Ebay on BBC Watchdog

$17mma

So does anyone have a contact number or email address for Ebay?

soolin

$17mma wrote:

So does anyone have a contact number or email address for Ebay?

Ebay have no helpline phone numbers for users unfortunately.

To contact them you need to use the 'contact us' facility which you will find by clicking on 'help' at the top of the page and looking on the left hand margin. That brings up a web form menu for contact.

Soo

Artofdookie

$17mma wrote:

So does anyone have a contact number or email address for Ebay?

Ebay UK's phone number is 0700 800 3229 have spoken to them on this many times or you could try

Ebay (UK) Ltd
Hotham House
1 Heron Square
Richmond Upon Thames
TW9 1EJ
Tel: 02086053000
Fax: 02086053001

buggu

Got to say watchdog wasnt too fair on ebay considering its up to buyers to use some common sense and do some research before buying rather than jumping into the bidding frenzey blindfolded.

For one, somone not taking the time to read what they are actually buying and the payments conditions and delivery charges is carelessness.

Whilst buying items outside of ebay is simply asking for trouble.

I guess ebay could try and be a bit more helpful and clearer with there advice and guidelines, especially when it comes to customer support.

bleugh

heh, ebays phone number above is useless, they just refuse to help yoU!

trigger_mike

In the end of the day, Ebay is about common sense, if it looks to good to be true then it normally is.
I've sold many stuff and purchused plenty as well, and have rarely had a problem hence my 407 feeback 100% which im well chuffed with!

soolin

bleugh wrote:

heh, ebays phone number above is useless, they just refuse to help yoU!

The numbers often posted, as in this thread, are just an ordinary receptionist at the HQ, there is no telephone support for members apart from some of the biggest powersellers once they get a certain rating (gold or platinum or something).

Soo

golddustmedia

notagain wrote:

Ebay needs to restrict IP ranges to stop some of the less savoury countries from joining, and they need to use the IP to list where the seller or buyer is actually based, not where they want you to beleive they are based.

Unfortunatly IP range to country identification is not reliable. Working with web stats tells me a lot about that. Many IP ranges/domain names are registered in one country and used in another etc etc. Even so IP "spoofing" is an easy thing to achieve for a beginner fraudster, so no challenge at all for the professional.

From my desk right now I can control a number of webservers & PC's located in the USA and many of us are using international ISP companies such as AOL etc. Essentially that would show me to be in the USA or elsewhere despite my UK locality.

notagain wrote:

Unfortunately a lot of stuff on ebay is sold at a higher price than be bought from other online retailers (I'm not just talking about xboxs either).

I do agree with you here, ironically it's perhaps not even the sellers intention to achieve this. I recently got a free phone with my new phone contract, I decided to keep my old one and listed the new on ebay from 99p. It's high street value is £40 yet it sold for more than that plus the postage. It doesn't really make sense when someone could go get it cheaper on the highstreet but I suppose they're paying for the convenience. Of course I don't mind the sale as it's money in my pocket and if thats what someone's willing to pay then so be it... the buyer set the price not me as the seller.
Unfortunately I think many buyers are just lazy to find better deals or gullable to think they can get a deal so good online (Luxury rolls royce, just send £1000 to Nigeria, car will arrive by post etc etc).

Juni_3

Never ceases to amaze as to how many dumb people there are on Ebay. Last week I saw a book I liked on Ebay which was upto £20 with 2 days ago. I bought the same one off Amazon for a fiver!

This weekend I sold my old laptop for £10 more than it cost to buy my new laptop.

tab99_uk

soolin wrote:

A bit harsh surely since only a small majority have problems?

10 millions registered users in the uK and Watchdog manage to drag up 2 buyers who both chose to ignore ebay advice and use Western Union. Watchdog might have been better actually concentrating on the real issues.

What I thought was quite telling, and put the ebay report in context was that watchdog also managed to find gullible people who would admit on National TV to having sent thousands of pounds to scamsters for a lottery win they didn't even have a ticket for!

Soo

ok then why did the guy who bought a an laptop if rember correctly only get refunded 105 and that is when he paid by paypal to about £350 out of pocket.

i have been ripped off by somone on ebay but what did ebay do not refund me when i asked for help they just sent me standard emails saying read our safe harbour pages and that reply took 2weeks.

all ebay want is thier fees same with paypal customer support does not exist.

the story can be found on http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/reports/consumer/consumer_20051206_2.shtml