eBay Complaining about Using Buyer Protection

dennisc on 20/06/2019 - 07:53

I recently chose to invoke eBay’s buyer protection policy after I was sent a scarf instead of a charger and the seller was delaying refunding my money to PayPal. I received a prompt refund from eBay, the second time inside 12 months that they had done this. The first time was after a product was inaccurately described.

Then I received an email from eBay: ‘In reviewing your account, we observed buying activity that didn't follow our policies:
- You have an excessive number of returns or buyer protection claims

We are providing you this educational notice to clarify what is acceptable buying activity. If you don't follow this policy in the future, you could lose your ability to return items or your coverage under our buyer protection programs.’

This annoys me. My claims have been brought on by dodgy sellers, and eBay offers buyer protection to reassure their members that it is safe to use eBay, but then they complain when their safeguards are taken up.

Has anyone else had this from eBay?

Financial

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Comments

  • bobbified on 20/06/2019 - 08:12
    +8

    eBay and Paypal are a law unto themselves.

    At this point in time, if you don't like it, don't use them. But that goes both ways, because if they don't agree with you, they'll simply suspend or ban you too.

    One of the regulators might grow some teeth one day and do something about it, but until then…

  • Yorkshire-Man on 20/06/2019 - 08:28

    Yeah, they are a law to themselves. Complain to the financial services regulator:- https://www.fos.org.au/

    If you are making 100's of claims they may have a point but a few…

    • tomclancy on 20/06/2019 - 10:03

      eBay don't fall under AFCA (previously called FOS). Only PayPal do.

      • Yorkshire-Man on 20/06/2019 - 11:48

        Ahhhh, yes of course. My bad

  • Gerry H on 20/06/2019 - 08:31
    +1

    i dont buy from sellers with less than 50k reps

  • thatonethere on 20/06/2019 - 09:02
    +7

    It's probably an automatic message - just ignore it.

  • Ughhh on 20/06/2019 - 10:07
    +1

    Are you buying stuff from sellers with dodgy feedback?

  • BunnyDownDog on 20/06/2019 - 12:49

    I've noticed an increase in dodgy sellers recently, items not arriving at all or the wrong items being sent. I received an empty box labelled bracelet when I never ordered one and the tracking number is the same as on the shopping portal… I suspect a lot of it is because of an increase in insolvent traders due to the trade war and the general deflation of the asset bubble in China.

    I only buy from sellers where buyers have shown pictures of what they bought on other platforms.

    I can't imagine buying from eBay anymore as there is little proof of delivery. The feedback system can be gamed through fake accounts, so I avoid unless I am buying locally from Oz on eBay. eBay needs to allow others to upload photos of the delivered goods, so we can at least have some more confidence.

    I think the trend will be more towards being scammed as the economic situation in China worsens. So far I haven't opened any disputes because there is a silent known treatment to those who do dispute. You'll get banned basically over a $3 item and lose access to the platform. The protection is not worth anything. Overall, if you still end up ahead even after being scammed every now and then, I would just let it go.

    Controversial but it's the truth.

  • Some Human on 21/06/2019 - 09:10
    +3

    Send eBay a picture of you trying to charge your phone with the scarf.

  • NeoBeum on 04/07/2019 - 01:25
    -1

    I sent in a ton of tickets and threw f-bombs over the phone and via chat because of the handling of a refund from the USA.
    The seller not only sent the wrong item, they sent a used item.

    I was issued a refund, but the GST import taxes weren't credited to me - which was the reason of my complaint.

    It took a month for them to sort it out… and at one stage, they told me they were waiting on the ATO (Aus. Tax Office)… which prompted more f-bombs and bs call.

    eBay used to be good. Now it's just flooded with cheap asian crap. and i say this without being racist. because i'm asian.

    i'm going to develop a new style of search engine that does inverse result … to filter the bs.
    i was going to release an android version of the google play store to get rid of certain developers - so basically you can blacklist developers from search results.

    i constantly report sellers on ebay. i also have no fear in buying from dodgy sellers on a smurf account - i use paypal as insurance. i end up nuking the sellers mailboxes if they send unsolicited mail.

    i've been relentless. this planet has too many dkwads to deal with, i can't wait for WWIII

    @dennisc
    next time you have an issue with ebay - start the complaint at paypal first, instead of using the return request at ebay
    only use the ebay returns if paypal requires you to - but if you browse from paypal's web page, you can get the resolution centre links… if you browse via mobile - you'll get forwarded to ebay domains

    • SlavOz on 06/07/2019 - 13:07

      calm down

  • [Deactivated] on 06/07/2019 - 18:09

    OP, Ebay is a bit of a shambles sometimes. Many of us would not return, but they are still good for buying cheap gear so we're stuck with the problems they have.

    I agree with "thatonethere" above, just ignore it and request Buyer protection whenever you need it.

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