Anybody notice how EBAY insulates buyers from sellers & themselves from YOU???

Allhallowsday · July 15, 2010, 08:58:45 PM

Anybody notice how EBAY insulates buyers from sellers & themselves from YOU???

I don't EBAY much these days, but I used to a lot. I still visit the site everyday and I'm always looking for buys. BUT, with MORE recent changes, EBAY has made it harder if not impossible to communicate with each other or with ebay themselves. It used to be possible to communicate with EBAY directly (perhaps the old 800 numbers I have still work). But, I wanted to inquire about the very recent changes in various parts, making it harder to use the site, navigate your own "watching," etc. Guess what? Can't do it.

Jim H · July 15, 2010, 11:56:53 PM

Yeah, I noticed this. A lot of sites seem to be doing this. I suspect they're doing this in order to cut down on the costs involved with customer service.

Rev. Powell · July 16, 2010, 11:41:45 AM

Jim's right, it appears to be a cost-cutting trend. I've been having trouble uploading to YouTube, getting an unspecified error, and there is no way to talk to anyone there. The simply do not have any contact with "customers"; they try to help each other in the forums and that's it for support.

The Burgomaster · July 16, 2010, 01:02:28 PM

People who have Ebay stores have easier access to customer service. The more elaborate (i.e., expensive) store you have the more support you receive. I guess this is the "you get what you pay for" theory in action. I've been buying and selling on Ebay for 10 years or so. I recently closed my Ebay store (it was just a basic store, I think I paid $15 per month for it) because I don't have much more to sell.

My biggest complaint is Ebay no longer allows sellers to leave negative feedback for buyers. The reasoning behind this is they want sellers to go through the dipute resolution process rather than just leaving negative comments for buyers who don't pay. I think they should at least allow sellers to leave negative feedback AFTER they have formally filed a dispute. I recently had a game up for auction and a buyer used "Buy it Now" for $140.00. Then he never paid me or answered my e-mails. Ebay eventually refunded my final value fee, but the buyer who stiffed me still has 100% positive feedback. (Although, he does have a "strike" against him in Ebay's records).

Jim H · July 16, 2010, 01:57:16 PM

Quote from: The Burgomaster on July 16, 2010, 01:02:28 PM
People who have Ebay stores have easier access to customer service. The more elaborate (i.e., expensive) store you have the more support you receive. I guess this is the "you get what you pay for" theory in action. I've been buying and selling on Ebay for 10 years or so. I recently closed my Ebay store (it was just a basic store, I think I paid $15 per month for it) because I don't have much more to sell.

My biggest complaint is Ebay no longer allows sellers to leave negative feedback for buyers. The reasoning behind this is they want sellers to go through the dipute resolution process rather than just leaving negative comments for buyers who don't pay. I think they should at least allow sellers to leave negative feedback AFTER they have formally filed a dispute. I recently had a game up for auction and a buyer used "Buy it Now" for $140.00. Then he never paid me or answered my e-mails. Ebay eventually refunded my final value fee, but the buyer who stiffed me still has 100% positive feedback. (Although, he does have a "strike" against him in Ebay's records).

Yeah, that was a bad decision. Fact is, sellers are hurt FAR more by negative feedback than buyers anyway. I suspect part of the reason they removed the ability for sellers to leave negative feedback is because of all the sellers that left retaliatory negative feedback (of course, buyers do this ALL THE TIME - which is why I never left any negative feedback in the old days). Either way, it's frustrating for sellers.

Considering some of the douchebags I've had to deal with on eBay as a seller, it's amazing to me I've maintained a 100% positive feedback list.

indianasmith · July 16, 2010, 03:24:04 PM

I've been selling on EBay for about three years. I've had two deals go sour recently - a bought my girls a Nintendo Wii for their birthday and the jerk never sent it; then I bought two rare spearheads that turned out to be PLASTIC!! In one case, EBay refunded my money; in the other, I worked out a refund with the seller, who did not know the points were plastic. Anyway, I've never had a buyer not pay for his stuff. Delays sometimes, but refusal to pay, never. Overall my experiences with EBay have been OK once I overcame my reluctance to set up a Paypal account.

Allhallowsday · July 16, 2010, 11:59:11 PM

Quote from: Jim H on July 15, 2010, 11:56:53 PM
Yeah, I noticed this. A lot of sites seem to be doing this. I suspect they're doing this in order to cut down on the costs involved with customer service.

Quote from: Rev. Powell on July 16, 2010, 11:41:45 AM
Jim's right, it appears to be a cost-cutting trend.

I don't think it's so much a cost-cutting trend, as a throat-cutting. Beware the cutthroats. Beware the cutthroats.

InformationGeek · July 17, 2010, 09:13:17 AM

Quote from: indianasmith on July 16, 2010, 03:24:04 PM
Anyway, I've never had a buyer not pay for his stuff. Delays sometimes, but refusal to pay, never.

My dad actually ran into a problem like that in the past. I don't remember all of it, but dad never sent the item since the guy never paid for it.

I occasionally use EBay, but only through my dad, so I never noticed. He has an account and paypal, so when I want to get something off the site, I have to go through him and see if it is okay. Currently, I have 2 DVDs on the way, with one coming all the way from Great Britian!