Has Anyone Else Had A Problem with eBay?

[TheUnboundOne]

Dear Forum Members,

I ask this because eBay has implemented some new rules.

Sellers can no longer leave negative Feedback about Buyers, even if the Buyer doesn't pay, even if the Buyer makes a fraudulent bid, and even though the Buyer can make any claim he or she wants about the Seller's product or service and can leave negative Feedback.

I have heard tales of Sellers with stainless records of good service getting their records tarnished forever by this stupid policy.

Myself, I now have three Buyers who won't leave me any Feedback at all, even though I sent them a polite letter asking for it, so that I can get 15 Feedbacks and can offer Buy It Now service.

Also, I have one Buyer who hasn't paid at all and who hasn't even opened his invoice or contacted me. The Buyer who hasn't paid is evidently in the military and if so, I salute his service, but if his duties are going to keep him from following through on an auction, he really has no business bidding.

This never happened when I was on eBay around the time it first started.

So, folks, if you have any recent problems with eBay, and if you know of solutions or better auction sites, please share them with me and the rest of us.

[MotherCharlotte]

I have sold quite a few things through eBay in the past and have never had any problems.

However, I did have someone from China hack into my eBay account recently and put some fraudulent purchases on it, totaling over $200 US. With much difficulty I got eBay to remove the purchases from my account--but several months later they have yet to close and delete my account, although I asked them to many times. After that whole experience I vowed never to use eBay again, although I have used it extensively in the past and have used it to find all kinds of things I never would have found otherwise. I just don't feel it is worth the risk now if it's so easy for someone to hack into and use my account.

[hardrock]

I've done quite a bit of e-Baying and had no troubles....yet.

However, a friend of mine got caught up in that "feedback"
fiasco.
He sold handmade items and had good feedback.
As soon as the rules changed, 3 buyers from the same general area got together and claimed they had never received their merchandise, and demanded a refund.

He had proof that they had received the merchandise because they had all left positive feedback and said they were very happy with the product.
eBay said no dice. No proof of receipt, they get a refund.
He balked, told e-Bay to basically stick it, and they dinged
his bank acount for the money anyway.
Somebody scammed free merchandise and there's no way to leave them negative feedback.

I'm just waiting for the day the IRS sends everyone a retroactive bill for all the sales taxes they think they're owed..... >:(

[TheUnboundOne]

Dear MotherCharlotte and Hardrock,

Ouch! This does not sound promising. It looks like I'll need to line up another auctioning service.

[MotherCharlotte]

Of course there are probably millions of people who have used eBay with no problems...I myself used extensively for about 6 years before I ran into a problem. But it's just not true when they say that it's 100% secure and safe. Unscrupulous people who know what they're doing can get around the safeguards eBay has put in place.

[TheUnboundOne]

Dear MotherCharlotte.

The problem is, sellers all over are saying what you're saying...including on eBay's own forums. You've confirmed some of the worst that I've heard.

I guess it's ime for a reserve 'chute.

[pcrowder]

I have had problems. I was glad that they put the notice on that sellers couldn't leave bad feedback for buyers. The reason they did this is because there are people (like myself) who pay for an item in good faith, expecting the seller to follow through on the deal,which my seller did not. Immediately after the auction, I paid with paypal, and thought everything was fine. 3 days AFTER the auction ended and she had received payment, she emailed me and said she could not possibly send the item to me as she had FORGOTTEN to put a reserve of $9.95 on the item (I was the only bidder and won the item at $0.99 + $8.99 shipping). She said she would refund my money. To this day, I have had no refund, despite numerous requests and sicking EBay on her, I have not received the item I paid for, and since she drug it out so long w/out settling it, Paypal would not refund my money either. I had a previous experience with a seller selling me a ring that was supposed to be in good shape, etc...it was a piece of junk. I have 100% positive feedback, and wish to start selling off some of my late father's things, and didn't want to risk her leaving me bad feedback, therefore jeopardizing my ability to sell. So, I sent her an email complaining about the quality of the ring, and she fired back that if I didn't like it, tough, she would leave me bad feedback. So, I have a ring which is absolute junk, is NOT 14k as promised (it is brass with gold paint on it), and I am out money. I think alot of times there are alot of unscruptulous sellers on EBay, and they need to be cracked down on. I just wish paypal would remove their time limit to refund money (30 days), as oftentimes it takes longer than that to even get the person to respond.
Just my 2 cents worth.

[TheUnboundOne]

Dear pcrowder,

Howdy, Pcrowder!

I'm truly sorry to hear about the rotten experience you had with the two dishonest sellers. *You would never get that treatment from me and I do my level best to see that all of my final bidders leave satisfied with the outcome.

I don't think, though, that the legitimate problem of dishonest sellers can be solved by muzzling all sellers. *People can't know if they are doing good or if there is a problem if they don't recieve Feedback and Feedback should be free and equal for both buyer and seller alike.

I think what might have to be done to help prevent fraudulent auctions is that both buyer and seller have to explicitly spell out in advance of the auction what the conditions are for the sale to take place. *This should include provisos for independent appraisal of merchandise and independent arbitration of disputes if necessary. *And there should be immediate consequences for anyone found in breach of the conditions of sale, and this should go equally for both the buyer and the seller.