***New and Improved Buyer Protection on eBay*** Or not?

StaffsSW

08 May, 2007 | 02:59PM BST

We wanted to let you know about improvements we’re making to buyer protection on eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie.

From June 2007, PayPal will provide £150/€200 of coverage with no processing fee, no minimum purchase price and no seller requirements for all UK / IE buyers who pay with PayPal. This coverage protects buyers for purchases made of certain items which are either not received or for those that are significantly not as described.

Additionally, buyers who use PayPal to purchase items from eligible sellers may be entitled to up to £500/€1000 protection.

Buyers can look in the Meet the Seller, Buy Safely section on item listings to see how each specific listing is covered.

The protection offered by PayPal is an expansion of PayPal Buyer Protection and replaces the eBay Standard Purchase Protection Programme which previously covered most eBay listings for up to £120/€200 minus a £15/€25 processing fee.

We’ve responded to community feedback that eBay Standard Purchase Protection wasn’t meeting the community’s needs, so we’ve decided to retire it and just offer simplified purchase protection through PayPal – making coverage on eBay much simpler and more comprehensive.

Find out more about why protection is important and details of our policies along with other useful information about buying with confidence in our Safety Centre.

Regards,

The eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie Teams

Source

Previously the standard eBay SPPP offered coverage to buyers who paid by Cheque or Postal Order etc , but now it is only if the buyer uses Paypal.

This is the text of the Standard Purchase Protection Programme - It may not be available for much longer!

eBay's Standard Purchase Protection Programme reimburses buyers for eligible transactions when:

An item was not received.

An item was received but significantly not as described.

For example:

You'll be reimbursed up to a maximum of £120.00 (less £15.00 to cover processing costs).The maximum reimbursement for any claim is £105.

If the item price is £500, you're eligible to receive £105.
If the item price is £100, you're eligible to receive £85.
If the item price is £26, you're eligible to receive £11.

Eligible transactions

The final price of the item is over £15. Multiple listings cannot be combined into one claim to become eligible, even if purchased from the same seller. Items purchased through Multiple Item Listings are eligible, provided the combined value of all items purchased through a single listing is over £15.
You are a winning bidder or fixed price buyer of an item listed on the eBay site.
Both you and the seller had a feedback rating of zero or above at the close of the listing.
Your item is legal and in accordance with eBay's Listing Policies and User Agreement.
Payment was sent to the seller in good faith and proof of payment can be documented.
You have not exceeded the three claims per six-month limit.
If you paid with a credit card (either directly to the seller or through an online payment service other than PayPal) you must have already contacted your credit card issuer and sought reimbursement from the issuer prior to filing a claim.

Non-eligible transactions

Items which are not significantly different from the item description.
Items paid for with cash or instant money transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram.
Bidpay: please contact your credit card provider to file a chargeback.
Items which are paid for with a postal order.
Items where a PayPal claim has been paid. If you paid for your eBay transaction with PayPal, you'll need to go through PayPal's Buyer Complaint Process.
Items damaged or lost in transit.
Merchandise that has been altered, repaired, discarded or resold.
Items which are picked up or delivered in person.
Intangible items.
Double or overpayment.
Postage and packing fees.
Escrow fees.
Buyer's remorse.

eBay Standard Purchase Protection Programme process-

Complete the Item Not Received or Significantly Not as Described Process. If you have completed this process, close the dispute and select "end communication with the seller". If the transaction is eligible, you will be presented with a link to the Standard Purchase Protection Programme claim form.

Submit the online Standard Purchase Protection Programme claim form. From My eBay, click the "Dispute Console" link. From the Dispute Console, click the relevant dispute. On the "View Dispute" page, click the link to the Standard Purchase Protection Programme claim form. Fill out the form and click "Submit" to file your claim.

Submit proof of payment. Within 14 days of submitting your claim, an eBay claims administrator may contact you via email, asking you to provide proof of payment. Proof of payment may be provided in the form of a photocopy of the front and back of a postal order, receipt, banker's draft, personal cheque, etc. If you paid with a credit card (either directly or through an online payment service other than PayPal), eBay will require proof of denial of reimbursement through the credit card company (if applicable). This will typically be in the form of a letter from your credit card issuer.

Submit Letter of Authenticity (if applicable). An eBay Claims Administrator may contact you for a Letter of Authenticity or Appraisal based on an independent authenticator's physical inspection. The Appraisal or Proof of Authenticity must be on company letterhead of the authenticator and must include contact information for the authenticator (name and telephone number). This information may be mailed or faxed to eBay.

So despite the claims it is in the response to community demands, it is actually an attempt for Paypal to completely monopolise the eBay Payments method.

How can this be an improvement?

digerati

stevew8975 wrote: »

So despite the claims it is in the response to community demands, it is actually an attempt for Paypal to completely monopolise the eBay Payments method.

How can this be an improvement?

It's a blatent attempt by eBay to force customers (sellers) into using a third-party (owned by eBay) service and might be construed as contrary to certain EU laws and regulations.

It also increases seller's exposure to risk if they are forced to accept PayPal for items they previously accepted payment for via cheque, bank transfer, postal money order or competiting payment services. I expect the German-speaking markets will reject it loudly as most are happy to use domestic bank transfer (since it's free) which are considerably faster and safer than PayPal. Expect to see some fireworks over this announcement ;-)

soolin

digerati, paypal have now started to break the German market...I now buy and sell quite a few items there as both buyers and sellers are being persuaded to use paypal rather than bank transfers. At one point Germany was a big market for my items and I couldn't do anything about it as I won't move away from paypal, now I sell as much there as I do to the US. Also bank transfers were never covered for an ebay claim so there is no difference there.

I don't think there will be any outcry at all about this as buyer don't know about the ebay protection rules anyway. Some buyers assume they are covered for something, somehow but don't look any further until somehtign goes wrong. Also, an ebay claim was always problematic as there were so many rules that governed when a buyer was covered, and a clever seller only had to offer an inflated optional insurance to make a claim invalid assuming the buyer didn't pay that extra.