No more negative feedback on ebay?

[Guest BJM]

I've sold 3 of my vehicles the last 3 weeks on ebay. I live in Iowa and the buyers are from Utah, Pennsylvania and New York. All 3 stiffed me and never paid.

I agreed to cancel the Utah transaction and relisted. But the other 2, seeing a trend, I started the process to leave negative feedback and I am blocked. MY choices are O Positive Feedback or O Leave Feedback later

Is it no longer possible to leave negative feedback for those buyers that deserve it? Is the process to do so - so difficult that I should just not try? I see a lot of positive feedback at 100% so am thinking ebay has just scrubbed the ability to leave legitimate negative feedback. In the case of the UTAH buyer, he had 2500 scores, all positive, but did not hesitate to back out of his emotional decision to bid. I smell a skunk. Thankfully i don't do much selling on ebay.

In the interest of honesty, I should add that I had one negative feedback left for me and I deserved it, so my score was always around 99%. I had not been on for a long time, so when I went back in to sell these 3 vehicles, I saw my own feedback as 100% - scrubbed - with no input of my own?

Edited September 14, 2012 by BJM (see edit history)

[MarrsCars]

Ebay hasn't allowed sellers to leave negative feedback for buyers for some time now, which is odd because that was the foundation for their entire business model originally. They have been trending towards more "bulk" type sellers, becoming more of an Amazon.com sort of venue, and running the smaller sellers off with bigger fees, "performance standards" where you have to sell so much per month, meet requirements on shipping times and methods, etc., or your fees increase and you may even have to wait weeks for your money to be released if you don't meet the new standards. It got so bad that we stopped selling most things on eBay and just deal through forums and craigslist today. Smaller audience but less of a headache. For occasional selling it's still fine I guess, aside from the details like not being able to leave negative feedback.

[dalef62]

I had the same problem with feedback as the seller. I was trying to sell a 1975 Caddy and the high bidder bid the car to $3000.00 and then emailed me after the action to say he only had $2000 saved up. His ebay id is buddycravitz and he had 100%. Ebay must not want anyone to know about the negative buyers.

[Guest BJM]

I'm not big on leaving negative feedback but it seems that these bidders were actually encouraged by the fact they would not get any negative repurcussion. Thanks for informing me.

Putting the project cars on Craigs List isn't much of an option, in my opinion, because they are kind of specialized and CraigsList is intended to be a local marketplace. So in my case, ebay seemed like the best option but I have been edcuated in a hurry.

[TexRiv_63]

I've sold 3 of my vehicles the last 3 weeks on ebay. I live in Iowa and the buyers are from Utah, Pennsylvania and New York. All 3 stiffed me and never paid.

I agreed to cancel the Utah transaction and relisted. But the other 2, seeing a trend, I started the process to leave negative feedback and I am blocked. MY choices are O Positive Feedback or O Leave Feedback later

Is it no longer possible to leave negative feedback for those buyers that deserve it? Is the process to do so - so difficult that I should just not try? I see a lot of positive feedback at 100% so am thinking ebay has just scrubbed the ability to leave legitimate negative feedback. In the case of the UTAH buyer, he had 2500 scores, all positive, but did not hesitate to back out of his emotional decision to bid. I smell a skunk. Thankfully i don't do much selling on ebay.

In the interest of honesty, I should add that I had one negative feedback left for me and I deserved it, so my score was always around 99%. I had not been on for a long time, so when I went back in to sell these 3 vehicles, I saw my own feedback as 100% - scrubbed - with no input of my own?

Bryan,

Unfortunately the original "free selling community" flower power Ebay idea fell by the wayside when they became a multibillion dollar collosus. They are still the best game in town with a pretty substantial monopoly on their marketplace, so the sellers have to jump through a lot of hoops and the buyer is definitely king. That said, they have actually pulled back a bit lately to give sellers more opportunity to report buyers who break the rules. If a buyer does not pay and will not communicate with you the first thing you should do is open a non-paying bidder case against them through the Ebay resolution system (You do need to attempt communication and resolution on your own first) While this will probably not get them to pay it will mark them negatively and if they repeat they can get booted. There are also other ways to report bad behavior, look on the Seller pages. What happened to you is real common with car sales based on the number of comments I've seen, you have to weigh the risk of a no-sale against the size of the market you can reach. On your scrubbed feedback rating - they only count the last 12 months so if your one negative happened before that it is gone.

[MarrsCars]

Also wanted to mention that you should request a credit for the fees, this will happen automatically once your non-paying bidder dispute is closed. You don't want to spend money on final value fees because of their unwillingness to complete their obligation.

Some of you are right that this policy has encouraged horrible behavior from some buyers now. I'd say when we were still dealing a lot on eBay near the end about 1/4 of our buyers would try something along the lines of "your shipping is too high, if I have to pay that I think I would have to leave a negative feedback" or once they get the item they suddenly aren't happy, yet not unhappy enough to return it, a "refund" of part of the purchase price would make them "happy enough to leave positive feedback" so yes, it is absolutely encouraging buyers to become grifters and hustlers. What many sellers don;t know is this is considered "feedback extortion" by eBay and you can report their messages to eBay and possibly get them banned from the site.

[Matt Harwood]

The lack of any kind of punitive feedback for negative activities on eBay has been a big factor in us scaling back our use of the venue as a business. More than once we've had someone hit "Buy it now" only to send us an e-mail saying, in effect, "Well, I only have 75% of what you're asking, but I didn't want anyone to buy it out from under me while we were negotiating." We don't come to an agreement, but meanwhile the auction is over and I've lost up to 3 weeks of marketing because of one moron who really doesn't get punished by the system like he would have in the past. Ebay claimes they're noting these activities, but what of it? I mean, holy crap, eBay, if that's not something you want to stop, then I'll probably stop using your service altogether.

When companies get so big they don't have to care anymore is when someone else comes along and eats their lunch. I'm confident that sooner or later there will be an eBay alternative that will start the whole cycle over again.

[keiser31]

Got some so-called "rust free" hubcaps for my '31 Dodge wire wheels from a guy on Ebay. Photo looked good. I opened the box and the caps literally fell apart in my hands from the rust. I was not able to rip the seller on Ebay per say, but when I resold the caps, I told my story in the description about how the seller lied to me and ripped me off. I know that only a few guys saw the guy getting slammed, but I felt better.

Edited September 14, 2012 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Guest www.sdhotrod.com]

Yeah ebay is a joke anymore.. its all in favor of the bidders and just stiff the sellers.. after 12,000 sales i am getting away from it and have much less stress now..lol

[Guest Skyking]

I heard a while back that ebay was looking to buy Craig's List. My guess is they aren't satisfied with their profits yet.

[Guest 37Packard]

I've been a full time seller on Ebay since 1999 and have sold approx. 30,000 items to people in 40+ countries. I sell old car brochures, shop manuals, owner's manuals and old car magazines and always have at least 300 auctions going at all times. Whenever there is a problem their policy is very simple-the buyer is always right and the seller is always wrong. Anyone who only buys and never sells always has 100% positive feedback. When someone stiffs me on an auction they've won I leave them positive feedback but the comment is negative. Two improvements that they've made for sellers in the last couple of years are they've increased the number of characters (letters and numbers) that you can put in the auction title by 25 and they recently changed their photo policy so now you can include several photos in an auction at no additional charge instead of just one. They're certainly not perfect but they're the only show in town as far as selling goes because every auction reaches over 100 million people in over 100 countries. Selling on their site has been very lucrative for me and it certainly beats the hell out of having a real job....

[Guest www.sdhotrod.com]

Basically they have taken something that was perfect 10 years ago and just make it worse every year as they can't figure out how to make it better and the bigwigs need to change it otherwise they get paid for nothing. For me the fees were up to a grand a month and just not worth it anymore..

[TexRiv_63]

Got some so-called "rust free" hubcaps for my '31 Dodge wire wheels from a guy on Ebay. Photo looked good. I opened the box and the caps literally fell apart in my hands from the rust. I was not able to rip the seller on Ebay per say, but when I resold the caps, I told my story in the description about how the seller lied to me and ripped me off. I know that only a few guys saw the guy getting slammed, but I felt better.

This is a case where being the buyer put you in the driver's seat, you could have gotten your money back under the buyer protection plan since the items were not as represented. Even if the scumbag refused to take them back Ebay will refund your Paypal payment from his account. Hopefully you made out on the resale.

[Guest Mochet]

I've been buying and selling on eBay since '98, and I've never seen a year people haven't been bitterly complaining about it. Despite that, I still use and enjoy eBay... most of the time.

Phil

[Guest 37Packard]

They took away my "Top Rated Seller" status recently because I refuse to spend 85 cents for a Delivery Confirmation (tracking) number every time I mail something because it's completely unnecessary....

[MarrsCars]

They took away my "Top Rated Seller" status recently because I refuse to spend 85 cents for a Delivery Confirmation (tracking) number every time I mail something because it's completely unnecessary....

You do have a good point in that if you stop playing their games, accept that you will not be a "top seller" by their definitions or have the best discounts, then you can make more of your own rules. He who cares the least carries the most power.

[Amphicar BUYER]

I heard a while back that ebay was looking to buy Craig's List. My guess is they aren't satisfied with their profits yet.

eBay acquired roughly 25% of craigslist in august 2004

[1937hd45]

I wonder if that is why I lost that rating? As a seller the eBay SHIPPING RATES really bug me, and I state that buyers should email their Zip Code for a true rate USPS or FedEx Ground. I had one item listed at $19.99 with no bids two days from the end of the auction. I noticed eBay had the shipping rate of $114.00 posted. I got ONE BID, shipped the item out Fed Ex Ground for $11.40. Bob

They took away my "Top Rated Seller" status recently because I refuse to spend 85 cents for a Delivery Confirmation (tracking) number every time I mail something because it's completely unnecessary....

[Guest Skyking]

As a seller the eBay SHIPPING RATES really bug me, and I state that buyers should email their Zip Code for a true rate USPS or FedEx Ground. I had one item listed at $19.99 with no bids two days from the end of the auction. I noticed eBay had the shipping rate of $114.00 posted. I got ONE BID, shipped the item out Fed Ex Ground for $11.40. Bob

Bob, I find that the biggest problem, shipping cost! Unless you take the package to the post office with the exact shipping zip, (which is impossible at time of listing), the ebay estimates are always off. And that can break you..........

[TexRiv_63]

Like most everything else the changes to the "Top Rated Seller" status are based on giving the buyer what he wants. They want the seller to ship items within one day of receiving payment, provide tracking numbers, and charge reasonable shipping rates without ridiculous "handling" fees. I must admit paying someone $10.00 to ship a 3 ounce radiator emblem always chapped my hide... Now that I'm retired my wife and I have started a little Ebay business and so far I am playing their game. I just started using their service to print shipping labels and buy postage online. With this service the delivery confirmation tracking is free and the cost is charged directly to your Paypal account. I sold my first batch of items last week and so far it is pretty slick - of course I now have plenty of time to handle it.

[1937hd45]

I finally desided the "Free Shipping" deal works well. Flat rate envelope is $5.15, item is worth $4.84, starting bid is $9.99. You can't get inside the mind of a buyer but I think if they know at the start what the total is they will bid. People is Australia must really love this hobby, they always get stuck with high postage rates. Bob

[Amphicar BUYER]

I am 99 & 44/100% an eBay buyer and I always contact the seller to see what actual shipping is. Recently I got an offer for a "free" listing rom eBay. I listed it and just like a "free" puppy, it cost me $125! I listed an Amphicar and sold it the 1st day with BIN. I did double up on them for free though (my way of sticking it to the man!) I intentionally posted a pic that showed another Amphicar I had for sale, and it worked wonderfully. After a guy missed out due to the quick sale, he asked about the 2nd Amphi in the pic. It sold in about 10 mins on the phone, deposit sent via PayPal before we hung up! PayPal kept $30 for the convienance. In my opinion, too much, but in this case it was worth it for the benefit of knowing he was a player and not a "player". The remainder was done with a personal check. No way to loose as I have the non-refundable depost, the car and title. His check cleared and now looking for transport.

eBay is much like Harley, PayPal and a few others, I hate the company but like the product. eBay, less so the product more and more. I really wish somebody would create a new ePay site that is like eBay was years ago. When they gave a s*** about the customers, large and small. eBay has just gotten too large and lost sight of how they got there. By a little guy at a time. A BIG car related improvement would be to have parts listed actually fit the cars they list! Rather than listing specific cars or models for items like stick-on chrome do-dads and crap, list them under generic fit. Frustrating to see 150 listings or things that will not fit your car.

[Guest 37Packard]

Unless you take the package to the post office with the exact shipping zip, (which is impossible at time of listing), the ebay estimates are always off. And that can break you..........

The USPS has an online postage calculator so all you do is put in your zip, the zip or country you're mailing the item to, and the weight and it will give you the exact charge. Welcome to the 21st century....

Postage Price Calculator

[Guest miss68xr7]

The other change I have seen is returns not accepted, that means in my book it is a middleman sale, I have bought 1 or 2 peices that way, but do not like to do so.

[1937hd45]

ALL my auctions have "Returns NOT Accepted" If you can't read my discription, or email for more details, and understand the condition of a Vintage car part I don't want you as a bidder. With 5,000+ positive feedbacks it's working well. Bob

The other change I have seen is returns not accepted, that means in my book it is a middleman sale, I have bought 1 or 2 peices that way, but do not like to do so.

[Guest miss68xr7]

I bought 3 computers, no returns accepted, advertised as xp. came with linux, were delivered form a vendor, not the person that sold them, it took alot of time and trouble to correct the situation, that is my experience. So my basic philosophy now is no returns no sale.

Edited September 15, 2012 by miss68xr7 (see edit history)

[Guest 37Packard]

ALL my auctions have "Returns NOT Accepted" If you can't read my discription, or email for more details, and understand the condition of a Vintage car part I don't want you as a bidder. With 5,000+ positive feedbacks it's working well. Bob

I don't accept returns either. With several dozen auctions of old car magazines from the 50s and 60s some people would probably read the magazine and then return it for a refund. I don't think so....

[1937hd45]

I'd NEVER buy somethnig electrical on the internet, this is a Vintage Car Forum. Bob

I bought 3 computers, no returns accepted, advertised as xp. came with linux, were delivered form a vendor, not the person that sold them, it took alot of time and trouble to correct the situation, that is my experience. So my basic philosophy now is no returns no sale.

[Guest BJM]

Well, of the 3 cars, 2 have been sold successfully OFF ebay after the initial buyers balked at completing their obligation. I just had my 71 Chevy truck picked up by a buyer from Indiana that had bid close to the winning bid. I deducted ebays costs, which I will get back as a refund, and sold it to him for basically the same price of the top bidder.

I have one outstanding auction, waiting on a refund of fees, and finally that buyer emailed me and said he had a "family emergency" a funeral and was still interested and wanted my car. Which is interesting. I have been on the receiving end of so many family emergencies as excuses, but I politely offered my condolences and it's still open. It ended Sept 3. The process to cancel the auction has been started so if he is serious, he would now need to expedite his seriousness.

But my point here is the ebay system shot themselves in the foot. They get no income from 2 of my auctions, but the message was broadcast to the larger community - which is the ONLY reason I would use ebay over Craigs List.

[39BuickEight]

It's just like real life. "The customer is always right." Sure nothing is perfect, but if you do your research you can have very good success on eBay. I've cancelled bids made on my products before. Over the years I have bought and sold many items with very little issues. I don't expect to have every transaction go smoothly, but the risk is worth the reward IMO.

[The Continental]

A BIG car related improvement would be to have parts listed actually fit the cars they list! Rather than listing specific cars or models for items like stick-on chrome do-dads and crap, list them under generic fit. Frustrating to see 150 listings or things that will not fit your car.

You mean Amphicars never had plastic ventiports? Haha I dislike that too. I've thought about selling on eBay, but it seems like too big of a hassle for lesser value items.