My eBay 'buyer protection' nightmare...

Irn-Bru-Kid

Another fool that sent an item to an 'alternative' address:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/money-saving-tips/11127669/My-eBay-buyer-protection-nightmare.html

RFW

I was just reading Tamebay's thoughts on this. Uninformed seller doesn't follow rules that he doesn't know about.

The big problem is that Ebay tell people how easy it is to sell a phone in large friendly letters and don't seem to let them know of the possible pitfalls. Sellers who are on here will think it's folly to send to a non Ebay/Paypal address but not everyone knows there can be a problem even if they send it tracked.

Kayalana99

You say that eBay doesn't tell them the possible pitfalls but even if eBay sent everyone an e-mail every week with point by point ways of not getting scammed 95% of people would not read it.

People need to clue themselves up or things like this are bound to happen.

PenguinJim

Was just reading about this earlier. Incredible.

However, Mr Wright seems to have been left out of the seller protection scheme.

Yes, because he didn't follow the simple, basic instructions. More like MR WRONG, amirite?!

Then again, I doubt that seller protection would have done much anyway. There are surely dozens of genuine cases of non-idiots abiding by eBay's rules and still being ripped off just on this forum alone that would have made for an actual story. Unbelievable!

Rev

You've only got to read these forums for a few hours to see he could have sent it to any address and the buyer could claim his cash back. eBay side with the buyer. There's plenty of sellers who follow the rules to the letter and still get ripped off.

I could buy a phone now on eBay accidentally drop/break/drown it. Open a not as described. Send the seller a paper weight back and get my cash back.


Or I could say it never arrived and get my cash back.


Or I could use it for a few months, decide I want an upgrade. Open a SNAD and get my cash back.


eBay is outrageously bias towards buyers. I love the bit where it says 'if asked. We step in to help and review the information provided'. As if an actual human person looks at the case and decided. When it's clearly all automated.


A seller could sell an item. Have tracked delivery. Have messages from the buyer saying 'well my dog chewed it and now it's broke so I'm opening a case'. And eBay would still side with the buyer and refund.


I honestly think those of you who sell on eBay deserve a medal. I couldn't handle the stress. It's so simple and easy to rip sellers off that I'd be constantly worrying.

RMS2

Seller Protection? Stop making me laugh, my sides are hurting.


Unless you happen to know a Telegraph journo.


EBay, when contacted by Telegraph Money, declined to comment on any of the circumstances of Mr Wright’s difficulties. Nor would it say whether complaints of this sort were common.

But it appears to have acknowledged, at least indirectly, that Mr Wright’s case had not been properly investigated or handled – as it has now backed down. A spokesman for eBay said: “Mr Wright won’t have to pay any refund and the hold on his account has now been released.”