A Seller Feels eBay Guardrailed Him Unfairly

by: DTSM

Lesson learned. Do not open a case in this circumstance. The buyer missed the return time window.  Sometimes being the nice guy gets you bitten in the end.

You can probably call eBay and after talking to 6 to 10 different reps, get the defect removed. Be persistent.

by: airbrake

The same thing has happened with me twice since January on Ebay. In both instances, I did not open a case, as the OP states, Ebay decided to open it for me on their own. Once I did receive the items back (late), Ebay decided in favor of the Buyers and then closed the cases. I could not refund the Buyers until the cases closed (by Ebay), which was 14 days after the cases were opened. My sales also dropped. This proves once and for all, there is NO Seller protection on Ebay and Buyers may do as they please regardless of Ebay rules.

Try to contact Ebay and get the defect removed? You must be joking. I tried more than 6 -10 times, both on the phone and in writing with no results, just a thank you for Selling on Ebay for so long.

by: pace306

Another story about dealings with the San Jose Mafia.

1) eBay hates sellers, loves buyers
2) buyers can do no wrong, sellers can do no right
3) dates are exact for sellers, fungible for sellers
4) eBay does not want to eat chargebacks (part and parcel of online commerce), so therefore eBay will lie, cheat and steal to insure they arent on the hook for one. If that means screwing you the seller then "so be it". "You are taking "one" for the "team"".

I've had this a few times with returns, where the dates (goalposts) for the buyers return window changes. His dog died, his pickup broke, his girl ran off with the mailman etc. Does eBay care? No ("and why should they - where will you go? Mercari is in freefall, Poshmark is no where, and "if you could be on Amazon, you would be - instead of being on eBay)(NOT that Amazon arent crooks - they are - just in a different way).

Im involved in a case where I have 5 (five, cinqo, pet, fem, vijf)(other ways of saying FIVE) SO#s for 1 case ... and the brain trusts in San Jose STILL cant/wont solve it.

Seller Protection?

The greatest trick eBay ever pulled was convincing the world that seller protection exists.

Over the past few years, eBays "Seller Protection" has become an urban legend, "a spook story that sellers tell their kids at night". "Make a sale where the customer switches or damages your item" and eBays Seller Protection will be there for you. No sane person truly believes its real, but eBay lackeys HERE and elsewhere continue to build up its reputation, and it is enough to make it the bogeyman of the criminal online world.

by: my2cents

What kind of a case is the OP and airbrake referring to?  I'm not aware of any kind of "case" a seller can open.  Would someone please provide more details so I can better understand.

by: airbrake

@my2cents

Perhaps you should re-read what I wrote. EBAY opened the cases on their own and not with the Buyers consent or with any consent or advice from me. Ebay would not close the cases once the items were received by me. Ebay chose to close the cases when they saw fit. I could not close the cases and refund the money to the Buyers. A refund was sent to the Buyers only after Ebay closed the cases. I would suppose Ebay was hanging onto the money for more interest. In my two returns, Ebay closed the cases 9 business days after I received the items delivered to me.