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eBay

If you buy or sell items on eBay, you will find tips and advice on this forum.

Original poster

Ebay now guarantees that if an item is not as described you will get your money back.

22 replies

Flibbertyjibbet · 15/09/2013 22:52

So its going to be a scammers paradise....

I was planning on ebaying the last 6 months worth of kids stuff and console games etc etc. And some knitting stuff. I've been taking all the photos and was going to upload it all next week. Then when I logged on tonight I see this page saying that if you don't receive the item, or its not as described, you are guaranteed your money back. Ebay is more and more in favour of the buyers. This is the final nail in the coffin for me. I am going to start putting the more expensive/better stuff on preloved and the smaller cheaper stuff will go to the charity shop.

I've been ebaying since it started and I remember it as almost all 2nd hand from other individual sellers just getting rid of stuff. Now its full of traders and see far too many stories on here of people who are being 'had' by scammy buyers.

(I've also found that a lot of new so called bargains on ebay can be found cheaper elsewhere, so that's another reason for dumping it)

OP posts:
loho · 15/09/2013 23:07

Totally agree, I now sell most of my stuff on local facebook pages or gumtree, cuts out all the stress and hassle. Ebay is not what it used to be!

VisualiseAHorse · 15/09/2013 23:08

I do a lot of selling on various Facebook groups.

LilyBossom · 15/09/2013 23:08

that has always been the case though hasn't it - not really anything new?

ChippingInNeedsSleepAndCoffee · 15/09/2013 23:11

My new business is going to be quite heavily reliant on selling on eBay - it's a bit of a worry :(

I've been meaning to start a thread about it - but what would you say the 'safest' way of selling physically big items is (ie ones that require collection rather than posting)??

LilyBossom · 15/09/2013 23:17

cash only for collected items, is the only safe way, or bank transfer. Never paypal anyway.

Twiddlebum · 16/09/2013 04:21

Also state in your listing that it is "collection in PERSON only" and that you are not prepared to 'package' the item for a courier.

I have sold a few bulky heavy items as collection only as I didn't have the necessary packaging or couldn't be arsed with the hassle and people have bought said item and have either then asked me to post it or had said "a courier will collect on thurs" etc but they expect you to package it!!!

PastaBeeandCheese · 16/09/2013 06:47

twiddlebum is right. I've had that a few times.... It's so cheeky when it's a big item you can't package, you're at work so can't wait for couriers and the price paid reflected the fact it was collection only.

As for siding with buyers I think
I'm going to look into other ways of selling things too.

topknob · 16/09/2013 06:53

They still have to return the item, copied from new guarantee thingy: If your item was not as described, we'll help you with the returns process, and then refund you in full using PayPal

PastaBeeandCheese · 16/09/2013 07:11

But is that at your cost topknob or does the buyer pay postage?

A lot of times when I've had 'not as described' when it clearly is the buyer is angling for a partial refund. It's a shame because most buyers are honest, as most sellers.

LilyBossom · 16/09/2013 09:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lottieandmia · 16/09/2013 09:09

I don't want to use ebay either anymore - for the first time ever I had a non paying bidder in the last 2 weeks. I gave her 10 days to pay, then sent an invoice, nothing. I sent a polite request to pay so that I could post her the item, nothing. I emailed to ask if she wished to cancel, she said no straight away but still didn't pay. I opened a non payment case and she still hasn't paid. We are talking about £4 here - it's ridiculous and I have this item sitting there and I can't do anything with it.

Are some people's lives really so sad that they have to get their kicks from behaving like twats on ebay?

LilyBossom · 16/09/2013 09:25

lottie - you can close the case after 4 days and get your fees back then relist. Make sure you add buyer to your blocked bidder list. And in future you can open a non payer case after 48 hours - no point waiting so long really.

lottieandmia · 16/09/2013 09:37

Well I always like to give people plenty of time because I know money is tight for a lot of people. But I see what you mean.

Tryharder · 16/09/2013 09:54

Agree 100% that fings ain't what they used to be on eBay. .

The beauty of eBay is people selling their old second hand stuff for rock bottom or bargain prices to make a few quid. I never buy new goods on eBay; they are invariably crap and cheaper elsewhere if you look (as someone said above).

I've seen things selling on ebay for about a fiver plus postage and then seen the identical thing in Poundland. It's not just the buyers that are fault, it's also scamming sellers.

Ebay would collapse without the private sellers like us and I think that their big cheese marketing people in Switzerland need to reconsider their priorities. I know a lot of people who used to sell and were burned just one too many times and now don't bother or who sell elsewhere.

lottieandmia · 16/09/2013 10:00

It's probably easier to sell on facebook these days tbh. There seem to be a lot of local pages that allow you to make an offer and then someone can arrange to collect it.

lainiekazan · 16/09/2013 10:07

I've been selling on e-bay for years and then had a buyer this summer say something was not in good condition (in fact it was a pristine-condition Boden children's jacket which my dd had only worn once... grrr, but that's another story!).

So I said, send it back and I will refund. And then, of course, the buyer said, Oh, a 50% refund will do. Yeah, right. So an item that was "worn and dirty" according to her was suddenly AOK if she could get it for half the price she paid.

lottieandmia · 16/09/2013 10:27

lainie Shock what a cheek.

Original poster
Flibbertyjibbet · 16/09/2013 20:13

Dp says ebay have bought gumtree so that will probably go to pot too.

OP posts:
sarahtigh · 17/09/2013 18:28

ebay is no longer based on private sellers they concentrate on the high volume business sellers selling lots of similar things in bulk with straightforward buy it now with free postage and early delivery with 1 day dispatch times max

you can't be a top seller unless you offer

  1. a least one free postal service
  2. 1 day or same day dispatch ( working days)
  3. at least one overnight service domestically
  4. 14 day no quibble return service ( you decide you pays return postage)

ebay does not care much about private sellers or small scale part time business sellers that because of other commitments could not possibly offer 1 day dispatch etc

lottieandmia · 17/09/2013 18:41

I agree Sarah - I thought the same the other day when I was thinking how much ebay has changed.

sarahtigh · 17/09/2013 21:29

if all private sellers disappeared tomorrow I doubt ebay would do much more than bat an eyelid might be worried re publicity but not very much about income

Original poster
Flibbertyjibbet · 18/09/2013 13:02

I can't see the point of it being called an auction site when the bulk of the stuff on there now is Buy-it-now!

OP posts:
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