REFUNDING BUYERS WITH NO REGARDS TO SELLERS

[IBEENROBBED]

When I first learned of ebay, years ago, I thought "Wow, this is too good to be true".  As a stay at home mom, I can supplement my income.  Over the years, I've seen ebay change to the point that I am sick of it! 

Last year, I mailed some items (reluctantly) to Canada.  I have a no shipping outside of the U.S. policy, but the buyer pleaded with me, and I agreed to mail to Canada if she'd pay the EXACT shipping.  It was over $36.  I mailed a box of over 100 cake decorating items.  Hundreds of dollars worth of stuff.  The buyer chose NOT to purchase insurance.  Long story short, she waited a couple weeks, then made a claim to paypal to be refunded.  She said that ONE of the items was broken, and that that one item was the reason she bought the lot.  I think she paid about $14 for the lot!!!  SHE WAS AWARDED $50!  I was devastated!

Now, I'm getting it again.  I was so reluctant to sell again after being burned like that, but I decided to give it a try.  I sent some items, media, was only able to charge $4 for shipping.  It cost me $12 to ship it, and now the buyer says she didn't receive them.  The value of the items was about $140.  New.  Again, the buyer didn't purchase insurance.   Now paypal is holding my money and will probably compensate her.  WHAT ABOUT THE SELLER!  I'm out the items, the shipping, and ebay and paypal fees. 

WHAT GOOD IS INSURANCE WHEN BUYING?  IF YOU'RE NOT SIMPLY DELIGHTED, PAYPAL WILL GLADLY TAKE THE SELLERS MONEY AND GIVE IT TO YOU!!!!

I am so upset by the whole thing! 

So many charges, so little profit.  I look through ebay and scroll literally hundreds of items with no bids.  Ebay is going downhill fast! 

I can see why. 

[SteveinSeattle]

I had a similar scare - but the buyer wasn't an actual fraudster as your first "buyer" was.  

The terms of an auction I had were clear:  5 days handling time, plus the USPS quoted 5 to 7 business days for delivery.  At the 3 day mark the buyer filed a claim with eBay/PayPal that I was not responding to emails, which I had done, but the third or fourth email from him I didn't respond to same day, I saw it the next morning, along with the email from eBay/PayPal.  

I asked for feedback about the policy to eBay and PayPal and, naturally, it was ignored.

I may migrate back to payment via bank draft if eBay and PayPal can't get their acts together.

Incidentally:  I've been an eBay user since 1998 with 100% postitive feedback, well over 200 transactions, and have a US based email address.  The buyer had feedback below 95% positive feedback (a red flag anytime someone has several negative experiences - one perhaps, but not 3+ for someone that doesn't do a huge volume), well under 100 transactions, and had a Russian email address.  When I shipped, I wondered if he'd gotten the Ohio address off googlemaps and was planning the rescission all along.  Fortunately I WAS WRONG about this last part.

It took him DAYS to tell paypal and ebay that he had received the item.  I even had tracking info from the post office (which ebay did also), but I was sure if I was going to be out nearly a hundred bucks.  The guy's english skills were horrible (written anyway), so it was difficult to even decipher some of his "code" in order to respond every single time he emailed.  I don't know if he notified ebay he had receive the item or if ebay saw the item had been delivered, but eventually - several days after delivery confirmation - the funds were released.

The eBay/PayPal process is horrible, and clearly they don't understand the difference between unconditional customer satisfaction and their responsibility as mediator.  Clearly they've taken the stance that the buyer is always right without regard to other fraud detection/investigation options that have available to them that may cause them to suspect the buyer claim is fraudulent (the worst) or just paranoid (at best).  

I'm thinking of filing a UDAP (Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices)  complaint with the Federal Government over this issue.  I'll report back what happens.