There was a time, around approximately 2001, when eBay was a global marketplace where you could easily and efficiently unload items with any market value that you wanted to get rid of. Now, it’s more of a global flea market full of scams and villainy. eBay and its old accomplice, the U.S. Postal Service, worked together to make Keith’s old iPhone disappear into the ether.
I thought that after I upgraded my iPhone to the 4s, I’d throw my old 3gs up on eBay and maybe make a few bucks back. It got purchased pretty quickly and the buyer asked me to send it to Indonesia, despite the auction clearly saying US buyers only. When I refused, he asked me to give him good feedback and he would do the same – clearly this scam works better if people think you’re a good buyer.
I refused and reported the scammer to eBay which meant that he gave me negative feedback, not a good thing for a seller.
I re-listed the item and eventually got the fees from the first auction reversed and it sold again, albeit for a few bucks less. I asked the new buyer what method of payment and shipping he wanted. First class it was and he declined insurance. Just to be on the safe side, I sent it with “delivery confirmation” so I couldn’t be in a position where he claims he never got it.
Well, he claims he never got it. Politely at first and then, as the days passed, a bit more aggressively. I know I sent it, so I’m reassuring him and waiting.
All the while, the tracking system says they have my billing info received, but never received my package into the system. After a week, I call the USPS and they inform me that many times, it doesn’t show up until the delivery scan is done – and my personal experience has shown that to be correct. I’ve anxiously checked each day for items with my USPS tracking number, only to have them show up in my mailbox before they ever show up on the screen.
Then, the buyer did what any aggrieved person would and should do – they complained to eBay and they sent me “the email”.
I provided them the tracking number, but since it didn’t show they ever received it, I didn’t have much of a case. They ruled against me.
Then I had a thought, I sent it from the mail room in my building and they have cameras all over the place. I spoke with security and they had the shot – a video of the USPS employee picking up my box. I grabbed my laptop and fired off an email to eBay — I have the proof I sent it now, surely the eBay gods wouldn’t hold me accountable when I followed their every instruction and the buyer chose the method of shipping.
Then they explained the rules – had the item been stolen after it was scanned as delivered, I’d be off the hook, but if it’s stolen en route, that’s still your fault and you should have purchased insurance. Of course, the irony is that insurance wouldn’t apply here either because the USPS claims they never got the package.
eBay forwarded my case to a collection attorney and we are currently chatting.
But suffice it to say, I’m not using eBay anymore. And if you’re a buyer, I suggest you quit them also. There’s simply no protection for you.
If you don’t want to quit eBay because you like finding cheap used iPhones, perhaps try rolling the cost of insurance into a “shipping and handling” fee and refuse to remove it.
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I was at the post office a couple weeks ago, someone had shoved a box into the slot and it went about 9 inches in and stuck. There was at least 6 packages stuck behind it, when I went to put my letter in it wouldn’t slide down. I reached in and pulled the box and the other 6 packages out. I put them all back in making sure the box that got stuck went in right. I could of taken everything and no one would of been the wiser. I have no idea what was in the packages, but people need to realize you have to take the time and hand the package to a clerk. I would never just drop a package into a hope it gets shipped box. I never ship anything without insurance and delivery conformation.
when selling items on eBay I ALWAYS insist on insurance to cover my backside if there are any issues… unless it is something that is cheap.
That way I have no issues such as this!
As an eBay seller, I’ve noticed eBay is now pushing their own shipping insurance when it’s time to ship a package.
Although it appears less expensive, it has loopholes big enough to fly a FedEx jet through – not the least of which is the seller must wait 30 days to file a claim, even if the item was shipped with a faster method (Priority Mail, First Class, UPS 3-day Ground, etc.).
Translation: Buy eBay’s insurance and the buyer can still slam you with negative feedback, file claims with both eBay and PayPal and screw you out of your money a full three weeks before you stand any chance in Hell of receiving your insurance claim.
Maybe I’ll start listing my computer parts in a more ethical selling environment, such as the underage whores section of backpage.com
+1
If you are an infrequent seller, this fatwallet thread is a good resource of what to do/not do:
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/online-auction-info/476549/
Also, if it sold for over $250 seller should have gotten signature confirmation per PayPal’s policy.
Just sounds like some bad luck and a screwup with USPS, not eBay.
EBay isn’t like it used to be, that you can blame scammers and spammers as much as you can blame eBay.
Anyway, as far as buying/saving on eBay goes:
If you see an item that you want listed in auction format, send the seller a message asking if they will accept $x to end the auction early and sell the item to you. If that doesn’t work, use a sniping service such as Bidball.com to bid for you. It’ll bid in the last few seconds, helping to save $ and avoid shill bidding.
If there is a particular item that you want that is relatively rare on eBay or goes fast when one is listed, use ebuyersedge.com to set up a saved eBay search for it. You’d get an e-mail whenever a match is listed. You can use the price, category, exclude word, etc. filters to narrow down the results that you get in the e-mails. Excellent for “Buy It Nowâ€s priced right.
If the item that you’re looking for is difficult to spell, try a misspelling search site like Typojoe.com to find some deals with items that have main keywords misspelled in the title. Other interested buyers may never see them.
Just my .02 . . .
a) with so many claims of items lost at or by the Post Office, I think they should come under some scrutiny here also. It would not be any surprise to find that many USPS employees have developed sticky fingers. Ironically, the percentage of iPhones and other expensive electronic items disappear at a greater frequency. Any half-intelligent postal employee can deduce that a package with Delivery Confirmation, but with NO insurance is a candidate for theft. If they can x-ray or scan the package citing security concerns, then they may have an added advantage of “seeing” what is inside. Just by reading this series of posts, an idiot postal worker can learn that all suspicion, blame and consequences will always fall onto the seller an no one ever even thinks to look into Postal security.
b) Delivery Confirmation is basically worthless. Even under the best of circumstances, it’s just a tiny piece of evidence, not a guarantee of anything. It might make you feel like you’ve take a precaution, but it has no legal significance particularly when it involves smart scammers. It makes the Post Office a little extra money but you’re better off just buying the “Signature Required” or better yet, the insurance.
c) Visa & MasterCard will always side with the buyer also, unless the seller can produce the signature of the cardholder ; not his child or neighbor, but the actual card holder signature. Along with eBay, these policies attract the criminal element, or just the unscrupulous, because they know the system will likely dump all blame back on the seller, and that there is little chance of a criminal investigation. Selling any item online, ebay, CL, e-commerce or otherwise, is a risk and the laws, procedures and policies will always put the burden back on the seller. Seller beware.
d) Just take note that in ANY disputed transaction, regardless of responsibility, cause or reason, eBay never loses a dime. Just like Visa and MasterCard, they always walk away with money in their pockets. In this guys case, eBay still got their fees and they made money on the PayPal end of the deal also. They ALWAYS do. Sellers are easier to find than buyers & they know this and seem to have a misplaced incentive to favor buyers over sellers.
e) just like with card abuse/fraud, identity theft and other more modern, financial crime, the bad guys are much more intelligent than the banks, stores or delivery people. They know the laws, the procedures and the loop holes. They are much more motivated also. The online world we live in now brings criminals from all over the world into your living room via your computer. They have little to lose and much to gain. Avoid any transactions outside the USA and document everything because if you want to protect yourself, it is YOU that will have to do the protecting.
f) the law has not kept up with modern technology, the huge growth in international transactions and the protection of the American consumer and their personal information. The bad guys know all of this also.
Again, seller beware.
Not sure that this is Ebay’s fault. I have had a disputed sale before; sold a beautiful little lens about 18 months ago, which the buyer disputed complaining about the quality. He actually had a grievance, the focus ring on my pre-1980 lens was a bit tight (didn’t affect picture quality and did not bother me, but I can see why he had an issue), but didn’t indicate the problem to me until 5 weeks later, well beyond my return period of two weeks. We tried to resolve (unsuccessful), he complained to ebay, I presented my side of the story, and I won as I was in the right.
I have my issues with ebay, and have been ripped off before, but blame where blame is due; if you cover all your bases (mandatory insurance, restricted buying region, clear description and return policy, etc) ebay is still a viable option for selling goods.
Craigslist. Meet people in meatspace, it’s healthy. I sold my 32GB iPhone 3GS meeting the buyer at a local Dairy Queen. Easy cash transaction. Done and done.