(1) The Problem: in several instances, tracking purchased through eBay seems to not be synched to their [eBay’s] employees’ review of undelivered item cases.
The Experience: having delivered on my end of the bargain — by purchasing a shipping label through eBay and then sending out a buyer’s cards in timely fashion — eBay customer service nonetheless sent me messages, seemingly implying, that I am accountable for a buyer not receiving an item… with eBay arguing that I have not uploaded shipping. And, yet, I purchased my shipping through them. It’s Odd.
In one case — of particular frustration — I explained this to a representative, only to get back a what appeared to be a canned response that reiterated eBay’s original claim against me, without responding to the updated information I provided. My request for the problem I experienced to be escalated (I stated that I wanted to help eBay address what was clearly not a one-off, but a system’s-level, programming-based, problem) to a higher-level of management was either ignored, or at least not updated, in the response.
The Upshot: primarily, the major cost was time spent needlessly on the horn with customer service. Being forced to make a case for myself, when the system already had all the information it needed. To be clear: at a certain point, an item has been stuck in the mail for so long, that the buyer deserves a refund… but, so far as I am concerned, that is what insurance is for. I would also suggest, that eBay really should make a stronger effort to keep anyone overly impatient at bay, by sending them, on my behalf, a note that the seller (me!) put the item in the mail within X hours of receiving payment… with a reminder to the buyer that there is tracking, and then offering an indication of where the item currently is at within the postal system.
(2) The Problem: Postal insurance purchased through eBay doesn’t seem to be synched to eBay’s resolution of undelivered item cases.
The Experience: After getting an undelivered item case — not only did I have the awkward experience / inconvenience of needing to tell eBay the tracking number (of the shipping label I bought from them!) — but eBay then held me accountable to cover for the buyers loss. But here’s the thing: while the buyer has lost and should be compensated, I have too have lost my card! Obviously, if I paid eBay for insurance with my purchase of postage, then I should be compensated too. This is the very point of insurance. Again, for emphasis: this is the point of insurance, for which I have paid, in buying a shipping label via eBay. Rather than than experiencing a streamlined system in place to deal with these (inevitable) occurrences, eBay seems to have placed many hoops between me and a fair outcome, leaving the burden on the seller to jump through hoops, despite all the information being readily available in eBay’s system (seeing as the shipping label and insurance were purchased through eBay’s system).
The Upshot: well, covering for the lost mail comes, at least initially, out of my pocket. But most weird, I have to fight for it not to come out of my pocket. The system isn’t automated to use the information it has. Instead, the burden is placed on me to defend myself, when all the information already exists within the system for a judgement to be made in my defense, in my absence.
(3) The Problem: eBay’s willingness to unilaterally withdraw cash directly from my bank account.
The Experience: After using eBay’s international shipping labels and their standard envelop for trading cards under $20, I have been put in the awkward experience of eBay pulling money from my bank account to compensate a buyer for an undelivered item. Look, to some extent, I get it: if you’ve got a seller who is a bad actor — selling products with no intention to deliver — then, yeah, of course, eBay needs to be able to pull money from their account to compensate the buyers. But, first off, I have a long track record of not being that guy. And, second, the debiting of my account often occurred in the midst of me having defended and explained myself — and of having provided all the info eBay needs to process an insurance claim.
So, this problem is linked to the problems above. Yes, there are circumstances in which eBay should pull cash against a seller’s account. But given the above two points, this would not happen unnecessarily if only the system was streamlined to use the information it already has available to it.
The Upshot: First off, Inconvenience. Second off, some very tangible potential damages. I happened to have the money in my bank account to cover a pretty big sale that got a claim against it (understandably, the buyer wasn’t too happy with the item being stuck in the post for four + weeks). But what if I hadn’t? Most weeks, that bank account is just for receiving eBay payments, at which point I transfer the funds to other accounts. I had bought a shipping label through eBay with insurance, in order to avoid exactly this sort of circumstance! I went to the post office and waited in line to get a scan of the label. The post had my item in their possession and eBay had the proof (they sold me the postal label and tracking and insurance… after all… ). Yet, then the money got drawn from my account. What if I had reinvested the money … (or stupidly spent it on some sort of trinket, for all that matters)? … Why on earth would that be held against me? This could do some real harm for folks who’ve done everything right on their sale, but find the post not delivering on their end of the bargain. To suddenly have a bank account that could go in the red — its an upsetting thought, particularly when you’ve done what felt like due diligence to not have any major past sales come back to haunt you.