To never want to sell on ebay because it brings disaster into your life?

[PuffinNose]

In the last month, I've bought 12 things from ebay. However of those sellers:

• 1 had an unexpected bereavement so couldn't post for ages
• Another's partner was rushed into hospital so couldn't post for ages (must have ruined the holiday they told me they had planned a few days after I paid).
• 1 was flooded and hasn't had a computer so couldn't post (but thankfully they had their phone of something because they could reply to feedback)
• 1 of them had a pesky dog who damaged the item. I was a bit disappointed because the item went for much less than it should have done.
• 1 of them has posted it but it's gone missing but darn it, the post office printer wasn't working so she has no proof but she did post it so no won't refund (don't worry, I know my rights).

So, ebay sellers seem to be an unlucky lot.

What are the best lines you've had from ebay sellers/buyers?

For the record, I'm generally not bothered about delays as long as they tell me. I've replied nicely to all the messages and symphasised as apprpropriate.

bought a bottle of perfume and an empty bottle arrived. When I queried the seller she said, "Oh I thought it was stinky, didn't think you'd want it so poured it away."! wtaf???!

Many years ago I put a travel cot on ebay and stated several times it was collection only. Someone bid and then said could we deliver it, pointed out it was collection only , but, as she was determined it had to be delivered I told her she would have to pay courier. That was fine asked for address and she said "oh it's Mabel, above the Spar, Llangollen" It took about 20 messages to finally get an address from her

I had this I sold perfume, packed up really secure in bubble wrap and a box. They got in touch to say it arrived smashed and wanted a refund. I asked them to take a picture of the package and broken bottle before I was willing to refund - they didn't and opened a case. I spoke to eBay and they refunded her but didn't charge me - I was annoyed they refunded her tbh as she was clearly lying or she'd have sent the photo

Sold a designer handbag on ebay: buyer with 100% positive feedback, although had only bought 4 things previously. She was delighted with bag and left great feedback ... 3 months later she's opened a case against me saying her account had been hacked and she never received the bag. The money - over £600 - was taken from my PayPal account, leaving me overdrawn by that amount. Like an idiot I had thrown out the proof of posting slip - as she had said she had it - so her credit card company and ebay investigated. It lasted 3 months or so and all the whole I was getting emails from PayPal demanding I settle my balance: I didn't have the money, I was putting money in as and when I could but was still half short: they then started threatening to pass it on to debt collectors. Luckily for me the buyer had left the feedback (why would a thief bother leaving feedback on a hacked account?) and all her other - supposedly legitimate - purchases were designer handbags. I guess she overspent and thought she'd try it on. They found in my favour but the whole experience was awful. I still remember that buyer's name and address 6 years later.

Facebook sales sites, eBay and Freecycle are crawling with flakes. Makes me seethe, why can't people just be honest? And the lies are appalling, always the random relative and hospital yet everything on SM appears fine. Our Freecycle has just imposed a 3 strikes and you're banned for a month thing. And you can also see who collects/offers. I hated eBay from the day I sold a coffee table for a £1 and the bloke calmly handed me the pound (then struggled to get it in his car and you can bet I didn't help the fucker!)

I got an £80 bill this month. So angry. The charges are ridiculous now. Won't be selling on there again.

I hated eBay from the day I sold a coffee table for a £1 and the bloke calmly handed me the pound (then struggled to get it in his car and you can bet I didn't help the fucker!)

?? He bid £1 and won.... not his fault no one else bidded against him

I've had 5 buyers recently claim they haven't received items that have been signed for, and even with proof of delivery, ebay will find in their favour. It's funny, I use RM every day, and I don't think I've ever had lost Mail. But according to eBay buyers, about 10% of items I send and they sign for, were never actually signed for by them, and not received. Odd that. I also had someone give me two stars last week for dispatch time. They purchased at 10.25 pm, I posted at 9.18am the next morning, using a signed for service, and sent them a photo of the proof of posting at 10am the same day. I'm not sure how that could've been quicker. I'm sorry to say I now automatically think 'chancer' whenever someone says they haven't received their parcel. I've no patience with them, I refund but it's hard for me to be civil because I just no longer believe them (which I know is unfair to the very rare person who will be telling the truth, but it all feels like a big scam now).

We sold a massive treble pine wardrobe on eBay, and prior to the buyer turning up removed the top and seoerated the main bit, when they turned up they complained that it was broken, we tried to explain that we'd dismantled it for them but the left and gave feedback saying it had a hole in the back, fortunately we were able to give a second chance offer to the next person who'd bidded and they were more than happy with it and got their feedback put up instead

I once bought a huge lot of baby clothes for not very much and then the seller claimed that the ceiling had collapsed on them all and ruined them all with dirt and dust! Didn't believe it for a minute, but had to let it go as pointless arguing with them.

I generally gave up buying anything that wasn't marked as new or from a reputable seller or a proper eBay shop as stuff was arriving in awful condition. One person called me poor and stupid because I complained about some worn out piece of tat with defects that she sent me and she ranted away for several emails when all I'd done was quietly pointed out the defects and asked to return & refund.

I also gave up selling as eBay got too greedy with their listing and final value and Paypal fees, plus too many bad stories of people lying and running off with your money and the items. These days I stick to Gumtree. It's much harder work but you get to see the item if buying and if selling they can't claim that they never got it when they collected it!

I've never had problems like the OP, but I only buy from 100% positive feedback.

I had a seller who refused a refund for a misdescribed item but PayPal refunded the money for me.

I've been lucky with buyers too.

Can you reply to feeback?

DS was selling stuff on my account and described a DS game case as having a samll crack ... which was actually a hole. There were photos of it (the hole) ... got my first neutral feedback which was a bummer.

FWIW, DS shouldn't have described it as a small crack but buyer could see photo which showed more damage than that.

To the person mad about selling the coffee table for £1...it's a risk you take when you list something low! I had that happen with a nice baby car seat I sold about 15 years go. Only 1 person bid and he got it for £1. It sucked, but I actually found it more embarrassing taking the £1 off him!

Sold a Pandora charm a few months ago as it was way too similar to one I already had. Two weeks after sending, the buyer decided it wasn't genuine and wanted a refund and ebay totally took their side even when I produced a receipt

I lost the case.

On the positive side, I once bought a green and white dress but the seller sent me the wrong dress (similar looking). When I emailed her she just apologised, sent me the correct dress out and told me to keep the other one too! Result!

Also, I must admit as a seller, I once sold a pair of my DS's toddler shoes. All was great till I went to post them. Turned my back for probably 3 minutes to write out the package, grab the sellotape etc and DS had snatched one of the shoes. I spent days looking for it (honestly!!) and emailed the buyer explaining. Thank God she was understanding. The shoe rocked up about 3 months later at the back of the pan cupboard

I've genuinely had to be rushed to hospital and not been able to post. I never pondered that they might be linked.... My award goes to the buyer of our sofa who decided they couldn't make the evening time agreed after they spent too long in IKEA, and after we'd agreed to take it outside for them. Luckily we found some plastic sheeting when it rained and no one stole it before they collected it the following morning. They were lovely people and apologetic but it was eye raising at the time!

Paypal gives the Buyer loads of protection. I avoid Amazo Marketplace though as total scammers can operate there and you have no comeback whatsoever. I saw something sold for one of my hobbies lately, where the man had feedback with person after person saying they ordered one thing (worth about £50) and another thing (worth about 10p) came instead. Amazon has left this seller up and the only recourse buyers have, is to complain and hope for a refund from the Marketplace seller - Amazon should be liable themselves. They might filter it a bit better, then...

I ordered a car key remote from Amazon marketplace, something other than a key fob turned up and I asked the seller to send a return label and the correct key fob it never materialised, amazon offered a voucher for the value immediately and I was able to order it from someone else, I found the response 100% better than eBay

I listed a solid oak tv unit for £200 on but it now. Got a message to say someone had bought it and paid for it. The money was in my PayPal account. Messaged the buyer to ask when they wanted to collect it, replied to say sorry but they'd accidentally pressed 'Buy it now' when their phone was in their pocket. I thought they were pulling a fast one but eBay refunded it

Hair raising?

Always send second class signed for, otherwise items "go missing", especially nice things.

List any really good stuff with a buy it now price, so your lovely Boden stuff doesn't sell for about 10p.

Always check and leave reviews. I'd never buy from anyone without excellent reviews.

By and large I've bought and sold quite a lot on eBay without probs. And a couple of the men who've shown up to collect stuff have been seriously hot. Lol.

bought 3 new ovens. when they arrived i could see they weren't new. 2 had pat testing labels meaning they were secondhand and the third didn't even have that. plugged one in and it blew my house electrics. ebay and paypal were awful. the case went on for ages then they just closed it and everything disappeared. thank goodness for the lovely girl at the credit card company who agreed to do the chargeback. the rogue company ( by now getting loads of bad feedback ) recharged it back?? then my lovely lady took the money back for me and this time it stayed in my account. i hate the way i was treated and only buy cheap little things now on ebay. incidentally toothbrush heads I bought on Amazon were fake

I was unable to collect a beautiful fireplace id won and paid £50 immediately for...OH kept umming and ahhing about driving to collect it then we set a weekend date to finally go that same week i went into premature labour. He gave us another month and said he'd store it in his shed bless him, I felt like such an idiot messaging the guy. Anyway various other things stopped us making the journey and in the end i told him to relist it, after all the let downs i never bothered mentioning a refund...still haven't forgiven OH's dithering and still havent found a beautiful bargain fireplace and lo's 2 1/2 now.

I have had only bad experiences with ebay - it seems once you have bid on an item it's yours and you have to pay the price - no matter the condition of the goods. My sister bought a chair on ebay that would help my mum with her mobility. We collected the chair - already paid for - and it was disgusting! Filthy, worn out and not fit for purpose. The seller had the money so we had to take the chair - straight to the tip!!
Don't be fooled into the contract that ebay locks you in to. Look anywhere else first before you part with your money. Sorry to be a cold shower but my experiences have been very negative :-(

I sell on eBay a lot. 100 items a month. Generally car parts and not many problems at all. But sold a pair of my sisters jeans in lovely condition and the buyer complained about the size. They didn't do up! Had sizing charts etc all correctly done. Decided just to suck it up. Now sell everything without option to refund. Sold one old sewing machine for cash in collection. Buyer bought and paid by PayPal. Then told me to post, it'll just be £2!! Then decide he only wanted five parts off of it. So I watched YouTube clips to learn how to take it apart and got the parts. Took parcel to PO and they quoted £12. Went home emailed him, who hadn't been to the post office as it was Ramadan?! So I suggested Hermes and asked for a bank transfer for costs. Once it arrived it was missing a part he wanted. I told him it wouldn't come off. He told me to go to Poundland to buy a special screwdriver to remove it! Politely I asked "are you asking me to drive to the town centre and park and go to the shop to buy this screwdriver?" At this point he apologised and asked me to ask my neighbors for one! It was a stressful month! Generally there is only a small percentage of problems.

I sold a £90 silk dress for £15 on eBay. Worn once and dry cleaned with receipt attached showing dry cleaning was £9.99.
Buyer demanded a £10 part refund as it was filthy she said. This would allow her to pay for dry cleaning she said. I asked her to send pics of dirt and she sent a blurry pic not showing anything. I offered full refund of price paid, postage and return postage if she'd return it to me. She was very unhappy and kept insisting on the £10 refund. Eventually she returned it - not a single speck or mark on it. Sold it for £25 week later. Original buyer left horrific feedback but when I checked her feedback left for others, it was all dreadful - presumably the poor sellers who didn't accede to her blackmail.
I got my own back. Waited and waited and kept checking and months later she listed some items. The cheapest were some M&S pants new in pack that I knew I could use. I bought them, via a different account, and left feedback that she'd sold me soiled pants She was appalled and kept messaging me offering a refund. I eventually replied to drop a heavy hint as to why I'd done it but not enough proof for her to get it removed.
I felt soooo much better.

As someone who is getting an onslaught of merry hell off an ebayer who has just ruined my 100% feedback rating after I thoughtlessly didn't post her parcel after being bed bound after complications from losing my baby boy I'd say that not all sellers are disingenuous with their reasons.

I've experienced weirder things from sellers, actually - such as the seriously disturbed woman who sent me a 6-page block capital handwritten piece of hatemail after the item she sent me got lost by Royal Mail and I had the audacity to claim my money back.

Despite this, I'll persevere with ebay because it's made me over 50k in the past 15 years simply selling stuff I don't need anymore.