Refusing to pay money owed to eBay

darroch

We sold our wedding dress on eBay to a buyer in Greece. On the auction and separate videos that was sent to the buyer we detailed the dress defects (hem needing repaired - what you’d expect from trailing a dress around on your wedding day). We offered to repair before agreeing to the sale but the buyer said they’d make the repairs themselves.

Fast forward to when they received the dress, to our anger they raised a dispute saying the dress has defects which we didn’t make them aware of (the dress was taken in at the side as a way of resizing). We disputed that it wasn’t a defect. It was escalated to eBay after no resolve. At this point I sent all communication to eBay showing the videos and email chain showing our transparency of all defects. eBay ruled in their favour and demanded that I arrange a return for the dress within 5 days otherwise they keep the item and they will refund the full amount on my behalf. Of course I contested this with eBay. No response from them and after 5 days eBay refunded their amount and they got to keep the dress. I phoned eBay to ask why I received no response to my email. Supposedly they didn’t receive the email. Anyway, I appealed the case to no avail. 3 months on and eBay are about to suspend my account because I’m refusing to pay them. The amount which I owe them is £365.

Has anyone had experience of eBay passing this onto a debt collection agency? What was the outcome?

I’ve was here 10 years ago with PayPal for an item sold on eBay which the buyer claimed they never received but did (handed to them in person without getting proof that they received goods). I went through the whole process of debt collection letters and calls. I ignored it. Eventually it stopped.

theonlywayisup

eBay would have given you the option to accept a return, you decided to fight the return and lost.

Furthermore, when eBay offered you the option to arrange the return, you failed.

I am surprised you are back here after a Paypal debt collection scenario.

I can't help with how eBay proceed with their collections but the situation was avoidable.

soolin

darroch wrote: »

We sold our wedding dress on eBay to a buyer in Greece. On the auction and separate videos that was sent to the buyer we detailed the dress defects (hem needing repaired - what you’d expect from trailing a dress around on your wedding day). We offered to repair before agreeing to the sale but the buyer said they’d make the repairs themselves.

Fast forward to when they received the dress, to our anger they raised a dispute saying the dress has defects which we didn’t make them aware of (the dress was taken in at the side as a way of resizing). We disputed that it wasn’t a defect. It was escalated to eBay after no resolve. At this point I sent all communication to eBay showing the videos and email chain showing our transparency of all defects. eBay ruled in their favour and demanded that I arrange a return for the dress within 5 days otherwise they keep the item and they will refund the full amount on my behalf. Of course I contested this with eBay. No response from them and after 5 days eBay refunded their amount and they got to keep the dress. I phoned eBay to ask why I received no response to my email. Supposedly they didn’t receive the email. Anyway, I appealed the case to no avail. 3 months on and eBay are about to suspend my account because I’m refusing to pay them. The amount which I owe them is £365.

Has anyone had experience of eBay passing this onto a debt collection agency? What was the outcome?

I’ve was here 10 years ago with PayPal for an item sold on eBay which the buyer claimed they never received but did (handed to them in person without getting proof that they received goods). I went through the whole process of debt collection letters and calls. I ignored it. Eventually it stopped.

Yes this will go to debt collectors so you need to make sure you know what rights they have, and moreover importantly, what they don't have so are prepared. they are likely to be persistent, some people have reported being harassed for over a year on and off, but be prepared to complain if they go too far. It is unlikely it will go further though, it has been many years since I've seen a report of eBay actually taking someone to court.

As for the case, it was a pity you didn't come here and ask first. Once it is open there is no need for buyer to respond or add anything, in virtually all cases the buyer will win, and as you have found out that means you lose the dress, end up needing to repay eBay, and to make it worse, still have FVFs to pay. Incidentally You mention the dress being re sized and that was the complaint, if that wasn't mentioned then that's a pretty big thing not to declare.

Lastly, if you do walk away from this debt then that's it for eBay in future. Neither you or your partner can use it ever again, nor can anyone that eBay consider linked to you in any way.

darroch

soolin wrote: »

Yes this will go to debt collectors so you need to make sure you know what rights they have, and moreover importantly, what they don't have so are prepared. they are likely to be persistent, some people have reported being harassed for over a year on and off, but be prepared to complain if they go too far. It is unlikely it will go further though, it has been many years since I've seen a report of eBay actually taking someone to court.

As for the case, it was a pity you didn't come here and ask first. Once it is open there is no need for buyer to respond or add anything, in virtually all cases the buyer will win, and as you have found out that means you lose the dress, end up needing to repay eBay, and to make it worse, still have FVFs to pay. Incidentally You mention the dress being re sized and that was the complaint, if that wasn't mentioned then that's a pretty big thing not to declare.

Lastly, if you do walk away from this debt then that's it for eBay in future. Neither you or your partner can use it ever again, nor can anyone that eBay consider linked to you in any way.

Good that’s what I wanted to know that no one has been taken to court by eBay.

Not bothered in the slightest about using eBay again. You’d think being a user of 12 years with 100% positive feedback would go some way in terms of acting in my favour but nope, they don’t care about the sellers rights at all.

theonlywayisup

darroch wrote: »

You’d think being a user of 12 years with 100% positive feedback would go some way in terms of acting in my favour but nope, they don’t care about the sellers rights at all.

I'm not sure why you might think that.

You failed to accept a return, failed to fund the return on eBay's decision against you. eBay's T&C are very clear. You either failed to read/understand them or chose to ignore them.

soolin

darroch wrote: »

Good that’s what I wanted to know that no one has been taken to court by eBay.

Not bothered in the slightest about using eBay again. You’d think being a user of 12 years with 100% positive feedback would go some way in terms of acting in my favour but nope, they don’t care about the sellers rights at all.

Ebay do not work on 'probability' they don't employ enough people to sit and act as a court to judge the condition of items to decide who is right, and if they did then surely using length of time registered and feedback is hardly the way to make a decision.

Unfortunately as sellers we need to understand our obligations, yes some of them are bitter , but if we don't understand them then we are not best placed to make a rational and sensible decision, I am a little surprised that if you have been on ebay for 12 years that you were not aware of the rules and policies.

As I mentioned in my earlier post if you had come here when the SNAD was first opened we would have advised you to accept the return, especially as there appeared to be good basis for it. At least then you would have got the dress back before you had to refund, and it is very surprising how many people open SNAD cases, get a label provided and then don't bother returning. Out of my last 4 return cases (3 of which were SNAD and one change of mind) only 1 of the SNAD items was ever returned, the other cases all timed out without buyer returning the goods.

Tealblue

darroch wrote: »

Good that’s what I wanted to know that no one has been taken to court by eBay.

Not bothered in the slightest about using eBay again. You’d think being a user of 12 years with 100% positive feedback would go some way in terms of acting in my favour but nope, they don’t care about the sellers rights at all.

Won't be ebay who take you to court - it will be the debt collector to whom the debt has been sold (hence the lack of anyone being taken to court by ebay). You do realise an unpaid debt will hurt your credit rating?

RMS2

Tealblue wrote: »

Won't be ebay who take you to court - it will be the debt collector to whom the debt has been sold (hence the lack of anyone being taken to court by ebay). You do realise an unpaid debt will hurt your credit rating?

No it won't, because ebay has no credit agreement. Also ebay doesn't like to get involved with anything like the FCA/PRA. Which means they steer away from anything like that.

To the OP. Ebay, will send you loads of emails, they might send it to a debt collector, who may write to you and/or phone you.

In my experience, and I have fallen out with ebay many times over the years, they don't go to court and their debt collectors do no call at your house. This is the experience of many others.

You will of course lose your ebay account, most likely you have already lost it, but they will keep pretending you haven't, hoping that you will give them £365.

Setting up another account for selling is tricky, but setting a new one up for buying is pretty easy.

Keep your money.

theonlywayisup

RMS2 wrote: »

You will of course lose your ebay account, most likely you have already lost it, but they will keep pretending you haven't, hoping that you will give them £365.

Setting up another account for selling is tricky, but setting a new one up for buying is pretty easy.

Keep your money.

Setting up another account will ultimately end the same way, with the account being closed and (if it is a selling account) with monies being frozen.

It is not good advice.

darroch

RMS2 wrote: »

No it won't, because ebay has no credit agreement. Also ebay doesn't like to get involved with anything like the FCA/PRA. Which means they steer away from anything like that.

To the OP. Ebay, will send you loads of emails, they might send it to a debt collector, who may write to you and/or phone you.

In my experience, and I have fallen out with ebay many times over the years, they don't go to court and their debt collectors do no call at your house. This is the experience of many others.

You will of course lose your ebay account, most likely you have already lost it, but they will keep pretending you haven't, hoping that you will give them £365.

Setting up another account for selling is tricky, but setting a new one up for buying is pretty easy

Keep your money.

Thanks for the response. I’ll just be ignoring the letters & phone calls. If i were to set up a new account it would only be for buying.

RFW

RMS2 wrote: »

No it won't, because ebay has no credit agreement. Also ebay doesn't like to get involved with anything like the FCA/PRA. Which means they steer away from anything like that.

To the OP. Ebay, will send you loads of emails, they might send it to a debt collector, who may write to you and/or phone you.

I agree with that. I would add that some debt collectors are now taking court claims out. Mostly in the hope that this will scare the debtor into paying immediately or failing that, ignore it and they can send bailiffs in to collect on a CCJ. If that does happen (it would be 6 months + down the line) then you'd need to defend the case and see if it went to court.

I don't know if this is happening with Ebay debtors/collectors but it is happening.

I'd also add that just because we haven't heard of Ebay taking anyone to court doesn't mean it isn't happening (I'm not saying it is). Most people are too embarrassed to say they've been sued, even anonymously.