Ebay feedback extortion

[bruce21wayne21]

This is why I prefer to sell most of the comics I have here from now on. I may not get the exposure and I may get less money because of various factors, but chance of bullsh.t is much smaller here.

I'd hate to have to deal with the stuff I have read about here. I'm a member since 04 but just started selling there recently. Everything has been good so far, but still I have only had 2 completed listings with a third one (BIN) ending in 10 hrs if no1 buys. Not to mention I dont get or like the odd numbers things sell for. I sold ASM 122 (btwn a 6 and 6.5) on there recently and got half as much as someone else with basically the same quality comic and they just sold it idk maybe a week before me. I hate seeing sold items and thinking oh thats what they go for, then all the sudden some freak listing occurs and that person gets way less than everyone else.

 

The messed up part is I want to sell something on ebay internationally because people would pay more for it there than over here (its not comics) but I'm nervous about people complaining a package hasnt gotten there and ebay yanks the money out and I have to deal with that to get paid and the person gets the item later and it either just took a tad longer or was held up by customs. The money potential is too good to ignore though.

 

I get that the issues discussed here are probably more exceptions than rules and I shouldn't be as hesitant, but I still am in a way.

[Buzzetta]

I want the ability to leave negative feedback to non paying bidders again. Here we are over a week later and I have not heard from someone who won a $3 action figure. It is not the money in so much as this thing is sitting here.

 

I wish eBay would get rid of the non paying bidders with a bit less hesitation. If anything it costs them money to have these people using the system.

[Aces]

honestly I'll stop using ebay if they let sellers give feedback ... I only have one negative & its because the seller was a *spoon* & sent a cgc in an envelope when I complained about the *spoon* poor shipping & damaged product he said he would leave me a negative if he got anything but positive feedback . You guys may hate it as being good sellers who don't take advantage of it but there are plenty of *spoon* sellers out there that do

 

You know of course eBay use to let both sides leave pos/nuet/neg feedback for a long time. It was a recent change (5 years ago???) that didn't let sellers leave anything but positive feedback. I would welcome the old days.

 

edit: quoted the wrong poster...

 

[bruce21wayne21]

I want the ability to leave negative feedback to non paying bidders again. Here we are over a week later and I have not heard from someone who won a $3 action figure. It is not the money in so much as this thing is sitting here.

 

I wish eBay would get rid of the non paying bidders with a bit less hesitation. If anything it costs them money to have these people using the system.

 

Cant you do something like on your listing page say payment is due with 3 business days or you forfeit your winning bid or something to that affect?

Then you wouldn't be waiting all this time and I would think the winner who didn't pay would have no side really cause you said right then, pay in 3 biz days

 

im a new seller so i could be wrong

[AKA Rick]

eBay is sometimes like a cyber garage sale in the ghetto.

 

They coddle the buyers to no end, and have one of the poorest customer service when it comes to handling disputes, and almost seems no matter what you write and now matter what evidence you provide, it's never read nor responded to other than with a "denial" and Pay Pal, which is owned by eBay is equally as horrible in customer service.

 

There's way too much buyer swagger and fraud that goes not only unpunished, but actually rewarded.

 

Sellers find themselves out their merchandise, cost of shipping fees, and forced to provide refunds to certain criminal buyers, then as icing on he cake sometimes get unwarranted neutral or negative feedback without recourse and are punished if responded to and post honest non-positive defense motivated comments.

 

They should allow sellers to post feedback on buyers with less than 100 feedbacks as the compromise, then it provides other sellers with fair warning against fraud or difficult customers not worth dealing with. It seems hat after 100+ feedback, most sellers/buyers are established for the most part.

[Buzzetta]

eBay is sometimes like a cyber garage sale in the ghetto.

 

They coddle the buyers to no end, and have one of the poorest customer service when it comes to handling disputes, and almost seems no matter what you write and now matter what evidence you provide, it's never read nor responded to other than with a "denial" and Pay Pal, which is owned by eBay is equally as horrible in customer service.

 

There's way too much buyer swagger and fraud that goes not only unpunished, but actually rewarded.

 

Sellers find themselves out their merchandise, cost of shipping fees, and forced to provide refunds to certain criminal buyers, then as icing on he cake sometimes get unwarranted neutral or negative feedback without recourse and are punished if responded to and post honest non-positive defense motivated comments.

 

They should allow sellers to post feedback on buyers with less than 100 feedbacks as the compromise, then it provides other sellers with fair warning against fraud or difficult customers not worth dealing with. It seems hat after 100+ feedback, most sellers/buyers are established for the most part.

 

It depends on how you present yourself. I have never lost merchandise or money. I have taken a negative, but I never lose.

I got a sob story once. I sold off a pair of Lego instructions. (I bought a Lego collection to divide it up and keep a couple of things.) It clearly stated in the listing - set XXXX Instructions ONLY. NO Lego's included. The listing further repeated the same message that no Lego pieces were included. Someone BID on the instructions. This was not an impulse buy where they utilized a Buy it Now. Pictures clearly showed instructions.

 

The lady received the instructions and then a week later complained that she thought she was getting a full set and wanted to return the instructions. To this I said 'no'. I really did. To me, this was like buying a CD and copying it on your hard drive and then asking to return the CD.

 

She filed a grievance. I called paypal and explained what I just wrote here. The guy on the phone stated that my auction seemed ambiguous because it showed lego pieces. I asked him what him what was the first thing he noticed in big block red letters. It was the Instructions only part. How was that ambiguous?

 

Paypal sided with me, dismissed the claim. She wrote me something about how I spoiled her (and I am not kidding here) cancer stricken son's probably last birthday and that he cried all day because this was the only money he had left.

 

Please, never ever, ever, ever throw the cancer line. I know someone that will get out of her bed in Sloan Kettering and will kick you so hard in your nether region you will throw up if they were to hear that.

 

Case settled. I do not lose money nor do I lose the merchandise for free and no she could not leave me feedback.

 

Like a court case it is all about how you present your argument and in making sure that you have all of your support materials to back up your statements. If you do not have your i's dotted and your t's crossed then think really hard if you want to fight. Make sure you can back up what you say in a clearly written listing leaving no room for dispute.

[Buzzetta]

On a side note - I do not want to come off as a pain the rear end to deal with. I would like to think that the people that I have dealt with see that I ship quickly in secure packages and treat everything as if I was the one receiving it.

 

I made a mistake the other day and neglected to pack a figure in with someone's action figure order as I continue to sell of my plastic crack collection. He ordered ten figures and I shipped out nine of them.

 

I realized my mistake before he even received his order and notified him that the lone figure would be sent immediately via priority shipping. (He originally paid for regular parcel post.)

 

The missing figure wound up beating the others to the buyer's house.

 

That was my fault, my dime and my responsibility to make good.

 

Things happen and when I am wrong I embrace the responsibility to make it right. However never try to scam me. You will never win in the end.

[RockMyAmadeus]

... also, he's suggesting that me stating that all people who use private feedback are scammers, is an insult! But they are!

 

 

 

[Not*Sure*]

The only time I ever left a buyer a negative feedback rating was when they did not pay. If they did not pay I left a negative. If it took them over a month to pay they were left a neutral or a backhanded positive. (Took a while buy buyer was responsible and paid) If you need a payment plan for a $20 item then you should not have bid.

 

The problem these days is that there are too many people that are pulling a routing where they want to find fault in something and then demand a refund and keep the item. What craft is that? The best is when they will not take a picture of the supposed damage. "Why isn't my word good enough?! I am not taking a picture." No dice.

 

If a buyer ever had a problem with an item that I send they are welcome to send it back. There is no partial refund. As Sinatra sang... it's all or nothing at all.

 

There are thieves and on both sides of the fence

 

They get a book or toy and say it is awful they are going to neg me it is a travesty I would sell them something so bad..but they want to keep it and get a 80% refund or they will neg me. Send my toys back..send my book back..I will send you your money back..BUT send me another book back or send me a book back with a page torn out and you will not get jack..

 

I love it when they say "I received my electronics item and it was used damaged and did not work I would like you to return my monies I am filing a claim via paypal" and I say no problem. Just send the item back via USPS and when we match up the item package and the serial number with the item we sent you (that we took photos of before we shipped out) we will give you a 100% refund.

 

they never send it back..they never try to claim it because they were lying.

 

One of my favorites was like "The game console did not work I meant it as a present you broke a little boys heart!" and I tell him to send it back and we will match it up and process his refund because the item had to have been messed with at the PO because it was MINT in unopened box when it left my house. And he says "No I already gave it as a present I couldn't take it back now I just want a refund " So exactly why would he give a broken used damaged item as a present? really? liar then he threatens to neg

 

*rolls eyes* and of course he lies totally ..

 

And I can do nothing because I am just a seller..

 

I've only sold a handful of electronic items so bear with me.

 

I'm confused. eBay's rules make it pretty clear that to get a full refund buyers have to return the item. Have you had eBay give back all of a buyers money and let them keep the item too? I'm not talking about cases where they claimed "item not received". For that we buy insurance.

 

Most of the situations you describe above - isn't that what the "feedback extortion" rules are supposed to address for sellers?

 

Correct - no item - no refund

 

Buyer also has ten business days to return the item (14 days overall) to return the item.

 

Two years ago someone wanted a refund on something but would not return the item. They wanted the refund first. eBay told them to follow the procedures. Three weeks go by - still nothing returned and eBay closes the case because they still have not returned the item. They find ime in favor and notify her that the case has been found in my favor. (This was a handbag that my aunt did not want anymore)

 

No item - no refund

 

PS I should have seen her nonsense coming when she started complaining that I would not ship the item to an address that differed from he address provided by PayPal.

 

 

 

Well my problem was that I was sending out new Playstations MIB and getting back broken old ones..it worked for one person..then within a few weeks EVERY single person was saying "I bought a lamp and it was trash you showed a new in package item and sent me garbage" "I got a gameboy that was USED and the screen scratched"

 

problem was EVERY single item was brand new factory sealed and I would open the box take pictures and stuff just for my own assurance the box held what it said it did.

 

The lamp in question was a high dollar item and I took it to the post office and packed it in front of the post master she saw it etc. So when the buyer claimed it was not in the package and was old non working and scratched up it was a complete lie.

 

Evidently word got out I was an easy mark. So folks were getting my new stuff taking it out of the box putting junk back in and getting their money back.

 

But when I started telling them I checked photographed and recorded serial numbers..no one every even bothered with a return..it was a scam..

 

Sure they can return your item..but if you send them a CGC 9.0 comic book they want a refund and send you back a POS comic book they used as a coaster you are screwed.

Then they threaten a neg if you don't follow through with a refund and you are out a book and the money and no recourse.

[Buzzetta]

The only time I ever left a buyer a negative feedback rating was when they did not pay. If they did not pay I left a negative. If it took them over a month to pay they were left a neutral or a backhanded positive. (Took a while buy buyer was responsible and paid) If you need a payment plan for a $20 item then you should not have bid.

 

The problem these days is that there are too many people that are pulling a routing where they want to find fault in something and then demand a refund and keep the item. What craft is that? The best is when they will not take a picture of the supposed damage. "Why isn't my word good enough?! I am not taking a picture." No dice.

 

If a buyer ever had a problem with an item that I send they are welcome to send it back. There is no partial refund. As Sinatra sang... it's all or nothing at all.

 

There are thieves and on both sides of the fence

 

They get a book or toy and say it is awful they are going to neg me it is a travesty I would sell them something so bad..but they want to keep it and get a 80% refund or they will neg me. Send my toys back..send my book back..I will send you your money back..BUT send me another book back or send me a book back with a page torn out and you will not get jack..

 

I love it when they say "I received my electronics item and it was used damaged and did not work I would like you to return my monies I am filing a claim via paypal" and I say no problem. Just send the item back via USPS and when we match up the item package and the serial number with the item we sent you (that we took photos of before we shipped out) we will give you a 100% refund.

 

they never send it back..they never try to claim it because they were lying.

 

One of my favorites was like "The game console did not work I meant it as a present you broke a little boys heart!" and I tell him to send it back and we will match it up and process his refund because the item had to have been messed with at the PO because it was MINT in unopened box when it left my house. And he says "No I already gave it as a present I couldn't take it back now I just want a refund " So exactly why would he give a broken used damaged item as a present? really? liar then he threatens to neg

 

*rolls eyes* and of course he lies totally ..

 

And I can do nothing because I am just a seller..

 

I've only sold a handful of electronic items so bear with me.

 

I'm confused. eBay's rules make it pretty clear that to get a full refund buyers have to return the item. Have you had eBay give back all of a buyers money and let them keep the item too? I'm not talking about cases where they claimed "item not received". For that we buy insurance.

 

Most of the situations you describe above - isn't that what the "feedback extortion" rules are supposed to address for sellers?

 

Correct - no item - no refund

 

Buyer also has ten business days to return the item (14 days overall) to return the item.

 

Two years ago someone wanted a refund on something but would not return the item. They wanted the refund first. eBay told them to follow the procedures. Three weeks go by - still nothing returned and eBay closes the case because they still have not returned the item. They find ime in favor and notify her that the case has been found in my favor. (This was a handbag that my aunt did not want anymore)

 

No item - no refund

 

PS I should have seen her nonsense coming when she started complaining that I would not ship the item to an address that differed from he address provided by PayPal.

 

 

 

Well my problem was that I was sending out new Playstations MIB and getting back broken old ones..it worked for one person..then within a few weeks EVERY single person was saying "I bought a lamp and it was trash you showed a new in package item and sent me garbage" "I got a gameboy that was USED and the screen scratched"

 

problem was EVERY single item was brand new factory sealed and I would open the box take pictures and stuff just for my own assurance the box held what it said it did.

 

The lamp in question was a high dollar item and I took it to the post office and packed it in front of the post master she saw it etc. So when the buyer claimed it was not in the package and was old non working and scratched up it was a complete lie.

 

Evidently word got out I was an easy mark. So folks were getting my new stuff taking it out of the box putting junk back in and getting their money back.

 

But when I started telling them I checked photographed and recorded serial numbers..no one every even bothered with a return..it was a scam..

 

Sure they can return your item..but if you send them a CGC 9.0 comic book they want a refund and send you back a POS comic book they used as a coaster you are screwed.

Then they threaten a neg if you don't follow through with a refund and you are out a book and the money and no recourse.

 

I once asked paypal that question. What happens if someone returns a brick in a box to me instead of my item. They told me that they would take care of that. I am curious as to what their procedure is for that.

[mikenyc]

"Continue to insult me and I will continue to report you to ebay. I have every right to keep feedback private. I have a good repuation I choose not to be part of that system and theres no rule saying i cant bid on your items if its private."

 

my favorite part is where he says he has a good reputation so thats why he doesn't use feedback on ebay... also, he's suggesting that me stating that all people who use private feedback are scammers, is an insult! But they are!

 

It seems that most times when a dubious eBay seller is outed on these boards, especially selling high dollar books, they do have their feedback set to private. It is a good way to thwart the boardie detectives. I also don't think that a buyer or seller with private feedback is always proof positive that they are shady. You can catch more bees with honey.

 

Oh,oh,oh.

[Tony S]

This is why I prefer to sell most of the comics I have here from now on. I may not get the exposure and I may get less money because of various factors, but chance of bullsh.t is much smaller here.

I'd hate to have to deal with the stuff I have read about here. I'm a member since 04 but just started selling there recently. Everything has been good so far, but still I have only had 2 completed listings with a third one (BIN) ending in 10 hrs if no1 buys. Not to mention I dont get or like the odd numbers things sell for. I sold ASM 122 (btwn a 6 and 6.5) on there recently and got half as much as someone else with basically the same quality comic and they just sold it idk maybe a week before me. I hate seeing sold items and thinking oh thats what they go for, then all the sudden some freak listing occurs and that person gets way less than everyone else.

 

The messed up part is I want to sell something on ebay internationally because people would pay more for it there than over here (its not comics) but I'm nervous about people complaining a package hasnt gotten there and ebay yanks the money out and I have to deal with that to get paid and the person gets the item later and it either just took a tad longer or was held up by customs. The money potential is too good to ignore though.

 

I get that the issues discussed here are probably more exceptions than rules and I shouldn't be as hesitant, but I still am in a way.

 

eBay is an auction. Some days you get the high range, some days the low. But for the Spidey minor key you mention (122) and the others around it the prices on ebay can be especially voltile. I've watched auctions that ended within a few hours of each other for ASM 129 where a VG+ sells for a few dollars more than a FN+. If you are patient you can list it Buy It Now at a reasonable price - especially with a Best offer. Of if you list 15-20 books in auction at a time you shoud get a few that do better than expected to offset those that underperform.

 

Shipping/selling outside the USA. There is no way to make sure you are not dealing with a scammer. But there are ways to make sure you don't lose money. If the purchase is under ($1000) just purchase eBay's private insurance (ShipCover). From what I've read, the insurance pays claims quickly. Note if the item's value is over $250 you have to send the package so that it gets a signature.

 

If the package isn't heavy (four pounds or less I think) but valued over $1000 consider 1st class registered. This is as secure as it gets. Insurance available up to 25K. It's insured by the PO, which means a claim process will take time. But claims are almost unheard of with registered mail. It literally is locked up when not traveling and anyone that touches it has to sign. The person that it is delivered to has to sign and provide ID. You should be able to do first class registered to UK, Western Europe and Australia. I'm not sure about other countries. So my listings I say these are the only countries I ship to. And for comic books - these are where most collectors are at as well. There are some servicemen/women stationed other places, but their stuff all gets shipped to APO addresses

 

And you have to go to the post office for registered - not avaliable online. There are also specific packaging instructions (brown tape for instance, seal all gaps) but the postal clerk can help with this.

Hope this helps.

[Jimmy Linguini]

"Continue to insult me and I will continue to report you to ebay. I have every right to keep feedback private. I have a good repuation I choose not to be part of that system and theres no rule saying i cant bid on your items if its private."

 

my favorite part is where he says he has a good reputation so thats why he doesn't use feedback on ebay... also, he's suggesting that me stating that all people who use private feedback are scammers, is an insult! But they are!

 

It seems that most times when a dubious eBay seller is outed on these boards, especially selling high dollar books, they do have their feedback set to private. It is a good way to thwart the boardie detectives. I also don't think that a buyer or seller with private feedback is always proof positive that they are shady. You can catch more bees with honey.

 

Oh,oh,oh.

 

No.

 

Every person who hides there feedback for potential sellers is a scam artist.

 

You can not sell on ebay and have the private feedback setting, which just shows you that almost every person who uses private feedback is doing it so people don't see any feedback that had already been left for them - making them scammers.

[Flaming_Telepath]

honestly I'll stop using ebay if they let sellers give feedback ... I only have one negative & its because the seller was a & sent a cgc in an envelope when I complained about the poor shipping & damaged product he said he would leave me a negative if he got anything but positive feedback . You guys may hate it as being good sellers who don't take advantage of it but there are plenty of sellers out there that do

 

 

And I've got one neg from an absolute arsehole buyer.

 

Buyers should not be allowed to leave negs.

 

Or maybe eBay can dream up a system whereby both seller and buyer can leave feedback for the other party?

[DeliBebek]

Threads like this help me understand how to better function on eBay. I think it helps that I have pretty low expectations of the purchases I make there, so when something comes in better than expected, it really makes my day.

 

Luckily, I haven't had a seller try to scam me, and the few times I've had problems, they were handled readily and professionally. I've even had sellers refund partial or full return shipping without being asked. I'm overdue for a nightmare transaction, I guess.

[Warlord]

I'm confused. eBay's rules make it pretty clear that to get a full refund buyers have to return the item. Have you had eBay give back all of a buyers money and let them keep the item too? I'm not talking about cases where they claimed "item not received". For that we buy insurance.

 

I bought a small set of comics at $20 from a seller a couple years ago, covered by ebay's buyer protection. Seller had listed it as no returns. I contacted the seller because the quality didn't match the description (not close by anyone's standards, a huge flaw on a key book's back cover was missed) and was told "no returns". I contacted ebay and in this case they issued what they said was a "courtesy refund" and they told me that I didn't have to return the books.

[Tony S]

I'm confused. eBay's rules make it pretty clear that to get a full refund buyers have to return the item. Have you had eBay give back all of a buyers money and let them keep the item too? I'm not talking about cases where they claimed "item not received". For that we buy insurance.

 

I bought a small set of comics at $20 from a seller a couple years ago, covered by ebay's buyer protection. Seller had listed it as no returns. I contacted the seller because the quality didn't match the description (not close by anyone's standards, a huge flaw on a key book's back cover was missed) and was told "no returns". I contacted ebay and in this case they issued what they said was a "courtesy refund" and they told me that I didn't have to return the books.

 

Courtesy refunds are where eBay/Paypal eats the charge. The seller did not lose the $20 - he/she kept the $20.

 

If you read deeply enough, this is mentioned under the Seller Protection provisions. You are the first person I've ever known that actually can attest to it happening

[StuporMan]

 

No.

 

Every person who hides there feedback for potential sellers is a scam artist.

 

You can not sell on ebay and have the private feedback setting, which just shows you that almost every person who uses private feedback is doing it so people don't see any feedback that had already been left for them - making them scammers.

 

I don't have the option to block buyers with private feedback. In fact I think the options available to block buyers is pretty weak - definitely tilted towards the buyer. I want to block 0 feedback buyers, but alas I cannot.

 

No to get too far off topic, but I also think the feedback system is flawed when it comes to CGC scams by sellers. It takes at minimum 5 weeks to go from purchase to CGC book in your hands - to find out that it was restored. Now what? Way past return policy and too late to leave feedback (assuming you didn't already leave good feedback for getting such a pristine raw book)

 

It led me to start this post:

eBay scammers perma-thread

[Beige]

I learned a good trick from a seller when I was slightly worried about a late parcel.

I wasn't thinking he was a scammer,rather that it was just stuck somewhere.

He simply sent me a photo of my item poking out of a box at the post office with the shipping label clearly readable so I could see my name,address etc and the tracking number.

It would take a brave man to then pull out my item infront of the PO clerk,swap it with something else and say.."man,I'm now gunna scam this guy".

 

Simple but very effective, the pic plus shipping track number should be enough 99.99% of the time to stop scammers dead in their tracks and try to find an easier mark.

[Buzzetta]

I disagree... I have open feedback but there are certain items that I have sold that I am well aware that my customer wishes to have their identity kept private. For certain listings I make the auction itself private so that the name may appear in my feedback but what they won will not.