***I wrote the post below back in early June.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to post or not, but eBay is back at being, what I can only call, unethical.  Blogger photos are being stolen by sellers to advertise their items.  When eBay was contacted they shared blogger info (which, I’ve been told by probably one of the smartest women I know, is part of a DMCA requirement) to the sellers and in one case known to me, the seller has been harassing one blogger quite a bit.  When will it end?  I’m proud to say bloggers are doing what they can to fight back (check out this post).  I’m mad all over again.  So, I shall now share with you my horrid experience with eBay.

The following is just my opinion.  This account is based on my personal recent experience with eBay. To the extent I say anything derogatory against eBay, it is my personal opinion based on my personal experience with them.

Maybe you’ve had favorable experiences, and I am totally happy for you and hope you continue to have them.  If you have, or if you haven’t, please feel free to use the comments section below to tell your story, or link to a post telling your story.  Please keep the discussion adult.  Thank you!!!

Let’s begin!

eBay is tailored towards buyers.  Are you a seller?  I feel for you.  Because someday someone just MAY file a claim and say you sold them something not as described.  Sucks to be you, because (based on my experience) eBay doesn’t care if you’re reputable or if you have proof.  They don’t even care if your buyer has proof of their claims.  All they care about is making the buyer happy so that they spend more money and help the dishonest ones defraud more people.

They might tell you they protect their sellers, you might even read about it on their website.  But those are just words.  No action.  All you can do, as a seller, is report the buyer for Buyer Protection Policy Abuse.  AKA crap in one hand and wish in the other.

Here is what happened to me.

I sold a pair of AUTHENTIC (I have the receipt as PROOF) Chanel Sunglasses to a buyer with no feedback.  Okay, that was my bad.  I should never have accepted her offer.  Lesson learned.  Shipped quickly, item arrived.  Approximately 45 minutes after item delivery the buyer opened a not as described claim.  She said she tried to contact me before she did it (that’s obviously false), that the item was damaged, not as described, fake, and had no serial number.  She offered no proof of this.  I responded, offering proof of authenticity.  eBay decided in her favor, no questions asked, didn’t even ask to see my proof.  They instructed her to return the item for a full refund.  Which she immediately printed a label for and the glasses arrived back in a few days.  Thankfully they arrived back exactly as I had sent them.  Authentic, undamaged and with serial number intact.  Image that.

Peep the receipt (this is just one of 8 that I had ready to send):

Also, I checked her recent buying activity and saw she has purchased two OTHER pairs of Chanel glasses (which clearly ARE fakes, IMO) for $80 and $86, respectively, after she filed the claim on me.

I spoke with customer service about this three times.

The first time, I spoke with someone that I couldn’t understand, that definitely could not understand me.  I read her the item number off of the receipt and she said she marked that down on the notes so that the agent who was deciding the case could contact Chanel and verify the authenticity.  The next morning, the case was decided in the buyers favor.

I called eBay a second time.  This time I spoke with a woman who was extremely helpful.  She told me the first woman never marked down that information and that she should have because it would have helped the decision and aided them in a more accurate response.  She told me to wait for the glasses to arrive and file an appeal.  After that, since it was eBays fault on the wrong decision, eBay would “take care of me”.  Okay, sounds good.

Today I called eBay the third time.  Spoke with a woman who agreed that the whole situation was super shady but nothing she can do.  She also told me that the person deciding the outcome of my claim was OUTSOURCED and not even in the same STATE as her.  What?!  So I asked for a supervisor.  I was put in touch with Jeremy, who is likely the most condescending person I’ve ever spoken to.  He has NO CLUE what he’s talking about and all he did was shout over me and treat me like garbage.

So not only did my buyer defraud me, eBay defrauded me.  eBay failed me, as a longtime seller and buyer.  I have been selling on eBay since 1999, have 747 all positive feedbacks and no marks on my record.  eBay used to be the greatest place to buy, sell, and even chat with others.  Their practices now are a total 180 of the eBay from the past.  I realize that it’s important for companies to grow and make money, but I think it’s even more important for a company to remember it’s roots.

I will NEVER sell on eBay again.  I urge you to please be aware of eBays practices, apparent lack of seller protection,  and also familiarize yourself with their buyer protection policy.  It *says* they don’t refund for buyers remorse… but they do, all the buyer has to do is lie.

**Special thank you to the beautiful and legal mind of  Beauty & Fashion Tech and the always masterful and intelligent Pink Sith for answering my questions and being majorly awesome!