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Original poster

buying and selling clothes on eBay.

45 replies

ilovecherries · 13/08/2017 13:41

Not really S&B, but thought lots of people here might sell on eBay. Sold a coat last week for £50. Posted it with a tracked and signed for service. Showing delivered and signed for (by a neighbour), the day after I posted it. Buyer claims no neighbour has it (looked on google maps, and its houses, not flats) and that no card was left telling her where it is. She's now escalated it to a claim. I'm pissed off because none of my normal mail ever goes missing, yet at least 1 in 10 of my ebay parcels are apparently misdelivered, even though they've been signed for (often by the person they are addressed to). In the past I've just refunded but this one feels like the last straw. Ive currently got 5 Royal Mail claims outstanding for various 'lost' parcels. Any advice? Do I just need to refund and suck it up? I know she might be the one genuine one among them, but it all feels like a massive scam ATM.

OP posts:

MsUnderstanding · 14/08/2017 08:58

I've used to receive opened parcels when I lived in London, mostly eBay, reused envelopes a giveaway maybe? I got fucked off with being messed around by eBay chancers years ago and stopped using it.

scrubthedeckandmakeitlookSHINY · 14/08/2017 14:07

The fact that eBay will ALWAYS side with the buyer in instances such as this never helps. Seller is left high and dry whilst the buyer gets the item and a refund. Fuckers. I have also stopped selling on eBay as the hassle just wasn't worth it.

user1495915742 · 14/08/2017 17:12

*The fact that eBay will ALWAYS side with the buyer in instances such as this never helps. Seller is left high and dry whilst the buyer gets the item and a refund. Fuckers. I have also stopped selling on eBay as the hassle just wasn't worth it."

^ This

I sold an old electric toothbrush charger a while ago. When buyer received it, she said it wasn't working. I asked her how old her toothbrush was and she said it was a couple of months old. I told her she had probably ordered the wrong charger. I agreed a return (paid for the return postage) and when I got it back it was working. Rang eBay who agreed with me but a couple of days later they closed the case and refunded her. I paid two lots of postage for nothing.

Christmastree43 · 14/08/2017 17:33

I had this mid last year, when as a PP said an item went for over the average they were going for - a nowtv stick/ set. Just a few days after posting the buyer started messaging saying the item hadn't arrived, then that as he had wanted it for a gift for his dads bday and it was now too late he opened a missing item claim case. I substantiated that it had been posted and signed for etc but PayPal/ eBay did not care and refunded the money immediately. So I was down £23 for the brand new item, plus an additional £20 ish that they refunded him 😰

Last time I ever sold on eBay, I think it's a fools game for sellers. I have recently been tempted to sell some clothes but decided not to, the hassle, upset and financial loss is not worth it. Their advert on MN recently made me laugh!

Original poster

ilovecherries · 15/08/2017 08:43

Another bloody one this morning. BNWT boden dress. Signed for on track and trace but buyer claims it hasn't arrived and that the signature isn't her's. FFS. I just don't believe this is down to RM, I NEVER have parcels addressed to me going missing.

OP posts:

SuburbanRhonda · 15/08/2017 11:37

When you sign for a track and trace parcel the delivery person also records your name and this appears printed on the track and trace web page where you view the signature. I think it's at the bottom of that page.

Can you check the printed name matches the name of the person you sent the parcel to? If it is, then your buyer signed for it.

Christmastree43 · 15/08/2017 13:06

Agree ilovecherries, me and my mum write letters and postcards to each other and often send little gifts and none of these go missing. Nor has anything I've ever ordered/ bought off eBay.

SuburbanRhonda the point is that no matter what evidence you have eBay will still side with the buyer in these cases and force you to refund them, also causing you to lose your e.g. brand new Boden dress

SuburbanRhonda · 15/08/2017 19:08

Yes I know they always side with the buyer.

But if the buyer is saying it's not her signature and the name given to the delivery person is the same as the name of the buyer, a claim that the item wasn't signed for by the buyer can be proven to be invalid.

Original poster

ilovecherries · 16/08/2017 22:45

Well, one of the buyers (the BNWT dress) has an extremely common surname, and says there are three people in her street with the same name, so she says that fact that the names match means nothing. And she also says none of these three people have the item either. The other one (the 50 quid coat) went to some neighbour who also claim they don't have it. On top of the other half dozen things that have gone missing in the last few weeks, which I have just refunded, that's a lot of money. And who knows if RM will even refund, given they have a signed for delivery.

OP posts:

user1495915742 · 17/08/2017 06:32

Totally wrong but I think you're going to have to write them off as there seems to be no point in fighting. eBay ALWAYS sides with the buyer regardless of if it's signed for.

I'd send it via Argos.

neveradullmoment99 · 17/08/2017 12:15

Its so unfair I agree. I think ebay should say that if an item is signed for and you have added the tracking number and the item has been delivered then the purchaser should be the one to lose out otherwise it is open to this kind of abuse. In a way, they are treating private sellers as if they are business as that is really what a business would do but private sellers cannot afford a loss like that. I think something should be done about it. However something makes me think that ebay dont really want private sellers anyway. I dont think they really make them that much money. They are only interested in big business who i might add continually flout the rules and its ignored by ebay.

PrimalLass · 17/08/2017 13:32

I had no idea that Ebay sided with the buyers even if signed for. I'm about to start selling a pile of stuff and am tempted to do click and collect only.

Queenioqueenio · 17/08/2017 19:35

Yanbu, it's just not worth it anymore. I've given up, losing money through claims like this, coupled with the fees made it not worth it for the tiny few ££'s. I just clear out to the charity shop now.

neveradullmoment99 · 17/08/2017 19:58

Tbh, I havent had any situations like this but it makes you really think twice about selling.

SuburbanRhonda · 18/08/2017 08:27

I also think it's rare. I've been selling on and off since 2003 and have never had someone claim a signed-for item hasn't been received.

OP that's really crap and I wouldn't blame you for stopping selling altogether.

beekeeper17 · 18/08/2017 08:41

This happened to me a few times when I started selling a load of clothes on eBay. Maybe people realised I wasn't a regular seller and thought I wouldn't query it. I wasn't that annoyed about not getting the money for the items as they would have just gone to the charity shop instead but I was annoyed that I had lost the money I spent on postage and packaging and the effort. I haven't bothered selling stuff on eBay after that, couldn't be bothered with the hassle or potential to so easily lose money.

JaceLancs · 18/08/2017 09:04

Perhaps I've just been lucky but have been selling on eBay for 15 years and not lost a parcel yet
I always send recorded and enter tracking details on eBay immediately
I mainly sell clothes recently due to losing weight on SW and so far this year I've made enough money for 2 holidays!

Original poster

ilovecherries · 18/08/2017 09:10

Jace, I've never had a parcel lost since about 2000 either, it's only in recent months. And I would argue they aren't lost, they've bloody well been signed for! I always use a trackable, signed for service as well, give them the tracking details etc. It's no protection against someone out to scam you, unfortunately :(.

OP posts:

Dilligaf81 · 18/08/2017 09:37

Just to add I sell and buy on ebay and have had a similar thing happen but both as a seller and buyer.
I spoke to my postie mate and he said the pressure they are under not to take anything back to the sorting office is immense and a few colleagues will leave the parcel near the house and sign for it (but not their usual signature iyswim). So if a postie has done this and left it in plain view they could have been swiped. Seems to me since the sell off its not the company it once was for staff or customers.
I've started to use different parcel companies instead as even hermes is working out more reliable.

Dilligaf81 · 18/08/2017 09:39

Also i thought if they make a paypal or ebay claim and you add the postal reference that shows delivery that they won't refund?
I had someone try it on and as it was signed for i uploaded all the info and paypal told them to do one.

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