Anyone else realise ebay / paypal only give you buyer protection for 45 days?

[joshwa]

Did anyone else know that if you're a buyer on ebay and use paypal you have only got 45 days with both ebay and paypal to report a problem?

If you buy something, it's faulty then send it back and the seller says they'll give you a refund, but doesn't, all they have to do is wait 45 days and then the money is there's and paypal / ebay no longer car about it...

I've just been ripped off to the tune of £30 - seller said they'd give a refund if I sent it back - I did, and then they came up with some excuse about moving offices, and now paypal automatically closes any dispute!

[PeterStoba]

Despite them saying use paypal for protection, and no other method offers protection? It's a joke

All they are after lately is your money, the change a few months ago meaning you couldnt leave negative feedback for a buyer was ridiculous too.

[Million]

I've just recently found this out, much to my irritation.

I won an item in October, it never arrived. Thankfully I filed a PayPal claim before too late (which is STILL being reviewed), but I didn't realize I had to do a separate claim on eBay. I emailed eBay yesterday saying that I wanted to know that they were going to look into this so it doesn't happen again (since other people have had the same problem with this seller), and got a bloody automated reply saying that they couldn't do anything since the time limit had passed. They make themselves out to be very good at protecting buyers, but I really think it's a massive smokescreen. They should definitely make it clearer that there's a limit, because you essentially get penalized for being patient!

[PeterStoba]

You know what else I hate about ebay? People who don't leave feedback. I've sold a few items, and people haven't left feedback, which annoys me as I should have 34 instead of 30, every little helps as they say.

[joshwa]

I've just recently found this out, much to my irritation.

I won an item in October, it never arrived. Thankfully I filed a PayPal claim before too late (which is STILL being reviewed), but I didn't realize I had to do a separate claim on eBay. I emailed eBay yesterday saying that I wanted to know that they were going to look into this so it doesn't happen again (since other people have had the same problem with this seller), and got a bloody automated reply saying that they couldn't do anything since the time limit had passed. They make themselves out to be very good at protecting buyers, but I really think it's a massive smokescreen. They should definitely make it clearer that there's a limit, because you essentially get penalized for being patient!

So I need to report the problem to ebay as well? (I've got another transaction where the item was faulty and christmas has delayed all mail etc). Doesn't make sense?

[SiM]

Paypal protection?
Isn't that like using a condom with a hole and thinking you are protected?

One time I needed to use it I got refunded £0. Nice.

[Saracen]

..... the change a few months ago meaning you couldnt leave negative feedback for a buyer was ridiculous too.

You know what else I hate about ebay? People who don't leave feedback. I've sold a few items, and people haven't left feedback, which annoys me as I should have 34 instead of 30, every little helps as they say.

Perhaps, but you know what I hate about eBay?

When you buy an item, pay within minutes of the auction completing and then the seller won't leave feedback for the buyer until the buyer leaves it for the seller. Too many of them, for far too long, expected the buyer to leave it, and regardless of the service the seller supplies, will retaliate if anything other than positive was left.

Yes, I'm sure sellers don't like the change in eBay rules, and maybe they could still be improved, but they are, as far as I'm concerned, far better than they used to be because when buyers didn't dare leave negative for fear of retaliation, the feedback system was worse than useless.

Each side has to take some risk. Sure, sellers take a risk with a buyer lodging a dispute, but then, buyers ALWAYS take a risk that the seller either doesn't send stuff, or the goods don't match up to expectation. The change in eBay rules certainly level the playing field a bit. Maybe they level it a bit too far, but the feedback system was an utter farce before the change.

Until the change, I'd have been very reluctant to leave negative feedback because it would all to likely have resulted in a 100% positive being ruined. It happened to friends. The seller screws up, the buyer leaves negative as a result and the seller then does likewise. Unacceptable.

Feedback should be about whether the other party honoured their obligations or not. And on the part of the seller, that means little more than did they pay promptly? Yet so many sellers have been using it as a way to blackmail buyers into leaving positive that it wrecked the system. Personally, I'm glad to see sellers being made to squirm a bit for a change. It was long overdue.

As for being annoyed about not getting feedback, again it works both ways. As a buyer, I've bought, paid within minutes and on receipt, left prompt positive feedback and STILL not received any in response, even after a polite reminder.

[Million]

So I need to report the problem to ebay as well? (I've got another transaction where the item was faulty and christmas has delayed all mail etc). Doesn't make sense?

If you want eBay to do anything about the seller then yes, you do

[joshwa]

The problem item I reported via paypal for £30 (auto closed by paypal) has been refunded! Wow - it kind of restores my faith in humanity

[joshwa]

Just when you think ebay can't get any worse... ebay now FORCE you to give FREE postage when selling some items, like DVDs, even though it costs around £1.20 to send the DVD out 1st class recorded! (Which you need to do otherwise the buyer will claim the item never arrived!) Yet other listings for the exact same item are allowed the charge postage?!?!! Wow I hate ebay - but how else do I get rid of all the almost worthless junk I have lying around my house?

[pauldarkside]

Just when you think ebay can't get any worse... ebay now FORCE you to give FREE postage when selling some items, like DVDs, even though it costs around £1.20 to send the DVD out 1st class recorded! (Which you need to do otherwise the buyer will claim the item never arrived!) Yet other listings for the exact same item are allowed the charge postage?!?!! Wow I hate ebay - but how else do I get rid of all the almost worthless junk I have lying around my house?

I had the same problem selling a few books on Amazon Marketplace a few years back - don't know if that policy still stands though?. Amazon would set the delivery price far lower than it actually cost so you'd lose on the item price - Photoshop Bibles are bloomin' heavy! Made it damned difficult to be competitive whilst trying to recoup a few quid.

[pauldarkside]

As a buyer, I've bought, paid within minutes and on receipt, left prompt positive feedback and STILL not received any in response, even after a polite reminder.

I've had that with user in the classifieds here too. It's not a lot of effort to respond and when you see them posting again afterwards it strikes me as being a bit rude. Takes the shine of what was a pleasant transaction.

[Yosh]

Just when you think ebay can't get any worse... ebay now FORCE you to give FREE postage when selling some items, like DVDs, even though it costs around £1.20 to send the DVD out 1st class recorded! (Which you need to do otherwise the buyer will claim the item never arrived!) Yet other listings for the exact same item are allowed the charge postage?!?!! Wow I hate ebay - but how else do I get rid of all the almost worthless junk I have lying around my house?

Most sellers have just adjusted their prices to include a postage fee.

On top of this you can send dvd's first or second class and don't need to worry about spending extra on recorded unless you offer that as an alternative method of posting. I've never had someone say that the parcel i dispatched has never arrived, just make sure to vet those who post bids on your higher priced items, if they have low feedback i believe you can remove their bids, but again this is not something i've ever done when selling.

[finlay666]

Simply offer collection only as standard

I don't bother with eBay generally now, sometimes for the odd game but that is it

Playtrade seems better but at a fixed 10% comission....saying that you dont pay if it doesnt sell IIRC so that is a bonus

[chuckskull]

Paypal are a bunch of thieves. Decided one morning I was a scammer. Had to bring in solicitors to get them to back down and give me my money back, despite no-one filing a claim against me, and the buyer being very happy with his bike and more than happy to travel to meet my solicitor and make a signed statement saying he had made no complaint against me. Still took 6+ months, they never admitted they were in the wrong, never apologised, never so much as bothered to have a real person talk to me and I'm still in their system as a 'scammer'(cant use any site that uses paypal for payments, not just ebay), which I believe still effects my credit rating today, 3 odd years later.

http://paypalsucks.com/

[Barry]

Just when you think ebay can't get any worse... ebay now FORCE you to give FREE postage when selling some items, like DVDs

Are you sure, afaik they dont force you to but they do offer you 25% of your fee's back if you do