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.

I've had some Golfing accessories that I bought on eBay not turn up due to a "family bereavement." Funny how it took me to report the delay to the seller rather than vice versa. Was particularly annoying as it was for my MIL for Christmas. Ordered 14th Dec...

I had a collection of various colour jewellery made from Swarovski elements which I listed as such on eBay.

This includes some Swarovski clip on earrings. The buyer asked me for measurements before bidding which I gave as 11mm in diameter....

She messaged me saying that when they arrived they were 12mm and therefore too big 😳

I told her to return them and I would refund. She didn't respond and I never received the earrings back.

5 days later eBay removed all my other listings for my old Swarovski elements jewellery saying I had been reported for "trademark fraud" and was under investigation.

Livid doesn't even come close 😤😤😤😤

I occasionally sell on Ebay and once, somehow, I did actually lose the thing I put up for auction. I photo'd it, I wrote up the description, it sold but... I obviously couldn't send it to the person who bought it.
I never found it - no idea where it went.

Our eBay shop once had a complaint from a buyer demanding thousands in compensation as a piece of metal in a handmade, solid wood item cut his daughter's finger.

He sent a picture that showed part of a Stanley knife blade obviously jammed into the side of the item (that was NOT there when it was sent), along with various threats re legal action for the finger cut... apparently he was going to "own our business" and get a "luxury holiday and more" out of us. Every message he sent was just full of threats but he refused to give any information about what had actually happened, what he wanted (other than a holiday!) to resolve the situation... rather that we should "have a long hard think about how much our business is worth and make an appropriate offer"

In the end we just had to say fine, sue us then, the guy was obviously mad as a box of frogs. Funnily enough, he never did sue!

It's ebay though, not a shop. You can't return stuff if it doesn't fit

If only!! Unfortunately too many buyers expect to do exactly that, knowing they can claim the item's faulty if you refuse ... and if it's not faulty they're often prepared to damage it to make it so

My very worst buyer asked me to post a very fragile item clearly listed as collection only. I refused of course, but he bid and won it anyway (I should have blocked him but didn't think he'd be quite so stupid). I asked him to cancel the purchase on the basis of what he'd been told and got the most abusive messages I've ever seen - which ebay refused to deal with until I took it all the way to appeals

All of which is why, like so many small timers, I don't sell on there any more, which won't worry ebay as they're now only interested in major trade sellers who make them most commission

I'd moved and was selling lots of lovely bed linen. Sold about twenty Duvet covers with no problem. Until a woman messaged me to say there had been a mark on her Duvet Cover. I apologised profusely as really hadn't realised and asked that she send it back and I'd issue a full refund and pay the postage. I then started receiving hugely lengthy messages about how she was bed ridden and had wanted the Duvet Cover as it looked so nice for her visiting nurses! Messages continued numerous times a day basically informing me of her whole life, all her illnesses and all the bereavements she'd been through. I then told her I didn't want to have any further correspondence but to please send the Duvet Cover back. Lengthy messages continued to arrive telling me every reason in the world why this was impossible, not one of her numerous daily nurse visitors could get it to a post office etc. I asked what she actually expected me to do as clearly she wanted the item but wanted it free. I actually spoke to eBay who agreed that she was clearly quite bonkers but told me I couldn't block her until this matter was finished. In the end eBay changed tack and refunded her without her having to send the Duvet Cover back.

"eBay is flypaper for fuckwits" 😂
^ This.
Thanks to mumsnet, I only allow cash if you collect. I state "if you pay by PayPal, you will be refunded before a collection address is provided" in the description. I only post using RM second class signed for. No, i won't use a cheaper alternative thanks very much. No, I don't post abroad, that's why the 'accept international bids?' Is switched off.

Agree OP re:the spurious incidents that seem to befall sellers/buyer 😂

I must be living on a different planet.

I have never had a single bad experience with a buyer, and I sell 8000 items a year.
I have been selling for 14 years.

I've had a few experiences when people agree to 'buy it now' then somehow they just disappear from the face of the earth, no payment, communication or anything, which is very frustrating as you have to go through the whole process again.
I also hate it when you leave someone positive feedback and they can't be bothered to return the favour.... what is wrong with people!

I once bought something at a good price. One week on the seller told me she couldn't post it out as her child had damaged it - but then it mysteriously fixed itself as it was re-posted on ebay the following week. She obviously didn't want to sell it at the low price.

I looked at her feedback and realised that she had done this with several other people, and it prompted me to leave negative feedback too. At which point she started sending abusive messages to me, including a death threat. I decided to stop using ebay at that point...

I used to sell a lot on ebay but now I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. I sold five electrical items, and the hassle was unbelievable. The worst was something I sold that was collection only to someone who then didn't pay, and kept on asking me to post the item, despite not having paid. In the end I had to open a dispute with ebay, which found in my favour. Then had another email from the same buyer asking me when his item would arrive .... I sold it on Gumtree.

Selling on eBay absolutely doesn't seem worth it.

I sold a few items of DC's clothing to try and earn a few pounds. More than half of the money is currently being held by PayPal for no apparent reason. So I spent £18 posting but don't even have half of the money I made yet. Also just been hit with the eBay fees plus PayPal takes a cut.

Waste of time. As far as buying things on there go though, never had much of a problem so you've been very unlucky.

Although one time I tried selling wardrobes and waited in for a buyer to come collect, they turned up and just decided they didn't want them anymore for no reason. That was nice.

I did buy something on eBay once that I then decided to return but when I returned it, they claimed they hadn't received it and eBay wouldn't do anything about it even though I had proof of postage. I tried to claim through Royal Mail and they told me the address I sent it to didn't even exist!

DM recently sold a small ornament and sent it, well packaged, to the UK address given. Shortly after a dispute is raised because it didn't make it to Spain intact! We are fully aware she will probably have to refund but wtaf??!

Mind you we gave away our leather sofas for free via Facebook (3 seater, 2 seater and recliner). The people never turned up and never responded to any messages. It was FREE. We actually wouldn't have cared as could easily have given away elsewhere. Some people are very strange.

I had two interesting ones last week;

First item - the person had it listed with a buy it now price and/or starting bid, I had offered £5 under the buy it now price and she agreed but then couldn't work out how to change the price so I decided to just bid on the item, figuring that whilst I would have to wait longer to get the item, I might get it cheaper. She had listed it a few times and couldn't sell it, I had entered my maximum bid the price I offered to pay her, yet was winning the auction for half that price - in the last minute it randomly jumped to a few pence over what I bid...... might be a coincidence but seemed a bit fishy as if she knew I had offered a price and didn't want it to go for less. Might be wrong...

Anyway, I go on amazon to buy a new one and what do I spot, the eBay sellers review of the item. Definitely them because of the username, and guess what - the item they were selling as a few months old and barely used was purchased three years ago and judging by their review - heavily used! Now, they could have purchased another one in those three years, but she also describes a small piece of damage that was on the photo of the one she was selling on eBay (but neglected to mention in her listing)... think I narrowly missed problems with that one!

Second item - I sold a baby item, barely used. Guy buys it on a buy it now, then sends loads of messages asking for it cheaper, will I post it for free, can he collect (but he wants it cheaper to compensate for petrol) - etc also asked for multiple photos of the item at different angles to ensure it is definitely in perfect condition. You can buy it brand-new for £15 more I think that would've been the better option for him!

I tell him my location for collection which is actually mentioned on the listing anyway which then turns out to be too far away for him to collect they still want it posted, but of course that's it posted pretty much immediately as he needed very urgently

Iv had a shop on ebay for years 99% of my customers are lovely but there is always one!
No matter were you sell.
But over the years iv found ebay to be the biggest pain in the ARCE with all the policys, changes etc and it is scam central.
I used to make a really good living but now it seems to just be a ghost town and has really gone downhill.
After reading all the pp's on here I totally agree it's full of every trick in the book and you can have problem after problem which is sad for those of us who are honest hard working people. Iv found Iv spent more time trying to ensure I keep and maintain my top rated and keeping feedback 100% there's hardly time for anything else and it consums you.
Despite being all of the above and offering a fab service ebay don't promote you as they say there only interested in the big boys and small traders loose out. Not forgetting it was those small traders who built there platform.

After reading all of this thread im even more determined to move my shop elsewere as It makes you realise just how many people don't want to use it.

It's tiring stressful and bloody hard work keeping up, as well as scarey when you depend on it for your bread and butter.

But please don't be put off completly there are honest sellers out there that want your business and that will jump through hoops to make you happy, I genuinly do whatever it takes for my customers and have a great reputation so I guess Id say check out the feedback and if they are rated well you should be in safe hands because to have that level of feedback and ratings believe me that seller had worked there six's off to get it.

Socks off not six's off 🙈

panda I used to make a really good living but now it seems to just be a ghost town and has really gone downhill.

I disagree. My revenue has doubled every year for the past three years on ebay- and I am already buying materials for the christmas rush

About 8 years ago I bought a mobile phone for my daughter off Ebay for her Xmas present, in the days when mobile phones were quite alien to me. It was a lovely, snazzy pink phone. She opened it up and started to use it and said "oh there are photos on here". I grabbed it off her and went through the phone only to get to some photos of an erect penis! I did manage to delete the photos and fortunately, my daughter hadn't got to those particular photos, but she knew the phone was second hand by then.
I did to back to the seller and tell them about the incident, she/he came back with the usual "I was selling it for a friend".

Surely buying second hand phones on ebay enables the criminals who steal so many. Obviously there ae some honest sellers f phones but still...

Jayfee I get your comment, I don't buy them now. But, conversely I do sell my old phones on Ebay! I have great belief in recycling and these sites enable everyone access to this..

Cailleach666 You said in this thread you sell 600 items a month, then further on 900 a month, then again 8000 a year which works out at 666ish items a month.. which is it?

One thing I have picked up on throughout this is several comments of "I had proof of postage".

Proof of postage is NOT proof of delivery and will not cover you in an open eBay/Paypal case. No signature, no win.

Also, the sellers who are issuing partial refunds to get PITA buyers to go away, please don't. You really aren't helping the next poor sod they try it on with.

ChuffMuffin I also sell as much again on Amazon, and my business is expanding rapidly at the moment, I am not being deliberately misleading with figures.

EBay used to be fab - I've bought some great things on there, and sold a few odds and ends as well.

But it seems to be seriously on the decline now. It's useful for getting odds and ends (haberdashery things, football cards etc) but only through a business seller, not individuals