What percentage of ebay buyers are just plain stupid?

[BigJJ]

My wife sold a $600 handbag on eBay via auction a few weeks ago. The buyer asks to send it back. Even though we had listed "no returns", and a dozen high resolution photos, we agree to take the bag back.

The bag arrives back in a box with a hole the size of my arm.

The bag was severly damaged by the shards of the cardboard hole, and hitting surroundings while in transit.

I email the buyer to inform her about the damage in shipping, due to the gaping hole in the box. She writes that she didn't think the hole would cause damage.

In other words, she purposely shipped a $600 bag in a box with a big hole. and with no insurance.

And here's the kicker, even though she admitted via ebay messages to sending back the bag in a box with a gaping hole, ebay's initial decision was in her favor. I am now in the appeals process, trying to explain to morons at eBay, that just because someone makes a (bs) claim of 'item not as described', that this does not give an individual the right to destroy the item, and then receive a full refund.

How does the buyer, and apparently at least one person at eBay, think it is reasonable to ship back an item, and an expensive delicate item at that, in a box with a huge hole?

[BigJJ]

And then eBay asked me if I had filed an incident report with the police.

What? I guarantee you the NYPD is not properly involved in this handbag shipping matter.

It's not criminal, it's civil.

Who is misdirecting these eBay morons that you're supposed to file an incident report with the police upon receipt of a damaged eBay item.

[thecatspajamas]

Good luck with that appeals process. My experience has been that the eBay "handlers" have at least as high a percentage of idiots as the buyers, if not higher. And the ones who aren't idiots have their hands tied by the same stupid policies favoring the buyer that started the whole thing.

If you're lucky, you can get them to remove a negative feedback comment or a string of low star scores. If it's something that is going to cost eBay money to reverse, fuggeddaboutit

[BigJJ]

Well I appreciate the comradeship. Unfortunately, I bet you're right.

It appears that in ways, they may be acting uniformally incorrect. Wonder if that makes them vulnerable to class action suits.

Requiring the filing, or attempted filing, of a police incident report, in order to move forward, seems very bizarre and wrong. and costs people much time, perhaps intended.

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by BigJJ

Requiring the filing, or attempted filing, of a police incident report, in order to move forward, seems very bizarre and wrong. and costs people much time, perhaps intended.

That is a new one to me. I know they have a process for which a seller can file what is basically the reverse of an item not as described claim for when buyers return items (in case the buyer sent back and empty box, with tracking, to "prove" they returned it). I've never had to go through that, but filing a police report for what amounts to poor packaging on the return trip? That sounds like someone going a little rogue and throwing anything they can think of out there to get you derailed, throw up your hands, and ultimately stop calling/e-mailing. Either that, or the eBay handler dealing with you selected the wrong boilerplate response to your appeal.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by BigJJ

My wife sold a $600 handbag on eBay via auction a few weeks ago. The buyer asks to send it back. Even though we had listed "no returns", and a dozen high resolution photos, we agree to take the bag back.

The bag arrives back in a box with a hole the size of my arm.

The bag was severly damaged by the shards of the cardboard hole, and hitting surroundings while in transit.

I email the buyer to inform her about the damage in shipping, due to the gaping hole in the box. She writes that she didn't think the hole would cause damage.

In other words, she purposely shipped a $600 bag in a box with a big hole. and with no insurance.

And here's the kicker, even though she admitted via ebay messages to sending back the bag in a box with a gaping hole, ebay's initial decision was in her favor. I am now in the appeals process, trying to explain to morons at eBay, that just because someone makes a (bs) claim of 'item not as described', that this does not give an individual the right to destroy the item, and then receive a full refund.

How does the buyer, and apparently at least one person at eBay, think it is reasonable to ship back an item, and an expensive delicate item at that, in a box with a huge hole?

Yeah, of the few returns I've gotten back, in almost every case it was shipped back way flimsier then I sent it out in, and damaged in the process.

I had one guy buy a boxing record book from me. For some reason he didn't look at the picture or read the description because he called and complained that the book was a softcover. A Hardcover of this book doesn't exist. He wanted to return it.

I sent it to him in protective packaging in a box, he sent it back to me in a paper bag. The cover on the book was completely trashed. At first I thought it got trashed in shipping, but after looking at it closer I became convinced he simply upgraded his lower condition copy with my higher condition copy and I got a piece of trash in return.

Had another guy send me a Muhammad Ali iron on back to him because it wasn't a decal. Reinforced packing on the way to him. Put in a letter envelope with a stamp and completely trashed by the time it got back to me.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Yeah, of the few returns I've gotten back, in almost every case it was shipped back way flimsier then I sent it out in, and damaged in the process.

I had one guy buy a boxing record book from me. For some reason he didn't look at the picture or read the description because he called and complained that the book was a softcover. A Hardcover of this book doesn't exist. He wanted to return it.

I sent it to him in protective packaging in a box, he sent it back to me in a paper bag. The cover on the book was completely trashed. At first I thought it got trashed in shipping, but after looking at it closer I became convinced he simply upgraded his lower condition copy with my higher condition copy and I got a piece of trash in return.

Had another guy send me a Muhammad Ali iron on back to him because it wasn't a decal. Reinforced packing on the way to him. Put in a letter envelope with a stamp and completely trashed by the time it got back to me.

I collect postcards and buy a bunch off of ebay...I'm never surprised when my $2-$3 shipping paid for a first class stamp and an envelope with no protection. I must say though that I've never gotten a damaged postcard that was sent that way so I guess I'm lucky, but I always wonder how these sellers still have 4.9-5.0 ratings for shipping and handling.

[Bocabirdman]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

I collect postcards and buy a bunch off of ebay...I'm never surprised when my $2-$3 shipping paid for a first class stamp and an envelope with no protection. I must say though that I've never gotten a damaged postcard that was sent that way so I guess I'm lucky, but I always wonder how these sellers still have 4.9-5.0 ratings for shipping and handling.

As a buyer, I leave feedback as soon as the package is open. Unless there is a major problem, I don't spend time choosing. Everyone gets 5 stars across the board these days. I am a combination of nice guy, lazy and busy. I am certain I am not alone.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

I collect postcards and buy a bunch off of ebay...I'm never surprised when my $2-$3 shipping paid for a first class stamp and an envelope with no protection. I must say though that I've never gotten a damaged postcard that was sent that way so I guess I'm lucky, but I always wonder how these sellers still have 4.9-5.0 ratings for shipping and handling.

I just received a rare cyanotype baseball 'in action' postcard, and the seller had simply put it in a slip and stuck it in a disc mailer. It was bent in half. He offered a full refund, but I only paid around $9 for it, and it was worth more than that to me, even bent. I just don't get it.