Ebay is completely shit for sellers isn't it?

[Pamelaaaaa]

More of rant really as I'm pissed off!
Had some old football shirts hanging around so decided to sell them.

Despite having 'no returns' stated it seems people buying can indeed buy your item then inspect it and then decide they don't want it and open a return stating it doesn't match the description when all the description actually says is 'used football shirt'. I've now had 2 buyers over the weekend decide they don't want the shirts they have bought because they have found the tiniest thing not to their satisfaction. From their usernames is it clear they are shirt collector/traders and they must buy everything then inspect and then return anything not pristine. Obviously at my expense!!

I've googled and it seems ebay will always side with the buyer so there's no point even trying to argue it. So now I'm down the postage of them having to send things back! Fucking brilliant.

OP, you can state “no returns” all you like but if the buyer says it’s not as described, eBay will always side with them.

I buy and sell quite a lot on eBay - had a post-lockdown purge of unworn and unwanted clothing. I have had a few issues over the years, but it’s mainly been ok. I have a few rules I stick to: I’m meticulous with descriptions, only buy and sell things up to a certain value, only use a ‘signed for’ delivery service. I’ve been stung a few times by business sellers buying things from me to re-sell, but I don’t get so many of those nowadays. The fees for eBay and Paypal need to be factored in, of course, but it’s helped me get by during a period of no work this year.

Ebay has been a waste of time for sellers for at least a decade and its a frustrating experience for buyers too.

You do usually win the Paypal claims as a seller as long as you have proof of postage / delivery. Just give them details of when it was ordered and the tracking numbers. We have had it a few times on international orders because the postage (global shipping) is debited separately from the item cost so the buyer forgets what the charge is for.

You can help cover yourself on electrical items by selling as for parts or repair only if you are not sure if it is working. We got a surprisingly good price in this way for an old computer with no comeback (maybe we were just lucky).

I always put "sold as seen" in the description and state minor wear and tear commensurate with age. If I get a collector messaging me for 10 million close up photos - one actually specifically told me what resolution of photo to use (these were tiny figurines mind you!) I give them short thrift and make it clear we are not commercial sellers and are selling old childhoods things we are not a business - we aren't asking for big money so they either take the risk or not 🤷‍♀️

Op if they are also sellers I'd be tempted to do the exact same to them ten fold.

Hi @sandgrown

Refuse to give a partial refund. He returns it at his own cost or nothing. Let him open a case with eBay. If you took a picture of the computer turned on then use this as proof it did indeed turn on.

You may lose the eBay case but the outcome is the same for you as just refunding him anyway so may as well. It's a few emails.

When he opens a case he will need to talk to you first anyway (by eBay message) so again in said eBay case message, ask him to return it as you need to get it looked at for tampering. Even if you're not getting it look at and will just bin it, get it back or no refund.

More then likely the cheeky bastard has took parts he wanted out if it and then wants to send it back, so the parts are free.

Just remember, there's not shame in disputing a eBay case and losing.
Stand your ground, likely he will give up. You might get a shitty feedback from him, however just comment on said feedback. Something like "buyer tried to send back after removal of parts" and leave it at that.

Good luck.

Ebay for sellers is total w*k !

I opened an ebay account in 2000 and its gone downhill from there.

As a seller its a joke. Since the platform changed to only buyers being able to leave negative feedback its become a free for all of scammers, bribers and piss takers.

‘I want to send this back’

Sorry as per add no returns

‘Dont want it... take it back or i will neg you’.

Relentless

Or the last straw for me last year, sold a brand new electric toothbrush still in box. The buyer / scammer sent a photo of a dead well used one!

I said thats not mine you joker! The buyer had a feedback of 3 with a month on ebay versus my 20 years and near 1000 feedback.

Ebay sided with scammer and i paid. Absolute fucking joke. I phoned ebay and said are you seriously going to do business with me for 20 years then give my money to a scammer? And that’s exactly what they did.

It was the last thing ive ever sold there. Ive since sold on both Facebook marketplace snd gumtree (also owned by ebay) without major issue.

My advice use ebay to buy but NEVER to sell. On top of the relentless scammers and piss takers who know ebay always favour , theres 10 % fees 😂😂😂

Just. Dont. Do it

@Pamelaaaaa

That's the thing, 1 of the shirts in particular I know had no defects at all as someone wise asked for close up pics of everything on it. They don't even say what's wrong, just filed a return stating it doesn't match description. I started bidding at 1p too so I didn't even expect loads for them but now thanks to get collectors I'm out of pocket!

Use the extra photos that you sent to the other prospective buyers as part of your response to the dispute, and keep pressing the matter. The eBay default is to side with the buyer, but sellers can be successful if you have described properly etc

Never list anything for 1p
EBay fees are a percentage plus 35p
The percentage of 1p will be rolled into the overall total including postage (at 1p)
So if the item sells at 1p you end up with 0 for the sale and owing 35p more in fees

Open for 99p and half the sale goes in fees

List an item for the minimum that it’s worth your effort to sell it for

This siding with the buyer is going to bite eBay hard on the arse one day as without sellers you can’t have buyers and their whole business model fails.

I mean good but how they can’t see it I don’t know.

I sell on eBay regularly and quite successfully.

Things I recommend....
Use all 12 photos
Make sure your photos are clear
Take photos of any blemishes or anything that isn't quite right
Clearly describe any blemishes in description
List as buy it now with offers
Charge for postage (don't offer it free)
Set your start price high and gradually lower it (like a reverse auction)

I find this approach avoids nuisance buyers. I rarely have problems with buyers.

I also buy and print my postage online via eBay. For small packages I always use Royal Mail. Very rarely do packages not turn up and if there is a query it's usually resolved as the tracking is very clear that the parcel has been despatched/delivered so less chance of someone saying that they haven't received it.

Mark for cash on collection only and put buy it now at what you think is a fair price without being unrealistic.

There are distance selling laws. You can't just decide it's "no returns" unfortunately, no matter what you write in the description.

@bcc89

There are distance selling laws. You can't just decide it's "no returns" unfortunately, no matter what you write in the description.

Distance selling regulations apply to business sellers. If it’s a private seller then the regulations do not apply (but the item still must be as described)

For someone like me though, I’m a private seller but I also buy & sell things - these would most likely qualify as a business transaction but something I have bought for myself and subsequently sold would be a private sale