disheartening and time consuming when you have to allow so many days before you can apply for a refund...and then wait for the refund to process. I get to the point where I cant be arsed.

I've got a few listings ending this week, but I'm thinking if any of these give me a headache then I'm jacking it in.

I once enjoyed selling kids old clothes etc for perhaps £2-£3 a time. But now it's just a hassle. It's a shame for myself as a genuine eBay Seller & buyer, but it has definitely lost its charm.

[OliviaStabler]

I stopped selling on eBay years ago. At that time they limited the amount of p&p you could charge so I couldn't send items recorded delivery and also get bids on the cv's and dvd's I was selling as I had to add that extra cost onto the item. Posting normally got the 'it never arrived' excuses.

[19lottie82]

Rain....... proof of postage is no use, you need a proof of delivery. It’s clearly stated that this required to maintain your seller protection.

If you’ve got mixed up and did have this, and the item wasn’t delivered. Then you can hardly blame eBay for refunding the buyer! And it’s not such a big deal to apply for compensation online, it takes less than ten minutes.

[dogwoofbark]

Dh has had enough. He's had a lot of bad experiences.

Last one was someone breaking a lens and camera and sending it back. It was over £1000. 😡

[vengefuldog]

I sold some cushions and even with proof of delivery the buyer got her money back and I got charged a £14 admin fee. She had claimed that she hadn't recognised the transaction through her bank

[silkpyjamasallday]

I never use eBay to sell anymore, I mostly sell clothes and it was becoming too difficult, I use depop now and have a roaring trade going. I still buy loads from eBay though, there seems to be a lot less competition now so I'm getting more bargains.