Buying and Selling on eBay: Tips, Tricks, Problems & Questions

[Steve Smith]

matbra-1896

Here is one for you. (UK buyer, if it was US I would just eat the expense and block.) Bought the same shirt (neck, color, fit) with two different sleeve lengths (32 and 35). Opened a not as described return for the 15.5-32 claiming that the chest measurement is 20 inches, not the 22 listed in the description. Here is the good part: He included two pictures of the shirt with a tape measure on it. The shirt measures 20.25 AND he clearly doesn't have it flat.

Ebay CS rep advised me to accept the return and give him my address to ship it back at his expense, in spite of the fact that under the Accept Return option it states that I am responsible for shipping expenses. So we will see how this works out.

Update: I received a form letter from ebay this morning instructing me to pay for the buyer's return shipping.

I called ebay customer service and explained the situation again. The rep told me that I would receive and email acknowledging escalation and that the complaint would be closed in my favor. They are refunding the crooked buyer out of their end. Not ideal IMO because they are allowing a dishonest ebay member to get a free shirt, but at least they took care of me.

Ebay has had their ups and downs with their policies over the 20+ years that I have used them, but they are the only big platform which I find satisfactory.

 

[Fueco]

Is it still true that if I deny a return request the buyer can’t open a claim for item not received?

 

[Henry S]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to sell an item to someone in the US (I'm a private seller, international shipping), and when I check the eBay invoice, it included an estimated sales tax. However, as far as I know, I'm not suppose to charge the buyer any taxes. Can someone please advise me on how to exempt the buyer from the sales tax? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[vestbash]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking to sell an item to someone in the US (I'm a private seller, international shipping), and when I check the eBay invoice, it included an estimated sales tax. However, as far as I know, I'm not suppose to charge the buyer any taxes. Can someone please advise me on how to exempt the buyer from the sales tax? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

There is no way for you to exempt a buyer from sales tax. It is calculated by ebay per state and federal sales tax laws.

If the buyer has a business reseller license issued from their state, they can submit that to ebay, which would be a legal exemption from the sales tax, but that does not seem applicable to this situation so it is probably not something that I would bring up.

 

[gimpwiz]

I actually don't know this so someone correct me, but I assume ebay charges and collects the tax, and remits it to the appropriate state, on your behalf. I can't imagine the seller is dealing with tax collection and remittance.

 

[capnwes]

Is it still true that if I deny a return request the buyer can’t open a claim for item not received

Nothing is still true, everything is a mystery, let us know how it goes.

 

[Tweets]

Nothing is still true, everything is a mystery, let us know how it goes.

Ain't that the truth anymore with Ebay. Feedback removal has turned into a nightmare and trying to talk to anyone about it is almost impossible. I had one transaction with 6 items, buyer didn't pay, I didn't ship, they left 6 negative feedback. Ebay removed 3 and left 3 and can't tell me why and there's no way to appeal it.

 

[vestbash]

Ain't that the truth anymore with Ebay. Feedback removal has turned into a nightmare and trying to talk to anyone about it is almost impossible. I had one transaction with 6 items, buyer didn't pay, I didn't ship, they left 6 negative feedback. Ebay removed 3 and left 3 and can't tell me why and there's no way to appeal it.

I thought a buyer couldn't leave feedback if they didn't pay?

 

[MJMcRibb]

One for your block list: sagitatarius_im_kingkong

I'm sure it's just a push for a partial refund, but messaged on a pair of Oakleys I sold, asking where the storage bag was (not in photos or mentioned anywhere in listing) and noted "crude" packaging (in bubble wrap and inside a box). Sent a second message saying it was rude not to respond when I hadn't responded to the first in 12 hours.

 

[Fueco]

One for your block list: sagitatarius_im_kingkong

I'm sure it's just a push for a partial refund, but messaged on a pair of Oakleys I sold, asking where the storage bag was (not in photos or mentioned anywhere in listing) and noted "crude" packaging (in bubble wrap and inside a box). Sent a second message saying it was rude not to respond when I hadn't responded to the first in 12 hours.

Crude packaging!! 🙄

I sent something in a diaper box recently and got positive feedback.

 

[Fueco]

Also, re the 12-hour thing. Common courtesy is 24 hours excluding weekends. Ask him which hours he wants to pay you to work.

 

[MJMcRibb]

And just got a chargeback request for $20. He did not open a SNAD case, just requested a partial refund through his CC company.

 

[Tweets]

I thought a buyer couldn't leave feedback if they didn't pay?

Yeah I thought so too, ebay CS tells me that is incorrect that even though they didn't complete the transaction they can still leave feedback describing their experience.

 

[Fueco]

Yeah I thought so too, ebay CS tells me that is incorrect that even though they didn't complete the transaction they can still leave feedback describing their experience.

That’s some horseshit right there. In my dealings with eBay going back 20+ years, a buyer always had to complete the transaction in order to leave feedback.

 

[vestbash]

Yeah I thought so too, ebay CS tells me that is incorrect that even though they didn't complete the transaction they can still leave feedback describing their experience.

Wow.