Seller Performance Standards

[dougiejdm]

I have a ' below standard' seller rating with 3.41% cases closed without seller resolution. All 3 were over the canada post strike where shipments took longer than expected. The buyers sent in a request for refund, in all 3 cases we discussed about just waiting a few more weeks, and in all 3 cases the item arrived. 

I recall emails from Ebay where they said they'd protect sellers from this kind of thing over the strike. However, ebay stepped in despite me stating this was happening and just declared the transaction defective without me being able to do anything.

Now I'm being charged extra for poor seller performance despite none of those closed cases actually being defective, and a 100% seller rating and having been selling since 2000.

Is there nothing I can do? When will my rating be re-reviewed? It says if I were reviewed now I'd fail too. 

This is all very frustrating and there's no human to talk to at ebay. This platform is just terrible.

[reallynicestamps]

The "humans" are subcontracted workers working for whatever the minimum wage is in Utah. If you are lucky you will get someone in the Philippines who is improving their English skills so they can move to Canada and use their nursing degree. 

Neither group is well trained nor has any responsibility for change.

The phone reps have a terrible reputation for getting you off the phone as soon as possible even if that means giving you the advice you want to hear instead of the advice you need to have.

What you want is the social media Chat reps.

This starts with typing your problem 
Keep it clear factual and unemotional. 

Here are your options for contacting Ebay Customer Service.

Please be aware that for social media CS, you send them a Private Message and briefly explain what your problem or issue is. Feel free to leave your Name, address, phone number and/or your email address in this message. It is private and secure and it may help to speed up the response for you.


https://www.facebook.com/ebay -Message button in upper right on landing page.

https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/


https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter.

You will then get more options.
Your options will be on the left. If you use the link below you can only get to the Automated Assistant or Chat box type AGENT in the box and hit enter. You will then get more options. Not all options are available 24/7. It will depend on staffing available. So sometimes you can request a call back and sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have the Chat option available and other times it won't me. If it is important to you to use one of those options, just try back later.

The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.
And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.
 

[ricarmic]

@dougiejdm I hope you're able to get them to foregive the bad defects, but for future reference it is important to understand the bad defects processes are all automated.

As soon as a buyer opens a case, unless it is tracked and shows delivery, as a seller we only really have 2 options. Send a message to the buyer or refund before midnight before the end day*. If  the case isn't closed or refunded, it is automagically closed just after midnight* of the day before end day, and that is what causes the bad defects.

What I do in these situations is communicate with the buyer same as you have, and they'll either cancel the case (before midnight of the end day*), or I refund and ask them to notify me when it arrives so I can set things up for them to pay again (which is as easy as creating a special only for them item that they buy and pay for, we mark it as shipped and everyone is happy again).

*so if the case email says respond by January 31 it really means respond by midnight of January 30th, I know from personal experience that at 12:03 of the 31st the "bad defect" automatically happens.

[dougiejdm]

Ya, I talked on messenger. Of course they won't do anything. 

I did the dumb thing of actually reaching out to buyers to discuss the issue and come to a resolution with them directly instead of following ebay's robotic protocol, and now I'm being punished for it.

Buyers were happy, I was happy, ebay as the middle man is now charging me more each sale for it. I hate this place.

[dougiejdm]

It's insane too that the only way to improve my status is to just give ebay more money through this fee. lol what a greedy, terrible platform. there's got to be other alternatives.

[mrdutch1001]

.."there's got to be other alternatives."

yes there are, but for the most part you get what you pay for, as any good selling site worth listing on has just as many issues/problems as eBay...

[recped]

---

@dougiejdm wrote:

I have a ' below standard' seller rating with 3.41% cases closed without seller resolution. All 3 were over the canada post strike where shipments took longer than expected. The buyers sent in a request for refund, in all 3 cases we discussed about just waiting a few more weeks, and in all 3 cases the item arrived. 

---

You may have discussed waiting but it seems your buyers didn't actually wait that long. To get an unresolved the buyer has to escalate the refund REQUEST to a CASE, when you let it get to that point you have maybe an hour to refund before you get an Unresolved defect.

[dougiejdm]

Ya, I guess. I had to ask for payment after the fact because they got the card and got the ebay forced refund. 
Thankfully 2 of the 3 did.

[dinomitesales]

Unfortunately, I don't think there's much you can do at this point.

The items that had the INR cases on them - were they sent with tracking? I'm going to assume they weren't (but also no judgment, because most of my stuff also goes untracked).

[reallynicestamps]

*so if the case email says respond by January 31 it really means respond by midnight of January 30th, I know from personal experience that at 12:03 of the 31st the "bad defect" automatically happens.

AND

EBay Canada works on Eastern Time, so be ready to respond at least three hours before the last minute.

FAFO in Victoria BC 

[reallynicestamps]

Thankfully 2 of the 3 did.

Better than average. 

My experience, thankfully limited, is about 50% return the refund.

[darak10]

yeah what these are called, or what I call them, are forced refunds.  It is set up to take money from you by the resolution date whether they get the item or not.  While some do legitimately go missing, way too many will never admit they got it of course, as many do this just to get a freebie.  I had one the other day, some dude in Toronto filed one during their big snowstorm the other day (impeccable timing, entire bloody city sitting under 50 cms of snow, Im sure the posties were able to get around real well) and the resolution date was today.  Of course I never heard back from him so I went in last nite around 10 PM my time, swallowed my pride and gave him the refund he didnt deserve, then cut and pasted his username onto my blocked bidder list.  

for many of us, its become a complete waste of time.   Sales thru the floor and then stuff like this to take what little comes back to us, which for me and many others is a pathetically embarrassing amount.  And dont forget when this stuff happens, sellers ALWAYS get thrown under the bus.  Always always always always always.  Every single time.  And last nite, I had this guy who demanded nearly 20% partial refund because he felt I was half a grade off in my assessment of an item quality.  Half a grade - not a full grade, or two grades, or complete bonehead misgrade - half a grade.  Theres no point fighting with people like this, so I just refunded him and added another username onto my blocked bidder list.  

[dobo5250]

welcome to the world of ebay as it now 

i have been in and out of seller performance up to 3.41 % exactly as you many time the last time for 14 months straight -- all because i would after inspecting the product found it after two years locker stored to be  not quite right -- or one several occassions was just helping the cunstomer out cancel as order due to numerious reasons - that still did not matter -  all the good will i had will customers good reviews mean nothing --- and thereis no way to reveseve those bad hits even though many say here there is only time and its one yeat form each infraction 

i have just this month got myself out of bad  boy status  but as the law of averages come into play  being at 1.94 % right now - onr hit and iam back into the pit of punishment - its smething i have just come to accept -- high selling fees high postal rates and no seller customer service-- as they say it is what ebay saids it is -- so accept it or move on -- i hope to move on by summer instead of just accepting this situation but as sales are slow and costs high each month end is a struggle and i have found out my storage locker just upped their rates 10 % meaning two sales everymonth are now lost to teh increase --- i feel sorry for you just finding this out but many here have  just learn to slide sideways and let the water run down the back of the duck so to speak ---- good luck its only 12 months from your last infringement to get back what is already yours  

[reallynicestamps]

If they Claim it has not been delivered.

Add the tracking information to any Claim, because eBay usually (not always but usually) allows a day or so grace if you "cooperate" with the Claim.

If they claim it Not As Described.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return it for refund."

If they ask for a partial refund.

"I regret you are unahappy with your purchase. Please return it for refund."

 If they Message you, but do not open a Claim. 
"I regret you are unahappy with your purchase. Please return it for refund."

If they return the item on their dime, refund promptly.

If they demand return shipping, tell them politely to open a Claim so that you can refund smoothly through eBay.

You will be paying for tracked Return Shipping.  You can supply USPS shipping labels to US customers.

Return Shipping on refunds is a cost of doing business and is tax deductible. 

[mokemo]

Unforunately I've had similar experiences. I was in good standing for the marketing program, but after a few CP related transaction defects, I'm no longer able to participate until I'm back in good standing. It's extremely discouraging as I was a new seller, and got supposedley got caught off guard with certain people trying to take advantage of the untracked system through letter-mail. 

I have re-adjusted my strategy now in dealing with these cases by being more up-front with my policies and communication with eBay support -- which is really the best you can do.

Hopefully they hunker down on this and give some more clear answers on what can be expected from both buyers and seller, to avoid the miscommunication with their ever evolving support.