eBay

murphcrud · ‎10-28-2023

Does anyone out there know how long it will take for eBay to issue refunds on incorrectly charged sales tax for pure silver items. I have been waiting for close to two months. I have been assured that it will get resolved as they have a long list to go through. I couldn't get any other committment from the person that I was speaking to at eBay, as to timing.

Anybody received their refunds and what was the time frame?? I am wanting to hear ONLY from sellers who have received their owed refunds.

Thanks

marnotom! · ‎10-28-2023

If I’m understanding your post correctly, you’re asking from a seller’s perspective about getting a refund of the FVF and tax on the FVF charged on the sales tax that you feel shouldn’t have been charged on the sale of the coins, correct?

recped · ‎10-28-2023

Why would SELLERS get a refund of incorrectly charged Sales Tax? Taxes are paid by BUYERS.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

rocketscollectibles · ‎10-28-2023

You forget about selling fees on taxes, and taxes on fees.

Not even talking about the fact buyers are willing to pay less because they have to add taxes, so it's the sellers losing.

murphcrud · ‎11-14-2023

No. I am a buyer.

murphcrud · ‎11-14-2023

Your assumption is incorrect - I am a buyer, not a seller

murphcrud · ‎11-14-2023

I guess that my original inquiry was incorrect when I stated 'sellers', I meant to say 'buyers'

Sorry for the confusion.

I now advise buyers of my pure silver products to monitor their invoice from eBay to insure that the tax is correct - I am quite sure that it still hasn't been amended and they continue to charge tax on pure silver items. I cannot see a way around this as eBay doesn't know the difference between a pure silver item and a Sterling silver item and continues to charge tax as they do with any other item. If seller identifies the item as being pure silver when in fact it is not, the buyer would have to lay claim to deemed incorrectly charged tax, directly from eBay and how would eBay know if the tax was correctly or incorrectly charged. Of course, that may bring about other problems - for seller and buyer. As I write this, I know that eBay is about 4-6 months behind in refunding buyers for incorrectly charging tax. I have received two refunds to date, with still 7 more outstanding.

This has been and continues to be, a real can of worms.

marnotom! · ‎11-14-2023

Keep in mind that a human being at eBay isn't the one who checks listings and decides whether or not the item in the listing is subject to tax. That's all done as part of a computer subroutine. And the only thing that the subroutine is able to check is the category and sub-categories that the item is listed it; it doesn't "know" what the item is specifically unless the sub-category is the item itself, such as a specific make and model of mobile phone.

And a quick search for pure silver coins reveals to me that some sellers aren't categorizing their coins properly, either categorizing something as "bullion" when it isn't or else listing it (or cross-listing it) in a sub-category that includes taxable coins. And if coin sellers can't even get this right, well. . . .

By the way, the reason I thought you might be posting from a seller's perspective is because you posted this in the Seller Central forum.

byto253 · ‎11-15-2023

Nuance is not a strong suit.

coinsplus1 · ‎06-21-2025

Idiot eBay still continues to charge GST or HST on pure silver bullion. Did people call in to eBay call Center get their refund on the tax processed?

marnotom! · ‎06-21-2025

@coinsplus1 wrote:

Idiot eBay still continues to charge GST or HST on pure silver bullion. Did people call in to eBay call Center get their refund on the tax processed?

I just checked three listings for silver coins listed in the "bullion" category that were of 0.999 fineness and put them in my cart. None of them had taxes applied to them.

The OP currently has a listing for a Canadian ten cent piece that's stated as being "99.95%" pure. Because it's listed in the "Coins--Canada" category, it's got a tax charge on it. But the OP isn't claiming that it's "pure silver bullion".

The items you're finding are likely being categorized by sellers as something other than bullion. See my previous posts from 2023 for elaboration on this, as this thread is likely going to be shut down for age and inactivity.

murphcrud · ‎07-26-2025

Did I call into eBay to get my refund? 6 TIMES !!! Did I get my refunds? NOT A CHANCE !!!!

Just promises that they will look into it which could take up to 2-3 months for clarification.

I GAVE UP !!!!

reallynicestamps · ‎07-26-2025

Again.

Because it's listed in the "Coins--Canada" category, it's got a tax charge on it.

flipistics · ‎07-26-2025

@murphcrud wrote:
Did I call into eBay to get my refund? 6 TIMES !!! Did I get my refunds? NOT A CHANCE !!!!
Just promises that they will look into it which could take up to 2-3 months for clarification.
I GAVE UP !!!!

I (think) you can fill out a form to get reimbursed by the government.

murphcrud · ‎07-26-2025

Hardly worth the agony of dealing with the Gov. eBay is bad enough

murphcrud · ‎07-26-2025

Yes, but customer shouldn't have been charged tax as the coin was pure silver.

marnotom! · ‎07-26-2025

@murphcrud wrote:

Yes, but customer shouldn't have been charged tax as the coin was pure silver.

Then you should have supplied eBay with the necessary information so that the “Checkout Robot” wouldn’t charge tax on the coin. To do this, you should have listed the item in the “bullion” category. As far as I know, that's the only way the "robot" is going to recognize the sale as being GST/HST exempt. Otherwise, the sale is for a coin because the "robot" isn't going to know the details.

On a completely different note, I see you have a 1971 coin with some surface wear listed as being in "new" condition with the rationale that the coin was new to you and will be new to the buyer. That's not how "item condition" works on eBay. The condition of the item has to match eBay's definition.

https://www.ebay.ca/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/item-conditions-category?id=476...

coinsplus1 · ‎01-05-2026

It's been six full months since my purchase, informed them in June, and then followed-up August, and now currently on the phone with an agent at ebay. The lady, Alex, tells me that my pure oz Silver Maple Leaf, .999 is not eligible.

She transferred me to leadership team (supervisor) and a guy named Renee says I am eligible. He informs me that my coin is eligible for GST/HST exemption.

He said he's filling a report and complaint form. eBay's customer service is BS - first providing false and misleading information by a representative, only until I got transferred to a supervisor (leadership).

mrdutch1001 · ‎01-05-2026

"He said he's filling a report and complaint form.....

and you have that verified and in writing, right??

"only until I got transferred to a supervisor (leadership)."

Leadership? .....We shall see how that goes....

flipistics · ‎01-05-2026

@coinsplus1 wrote:
It's been six full months since my purchase, informed them in June, and then followed-up August, and now currently on the phone with an agent at ebay. The lady, Alex, tells me that my pure oz Silver Maple Leaf, .999 is not eligible.

She transferred me to leadership team (supervisor) and a guy named Renee says I am eligible. He informs me that my coin is eligible for GST/HST exemption.

He said he's filling a report and complaint form. eBay's customer service is BS - first providing false and misleading information by a representative, only until I got transferred to a supervisor (leadership).

Why even bother going through eBay for it? There should be a form you can fill out with the government.