eBayReviews 3,492

I am an ebay junkie, if I want it and can't find it on the internet shopping sites, I always head over to ebay, type in one or two words, hit FREE SHIPPING, and let the internet do its magic.

I have been ebaying for 5 years just about, have my own jewelry line and do Digital Art and can find all and more products I need to be successful. I am an avid collector of rare and out of print books and only a few times could not find a copy of a jewel I really wanted to own.

And did I mention the freedom and availability of Paypal? That could be a whole new review... Just enough to say I adore Paypal and have never ever had a problem with ebay or its policies.

Last month I ordered a book and when it got here, it was the wrong book. Almost on the heels of the book came a e-note from the seller telling me he
Sent me the wrong book and the correct one was on its way and I could keep
The mistake and our transaction wouldn't cost anything extra at all...
I donated the book to our Library and the replacement was here in 5 days...

Awesome site for me, if there were 10 stars available, I would light up all 10

M

There are two perspectives that one can rate this site from: the buyer's viewpoint, or the sellers. As a buyer, I would have no complaints. But today I am rating this as a seller, because this is what I have been using eBay most for.

I have learned through experience that eBay has very little protection for sellers. A seller cannot leave negative feedback for a bad buyer, for one. He or she can only file an unpaid item claim. This process locks up the item for at least 8 days before it can be relisted. And there's the expense; eBay is costly, though I guess that's what you pay for brand recognition.

However, these all are just minor frustrations compared to my major complaint; eBay protects unreasonable buyers at the seller's expense. To elaborate, a buyer can open a Buyer Protection case if they want a refund due to some perceived error on the part of the seller, such as an improperly described item. If resolution can not be made via email between buyer and seller, eBay makes a decision on the case as to who is at fault. If in favor of the buyer, refund is forced. But if in favor of the seller, eBay removes the Buyer Protection case from the seller's record so it doesn't negatively affect his or her seller rating, and the seller is not required to issue a refund. That's the process. However, even if a seller wins a protection case, this does not block the buyer from leaving negative feedback, and what appears prominently for all to see is the feedback rating, not the seller rating.

Negative feedback stings. Whether a seller wins or loses a protection case, they still lose, because they are pretty much guaranteed a negative feedback either way. This creates an environment where the seller must try to bend over backwards for even the most unreasonable, or even fraudulent, customer in order to try to avoid negative feedback, and still has no protection if that buyer leaves undeserved negative feedback. And no, eBay does not allow that feedback to be removed, even if you have proof that you were in the right or have won a case in your favor; their customer service has said as much to me.

So to conclude, I have lost my trust in eBay to protect me as a seller. Their "seller protection" is worthless to protect what really matters; my feedback rating. Unreasonable buyers and scammers are a reality for sellers; it's only a matter of time. As such, I will not be selling on eBay anymore.