Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

Subscribe to our 2 FREE Newsletters!

Web AuctionBytes

Home

Subscribe

Blog

Letters to Editor

Podcasts

Forums

AuctionBytes TV

ABU Back Issues

Sponsor

COOL TOOLS

Calendar

eBay Fee Calculator

Collectors' Links

eBay Promo History

Bookshelf

Fraud Resources

Auction Site Fees

Auction Management

Payment Services

Storefronts Chart

Sniping Chart

Consignment Services

Drop-Off Store Laws

Ecommerce Resources

Photo Tips

Marketing Inserts

Yellow Pages

Classifieds

AUCTIONBYTES

Our Writers

Write For Us

Partners

Press

Advertising

About Us

Link To Us

AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

May 20, 2009

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

By: Ina Steiner

Wed May 20 2009 23:32:23

After talking to eBay about its new dispute resolution process and about its stand on counterfeit claims, I found some takeaways for sellers.

Lesson number one: Have proof of authenticity when selling branded goods or anything where another party has Intellectual Property rights (copyright and trademark). This impacts yard-salers and consignment sellers in particular.

Lesson number two: Be proactive when claims arise. If a buyer is making an Item Not Received, Item Not as Described, or Counterfeit claim against you, work with the buyer, and keep eBay apprised. In a case of a "counterfeit" claim, send proof to both the buyer and to eBay.

Lesson number three: make sure your listing Title, Item Specifics, photos and descriptions are consistent.

(These takeaways are my own conclusions.)

In theory, eBay's new dispute resolution process sounds good, and one wonders why eBay hadn't allowed customer service representatives to do this kind of dispute resolution from day one. But until eBay rolls out the system more widely, we won't know if eBay gets a passing grade in implementation.

Comments (23) | Permalink

Readers Comments

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Ming the Merciless

Wed May 20 23:43:18 2009

EVERYONE should be highly skeptical of ebafias's "revised" dispute resolution policy until ebafia releases the policy in its entirety and fully clarifies its ambiguities.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: On Lies and Secrets

Wed May 20 23:52:56 2009

Thanks for reporting on this issue.

I see no protection for sellers from unscrupulous buyers in this new process. Why aren't buyers verified and then permanently banned from the site when they misbehave or bring false allegations against a seller? The switcheroo scam is common on ebay for many types of items. The items that get sent back to a seller aren't necessarily what the seller sent initially. How does this dispute resolution process address this kind of fraudulent behavior? What kind of consideration is there for sellers?

Scammers scam and they can scam on either side of a transaction - as either a buyer or a seller. The goal of a scammer is to scam successfully and I imagien few care anything about which side of the transaction they work on ebay as long as they can get away with the scam. Since most scammers want easy money, they are likely to pick the easiest side of the transaction on which to scam. These days, because buyers are not verified by name and address and are not held accounatble for their actions on the site, it is easier for scammers to become buyers and conduct scams from that side of the transaction. There are websites that instruct people on how to get free stuff from sellers on ebay. IMO, buyers should be verified and those who do not follow site rules should be banned permanently and should not be allowed to sign up again with a different email address.

IMO, until the lack of accountability and lack of verifiability of buyers is addressed, the dispute resolution process is not fair to sellers.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: On Lies and Secrets

Wed May 20 23:57:40 2009

@Ina

''one wonders why eBay hadn't allowed customer service representatives to do this kind of dispute resolution from day one.''

Ina, could you please ask someone in authority at the ebay corporation this very question? I am interested in knowing the answer to it.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Ebay Pays My Bills

Thu May 21 00:07:42 2009

I've been a full time seller on Ebay for 9 years now.

I've had my account since Jan 1998

I get about 2 major complaints a year!

I sell on average 50 items a week.

Most of the time I sell 90%+ of what I list.

I just don't see how GOOD sellers have that many problems!

Ebay's been very very good to me over the years.

I really don't understand what all the fuss is over? ? ?

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Jim

Thu May 21 00:50:04 2009

It is not the good sellers I worry about, it is the bad buyers.

I had to block a buyer because I found his questions very odd, tell another buyer I was not happy about his off ebay offer and tell a third that he did not specify such and such in an offer so he was not getting it. All in 8 hours in a 20 items a week tops operation.

Still it appears that eBay has a plan and it seems reasonable on its face. I'd like more customer service interaction.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Gaz

Thu May 21 02:25:21 2009

The key takeaway is that one (or more) of their mega-huge diamond sellers must have threatened either a total withdrawal of inventory, or heavy legal action, if eBay did not withdraw the "buyer to destroy" clause.

Until we small sellers band together with some form of collective representation and a voice of worthwhile power, then eBay will never listen to us, nor do anything genuinely in our interest.

(sits back and waits for the drones to whine that eBay is a business with duty to its shareholders blah blah - the ones that forget a business's first duty is to its paying customers, and neither buyers nor shareholders are paying customers ... they can be paying customers who happen to be buyers/shareholders, but as buyers/shareholders, they are not specifically paying customers - think about it)

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: jake

Thu May 21 02:37:27 2009

Lesson Number 5:
Don’t bother with eBay…STR are terrible and you the paying customer of eBay don’t have to PROVE squat..the buyer in law has to prove if an item is Fake

Over the years I sent numerous authenticity receipts etc to Paypal …to loose claims EVERYTIME

People move on

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Henrietta - RedInkDiary

Thu May 21 03:16:46 2009

If eBay has a fiduciary responsibility to it's shareholders (legally it does) then it is not doing a good job. I was very fortunate to get rid of my shares at $30 last year. I broke even after balancing depreciation in purchasing power against appreciation in share value over the time I owned them, but my shares had lost 50% of their value in the year before I sold.

Why did shares drop so badly? Because eBay management is fixed on the pull a lever, quarter to quarter, we have no clue where we are going, oh look there is something we can buy so we save on taxes management model.

So long as eBay continues to abuse the sellers who do not get special deals but pay a majority of of the fees the site will increasingly stagnate.

In this economy there are only so many new suckers who can continue to list and sell while giving a disproportionate share of their profits to their sales venue. High overhead low margin is only sustainable with consistent high volume.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: eBuyer Feedback

Thu May 21 03:16:55 2009

@ Ebay Pays My Bills

Try selling something that not everyone knows how to use or something that everyone *thinks* they know how to use.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: unknown

Thu May 21 08:28:57 2009

Exactly what proof of authenticity do you think sellers should have before they list something on ebaby since receipts do not prove authenticity?

Legally, determining if something is a copyright/trademark violation can only be made by the copyright/trademark owner or his appointed agent so unless all those companies appoint people to ebay with that authority, ebay has done all it can do and their employees will not be able to determine authenticity of anything with this new 'system' any more than they did before. This is straight out of the DMCA and US copyright law (Title 17). Both are available online, lousy read, though.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Kal

Thu May 21 10:10:04 2009

''Have proof of authenticity when selling branded goods... This impacts yard-salers in particular.''

While this is a type of item I would never try to sell, how does one, at the typical garage sale, get ''proof of authenticity'' from the garage sale operator? Garage and yard sales by their very nature are people trying to rid themselves of ''clutter'' at prices that will make people ''take it away''. Do you think the housewife running the sale is going to respond to ''do you have a proof of authenticity certificate?'' when you pick up some old handbag, plate, or vase? I doubt it. That item would have been thrown away long ago by the owner. Even the professional Estate sale operators would laugh you right out of the house.

What it seems is this takes away an entire class of items that the typical Gsale ''bargain hunter'' can hope to flip on eBay. In other words, more lost business for the seller because now he/she can't take the chance of selling something for fear of buyer complaints.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Phil

Thu May 21 10:10:27 2009

KISS-Keep It Simple Stupid(''Stupid'' Being Ebay).

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Daddy Bear Guff

Thu May 21 11:50:19 2009

Ebay pays my bills a/k/a Ebay stooge, stop wasting our time with your lies dude.

THis system is 100% flawed & unfair. Why do sellers have to provide bank info, SSN, billing, etc to verify who they are but Ebay's SCUM buyers have no requirement to even register with valid contact info? Why does Greedybay allow a phone# 1234567890 to even register? Why can't they VERIFY users with SKYPE?

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Peter Leeflang / LEEFLANG ARCHIVES CORP.

Thu May 21 12:24:20 2009

We sell antique magazines and newspapers which sell at about $20 on average.

What am going to do if a buyer disputes the authenticity of a magazine or newspaper? There are no appraisers in our business nor standard authenticity certificates. In fact, we are one of few dealers who are the experts in our industry, but obviously Ebay will not accept a declaration of authenticty from us.

This whole 'buyer babysitting' is another paternalistic policy of Ebay impeding buyers and sellers to trade with each other solely based on their own judgments.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: EEK

Thu May 21 14:05:13 2009

Great analogy, Peter. I like that "buyer babysitting" term, because that's what it has become.

This is just another eBay, "Uh, we didn't think of that," moment.

They are all about new items and nothing about vintage or collectible any more. We are just a cross these new visionaries have to bear.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Phil

Thu May 21 14:38:02 2009

I like Peters comments as well! It would seem that almost any item sold on eBay could be abused under this policy. I have never bought anything in any mall or store that comes with a certificate of authenticity, who in the world gives you that, unless your buying a diamond or fine jewelery? I sell old comic books, what if someone claims I sold them a counterfeit, and just because I can't prove it's "authentic", then the buyer can play games? I am so sick of the crap & constant changes that eBay pulls.
Instead of getting sellers in a constant panic, I would suggest eBay doesnt even tell us about any upcoming site/policy changes until they are 100% fully/completely tested. This is the most backwards company I have ever dealt with!

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Joe

Thu May 21 16:59:02 2009

I see no detailed explanation for customer service TRAINING of ebay representatives on this topic...which should be revealed...this is where the problems will arise most often...and in my humble past experiences the seller will be stuck with the loss....

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: Ming the Merciless

Thu May 21 20:06:22 2009

The one and really only concept I think all sellers need to always keep uppermost in their minds about ebafia changes is that ebafia doesn't intentionally make changes that benefit sellers other than the Diamonds.

Changes are designed to benefit ebafia, not the majority of sellers. They are conceived by inexperienced, overpaid, and curiously arrogant adolescent managers who'd run over their own mothers of that's what it took to climb to the next rung on the corporate ladder.

Ebafia isn't about treating customers well unless they can aid and abet buyer fraud and theft which they're doing now, have always done, and which will only get worse.

Ming's ebay Law #1:

EBAY LIES.

They have always lied, they're lying now, and they will continue to lie until either the government or the courts intercede.

On those rare occasions -- and at the moment I can think of none -- a change does benefit small sellers, it's purely accidental.

There is nothing in this "revised" policy that improves a seller's position when they're falsely accused. It designed to give buyers a "great buying experience" by providing the means for buyers to get free stuff and/or ruin an honest seller's reputation without due process and without appeal.

DEATH to ebay corp. in 2009.
NEG MEG WHITMAN in 2010.
Ebafia: the world's most despicable, deceitful, and duplictous corporation run by the world's most despicably amoral executives.

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: NYM Arts

Fri May 22 21:22:57 2009

Ebay is no longer a factor in the People's Economy.
Ebay is just STUPID.
BONANZLE is the New Wave. Catch it.
60,020 right this moment.
See You There :o)

Key Takeaways on eBay's Dispute Resolution Process

by: o.c.d.collectibles

Sun May 24 22:06:45 2009

Just another policy that will peel off another layer of sellers. One layer at a time..not to disturb the potential buyers of the ebayINC company when the time comes..

It WILL be sold. Pierre does not want this company, and remember, he IS the head chairman of the board!

Click to view more comments
1 2 [Next Page]

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives


Site Index Copyright 1999-2009. Steiner Associates LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.