Archive for the ‘Detailed Seller Ratings’ Category

Dear eBay Queen:

I am frustrated with eBay today. I happened to check my dashboard and noticed that I received a 1 star rating for shipping charges from a US buyer. I don’t know how this happened, as I have free shipping on my entire eBay store. I called eBay and the representative tells me “it appears that the buyer chose to upgrade their shipping, so they were able to leave you a low rating.”  Since I offer the choice of upgrading to Priority (for $2.95 by the way) and the buyer opted to do so, they then had the opportunity to ding my stars. Nice… To top it all off, the order was shipped within 10 hours of purchase for $2.95 (and my cost was $4.95) and it arrived at their post office in less than 48 hours. I know exactly who it was because I had precisely 1 person upgrade their shipping during this time period. To top it off, I just lost my TRS (Top Rated Seller) over shipping.

I was encouraged to contact Jim Griffith who I have never had any dealing with, I did contact him and I received a “canned” email in response and then never heard another word. The truth of the matter is that the feedback DSR system is set up in a way that puts tremendous power in the hands of buyers, many of which have no knowledge of its importance and others who know too much and abuse it when they don’t get what they want. It is a system that looms over the heads of sellers and makes us jump through hoops when in the real world this would not be going on. I really love selling on eBay, but the DSR/feedback system is very anti-seller and a total moral killer that needs to be revised seriously.  Thanks for listening to me complain.

Jessica

Dear Jessica:

That really stinks! I wish I had a solution for you.  Unfortunately if you’ve already spoke an eBay customer service rep and emailed Griff, there isn’t much more for you to do, beside prevent it from happening in the future.  I would consider upping the price of all of your listing to reflect free shipping for priority, that way this situation will not repeat itself.

One other option is to call into eBay Radio and speak directly to Griff.  eBay has two radio shows a week. For more information http://groups.ebay.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1278

Dear eBay Queen:

I think I received a phishing email that I’ve heard about from so many people.  I recently received an email from PayPal requesting for my social security number.  Do you think this is a scam?  How would I know for sure?

I feel very uncomfortable typing my social security number into a box at a website, secure or not.  I think this request must be based on my sales of a few years ago, as it can’t possibly be based on recent activity (virtually nil).  Either that or they are sending the same request to everyone who’s ever received a payment.   I don’t qualify to get a taxpayers ID number, so it’s got to be my SS#.  Could you help me with this?

Just a Number

Dear Number:

Starting in 2011, PayPal will be required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to report sales information to the IRS about sellers who receive payments for the sale of goods or services through PayPal.  The requirements are as follows:

•   Applies to sellers receiving over $20,000 in gross payment volume AND over 200 payments
•   Applies only for sales on or after January 1, 2011

I understand being a little leery of putting your Social Security Number online. I did a little research, and according to PayPal’s site:

“PayPal automatically encrypts your confidential information in transit from your computer to ours using the Secure Sockets Layer protocol (SSL) with an encryption key length of 128 bits (the highest level commercially available). Before you even register or log in to our site, our server checks that you’re using an approved browser – one that uses SSL 3.0 or higher.

Once your information reaches us, it resides on a server that is heavily guarded, both physically and electronically. Our servers sit behind an electronic firewall and are never directly connected to the Internet, so your private information stays private.”

If you still don’t feel secure about giving your personal information online, you could call PayPal at 1-888-221-1161 or check out the link here:  https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/marketingweb?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=marketing_us/IRS6050W

Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item: 130596417265 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page.)  Do you like old cars and pie?  Check out this 1904 Curved Dash Oldsmobile Pie Wagon. SOLD $51,350.00  HERE

Suzie Eads is a nationally known eBay marketer and eBay trained Education Specialist. She lives in Rantoul. Do you have a question for the eBay Queen? Email: questions@asktheebayqueen.com

Dear eBay Queen:

I have a customer that wanted to buy four different items out of my eBay store.  My eBay listings say I do not combine shipping, because all my items are pre-packaged.  The buyer called me and we talked on the phone about shipping the items together. He asked me to combine the four items in a large box, which I did.  The next day he bought something else out of my store too, but I shipped that separately.

He emailed me to tell me the smaller box got to him last Friday. The large box has not been delivered and it shows on the USPS website that it never left my Post Office. The buyer is now wanting to wait another week to see if it comes or not.  If it doesn’t arrive by next week, he wants me to refund him and me file for the insurance.  He says it takes 3 months for insurance to be paid, and he is not going to wait on the refund for it.  Should I refund him and file or do I make him file? How should I handle this?  It is my first time I’ve ever had an insurance claim.

Theresa

Dear Theresa;

I have always wondered how well your way of shipping works.  In the last 13 years I have contemplated wrapping the items before I send them, but have never taken that step to do it.

The first thing I would do is contact your postmaster.  Give them the information on your package, and see if they can find it.  While you are on the phone with them, discuss the best way to start an insurance claim.  It’s been awhile since I have had a claim with USPS, but I do know it has to be missing for 30 days.  I’m not sure where your buyer got the 3 months.  I would also ask your postmaster if you need your buyer’s signature that it did not arrive.  If you do, I would send the paperwork to them, and let them sign and send it back before I refunded their money.   I hope your package is found and this works out for you and your buyer!

Dear eBay Queen:

I am going to have to file a non paying claim tomorrow. Can this person, (buyer,) in turn give me a negative feedback for pure spite?  I have been lucky and never received a negative in my 6 years of selling.  This time I think the buyer is a little nuts.  They’ve sent me ALL kinds of weird emails about the transaction.  I have found with most buyers, they won’t even take the time to leave a negative, but this buyer makes me wonder.  I strongly believe that if I have to file a non-paying buyer claim, they should lose the privilege of leaving negative feedback.  Is there such a thing? Can they leave feedback for me?

JP; Gardner, KS

Dear JP:

The answer is yes and no.   Let’s say you file a claim tomorrow, and the buyer leaves you a negative an hour later.  That negative will stay there for seven days until you close the claim.  Once the claim is closed, the negative is eligible for removal.  For more information, http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/unpaid-items.html

I’ve had this happen to me before, and it seemed like the longest seven days I’ve ever waited. I even called eBay it annoyed me so bad.  Their advice was to respond, with something like: “Buyer has not paid”.  Don’t mention anything about filing a claim, as your feedback response will be removed, but not the comment the buyer left, unless it also makes reference to a claim.

I hope this buyer is like most, and pays without problems.

Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item: 330588694086 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page) Do you like ice cream? I’ve never given much thought to what I use to scoop ice cream out with.  Have you?  Check out this Pistol Grip Round Tube “Old” Ice Cream Scoop SOLD $292.92  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pistol-Grip-Round-Tube-OLD-Ice-Cream-Scoop-/110736943334

Suzie Eads is a nationally known eBay marketer and eBay trained Education Specialist. She lives in Rantoul. Do you have a question for the eBay Queen? Email: questions@asktheebayqueen.com

Dear eBay Queen:

I was selling a Coach designer purse that I purchased 6 months or so ago in Branson at the outlet store. I listed this in the auction and said I would include the purse, box, dust bag and original receipt when I shipped the item. I did not know it, and no one pointed it out to me, but I accidentally had a typo in the title of the auction.  Apparently some of the other sellers were not happy about this and complained to eBay.

I don’t know why eBay, or the people that were angry just didn’t just send me an email letting me know there was a problem.  I return all emails quickly, and I would have corrected the mistake if I knew. The purse was pulled by eBay saying it was a counterfeit item without even a question or comment to me!

Did they even care about my 100% Positive remarks? I have found that they don’t bother to check or ask questions. They just take the word of sellers (probably their top sellers who are upset that I had the nerve to sell something that they sell).  I went on the eBay discussion boards and asked people there what happened, and I was not treated very well there either.

I am done with eBay, I can sell my items at a garage sale without all the hassle. I tried to call and found it very difficult to talk with anyone. I notice they don’t have an email option for sellers to ask questions. Why not be proactive, answer questions and be customer friendly? After all, who is paying their fees? I do believe it is the sellers. Well, I don’t need to pay them anymore. My husband told me to give it another try, he suggested I write you and ask for your advice in this matter.  So, eBay Queen, what would you do?

Angry, Lee’s Summit, Mo

Dear Angry:

I know where you are coming from, and I completely understand your frustration.  Fashion/Designer items are one of the hardest categories to sell in on eBay.  It is one of the categories where a seller could sell fraudulent or fake goods.

You mentioned you still have the receipt for the item. Did you include this in the photograph?  If I were you, I would contact eBay letting them know you have the original receipt, and would be happy to fax it in to them to prove it is not a fake Coach bag. Once you do that, they will remove the note they have on your account. 

I get that you don’t want to sell on eBay because of how you were treated. I urge you to give them a second chance.  This particular category can be pretty hard to sell in.  There are plenty of “purse snob” out there wanting to knock your listing down any chance they get.  If you do decide to give it another try with this purse, make sure you take a photo of the receipt and include it in the listing.  This is a one-time occurrence, and would not have happened in any other category.

Dear eBay Queen:

I won an auction for PlayStation 3 with games on the 18th of July.  I paid the seller with PayPal within 2 days, and since then I have had nothing but troubles with the seller. He originally said he sent it with UPS, then he claimed he recovered it and was going send the item with FedEx.

I have contacted the Police Department in his town, and I filled out an online Fraud Form.  I just recently learned from reading one of your old posts online that I could use the eBay or PayPal Dispute system.  I have filed a dispute, but I don’t know if that will do anything.  I have called the guy but he always hangs up as soon as he hears my voice.  I just want to know what is happening.

Will I ever get to see the PS3,or at least my money again?

David; Palm Springs, FL

Dear David;

You did the right thing by filing a dispute.  Has he responded to the dispute?  He will need to prove you received the item by entering a delivery confirmation in the dispute console.  If he does not do this, you will receive 100% of your money back.  If he seller has not responded to the dispute after 14 days, you can close it in your favor.  Here is more information regarding the dispute process.

http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-win-a-Paypal-dispute-for-Buyers-and-Sellers_W 0QQugidZ10000000001676577

 My best advice is to stay on top of this, respond to the seller if and when he comments.  If you don’t receive resolution in 14 days, close the dispute and the money will be put back in your account.  I am so sorry this happened to you.  I hope you’ll give eBay another chance after this horrific transaction.

Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item: 130557149948 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page) Do you like Justin Bieber? Do you want to smell like him?  Here’s your chance!  SOLD $189.00  Check it out HERE

Suzie Eads is a nationally known eBay marketer and eBay trained Education Specialist. She lives in Rantoul. Do you have a question for the eBay Queen? Email:  questions@asktheebayqueen.com