eBay & Paypal - Policies and Practices

[herbertwest]

What is that ebay bucks?

[ELazansky]

Every three months, EBay adds up your qualifying purchases. Then they you give a a credit to be used against a future purchase. If you buy a lot of expensive items on eBay, it does add up. I think last time (July-September) I earned 15 eBay bucks, and right now I am up to 12 for October-December.

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

Every three months, EBay adds up your qualifying purchases. Then they you give a a credit to be used against a future purchase. If you buy a lot of expensive items on eBay, it does add up. I think last time (July-September) I earned 15 eBay bucks, and right now I am up to 12 for October-December.

In the UK we get ebay + points. Same thing really.

[e_taylor]

How does one sign up for this? Or is it only for the .com website?

[ELazansky]

I don't remember having to sign up for it - I only use the .com site, so I don;t know if it is done for the UK site - http://pages.ebay.com/rewards/faq.html#6

EDIT - looks like as of now (reading the FAQ), you do have to enroll in the program

[herbertwest]

I never heard about such things.
How do you know how many bucks/points you have? Is there a minimum of value for getting points?

@ELazansky : thanks for the link. Didnt see it before posting.

[ELazansky]

I think it is only open to US residents. Every time you buy something, it shows you how many eBay Bucks you earned. There is a page that shows you how much you've earned in the current 3-month period (which right now is October-December). Around the 2nd week of January, they send you a "certificate" telling you how much you earned. When you win your next auction, you can use those bucks to help pay for the item. It then starts over again for January-March.

[Patrick]

You have to register for these things? Damn. I wish I'd known about the program before I bought that SIX STORIES S/L recently on eBay.

[herbertwest]

There is no such things on the french ebay. Not that i spend thousands on ebay, but still...

Thanks to Mulleins, the ebay seller sent me an invoice... :-)

[herbertwest]

on ebay : i cannot leave a note to the seller regardings the cost of shipping, because he offers free shipping (in the USA).
I paid international shippings, but cannot evaluate it?

[Fsmdr]

Starting next year ( Jan 1st, 2011) Paypal will have to start reporting to the IRS. The selling limits will be 200 items or $20K before they report. This tax change was part of the ’08 stimulus.

200 items annually, is only 17 items per month. If you sell 2 Dark Tower sets on ebay in 2011, you will now have to pay taxes on them!.

[Patrick]

200 items annually, is only 17 items per year month.


Does this also mean that those sellers who charge me sales tax will actually start paying that sales tax rather than pocketing it? I know that is a State thing (sales tax) vs. a Federal thing (IRS income tax), but just wondering how the increased reporting might affect other taxation issues.

[Fsmdr]

My concern is not for the sellers that makes a living on Ebay, but more for collectors like us. What if one day I need to liquidate my collection?. Hopefully it will be a long way off, but it would certainly be something to think about.

Thanks for the correction, Patrick. Original post edited.

[Room 217 Caretaker]

I like taxes, taxes are good, taxes are my friend (hold on, taking another drink of Kool-Aid) I like taxes, taxes are good, taxes are my friend................

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

I like taxes, taxes are good, taxes are my friend (hold on, taking another drink of Kool-Aid) I like taxes, taxes are good, taxes are my friend................

I wish I paid $5,000,000 a year in tax. And I'm not kidding.

[Randall Flagg]

If you paid 5 Mil in taxes, you probably netted >5 Mil.:P

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

If you paid 5 Mil in taxes, you probably netted >5 Mil.:P

Exactly.

[Rahfa]

Well, that's certainly not an exciting policy change...but, one only needs to pay taxes on the profit...so even if you make $20K in sales, you wouldn't pay taxes on $20K...in fact, you can report a loss just as easily...I sold a bunch of Easton Press signed editions this year at a general break-even, slight loss...so even if they reported the transactions there'd be no significant loss or profit to report (not that it was even close to these new limits anyway).

But...it would still require us to have more documentation than we need to worry about now, and that's a pain. But, if I were a legit business watching some Paypal seller basically do the same thing I'm doing, but NOT having to report income, etc., I'd be pretty annoyed, so it's fair.

[Yeah Sure Whatever]

Starting next year ( Jan 1st, 2011) Paypal will have to start reporting to the IRS. The selling limits will be 200 items or $20K before they report. This tax change was part of the ’08 stimulus.

200 items annually, is only 17 items per month. If you sell 2 Dark Tower sets on ebay in 2011, you will now have to pay taxes on them!.

Do you have a link with more info?


200 items annually, is only 17 items per year month.


Does this also mean that those sellers who charge me sales tax will actually start paying that sales tax rather than pocketing it? I know that is a State thing (sales tax) vs. a Federal thing (IRS income tax), but just wondering how the increased reporting might affect other taxation issues.

So I need to start charging tax for my etsy shop? I'm confused do I only have to report my earning if I charge tax?

[Fsmdr]

Starting next year ( Jan 1st, 2011) Paypal will have to start reporting to the IRS. The selling limits will be 200 items or $20K before they report. This tax change was part of the ’08 stimulus.

200 items annually, is only 17 items per month. If you sell 2 Dark Tower sets on ebay in 2011, you will now have to pay taxes on them!.

Do you have a link with more info?

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/21/smallbusiness/1099_deluge/index.htm

[Yeah Sure Whatever]

Thanks!

[Yeah Sure Whatever]

Looks like I'll need to do a lot more business for this to pertain to me:


The rule comes with a floor to weed out the most casual retailers: The 1099-K is only required when a merchant has at least 200 payment transactions a year totaling more than $20,000. But it applies to all payment processors, including Paypal, Amazon.com, and others that service very small businesses.

[Dolso]

So........I need some advice from a few of you ebayers. I don't sell very much at all on ebay but currently have a listing up with a reserve price. My understanding of Reserve is so you can start bidding at a lower price than normal but ensure you don't sell below what you want to get. Now I'm getting a question asking how much the reserve is set at. If I answer that, isn't it sort of negating the purpose of the reserve to begin with? How would you answer? Is this a typical request?

Thanks in advance.......................Dick

[Randall Flagg]

I wouldn't disclose the reserve-otherwise why have one?

[ELazansky]

I agree - don't disclose the reserve.

[Dolso]

Thanks guys. That's pretty much what I thought!

Dick

[Iwritecode]

I have mixed feelings about auctions with reserves. I sort of understand the feeling behind starting the price lower to get more people to look at it, but if you don't plan on selling it for X number of dollars anyway, why not just start it at that price to begin with? If nobody bids on it, then you know it's set too high.

[ELazansky]

Setting an auction with a Reserve Price and a low opening bid will attract more potential buyers than it would with just a high starting price. If you start an auction with a price of $200, many people will just move on (unless they have to have the item). If you list with an opening bid of 99 cents and a reserve of $200, you will get more people looking and possibly placing bids to see if they come up to the reserve. Plus, people tend to want to get in the action of an auction with a lot of bids on it.

[Rahfa]

Setting an auction with a Reserve Price and a low opening bid will attract more potential buyers than it would with just a high starting price. If you start an auction with a price of $200, many people will just move on (unless they have to have the item). If you list with an opening bid of 99 cents and a reserve of $200, you will get more people looking and possibly placing bids to see if they come up to the reserve. Plus, people tend to want to get in the action of an auction with a lot of bids on it.

This is correct...in theory, people like the action, so the reserve at least encourages a few bids even if you know you won't meet the reserve...at least they'll bid to see what's going on. When you list something high (like $200 or whatever), it just feels like you're buying it, and that's no fun!

[WeDealInLead]

I haven't sold on eBay in a while and the 'new' rules which incredibly favour the buyer and despicable. Some guy took TEN days to pay and I can't even leave a neutral feedback. He could however leave me a negative if he wanted to for whatever stupid reason. He could simply be a prick and leave a neg out of spite.

[Rahfa]

Yeah, that's a pain...but he did pay, after awhile, right? I dunno....I've never had any problems on Ebay so I don't really worry about it. I think people worry too much about negative feedback anyway...if you have a lot of positive feedback, then I think most people figure out that one negative feedback resulted from a unique problem, not a pattern.

[WeDealInLead]

Auction ended on 11/21, he paid today. He's entitled to leave me a negative if I take that long. Pure BS but nothing I can do about it.

I worry more about the buyer saying they never received the records than a negative. If I only have registered shipping as an option, not many people would buy a $10-15 record with shipping charges being higher than the actual item.

[Rahfa]

You can't use delivery confirmation from Canada, can you? Sux. Int'l shipping always worries me, although I've never had anything lost or even damaged.

I did send something TO Canada once...then it got misdirected, sent back to me, and I had to pay the same price of return shipping! Then the buyer complained to me like it was my fault! And it was a big package too, so it cost quite a bit.

Honestly, my view on a $15 item is to take the risk and not worry about it...nothing that comes of it will change your life either way.

[WeDealInLead]

You're right, we can't purchase just tracking or delivery confirmation, it needs to be sent as registered if I want to make sure it arrives.

I put my own rule in a description saying that if the item sells for more than $50, registered is a must or please do not bid.

[Randall Flagg]

It really sucks that Ebay has restricted shipping prices, and now takes a 9% cut of the price AND the shipping. Then they (since they own Paypal), get another cut. I really wish there was at least competition for Paypal.

[Patrick]

I haven't researched it myself, but I've heard decent things about alertpay dot com.

Problem is, as you point out, eBay only allows Paypal.

[Randall Flagg]

What is-if any, the fee for putting a book up on Ebay with a reserve (when it doesn't sell)? I looked it up and it appears you only pay the insertion fess.

[Robert Fulman]

The fees are $2 for a reserve price up to $200, 1% of reserve price above $200. I just tested a listing with a reserve price of $1,000 and it calculated the fee as $10.

[Randall Flagg]

The fees are $2 for a reserve price up to $200, 1% of reserve price above $200. I just tested a listing with a reserve price of $1,000 and it calculated the fee as $10.
Can you provide the link to how one "tests" a price?

[Fsmdr]

Would this help, Jerome?.

http://www.newlifeauctions.com/calc.html

[Robert Fulman]

The fees are $2 for a reserve price up to $200, 1% of reserve price above $200. I just tested a listing with a reserve price of $1,000 and it calculated the fee as $10.
Can you provide the link to how one "tests" a price?I just created the listing with a reserve price, then clicked on "Continue". At the bottom of the screen it says, "Your fees so far: $10.00."

[Randall Flagg]

Sim-Sala-Bim.

[herbertwest]

eBay to delete dormant accounts with 30 days notice : http://tamebay.com/2012/02/ebay-to-delete-dormant-accounts-with-30-days-notice.html

[Rahfa]

So I have some books listed on ebay.

I got a weird request.

Someone from Manila wanted me to pose one of the books (an Easton Press book, "The World is Flat") alongside their logo and take a picture.

They would send me $20 via Paypal.

So, I'm not even sure it's a scam..but I'm also not replying. Any ideas on what this is about?

(this is off-topic, so feel free to delete the thread in a couple days - or even sooner...)

[jhanic]

I'd ignore the request. It doesn't sound kosher to me.

John

[tippy4]

I generally feel if something sounds weird, it is best avoided.

Too many damn con-artists out there.

[AKC]

Weird......

DELETE!

[Merlin1958]

Go for it!!! You'll probably end up agreeing to be the "Virgin" sacrifice in a Amazon Death rite that saves a "people" and results in Zombie-ism, but what the heck else are you doing this week?

:mummy:

[Randall Flagg]

When in doubt..throw it out. If it sounds too good to be true it is, and if it sounds weird, it is.
Delete it and never look back.

[Rahfa]

Go for it!!! You'll probably end up agreeing to be the "Virgin" sacrifice in a Amazon Death rite that saves a "people" and results in Zombie-ism, but what the heck else are you doing this week?

:mummy:

Haha...yeah! I'm gonna do it!

No - I'm definitley NOT doing it...not replying, already deleted the request.

Mostly, I'm curious what the scam might be. It's very possible that for some strange business reason they actually want their logo next to this specific book (The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman)....but I think it's some weird reverse Paypal scam, where they are able to get some data or something from the email address.

Just a weird request...

[Robert Fulman]

I think it's more likely that they'll use your picture to convince somebody else that they actually have the book in their possession.

[Dolan]

Scam if there ever was one.

[Brice]

Is it a particularly valuable book? I've never heard of it.

I'm not sure of the specific nature of the scam, but I'm pretty damn sure that it IS a scam.

[Dolan]

I don't know the price of the book either, but it sounds like the following:

I email a collector who owns (hypothetically) a proof of Carrie. I ask the owner to photograph it with my logo. I get the photo, post the image on AbesBooks, eBay, etc., and claim it as my own. Someone buys it, thinking that I own it, and I keep the $$$.

Just as Robert Fulman said above.

[Brice]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I'm just curious if it's a particularly valuable book. I mean it seems like it would be more trouble than it's worth if not.

[herbertwest]

When in doubt..throw it out. If it sounds too good to be true it is, and if it sounds weird, it is.
Delete it and never look back.


I don't know the price of the book either, but it sounds like the following:

I email a collector who owns (hypothetically) a proof of Carrie. I ask the owner to photograph it with my logo. I get the photo, post the image on AbesBooks, eBay, etc., and claim it as my own. Someone buys it, thinking that I own it, and I keep the $$$.

Just as Robert Fulman said above.



Exactly.
Is your copy signed or something?

[Rahfa]

The book is of no significant value ($100 or so)...an Easton Press editon without much notoriety.

It is signed by Thomas Friedman. But it's not so unique that you couldn't find an image elsewhere and just use that one...it's not like a one-of-a-kind item like a Carrie proof. I'm not sure what the logo would add for customer or seller....

[sgc1999]

maybe some evil meniacal mind did it just to keep all of us ensuthed this morning :ghost_002:

[sgc1999]

Go for it!!! You'll probably end up agreeing to be the "Virgin" sacrifice in a Amazon Death rite that saves a "people" and results in Zombie-ism, but what the heck else are you doing this week?

:mummy:

props for the giggle this morning :)

[Ricky]

I think it's more likely that they'll use your picture to convince somebody else that they actually have the book in their possession.

That was my thought, too.

[Randall Flagg]

Send me the image they want and I will email it to them with a dummy account. Of course I won't give them a valid Paypal address.

[Randall Flagg]

Fucking Ebay now puts ads in you ad. You can:
You have opted out of AdChoice across multiple browsers.
Please note you will still see ads, but they may not be as relevant to you. You may opt back in at any time

but you still get ads. I know, that is the new world...

[Merlin1958]

Just a random thought, but I was talking to a good friend today and just found out that Paypal/ebay charge fees on the s/h amount in a transaction!!!! I haven't sold on ebay in quite a while but that just floored me!! Plus, I was not aware that Paypal and Ebay are not independent companies!! That's sorta like "double-dipping, right? What a set-up!! Whoa!!

[Robert Fulman]

The reason for adding s&h is because before they had that rule, people used to sell stuff for a penny with $30 s&h.

[divemaster]

Just a random thought, but I was talking to a good friend today and just found out that Paypal/ebay charge fees on the s/h amount in a transaction!!!! I haven't sold on ebay in quite a while but that just floored me!! Plus, I was not aware that Paypal and Ebay are not independent companies!! That's sorta like "double-dipping, right? What a set-up!! Whoa!!

This is one of the major things that put me off eBay. You get nicked for an eBay fee AND a Paypal fee--and its the same damn company! And from what I can tell, you must use PayPal. You can't get around it.

I listed a few items for my wife a year or so ago and in the auction text I said something like "check or money order" and the eBay bot threw up red flags and said something along the lines of "we note that you have used the term "money order" which is a forbidden practice...blah blah blah, not acceptable, blah blah blah." WTF???

The only thing wrong with a money order is that eBay can't double dip for fees, which are ridiculously high to begin with.

[Brice]

I'm kinda surprised they've gotten away with stuff like that for so long.

[Tony]

I dunno. Two companies offering two distinct services - one is an auction company and the other is a money transfer one. Doesn't matter that one bought the other at some point in time. Why's it so surprising that you have to pay two different sets of fees?

It's like saying if you buy a bottle of Coke you're entitled to a bottle of Dasani water too.

[Brice]

Seems more like saying Coke bought the stores they were sold exclusively in and charged whatever they wanted to to me.

[Tony]

Not trying to be a dick, so a sincere question: have Paypal fees changed?

And Ebay deciding to charge a fee on the shipping costs was the only logical choice to fix the issue of all those people who were manipulating listings by lowering the prices of the items and charge insanely high shipping charges to make up for it.

[divemaster]

I dunno. Two companies offering two distinct services - one is an auction company and the other is a money transfer one. Doesn't matter that one bought the other at some point in time. Why's it so surprising that you have to pay two different sets of fees?

It's like saying if you buy a bottle of Coke you're entitled to a bottle of Dasani water too.

No, it's like saying if you buy a bottle of Coke you must buy a bottle of Dasani water. There's no way to opt out, say, like using a check or money order which were perfectly fine on eBay for years (until eBay bought PayPal).

In today's world there are numerous methods to exchange payment. eBay basically says "screw all that, you have to use one method only--and guess what? We own it!"

[Randall Flagg]

By charging a fee on shipping, Paypal is creating a cost for the seller. It is very difficult to set up an auction and get the appropriate amount for shipping. The costs tend to be higher than the Ebay template sets up, then another % is taken by Paypal from the "below cost" shipping charge. I know that sellers creatively got around fees by having low sell prices and high shipping charges, but those days are over. Ebay and Paypal have a monopoly on auctions, payment and shipping charges. All of which cost the seller. I understand that that is the "cost of doing business", but Ebay/Paypal have a monopoly that eliminates competition and choices.

Also, a person has to be careful to not have a balance in Paypal when making a purchase that they would prefer to use a credit card for (It is easier to dispute a charge through ones own CC company than through Paypal.)

Originally, a PayPal account could be funded with an electronic debit from a bank account (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_account) or by a credit card (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card) at the payer's choice. But some time in 2010 or early 2011, PayPal began to require a verified bank account after the account holder exceeded a predetermined spending limit. After that point, PayPal will attempt to take funds for a purchase from funding sources according to a specified funding hierarchy, regardless of what funding source is listed as "primary" in the account-holder's profile. The funding hierarchy is (1) a balance in the PayPal account; (2) a PayPal credit account, PayPal Extras, PayPal SmartConnect, PayPal Extras Master Card or Bill Me Later (if selected as primary funding source) (It can bypass the Balance); (3) a verified bank account; (4) other funding sources, such as non-PayPal credit cards.[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PayPal#cite_note-1)

[Robert Fulman]

Let's say that you have a book that is worth $100, and you would like to sell. You can either:


Sell it one eBay: you sell the book and net, say, $90
Sell it somewhere else, for $100: you get the money by check and net $100
Sell it somewhere else, for $90: you get the money by check and net $90


In the first case, you feel cheated out of $10 because the book is "worth" $100. However, you could use the second method. If you can do this, it proves that eBay is not a monopoly. If you can't do this, then you hope for the third case. You net the same amount as from eBay, but you keep money away from the man. It also pretty much proves that the book is truly only worth $90. If you can't do this, then eBay might be a monopoly, but at least it serves a useful purpose (allowing you to maximize the amount of money you make on a sale, which apparently would be $0 without eBay).

I routinely charge $4 for media mail shipping on eBay. I wrap my books in copious bubble wrap and send in boxes with confirmation, and the typical price is $3.20. I don't feel like I am being cheated out of anything.

I would personally never send a check or money order to a stranger in hopes that my purchased goods will show up someday. eBay knows this, and so has instituted its rules to protect buyers.

Your mileage may vary.

[herbertwest]

Do you have a link regarding that new policy?

[Randall Flagg]

Do you have a link regarding that new policy?
The "new" policy is 2 years old.
Start here and then choose from the myriad of options:
https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=ua/Legal_Hub_full

[Brice]

Let's say that you have a book that is worth $100, and you would like to sell. You can either:



Sell it one eBay: you sell the book and net, say, $90
Sell it somewhere else, for $100: you get the money by check and net $100
Sell it somewhere else, for $90: you get the money by check and net $90



In the first case, you feel cheated out of $10 because the book is "worth" $100. However, you could use the second method. If you can do this, it proves that eBay is not a monopoly. If you can't do this, then you hope for the third case. You net the same amount as from eBay, but you keep money away from the man. It also pretty much proves that the book is truly only worth $90. If you can't do this, then eBay might be a monopoly, but at least it serves a useful purpose (allowing you to maximize the amount of money you make on a sale, which apparently would be $0 without eBay).

I routinely charge $4 for media mail shipping on eBay. I wrap my books in copious bubble wrap and send in boxes with confirmation, and the typical price is $3.20. I don't feel like I am being cheated out of anything.

I would personally never send a check or money order to a stranger in hopes that my purchased goods will show up someday. eBay knows this, and so has instituted its rules to protect buyers.

Your mileage may vary.

What does kinda' make it a monopoly though is it's the only major online auction site which also just happens to own the only major company which functions as a banking industry online (that isn't a bank) . In fact they are a bank and should have to function under all the same rules banks operate under. It'd be like if walmart sold stuff (and charged a premium) and then you could only use some special wal mart money to buy their stuff (and they charged a premium on that walmart money) too. Oh, yeah and then the guy who pushes your stuff to your car charges too (with yet another premium tacked on).

[Merlin1958]

Great point, Brice. My Sis in law works for the DOJ in mergers & acquisitions they should be looking into this crap!!!

[Brice]

Sometimes it seems they dance precariously close to rackateering, imo.

[Robert Fulman]

I think that if Walmart or Amazon tried this, they would fail miserably. There is no advantage for Walmart to not accept cash at their stores. Checks are a stretch, but they do ask for identification to try to minimize fraud. Amazon doesn't accept cash, but might take echecks for all I know. In those cases, the sellers are protecting themselves from fraud. They won't send the product out until they have received a form of valid payment.

However, eBay is not a seller. They match buyers and sellers. Their primary concern in selecting valid payment methods is to make sure that the buyers don't get screwed. I assure you that they have sufficient data to show that the vast majority of fraud on their site was being caused by sellers accepting checks or money orders in advance. Once those are cashed, there is almost no way to get a refund if the seller refuses to collaborate. When that happens, eBay gets the black eye, and people become less likely to buy on eBay.

Why would a seller want to accept checks or money orders? It's possible that they are trying to screw someone over (again, this is why I would never send one to someone on eBay). More likely is that they are trying to save the pennies on the dollar it costs to use PayPal. But in reality, all the seller is trying to do is pass costs of doing business on to the buyer. It's not like buying and sending a money order is free, or having a bank account is free. By insisting that the buyer uses one of those methods, you are just trying to do to your buyer exactly what PayPal is doing to you. It's no different than insisting that a buyer pay by paypal's gift option; if you want to net $100 on the sale of a $100 book, then set the price at $103, or whatever. eBay will never allow that option again, because it will just open the flood gates on fraud again, which in turn will cause eBay seller fees to go up even more.

Finally, I do not want it being classified as a bank. Regulation does not make things less expensive, and I certainly do not want PayPal to have the ability to loan my money out.

[herbertwest]

Is it me or Paypal changed some stuff?
It is now not possible for a payer to take the fees from their side... and i only have 2 options as a payer:
- pay for an item (the fees will be taken of the money sent)
- send money for a relative, 0 fees.

[Bad Penny]

No mate, you're correct, PayPal have changed their website a little :arg:

[RC65]

I noticed that, too. I just sent off some $$ and wanted to absorb the fees, but it wasn't possible unless I wanted to send a gift to a relative/etc. Since it was for merchandise and I wanted some sort of protection, I just added 3% for the fees to the money I was sending, so that the seller received the correct amount (minus the fees).

[Scoogs]

Interesting.
I admit, there's a part of me that considers the 3% to be the seller's cost of doing business.
As a seller, I'd build it into the cost to begin with.

It still beats giving ebay 10% in addition to the Paypal fee.

Just to clarify, this applies to general off ebay sales, not sales here.

[Randall Flagg]

I noticed they changed it ~7 days ago. It is the precursor to eliminating "Gift" transfers completely. They will do it in the future but the sender will pay (perhaps initially) a lower fee.

[Brice]

Luckily I consider you all family. At least until I die and it becomes will time. LOL

[herbertwest]

I noticed that, too. I just sent off some $$ and wanted to absorb the fees, but it wasn't possible unless I wanted to send a gift to a relative/etc. Since it was for merchandise and I wanted some sort of protection, I just added 3% for the fees to the money I was sending, so that the seller received the correct amount (minus the fees).

Are you sure that it's 3%?
They have a "tooltip" thing under the box... supposedly for saying the fees, but it doesnt. If only it was mentionning the fees, then it would be easier to calculate...

[herbertwest]

It's been a long time since i didnt sell anything on ebay... and now we cannot charge more than $4 for international shipping?
wtf?

[Brice]

Yes, apparently there is some magical shipping option that lets you mail anything anywhere for four bucks.

[tippy4]

It's been a long time since i didnt sell anything on ebay... and now we cannot charge more than $4 for international shipping?
wtf?

If you do it by weight and size, there should not be an issue.

If you charge a flat rate to all buyers, then you have to offer a $4 option.

So yes, there is a way around it....but it is stupid that a seller cannot charge whatever they want....just as they can decide at what price to start their auctions.

As a buyer, as long a I know the shipping price upfront...I can factor that in when I make my bid.






Why would a seller want to accept checks or money orders? It's possible that they are trying to screw someone over (again, this is why I would never send one to someone on eBay). More likely is that they are trying to save the pennies on the dollar it costs to use PayPal. But in reality, all the seller is trying to do is pass costs of doing business on to the buyer. It's not like buying and sending a money order is free, or having a bank account is free. By insisting that the buyer uses one of those methods, you are just trying to do to your buyer exactly what PayPal is doing to you. It's no different than insisting that a buyer pay by paypal's gift option; if you want to net $100 on the sale of a $100 book, then set the price at $103, or whatever. eBay will never allow that option again, because it will just open the flood gates on fraud again, which in turn will cause eBay seller fees to go up even more.


Before Paypal existed, I used to require USPS money orders for the items I sold. They were convenient for me because I could cash them at the post office immediately, and there was no risk of a check bouncing in my account, and on top of that, no fees for me. The buyer got their stuff quicker, but did have to pay about $3 for a money order...and make a trip to the post office to buy it.

Once Paypal started being used, I would give buyers the option of sending me a USPS money order, or if they wanted to use Paypal, I made them send me and extra 3% to cover my fees until Paypal outlawed that practice.

It annoys me that ebay will not ALLOW me to accept checks or money orders any longer. As a seller, I should be allowed to accept any form of payment. It is obvious to me that the PAYPAL ONLY policy exists because ebay owns PAYPAL.

I have no doubt that I have paid over $1000 in Paypal fees over the years.

[herbertwest]

Yes, apparently there is some magical shipping option that lets you mail anything anywhere for four bucks.

That's absolutely crazy. Especially if you remember that some people would consider that the price on the stamp is not the only cost : material (box, other protection item in the box, tape....), fuel to go to the post office if you dont have any nearby, time for going there... so $4 for sending a collectible item, nationally, and therefore internationally is absolutely unrealistic.

I ended up by adding $10 to my reserve, in order to compensate the low shipping fees.

[Brice]

As long as it's factored into the price for the item ebay/paypal can't really do a damn thing...at least until they start mandating minimum and maximum prices for your stuff.

[herbertwest]

As long as it's factored into the price for the item ebay/paypal can't really do a damn thing...at least until they start mandating minimum and maximum prices for your stuff.

It's still unfair + they get a bit more fees this way. Bastards...

[RC65]

I noticed that, too. I just sent off some $$ and wanted to absorb the fees, but it wasn't possible unless I wanted to send a gift to a relative/etc. Since it was for merchandise and I wanted some sort of protection, I just added 3% for the fees to the money I was sending, so that the seller received the correct amount (minus the fees).

Are you sure that it's 3%?
They have a "tooltip" thing under the box... supposedly for saying the fees, but it doesnt. If only it was mentionning the fees, then it would be easier to calculate...

It's 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction. For most transactions (unless it's high dollar), that'll work out to around 3%, yes.

[Scoogs]

International sales have 3.9% Paypal fees.

I just noticed that Ebay has stopped revealing the actual selling price for Best Offer sales.
I see that as a negative for buyer and sellers both if they are trying to research the actual martket value on an item before buying/listing.

[carlosdetweiller]

I just noticed that Ebay has stopped revealing the actual selling price for Best Offer sales.
I see that as a negative for buyer and sellers both if they are trying to research the actual martket value on an item before buying/listing.

I'll take the contrary point of view (as usual, it seems) and say that it is a positive. It is really no one else's business what a buyer and seller agree to. I recently bought the artist edition of The Century's Best Horror Fiction with a best offer and am glad that the accepted offer was not made public.

[Randall Flagg]

I agree that a "best offer" price need not be disclosed. Obviously the buyer and seller know. ebay knows, they charge the fees.

[tippy4]

I just noticed that Ebay has stopped revealing the actual selling price for Best Offer sales.
I see that as a negative for buyer and sellers both if they are trying to research the actual martket value on an item before buying/listing.

I'll take the contrary point of view (as usual, it seems) and say that it is a positive. It is really no one else's business what a buyer and seller agree to. I recently bought the artist edition of The Century's Best Horror Fiction with a best offer and am glad that the accepted offer was not made public.

Ahhhh so YOU were the one that snagged it.

I agree with you Bob......it is really nobody else's business....but at the same time...I am interested in knowing what things sold for.

[Scoogs]

I can see that side of it too. It's just frustrating when you're trying to research current pricing on an item.

[cit74]

I can see that side of it too. It's just frustrating when you're trying to research current pricing on an item.

When you search completed auctions - you can list from highest to lowest - and it will place the best offer accepted in that order as well - so if it fall between 2 books that went for 300 and 350 - it still gives you a slight idea especially for market value...now if this was the only item of its kind then you are pretty much screwed. I agree with the anonymity.

[Scoogs]

Thanks cit74, that's a good tip.
I just want the data, so sorting that way would still help establish a ballpark range without disclosing the actual dollars and cents.

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

I can see that side of it too. It's just frustrating when you're trying to research current pricing on an item.

When you search completed auctions - you can list from highest to lowest - and it will place the best offer accepted in that order as well - so if it fall between 2 books that went for 300 and 350 - it still gives you a slight idea especially for market value...now if this was the only item of its kind then you are pretty much screwed. I agree with the anonymity.

That's the way I get round their new "hidden" prices as well. :)

[Randall Flagg]

I noticed that ebay is gong to require uploaded images be at least 500 pixels on one side. I agree with the policy, but as always unscrupulous sellers can comply, but provide an out of focus image.
Policy:
Starting July 1 2013, eBay will start enforcing these picture quality requirements on all new, revised, and relisted items (http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/picturestandards.html):


All photos must be at least 500 pixels on the longest side (http://av.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/videos/sell/picsize/2182_eBay_Picture_Size.swf) of the picture.
Photos cannot have borders.
Photos cannot have seller-added text or seller-added artwork.
When you list a used item outside of books, movies, music, and video games, you cannot use the eBay catalog stock photo in the primary photo position. You must upload your own photo.
You must upload at least one photo per listing.

[tippy4]

And now ebay requires a BUY IT NOW price to be 30% more than the opening bid when listing an item.

They went from no minimum, to 10%, to 30%?

WTF?

Maybe they could come up with some more useless rules?

I can tolerate all the other recent rules they have set up under the guise of protecting buyers, but this one is bullshit.

[tippy4]

I noticed that ebay is gong to require uploaded images be at least 500 pixels on one side. I agree with the policy, but as always unscrupulous sellers can comply, but provide an out of focus image.
Policy:
Starting July 1 2013, eBay will start enforcing these picture quality requirements on all new, revised, and relisted items (http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/picturestandards.html):


All photos must be at least 500 pixels on the longest side (http://av.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/videos/sell/picsize/2182_eBay_Picture_Size.swf) of the picture.
Photos cannot have borders.
Photos cannot have seller-added text or seller-added artwork.
When you list a used item outside of books, movies, music, and video games, you cannot use the eBay catalog stock photo in the primary photo position. You must upload your own photo.
You must upload at least one photo per listing.




Arghhh...more and more rules.

So now I cannot put my name across a photo if I want to prevent someone else from using my photo?

Why MUST I have a photo in my auction? Not that I ever list anything without a photo....it helps increase sales....but should it not be MY choice to make as a seller?

[cit74]

I noticed that ebay is gong to require uploaded images be at least 500 pixels on one side. I agree with the policy, but as always unscrupulous sellers can comply, but provide an out of focus image.
Policy:
Starting July 1 2013, eBay will start enforcing these picture quality requirements on all new, revised, and relisted items (http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/picturestandards.html):


All photos must be at least 500 pixels on the longest side (http://av.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/videos/sell/picsize/2182_eBay_Picture_Size.swf) of the picture.
Photos cannot have borders.
Photos cannot have seller-added text or seller-added artwork.
When you list a used item outside of books, movies, music, and video games, you cannot use the eBay catalog stock photo in the primary photo position. You must upload your own photo.
You must upload at least one photo per listing.




Arghhh...more and more rules.

So now I cannot put my name across a photo if I want to prevent someone else from using my photo?

Why MUST I have a photo in my auction? Not that I ever list anything without a photo....it helps increase sales....but should it not be MY choice to make as a seller?

I'll take the other side. I think this would prevent someone from using your photo - since if I got an item that looked nothing like the photo (because it was taken from someone else) - I'd be more likely to be dissatisfied, give poor feedback and return the item. So doesn't that help both the seller and buyer? Remember this is all consumer/buyer driven. If no ones buying then there is no business - I assume many of these changes are to benefit the buyer (and seem burdensome for the seller).

Take the example of working in the hospital. Everything we do, in regards to reimbursement, or even penalties, is based on feedback surveys from patients and how we compare with other facilities. When our hospital only gets a return rate of about 25% (and everyone always says well its just the unhappy ones that return the survey) - that has a huge impact - we are talking millions of dollars. So now we have to change how we interact with the patient (many will argue that the care itself has not changed) - in order to improve response rate, satisfaction scores. It's all about the consumer and what we have to do to meet those needs.

Just my 3 cents

[thegunslinger41]

I hate the fact that EBAY also charges the seller a % of the charged shipping charges as well. M*th3rFu@@kers! This is criminal.


G

[tippy4]

Theyre probably getting kickbacks from the USPS too!

:mad:

[Scoogs]

Yeah, taking final value fees out of shipping costs is BS. Ebay's line is that we should just offer free shipping.
Sorry, have you seen international shipping rates lately? Having to add another 10% to that cost to cover the extra fees gets a bit ridiculous.

[Robert Fulman]

The reason ebay uses shipping in its fee calculation is because prior to that, sellers would routinely sell items for $1, plus $100 for shipping. They would then ship the item at the cheapest cost possible and keep the extra shipping money without paying any fees on it.

[barlow]

I just sent a payment via PayPal to Titto_Villa as a payment to friends or family. There was a fee for the transaction, not much around $1.50. This was my first international transfer via PayPal so I don't know if this is normal or if they have finally taken away the last free transfer option! I sent a payment to Shannon as reimbursement for shipping an item from his collection sale on Saturday and there was no fee. Has anyone else noticed any changes today?


Ken

[Randall Flagg]

I just sent a payment via PayPal to Titto_Villa as a payment to friends or family. There was a fee for the transaction, not much around $1.50. This was my first international transfer via PayPal so I don't know if this is normal or if they have finally taken away the last free transfer option! I sent a payment to Shannon as reimbursement for shipping an item from his collection sale on Saturday and there was no fee. Has anyone else noticed any changes today?


Ken
I'll check, but recently Paypal allowed "gift" payments within the USA with no fee as long as the amount was used from an existing balance.
If my Paypal account had been zero, then the gift would have incurred a small fee (which Paypal disclosed in advance).

[Patrick]

I just sent a payment via PayPal to Titto_Villa as a payment to friends or family. There was a fee for the transaction, not much around $1.50. This was my first international transfer via PayPal so I don't know if this is normal or if they have finally taken away the last free transfer option! I sent a payment to Shannon as reimbursement for shipping an item from his collection sale on Saturday and there was no fee. Has anyone else noticed any changes today?


Ken
I'll check, but recently Paypal allowed "gift" payments within the USA with no fee as long as the amount was used from an existing balance.
If my Paypal account had been zero, then the gift would have incurred a small fee (which Paypal disclosed in advance).
As recently as last week, as long as the "gift" funds come from a verified bank account (vs. from a credit card), there is no fee. It does not have to come from a pre-existing Paypal balance.

[TwistedNadine]

He did an international transfer and I think there is a fee for that regardless thats it a gift of paypal funds.

[barlow]

Thanks T.N. part of the transaction was from my bank account, but I have never had a fee for money coming out of my checking account before, but this was the first international transaction. I'm glad to hear it was just an international transaction fee. That means we can still avoid domestic fees, at least for the time being!


Ken

[Rachel Readman]

That might have been what they call a cross border fee here in the UK. For example here they charge me as a business 3.4% + 20 pence plus a cross border fee and then they use their own exchange rate (2.5% above the wholesale exchange rate) which is rubbish compared to the real world market exchange rates and of course it goes in their favour and into their big clown pockets.

https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/cross-border-and-conversion-fees

[cit74]

Last time I sent funds overseas - to Tom as well - there was a small fee from paypal - maybe this is just something special with Tom and he has found a way to get a little more out of the system?:evil:

[thegunslinger41]

Howdy fellas. I'm sure many of you are fed up with EBay's double dipping practices. I know they have changed for the worst over the past few years and as always, it's the sellers who suffer.

One thing that I noticed a while back when I was looking at eBay's itemized bill was that they were charging me an identical commission fee (~10%) for what I was charging for shipping. So...for $4 medial mail shipping charges, I saw a 40 cent fee from ebay. Now why should they even do that??? Ugh...now 40 cents isn't really a big deal but about a year ago I sold a set of books that I shipped to Sweden. Shipping cost me about $56 (of course, they buyer agreed to this shipping charge). Anyhow...ebay took their $5.60 (10%) cut from that.

Oh..and i'm sure all of you have dealt with their fixed $4 shipping fee...and how it can't be more or anything. So f**CKED up IMO.

I've gotten 2 warnings/disclaimers before "Ending an Item Early" from ebay recently...saying that they may STILL have to charge me a final auction value fee. I guess people are ending auctions early because they already sold their item.

I have found a way around this last issue. Recently I sold a Joe Hill S/L book to someone here on dt.org. However, at the same time, I had it listed on ebay. I went to end the auction and "BLEEP, BLEEP"...I received my warning from ebay. So...I didn't end the auction early. Solution: I Edited the auction and changed the BIN from $220 to $1000. Problem solved. Auction didn't sell of course. :)

-G

[redsoxfan565]

They won't charge you a final value fee if it doesn't sell or has zero bids when you end the item. You will still get charged the insertion fees if you end the auction early.

[becca69]

And sadly they started charging a percentage of your shipping, unless it is free, to keep sellers from over charging to compensate for their low selling price. The only thing it's done is screw the honest seller IMO.

[neosatus]

Howdy fellas. I'm sure many of you are fed up with EBay's double dipping practices. I know they have changed for the worst over the past few years and as always, it's the sellers who suffer.

One thing that I noticed a while back when I was looking at eBay's itemized bill was that they were charging me an identical commission fee (~10%) for what I was charging for shipping. So...for $4 medial mail shipping charges, I saw a 40 cent fee from ebay. Now why should they even do that??? Ugh...now 40 cents isn't really a big deal but about a year ago I sold a set of books that I shipped to Sweden. Shipping cost me about $56 (of course, they buyer agreed to this shipping charge). Anyhow...ebay took their $5.60 (10%) cut from that.

Oh..and i'm sure all of you have dealt with their fixed $4 shipping fee...and how it can't be more or anything. So f**CKED up IMO.

I've gotten 2 warnings/disclaimers before "Ending an Item Early" from ebay recently...saying that they may STILL have to charge me a final auction value fee. I guess people are ending auctions early because they already sold their item.

I have found a way around this last issue. Recently I sold a Joe Hill S/L book to someone here on dt.org. However, at the same time, I had it listed on ebay. I went to end the auction and "BLEEP, BLEEP"...I received my warning from ebay. So...I didn't end the auction early. Solution: I Edited the auction and changed the BIN from $220 to $1000. Problem solved. Auction didn't sell of course. :)

-G

I don't understand the hate. Ebay is a great service as far as getting your items/products views (buyers) from all over the world. If you don't like the fees, no one is forcing you to use it. Make your own website and sell that way. No fees that way, right?

Ebay began taking a cut of the shipping price long ago. They did this to keep people from selling stuff for an extremely low sell price and moving the cost over to shipping ( i.e. DVDs for .99 but she shipping is $20).

The $4 max only applies to Media Mail, and only for single/lightweight books. If you are selling a heavy book or a set/lot of books, all you have to due is enter the weight and then select the option to calculate shipping by weight.
This is actually a good thing, imo as it prevents people from gouging for shipping--an act I despised for years as I am honest and do not gouge and never would even if I could.


I like how you fail to mention that insertion fees and final value fees have dropped quite a bit over the years. And sellers can also get discounted USPS shipping which is nice.


You'll get no shoulder to cry on here. If you don't like paying for the service that allows lots of traffic to your listings then hey, don't use it. Then you won't have to whine about it.

[Dan]

My biggest gripe is that you are required to use Paypal. So, they take a cut from final valuation and shipping, then take a cut from Paypal.

Also, it's difficult to set an exact price on shipping because you are losing money the more shipping cost. For example, if I sell something to person A and it ships to $10, I pay $1 fee. It costs $10 to ship, so I lose a dollar from my profit. If same exact item is sold to person B and they live in an area that has higher shipping rates, say $20, now the fee is $2. Now my cut from profit is $2 instead of $1. The result is that you have to charge more initially, which is what I do. But you risk losing bidders by starting higher to ensure you cover the fees. I sold something that i listed the actual dimensions into the auction so it could be calculated by eBay. I had a buyer message me and tell me that i'm crazy thinking it cost $32 to send this item to Arizona from Oklahoma. I told him it's calculated, that I didn't set the rate. He didn't bid. I understand it's a business that I don't have to partake in. Just because it's my choice to use eBay doesn't mean I have to like their decisions.

eBay is definitely a buyers market over a sellers market. Unless you do bulk, then I suppose it's a way to make some money.

[herbertwest]

About a month ago (?), I had a job interview for eBay in Zurich. It didnt go as well as i hoped.
After that i applied to eBay in California > no reply.

Still love ebay :)

[Scoogs]

Neosatus is correct about letting it ship based on weight to get around the ridiculous $4 limit.
Not sure how to add insurance into the mix nowadays since they frequently block you from adding a handling fee.

My main complaint is that I can't leave negative feedback for buyers that don't pay.
Sure you can log a dispute and they will be flagged, but other sellers can't see that so the deadbeats can continue to bid on things.

[thegunslinger41]

Howdy fellas. I'm sure many of you are fed up with EBay's double dipping practices. I know they have changed for the worst over the past few years and as always, it's the sellers who suffer.

One thing that I noticed a while back when I was looking at eBay's itemized bill was that they were charging me an identical commission fee (~10%) for what I was charging for shipping. So...for $4 medial mail shipping charges, I saw a 40 cent fee from ebay. Now why should they even do that??? Ugh...now 40 cents isn't really a big deal but about a year ago I sold a set of books that I shipped to Sweden. Shipping cost me about $56 (of course, they buyer agreed to this shipping charge). Anyhow...ebay took their $5.60 (10%) cut from that.

Oh..and i'm sure all of you have dealt with their fixed $4 shipping fee...and how it can't be more or anything. So f**CKED up IMO.

I've gotten 2 warnings/disclaimers before "Ending an Item Early" from ebay recently...saying that they may STILL have to charge me a final auction value fee. I guess people are ending auctions early because they already sold their item.

I have found a way around this last issue. Recently I sold a Joe Hill S/L book to someone here on dt.org. However, at the same time, I had it listed on ebay. I went to end the auction and "BLEEP, BLEEP"...I received my warning from ebay. So...I didn't end the auction early. Solution: I Edited the auction and changed the BIN from $220 to $1000. Problem solved. Auction didn't sell of course. :)

-G

I don't understand the hate. Ebay is a great service as far as getting your items/products views (buyers) from all over the world. If you don't like the fees, no one is forcing you to use it. Make your own website and sell that way. No fees that way, right?

Ebay began taking a cut of the shipping price long ago. They did this to keep people from selling stuff for an extremely low sell price and moving the cost over to shipping ( i.e. DVDs for .99 but she shipping is $20).

The $4 max only applies to Media Mail, and only for single/lightweight books. If you are selling a heavy book or a set/lot of books, all you have to due is enter the weight and then select the option to calculate shipping by weight.
This is actually a good thing, imo as it prevents people from gouging for shipping--an act I despised for years as I am honest and do not gouge and never would even if I could.


I like how you fail to mention that insertion fees and final value fees have dropped quite a bit over the years. And sellers can also get discounted USPS shipping which is nice.


You'll get no shoulder to cry on here. If you don't like paying for the service that allows lots of traffic to your listings then hey, don't use it. Then you won't have to whine about it.


Neo...I actually agree with all that you said. LOL. Sometimes I just get hulk-angry though. :P

G

[dnemec]

Neosatus is correct about letting it ship based on weight to get around the ridiculous $4 limit.
Not sure how to add insurance into the mix nowadays since they frequently block you from adding a handling fee.

My main complaint is that I can't leave negative feedback for buyers that don't pay.
Sure you can log a dispute and they will be flagged, but other sellers can't see that so the deadbeats can continue to bid on things.

That's my major complaint too! I had a dozen audiobooks listed on ebay, all missing cds. I thought: I have no idea what to do with all these, so maybe someone else could use them! I made it ABUNDANTLY clear; even going so far as to list what cd was missing in each book. Buyer buys auction for $.99 plus shipping and leaves me negative feedback because all the audiobooks are missing discs. I was furious! Ebay then refused to remove the negative feedback. All I could do is leave additional feedback that the buyer was an asshole. Even 8 months later, I'm still pissed. And that negative feedback is still following me around. Now you guys have me all fired up! :mad1:

[dnemec]

You do make good points, thegunslinger41. Ebay can just piss you off some days!!

[Br!an]

I have a different perspective than some since selling on eBay is relatively new to me, and since let’s face it; we all have a different perspective. Fair warning, I’m about to get pedantic on your ass.

That said, I don't really see the problem. They have fixed rules. Work within them. They don’t always make sense and some of it is some convoluted bullshit, but that can benefit you if you learn it. I suppose that if the complaint is that they don’t streamline the process and provide the proper tools in an up front and user-friendly fashion then I agree with you in that they are lacking.

They charge 10% of the sale and 10% of the shipping. Everyone should know that going in. PayPal also charges a couple percent. Charge appropriately. You can charge whatever you want. If you think you can't then you haven't been doing it right.

As for shipping, there is certainly a learning curve, and I am no expert although I am a quick study. The first thing you need to do is to realize that you are dealing with eBay, the USPS and usually PayPal. EBay has it’s own listing rules. It also offers postage through the USPS. That postage is most often paid for with PayPal. What many don’t know is that PayPal also offers postage at the same discount as eBay. If you are having trouble shipping with eBay then just use PayPal and provide eBay with the tracking number. www.paypal.com/shipnow/ Also, always check the actual shipping charges prior to listing until you get the feel of it.

Each mailing option has different parameters. eBay’s parameters for listing an item are not necessarily the same as USPS parameters for the same shipping option. [PayPal doesn’t f^(k with you] For instance the $4 limit on Media Mail in the listing. If that is an issue then don't use the Media Mail option in your listing. Just use the Economy Shipping option and put whatever amount you want in there. When you actually ship the item you can still ship it by Media Mail. There is no actual $4 limit on media mail. That is just an eBay-listing limit.

If you want insurance then choose a shipping method that provides the option. Most do. USPS Priority Mail includes $50 in insurance for any package shipped with a bar code label.

I'll give an example: A package ships Media Mail for $3.88. Don’t forget the added $.20 for tracking. Now you are looking at $4.08. You also have to actually pack the thing and get it mailed.

You have options in the way you approach both the listing and the actual shipping. The first option is Media Mail for the amount eBay-listing allows, $4. It might be worth shipping for that depending upon circumstances. Are you willing to eat the .08 cents and handling? If not then list it as Economy Shipping and charge the $4.08 and handling. When you ship use Media Mail. The same package ships USPS Priority Mail for $13.25; that includes tracking and fifty dollars in insurance. You must make sure to ask for and apply the USPS insurance. You can also get insurance for books you ship Media Mail. EBay will not allow you to apply more insurance than the sale price.
All you have to do is to change over to Priority Mail and add the $50 insurance. Priority doesn’t complain about the sale price. You then revert to Media Mail and the system will grant you $50 insurance for $1.95. Resulting in a Media Mail cost of $6.03.

For international shipping just include the option of actual shipping in your listing. You can then determine the actual shipping and issue an invoice. Again PayPal offers the option of issuing an invoice. You can transact a lot of business using the PayPal 2+% platform instead of the 10% eBay platform if you are paying attention.

[tippy4]

I have been shipping things sold on ebay a long time, and have never heard that anything that you ship via Priority Mail is automatically insured for $50.

Can you provide a link to that information?

[EXPLORER]

I have been shipping things sold on ebay a long time, and have never heard that anything that you ship via Priority Mail is automatically insured for $50.

Can you provide a link to that information? https://www.usps.com/send/priority-mail.htm?
With Priority Mail®, you already get...
Insurance coverage up to $50 mailpieces with barcodes.
USPS Tracking™ to see tracking updates, including date and time of delivery or attempted delivery using our Track & Confirm tool.
Package Pickup to have your carrier pick up the package at your door.

[jhanic]

According to my daughter (who works for the USPS) they just recently started automatic insurance for Priority Mail. I don't know all the details, though.

John

[redsoxfan565]

They just changed Priority Mail to include $50 insurance at no extra charge.

[neosatus]

Howdy fellas. I'm sure many of you are fed up with EBay's double dipping practices. I know they have changed for the worst over the past few years and as always, it's the sellers who suffer.

One thing that I noticed a while back when I was looking at eBay's itemized bill was that they were charging me an identical commission fee (~10%) for what I was charging for shipping. So...for $4 medial mail shipping charges, I saw a 40 cent fee from ebay. Now why should they even do that??? Ugh...now 40 cents isn't really a big deal but about a year ago I sold a set of books that I shipped to Sweden. Shipping cost me about $56 (of course, they buyer agreed to this shipping charge). Anyhow...ebay took their $5.60 (10%) cut from that.

Oh..and i'm sure all of you have dealt with their fixed $4 shipping fee...and how it can't be more or anything. So f**CKED up IMO.

I've gotten 2 warnings/disclaimers before "Ending an Item Early" from ebay recently...saying that they may STILL have to charge me a final auction value fee. I guess people are ending auctions early because they already sold their item.

I have found a way around this last issue. Recently I sold a Joe Hill S/L book to someone here on dt.org. However, at the same time, I had it listed on ebay. I went to end the auction and "BLEEP, BLEEP"...I received my warning from ebay. So...I didn't end the auction early. Solution: I Edited the auction and changed the BIN from $220 to $1000. Problem solved. Auction didn't sell of course. :)

-G

I don't understand the hate. Ebay is a great service as far as getting your items/products views (buyers) from all over the world. If you don't like the fees, no one is forcing you to use it. Make your own website and sell that way. No fees that way, right?

Ebay began taking a cut of the shipping price long ago. They did this to keep people from selling stuff for an extremely low sell price and moving the cost over to shipping ( i.e. DVDs for .99 but she shipping is $20).

The $4 max only applies to Media Mail, and only for single/lightweight books. If you are selling a heavy book or a set/lot of books, all you have to due is enter the weight and then select the option to calculate shipping by weight.
This is actually a good thing, imo as it prevents people from gouging for shipping--an act I despised for years as I am honest and do not gouge and never would even if I could.


I like how you fail to mention that insertion fees and final value fees have dropped quite a bit over the years. And sellers can also get discounted USPS shipping which is nice.


You'll get no shoulder to cry on here. If you don't like paying for the service that allows lots of traffic to your listings then hey, don't use it. Then you won't have to whine about it.


Neo...I actually agree with all that you said. LOL. Sometimes I just get hulk-angry though. :P

G

lol, all good. We were both in maybe not the best mood this morning.

It sucks that some shady sellers crashed the party by abusing shipping fees, but the change needed to be done so that ebay didn't have to add even more fees elsewhere. Every dollar ebay gets screwed out of, they have to pass that cost onto the good sellers.
As I mentioned, they did reduce fees elsewhere to counter the added fees to shipping. But if you didn't know about it and thought they were charging you in an underhanded way, then it's not completely unreasonable to feel "hurt" by that.

If you can sell on here or other place and avoid fees at anytime, that's great. You're marketing yourself so you rightfully get all of the profits. =)

Peace.

[TwistedNadine]

Anyone (Tippy?) know how to find out what Best Offer was accepted for an item that sold?
I think ebay must have changed something 'cause now it doesnt even show up in the feedback

[Scoogs]

View the list of sold auctions and then sort by price.
It won't show you the actual selling price, but will give you a ballpark number if there are other auctions for the same item.

[TwistedNadine]

Thanks. Did that and gave me a pretty good idea. I guess that will have to do.
They did change something didnt they? Im pretty sure the actual Best Offer price accepted used to show up

[Randall Flagg]

I merged the "Ways to screw ebay" thread into this one.

[Scoogs]

What's the purpose of using Paypal to send an echeck? Is it for those that don't have a Paypal account?
If the echeck and a regular Paypal transfer all come directly out of your account, I don't really see the benefit of waiting a week or more for the echeck to clear.

[Scoogs]

I thought this was an interesting portion of the new user agreement.
It seems to imply that they may choose not to include a listing in search results for a variety of somewhat vague reasons.

Bold emphasis added by me.


Updates to listing conditions. To further create a marketplace where buyers find what they want and drive positive user experience, we updated the provision regarding listing conditions to recognize that the appearance and placement of listings in search and browse results will depend on a variety of factors. So, in some situations a listing may not appear in some search and browse results regardless of sort order.


Here's the full section:


Listing Conditions

When listing an item, you agree to comply with rules for listing and Selling Practices policy and that:


You are responsible for the accuracy and content of the listing and item offered.

Your listing may not be immediately searchable by keyword or category for several hours (or up to 24 hours in some circumstances). eBay can't guarantee exact listing durations.

We strive to create a marketplace where buyers find what they are looking for. Therefore, the appearance or placement of listings in search and browse results will depend on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:


buyer's location, search query, browsing site, and history;

item's location, listing format, price and shipping cost, terms of service, end time, history, and relevance to the user query;

seller's history, Detailed Seller Ratings, and Feedback; and

number of listings matching the buyer's query.

Accordingly, to drive a positive user experience, a listing may not appear in some search and browse results regardless of the sort order chosen by the buyer.

Some advanced listing upgrades will only be visible on certain Services.

eBay's Duplicate Listing Policy may also affect whether your listing appears in search results.

[Br!an]

I hope that's a CYA clause and not their policy.

[frik]

I might have found a buyer for one of my S/L King editions - not from here, I might add.
This will be a PayPal transaction.
But - I am a bit hesitant to go ahead with this sale. I guess it comes down to the following question:

Is it possible for a buyer, once the book has shipped, to cancel his/her payment?

I checked the PayPal site, but am not really sure about the answer to my question.

Thanks guys!

sk

[herbertwest]

You can put it as "shipped" on paypal, and i would say that you can transfer the cash to your account?
But i would like to hear what other people say :)

[The Library Policeman]

I might have found a buyer for one of my S/L King editions - not from here, I might add.
This will be a PayPal transaction.
But - I am a bit hesitant to go ahead with this sale. I guess it comes down to the following question:

Is it possible for a buyer, once the book has shipped, to cancel his/her payment?

I checked the PayPal site, but am not really sure about the answer to my question.

Thanks guys!

sk

No they can't cancel the payment, frik. If they wanted a refund you would have to authorise it. All they could do was open a claim after a length of time had passed saying the book had not arrived, but if you use a tracked - signed for shipping service you will be fine.

[frik]

Valuable information - thank you!

sk

[Br!an]

No they can't cancel the payment, frik. If they wanted a refund you would have to authorise it. All they could do was open a claim after a length of time had passed saying the book had not arrived, but if you use a tracked - signed for shipping service you will be fine.

True. I would suggest using the https://www.paypal.com/shipnow site to purchase shipping with tracking and insurance.

[herbertwest]

There is a new thing on the french website of paypal : a new (free) service to activate on your account that allows you to return items bought via paypal, for free. Up until the end of february, for a maximum of 30€ per item.

[Randall Flagg]

Need some advice from members who perhaps sell more than I do.
Cleaning out my closet I listed a new pair of shoes that had been sitting boxed up for years. I posted the listing and several high-resolution photos.
The buyer received the shoes and says they are different in color. I never really noticed, but close examination of the pictures does seem to show a slight variance (normal to me for suede type leather).
The auction has "No Returns" listed, but I am guessing the person will want to return them, and then I eat fees (and still could be subject to negative feedback) etc. or they will file a dispute with ebay claiming the item was "not as described".
Suggestions as to the best way to proceed?

Auction link (http://www.ebay.com/itm/201014228022?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649)

[Fsmdr]

Need some advice from members who perhaps sell more than I do.
Cleaning out my closet I listed a new pair of shoes that had been sitting boxed up for years. I posted the listing and several high-resolution photos.
The buyer received the shoes and says they are different in color. I never really noticed, but close examination of the pictures does seem to show a slight variance (normal to me for suede type leather).
The auction has "No Returns" listed, but I am guessing the person will want to return them, and then I eat fees (and still could be subject to negative feedback) etc. or they will file a dispute with ebay claiming the item was "not as described".
Suggestions as to the best way to proceed?

Auction link (http://www.ebay.com/itm/201014228022?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649)

Jerome, if you decide to accept the return , after you receive the item and refund the papal payment, you can request to Ebay to cancel the transaction. List under reason : buyer return item. Your Ebay fees will be refunded and your paypal fees upon refund. You will just be out the shipping fee.

Edit: I would also make it a condition to the buyer that they will accept the cancel transaction notice from ebay if you accept the return. If they do not accept when Ebay send them the cancel transaction notice, then the fees would not be reverse.

[Randall Flagg]

The person was such an ass in their email that I told them to feel free to file a dispute with ebay.

Here is the conversation:

Buyer:
Shoes are different colors. Your photos in the listing prove the fact and it's not a lighting effect.

Full Refund including shipping requested

If you want me to return these shoes, please add $18.90 shipping cost to Full Refund. Same charge as used by you.

If you do not want them returned, I will take them to Goodwill, as these shoes are unwearable.

If no response by 5pm Central Time today, I will file a dispute and leave negative feedback immediately.

Simply ignoring my emails will not make this issue be resolved.

Phil

ME:

Feel free to file a dispute. I was willing to work with you, but threatening me with negative feedback wasn't beneficial. Also threatening to dispose of the shoes was unwise.
Had your tone not been so threatening, I was going to have you return the shoes, and upon receipt of them I would have issued a 100% refund.

[Scoogs]

What an ass.
If he's that picky about the color, he shouldn't have been trusting an image on a (likely uncalibrated) monitor to begin with.

[webstar1000]

Un real. I am so glad that you responded in the way you did. I hope you fight this Randall Flagg... that is just no way to get things resolved...

[cit74]

I agree - there is a process through ebay - and basically if they do not get a response in 2 days (i think the resolution center might even state a longer time) then they send it through resolution center and still need to wait a period of time for a response from you - and if unsatisfactory they can escalate it - but at least this way ebay would have a written record of your correspondences and could see that you were reasonable. If the buyer did not accept your terms they would again have to escalate via ebay - and then ebay would make final decision - but if you offered full refund and they refused - I would have to think they would be on your side

[webstar1000]

I agree. He could go to Pay Pal and fight you on it. Pay Pal almost ALWAYS goes in the defense of the buyer though not the seller. Ebay will protect the seller a little more than the buyer... Ebay will push you to use Pay Pal as well which is weird but any issue I have ever had has gone though Pay Pal.

[herbertwest]

On top of the way he phrases his answer, I particularly hated his "if you dont reply before today at 5pm" & "ignoring the emails"...
FUCK OFF.
Not everybody spends a lot of time onto a computer and can reply right away.
It's absolutely not a fair way to start dealing, and you just are freaking bully with absolutely no manners nor willing to find an agreement.

[cit74]

That is a bit ridiculous - i agree. When I have had issues i always asked the seller to respond within 48 hours otherwise I would have to escalate to resolution center - but that is just me. Often times i never received any response from the seller until I went through the resolution process - and I never left negative feedback if things were resolved - i let the process go through. sorry this person is being a dick

[carlosdetweiller]

This is really beside the point but........those are some really ugly shoes. I can see why you only wore them once, RF.

[Randall Flagg]

This is really beside the point but........those are some really ugly shoes. I can see why you only wore them once, RF.
Expensive doesn't always add up to pretty.

I have been emailing with the guy. I actually want him satisfied. I gave him the link to cancel the transaction and offered to refund 100% AND pay the return shipping. That's all I can/should do.
He said he couldn't figure out how to cancel the transaction and would take it to the resolution center.
If I understand the process, if they "rule" in his favor, he still must return the shoes (with a delivery confirmation) and then they will refund his money and charge me back. I don't know if they will reimburse him for the return shipping, but I assured him that if ebay didn't pay the return shipping that I would paypal it to him.
I think at this time both of us just want the problem to go away.


Bob, if you think those are ugly, check out the other pair I only wore once:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201014229822?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649

[cit74]

I had to return an item - I paid for the shipping back to the seller - and once it was received by the seller I was reimbursed the original sale/ship price - I had to pay return shipping cost.

[carlosdetweiller]

Bob, if you think those are ugly, check out the other pair I only wore once:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201014229822?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649

I see what you mean. But at least those match each other.

[WeDealInLead]

- I had to pay return shipping cost.

I think that makes sense in most cases. You pay your own gas when you're taking something back to a store.

If it's only the seller's fault (wrong item, size etc.) they should cover it and most do.

[Br!an]

eBay policy is for the buyer to return the shoes. The seller will then issue the refund of the purchase price and original shipping. If the seller wants to refund the return shipping then they can, although it isn't required.

If it went through the resolution center and eBay agreed with the buyer, or the seller agrees without a dispute it is the same result.

The seller is never required to pay the return shipping unless they agree to it or it is a part of their return policy.

The resolution center doesn't hurt you. When he opens his case all you have to do is respond that you will refund his money and pay return shipping. You should specify the amount of return shipping you are willing to pay. You are then done with him until you receive the shoes, at which time you provide the agreed refund. As soon as you do that the case is closed. They might even close the case as soon as you agree to the refund.

Feedback can still be sent even after resolution of the case.

[cit74]

Shipping question for ebay:
For sold items does anyone add insurance and if so what is your cut off for item sale price that you would add insurance - vs just signature confirmation.

[Fsmdr]

Shipping question for ebay:
For sold items does anyone add insurance and if so what is your cut off for item sale price that you would add insurance - vs just signature confirmation.

I think it varies depending on your comfort level. For myself, over $300 I would insure. I found out that a lot of items get stolen in NY apartment buildings. So if I see an address of apartment number in NY, I always add signature confirmation (out of my own pocket) regardless of amount.

[Br!an]

Shipping question for ebay:
For sold items does anyone add insurance and if so what is your cut off for item sale price that you would add insurance - vs just signature confirmation.

It depends on several factors but unless it's inexpensive I insure it. The signature confirmation makes sure that the customer gets the package in hand. It doesn't help if the package is lost or damaged. You need insurance for that.

If it is very valuable or irreplaceable then insure it. It's better than issuing a refund from your pocket.

If I care at all about the person I'm sending the package to then I insure it (and usually even if I don't care much.) If you want to make sure they are protected then insure it. The package could be mis-delivered.

Remember that Domestic Priority mail includes $50 insurance coverage and Priority International includes $100 of liability coverage. Coverage for Media Mail is less than a couple dollars per hundred.

I create shipping policies that include the cost of insurance, eBay and PayPal fees, and Haven Fund donations. That way it doesn't cost me anything to include insurance. Sometimes I'll ship Priority even though I sold an item as Media Mail/Economy (if it doesn't weigh too much.) I let the customer know that, since they are such a good customer, I upgraded the shipping. I get insurance included for the Priority shipment and the customer is usually thrilled to get their book/item faster. PayPal will also release the money sooner if the package is delivered sooner.

[RIC #520]

Question for the group... I purchase a UK Dead Zone on eBay. In the description of the book, the seller said it had an issue price of £5.95. There was nowhere in the listing indicating price clipped. This is the response of the seller: " the buyer had any concerns whatsoever about my listing s/he should have made sure to ASK me first before bidding. I always make sure to answer questions quickly and accurately. This is a book from the United Kingdom and the book description I used is what was listed when I bought the book via ABE.com I never even mentioned anything about a "price clip" in the listing. Not even sure what that is or why its such a big deal. I maintain that the book was described accurately. " and second response "Look, I am not an antiquarian bookseller, so I am unfamiliar with these terms, such as "price clip." The book was described accurately and you're just nitpicking my listing to pieces. Let's call it what it is: a case of Buyer's Remorse." The seller refused a refund and this is the response for eBay:

Hello Ronnie (roncurrin@yahoo.com),
Thanks for contacting eBay about the The Dead Zone by Stephen King (1979, Hardcover) that you recently purchased. I reviewed your email, and I understand that the seller never said whether it was "Price Clipped" or not. I'm sorry to hear things haven't gone as expected. Based on what you've said, I understand why you're concerned with the outcome of this case.
After thoroughly reviewing our decision in this case, I've determined that the item was accurately described. In the listing, it states doesn't say whether it's "Price Clipped" or not.
When we review an appeal, we may also look the photos of the item and communication between you and the seller.
Because the item was accurately described, we won't be able to approve your appeal. You'll receive an automated email with this same information, but I wanted to take a few moments and explain our decision.
To avoid this issue in the future, I encourage you to inspect the listing completely before placing a bid or making a purchase. It's important to fully understand the entire listing before committing to buy. You should also contact the seller using the Ask a question link before bidding or buying if you have a question about an item.
I hope this helps explain why we're unable to offer a refund or approve an appeal when an item is accurately described.

We appreciate your understanding.
Thanks for choosing eBay,
Cameron C.
eBay Customer Service

[THREAD ID: 1-21664174878]


Again, in the description, it indicated issue price of £5.95 with no mention of price clipped.
Am I wrong to feel I was screwed by the seller and ebay? By the way, I paid $125 + shipping for the book.

[Randall Flagg]

True case of buyer beware. Unless the auction clearly shows an unclipped DJ price, or you asked in advance and the seller lied, you are stuck.
Perhaps you can at least leave negative feedback to warn others.

[herbertwest]

What was the "grade", "status" or "quality" or whatever you call it, claimed on the auction?
Cause surely, a price clip would be considered as "damaged", and not something like "brand new" or even "used".

Do you have a link to the auction, or the ebay number?

Maybe something to look around?

[RIC #520]

What was the "grade", "status" or "quality" or whatever you call it, claimed on the auction?
Cause surely, a price clip would be considered as "damaged", and not something like "brand new" or even "used".

Do you have a link to the auction, or the ebay number?

Maybe something to look around?

Condition: Collectible Copyright page states: First published in Great Britain in 1979 by MacDonald General Books
listing number : 251424014945

[Randall Flagg]

As I read the description, you should have asked to clarify that the DJ had the issue price intact.
Sneaky, but correct description by the seller.

[herbertwest]

Its "funny" how he took pictures of everything, but the back.
Making it looks like a pristine copy, and avoiding writing any form of grading except "collectible".
To me it looks like he did everything he could to protect himself by avoiding showing/saying the dj is cut.

But yeah, as RF said, i think that unfortunately he mislead you by showing 95% of positive thing and that unfortunately you should have asked about the 5% missing...

[Fsmdr]

I think you got screwed by the seller. Clipped DJ is an important factor in a collectible book and to not mention it, is to be intentionally dishonest. So if there is coffee stain on the inside tittle page and I did not ask particularly if it has a coffee stain inside the book, then it is my error for not asking?. That's just BS.

[Br!an]

If a person is selling a "collectible" "1st printing" book with a price clipped dustjacket then that fact should be noted.

While "accurate" the seller's description is not accurate enough according to eBay's own procedures. It is not acceptable to exclude the fact that the dustjacket was price clipped.

I think your argument should be that the book is damaged since the price clip wasn't disclosed. The seller is obliged to accurately describe the item and disclose any damage whether in the Condition section, the Description or the Photos. They failed to do so. You win. Case closed.

Here is the section from eBay procedures that requires the seller to disclose the price clipped dustjacket.

****************
http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/help/infohubs/images/imgNaviArrowDwn_12x12.gifItem description (http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-practices.html#)
The listing page is where buyers go for most of their information. Information in the listing helps buyers decide what to buy and know what to expect when they receive an item. It's important to make sure that the listing is only used to describe the item for sale and to communicate the terms of the sale in a professional way.
You're required to:


Specify the condition of the item
Describe any defects or flaws in the item—this helps avoid problems or buyer dissatisfaction."

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-practices.html

****************

BTW if the case really is closed then open another one.

[herbertwest]

Yeah, after more consideration that's what I was gonna say : collectible, is not a condition.
A book can be a collectible because it is a 1st edition / 1st print, but the copy can be a complete disaster and therefore has a very low value.

A 1st edition of Frnakenstein would be collectible because it's a 1st, but if the book had the backcover cut, the value would be significantly reduced.

By claiming that the book is a collectible and taking pictures of everything BUT the backcover, the seller mislead you to think that it looked to be a pristine condition copy.
I think that this can be your only argument about this case.

[stroppygoblin]

I agree with the 'damage' argument. If the seller is not aware of 'price clipping' then they should have viewed the part cut off as damage to the cover. If he knew the damage was caused by someone removing the price then he has knowledge of 'price clipping'. They can't have it both ways.

[Stockerlone]

Since Thu./Wed. big problems to search from the German ebay page.:frown2:
Normaly when i use the ... Stephen King - worldwide - search .... arround 30000 results
Now.. 4 or nothing :nope:
Yesterday the search EUROPE also not worked.... Think now they fixed Europe problems....

[WeDealInLead]

I think that's some sort of temporary glitch. Once in a while I get 0 results too from both eBay.ca and com.

[Dan]

What is the common thought for providing feedback? If I'm the seller I will provide positive feedback upon payment. They have provided their portion of the transaction and I rate them accordingly. If I'm the buyer and am happy with the final product I will leave positive feedback only after the seller leaves feedback. Am I being a jerk? I recently had someone message me and ask me to leave feedback on them, but did not provide any for me even though they were the seller. I feel it is their responsibility to provide first. Just my two cents.

[tippy4]

I recently had someone message me and ask me to leave feedback on them, but did not provide any for me even though they were the seller.

Sellers who email their buyers just to ask for feedback have validation issues. Furthermore it is a bad idea. Perhaps the reason they have not left positive feedback is because they are not 100% happy with their purchase, and are on the fence about opening a case or just letting it go. Getting bugged by the seller to leave feedback just might be the push they need.


If I'm the buyer and am happy with the final product I will leave positive feedback only after the seller leaves feedback. Am I being a jerk? I feel it is their responsibility to provide first. Just my two cents.

Are you being a jerk? I would say no...but perhaps a bit petty. If you are happy with your purchase, leave positive feedback for your seller and move on.

There are no rules for leaving feedback....the buyer can do it first, the seller can do it first, it does not matter.

[jhanic]

[QUOTE=Dan;842349] If I'm the buyer and am happy with the final product I will leave positive feedback only after the seller leaves feedback. Am I being a jerk? I feel it is their responsibility to provide first. Just my two cents.

If you are happy with your purchase, leave positive feedback for your seller and move on.

There are no rules for leaving feedback....the buyer can do it first, the seller can do it first, it does not matter.

I agree. If you're happy, leave the feedback.

John

[Randall Flagg]

I try to leave immediate positive feedback when I sell an item. A bit like when I am shopping at a store and pay for my purchases. I expect the clerk to thank me then- not later if ever.
As a buyer, I usually am prompt in providing positive feedback (when the item is as described, etc.). If I forget and the seller sends me a polite reminder; I then give the feedback. I would say a seller shouldn't request feedback, when they themselves haven't "thanked me", but I don't fret too much about it.

[Randall Flagg]

Rubbish:

" From 11:45 pm PST on August 22 through 6:00 am PST on August 23, several eBay sites and customer service platforms around the world experienced intermittent outages. These outages were the result of technical issues which occurred during regularly scheduled maintenance.
We’ve resolved the core technical issues and all eBay sites and customer service functions are up and running again, with near 100% functionality. We are now working to build additional safeguards into the maintenance process to prevent this from happening again.
Know that at no point during this incident was any personal information at risk.
Sellers that were impacted by this outage are covered by the protections in our site outage policy (http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/everyone-outage.html). We will provide impacted sellers with additional information regarding applicable credits in the coming days.
Our top priority is to deliver the best experience to our buyers and sellers. We understand the high expectations our community has for our platform, and we sincerely regret that we did not live up to some of those expectations last night.
As always, thank you for being a part of the eBay community.
- See more at: http://announcements.ebay.com/2013/08/a-message-regarding-last-nights-site-outage/#sthash.yL5odWPe.dpuf"


Now September:

Reports are flooding in (http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/ebay.com.html#commentstop) that eBay is down, estimated to be the twelfth major outage eBay has experienced this year. The website IsItDownRighNow (http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/ebay.com.html) confirms problems with the site.

Wrote one EcommerceBytes reader: "Can't log into eBay. Not with any account on any browser. One comedy screen told me it was my browser settings."

Other readers reported the problem on Ecommerce EKG (http://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/S/S?PL&1410688856). "eBay main page will not load on Firefox or Google Chrome @ 6:50am EST. Can get to the community boards, but still can't get to or log into my eBay account."

And users reported the problem on the eBay discussion boards (http://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Anyone-else-having-sign-in-issues-to-eBay-itself/m-p/22725309), such as a thread titled, "Anyone else having sign in issues to eBay itself?" where a user wrote: "It's suddenly either just spinning on the sign in page on FF and on IE it won't even bring up the sign in page."

It's been a tough year for eBay Marketplaces with a security breach in February and March and major site accessibility issues. On top of that, eBay's Chief Technology Officer Mark Carges has just stepped down to focus on a family matter.

[Shannon]

I always ask for people to leave me feedback when they haven't. A higher number next to your username is always a good thing.

[tippy4]

A higher number next to your username is always a good thing.


And now, eBay in their infinite wisdom has moved the feedback numbers away from usernames.....now you have to click the seller's name to see their feedback when you are looking at an auction.

Why?....probably because numbers below 100% make some buyers nervous, and "hiding" it might get help some sellers with a bad reputation sell stuff...and when sellers sell stuff, eBay gets paid.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t21/ornate12/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-24%20at%201.12.17%20PM_zpspy5kbb34.png (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/ornate12/media/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-24%20at%201.12.17%20PM_zpspy5kbb34.png.html)

[Randall Flagg]

A higher number next to your username is always a good thing.


And now, eBay in their infinite wisdom has moved the feedback numbers away from usernames.....now you have to click the seller's name to see their feedback when you are looking at an auction.

Why?....probably because numbers below 100% make some buyers nervous, and hiding it might get help some sellers with a bad reputation sell stuff...and when sellers sell stuff, eBay gets paid.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t21/ornate12/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-24%20at%201.12.17%20PM_zpspy5kbb34.png (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/ornate12/media/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-24%20at%201.12.17%20PM_zpspy5kbb34.png.html)
I noticed that too.
ebay doesn't care (in this regard) for sellers. ebay only wants a sale (commission).

More reasons for me to consider sales software for the site.

[mkb.redux]

I am NOT seeing this... a quick run through my Watch List and a couple of searches, and am seeing what I've always seen.

[TCCBodhi]

As a buyer aomost always, I have a relatively small number of feedback items. As important as Positive review is to a Seller, the the NUMBERS of feedbacks is relatively more important to the buyer as well, I suspect. When I look at an item I'm looking at their score, but also their consistency, which is best measured with a large sampling.

So though I don't demand it anymore, I would probably not be a repeat customer to a seller who didn't leave mutual feedback.

And yes, getting rid of the feedback score next to the Username is questionable.

[Johnny007]

I just checked eBay. I picked about 20 random listings looking solely for the number after their names without having to click on the names. I, too, see the numbers along with the positive percentages for all the sellers in the listings. I also checked the current "Haven" listings and it showed Zoidsmith, 450, and 100%.

[tippy4]

This is what I see.....nothing to the right of Jerome's ID........no percentage, no number of feedbacks received.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t21/ornate12/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-24%20at%205.37.16%20PM_zpsz268jcn6.png (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/ornate12/media/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-24%20at%205.37.16%20PM_zpsz268jcn6.png.html)

[Johnny Alien]

Looking at the same page with Safari on a Mac I see the feedback beside the name.

[mkb.redux]

This is what I see.....nothing to the right of Jerome's ID........no percentage, no number of feedbacks received.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t21/ornate12/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-24%20at%205.37.16%20PM_zpsz268jcn6.png (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/ornate12/media/Screen%20Shot%202015-05-24%20at%205.37.16%20PM_zpsz268jcn6.png.html)

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e306/KNOMEOR/ZOID_zpsq0ggh6oe.jpg

Weird. --Though I've seen eBay present different views in different browsers.

[jhanic]

I use the latest version of Firefox and see the number.

John

[frik]

I use Safari and see them as well.

sk

[tippy4]

Looking at the same page with Safari on a Mac I see the feedback beside the name.

I am also on a Mac with Safari...and up until recently, I too could see the feedback....now I do not.

I believe this is eBay manipulating my and Jerome's view....not the operating system we are using.

[AKC]

Since when did Paypal go to 4% Fees? I must have missed the memo.

#AKCoutoftouch

:doh:

[Randall Flagg]

When ebay rolled them off as a separate entity.

[stroppygoblin]

4%? Ouch

[Lurker]

I have finally broken down and given in on the PayPal since I am buying something from a guy in Europe and its the only way to pay.

What I don't quite get is the fee. I see people asking for gift - but it seems from what I am reading that fees are charged if you use a credit card and no fees if from bank or PayPal funds. Is that right? Then who pays those fees - the buyer or the seller? I don't have any PayPal funds; maybe I should offer some stuff here.

[stroppygoblin]

I have finally broken down and given in on the PayPal since I am buying something from a guy in Europe and its the only way to pay.

What I don't quite get is the fee. I see people asking for gift - but it seems from what I am reading that fees are charged if you use a credit card and no fees if from bank or PayPal funds. Is that right? Then who pays those fees - the buyer or the seller? I don't have any PayPal funds; maybe I should offer some stuff here.

If you are buying outside of your country and currency, then even if using Paypal Gift, the Buyer will incur a currency charge. If you have funds in another currency you can convert them to the required currency at 'no cost' but in reality there is still a cost as PP offers a rate slightly lower than the current exchange rate.

[tippy4]

I have finally broken down and given in on the PayPal since I am buying something from a guy in Europe and its the only way to pay.

What I don't quite get is the fee. I see people asking for gift - but it seems from what I am reading that fees are charged if you use a credit card and no fees if from bank or PayPal funds. Is that right? Then who pays those fees - the buyer or the seller? I don't have any PayPal funds; maybe I should offer some stuff here.

When using PAYPAL FRIENDS AND FAMILY (it is no longer called GIFT), there are no fees to buyer or seller if the funds come from a Paypal balance or bank account.

If you send funds using PAYPAL FRIENDS AND FAMILY, and the funding source is a credit card, the sender pays the fees.

[Lurker]

Thanks Stroppy and Tippy. Think I got it now!

[Johnny Alien]

Keep in mind sending money via the "friends and family" way removes every ounce of buyer protection you have. If anything goes wrong in the transaction there will be nothing you can do.

[webstar1000]

Keep in mind sending money via the "friends and family" way removes every ounce of buyer protection you have. If anything goes wrong in the transaction there will be nothing you can do.

That is 100% correct. I will NOT use that with a 1st transaction with anyone. Maybe after a relationship has been established.

[becca69]

Since when did Paypal go to 4% Fees? I must have missed the memo.

#AKCoutoftouch

:doh:

Someone has to pay my husband's salary so I can buy more books :unsure:

[Lurker]

Keep in mind sending money via the "friends and family" way removes every ounce of buyer protection you have. If anything goes wrong in the transaction there will be nothing you can do.

Thanks!

[Fsmdr]

According to what is listed under 'fees' on Paypal website, it is still 2.9%, however it's 3.9% for International transaction:


Sales within the US2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Discounted rate for eligible merchants and nonprofitsAs low as 2.2% based on volume
International sales 3.9% transaction fee plus a fixed fee based on currency received
PayPal Heretm card reader2.7% when you swipe a card or 3.5% plus $0.15 for manually entered transactions

[Br!an]

I just sold a book on eBay to an international buyer. eBay only allowed shipping by FedEx or USPS Priority International. They limited the weight for the Priority mail to four pounds. My package weighed six pounds so my only option, on eBay, was FedEx to ship the package. :nope:

However that was not my only option.

A second option would be to go to the Post Office and pay full price for shipping. :nope:

A third is to use a pay service such as Stamps.com. :nope:

The best option by far, and one that most people are unaware, is to use http://www.paypal.com/shipnow

I was able to ship the package Priority Express International with no problem. Just be sure to use the same address as eBay has on file and you are still protected by eBay policy.

*

You can also use ShipNow for non eBay shipping needs and receive the discounted pricing.

[jhanic]

Thanks, Brian. I'll have to remember that one!

John

[herbertwest]

I just sold a book on eBay to an international buyer. eBay only allowed shipping by FedEx or USPS Priority International. They limited the weight for the Priority mail to four pounds. My package weighed six pounds so my only option, on eBay, was FedEx to ship the package. :nope:

However that was not my only option.

A second option would be to go to the Post Office and pay full price for shipping. :nope:

A third is to use a pay service such as Stamps.com. :nope:

The best option by far, and one that most people are unaware, is to use http://www.paypal.com/shipnow

I was able to ship the package Priority Express International with no problem. Just be sure to use the same address as eBay has on file and you are still protected by eBay policy.

*

You can also use ShipNow for non eBay shipping needs and receive the discounted pricing.

Is it maybe only available for americans?
After logging in, I am automatically redirect to my paypal homepage. Tthe page do not seem to exist for me... :-(

[stroppygoblin]

I just sold a book on eBay to an international buyer. eBay only allowed shipping by FedEx or USPS Priority International. They limited the weight for the Priority mail to four pounds. My package weighed six pounds so my only option, on eBay, was FedEx to ship the package. :nope:

However that was not my only option.

A second option would be to go to the Post Office and pay full price for shipping. :nope:

A third is to use a pay service such as Stamps.com. :nope:

The best option by far, and one that most people are unaware, is to use http://www.paypal.com/shipnow

I was able to ship the package Priority Express International with no problem. Just be sure to use the same address as eBay has on file and you are still protected by eBay policy.

*

You can also use ShipNow for non eBay shipping needs and receive the discounted pricing.

Is it maybe only available for americans?
After logging in, I am automatically redirect to my paypal homepage. Tthe page do not seem to exist for me... :-(

Works in the UK - uses Royal mail. I'll check next time I need to ship to see if its cheaper than going via RM direct - Thanks Brian :clap:

[Br!an]

I just sold a book on eBay to an international buyer. eBay only allowed shipping by FedEx or USPS Priority International. They limited the weight for the Priority mail to four pounds. My package weighed six pounds so my only option, on eBay, was FedEx to ship the package. :nope:

However that was not my only option.

A second option would be to go to the Post Office and pay full price for shipping. :nope:

A third is to use a pay service such as Stamps.com. :nope:

The best option by far, and one that most people are unaware, is to use http://www.paypal.com/shipnow

I was able to ship the package Priority Express International with no problem. Just be sure to use the same address as eBay has on file and you are still protected by eBay policy.

*

You can also use ShipNow for non eBay shipping needs and receive the discounted pricing.

Is it maybe only available for americans?
After logging in, I am automatically redirect to my paypal homepage. Tthe page do not seem to exist for me... :-(

Try being logged in and then enter that address. You might also clear your browser cache.

It is possible that it doesn't work in France.

You can also try it this way: https://www.paypal.com/?cmd=_ship-now

[Br!an]

Works in the UK - uses Royal mail. I'll check next time I need to ship to see if its cheaper than going via RM direct - Thanks Brian :clap:

Here in the US it provides the same discounted rate as eBay which is cheaper than the USPS site and much cheaper than the physical Post Office.

[Br!an]

Rick (tippy) happened to complain in a post a while back about not being able to ship the way he wanted and I let him know about this. He's PM'd me a couple of times thanking me for telling him about it since there simply is no better option.

*

With eBay limiting shipping options this method is more indispensable than ever.

[Randall Flagg]

eBay is really irritating.
They have pulled auctions I had with hyperlinks in them.
I removed all hyperlinks.
Now I get a "bot" email saying TheDarkTower.org can't be mentioned or they will pull the ad.
Of course it's a "Do not respond to this email" notice.
WTF?

I suppose I'll try dropping the "." so it reads TheDarkTower org or TheDarkTower<.>org, but wonder if that will garner their attention.
The other though I had was to include an image in the actual listing of a scan of my business card.

Any wisdom/advice is appreciated.

[zelig]

That's annoying. Legitimate listings they pull, and they do nothing with forgery listings.

[Bunyip]

I always put sneaky photos with any other info I want on the listing. I despise EBay and PayPal for so many reasons, but, I use them both several times a week.

[at_one]

The photo of the business card sounds like a good way to go.

[jreitan47]

I had the same problem last year when I did a few auctions to benefit my AIDS fundraiser and wanted to direct people to our charities website so they could find out more.

[Randall Flagg]

They obviously have sophisticated "bot" software to find hyperlinks (easy), but also must be looking for anything with a .com, .org. .net in the wording.
Probably even look for a TheDarkTowerdotOrg type wording.

[carlosdetweiller]

They obviously have sophisticated "bot" software to find hyperlinks (easy), but also must be looking for anything with a .com, .org. .net in the wording.
Probably even look for a TheDarkTowerdotOrg type wording.

I have tried to send sellers my e-mail address through the eBay system in many different ways....like spelling out at for @ and dot for . but their software has thwarted me every time. I'm sure it can be done but they really don't want you to do that.

[Randall Flagg]

They obviously have sophisticated "bot" software to find hyperlinks (easy), but also must be looking for anything with a .com, .org. .net in the wording.
Probably even look for a TheDarkTowerdotOrg type wording.

I have tried to send sellers my e-mail address through the eBay system in many different ways....like spelling out at for @ and dot for . but their software has thwarted me every time. I'm sure it can be done but they really don't want you to do that.

Matt and tippy seem to have figured it out...

[wizardsrainbow]

They obviously have sophisticated "bot" software to find hyperlinks (easy), but also must be looking for anything with a .com, .org. .net in the wording.
Probably even look for a TheDarkTowerdotOrg type wording.

I have tried to send sellers my e-mail address through the eBay system in many different ways....like spelling out at for @ and dot for . but their software has thwarted me every time. I'm sure it can be done but they really don't want you to do that.

I have been successful in getting through...my email is david@bettsbooks.com and I have been writing david insert symbol for at, betts books (one word) and then most common ending. Most people figure it out

[TCCBodhi]

Use "TheDarkTower Forum" wording, photo of the business card?

[at_one]

They obviously have sophisticated "bot" software to find hyperlinks (easy), but also must be looking for anything with a .com, .org. .net in the wording.
Probably even look for a TheDarkTowerdotOrg type wording.

I have tried to send sellers my e-mail address through the eBay system in many different ways....like spelling out at for @ and dot for . but their software has thwarted me every time. I'm sure it can be done but they really don't want you to do that.

I have been successful in getting through...my email is david@bettsbooks.com and I have been writing david insert symbol for at, betts books (one word) and then most common ending. Most people figure it out

I was trying to do this today...every variation of my hotmail addy I could think of, and they kept disallowing it. Then I used my work email with smart wording and it went right through. Their bots are definitely "keyword" sensitive.

[Br!an]

They have a policy against links to sites that offer items for sale or encourage avoiding eBay fees. They have pegged your site as a site that violates those policies.

A photo is not a hyperlink, and I think that will avoid the bots. I don't know what would happen if it was reported.

[AstroDad]

They obviously have sophisticated "bot" software to find hyperlinks (easy), but also must be looking for anything with a .com, .org. .net in the wording.
Probably even look for a TheDarkTowerdotOrg type wording.

I have tried to send sellers my e-mail address through the eBay system in many different ways....like spelling out at for @ and dot for . but their software has thwarted me every time. I'm sure it can be done but they really don't want you to do that.

I have been successful in getting through...my email is david@bettsbooks.com and I have been writing david insert symbol for at, betts books (one word) and then most common ending. Most people figure it out

I was trying to do this today...every variation of my hotmail addy I could think of, and they kept disallowing it. Then I used my work email with smart wording and it went right through. Their bots are definitely "keyword" sensitive.

the only consistent way around it have found is doing the same as what Jerome mention for the auction. Attach a pic that is nothing but your email address and direct them in the message to the pic

[Patrick]

They obviously have sophisticated "bot" software to find hyperlinks (easy), but also must be looking for anything with a .com, .org. .net in the wording.
Probably even look for a TheDarkTowerdotOrg type wording.

I have tried to send sellers my e-mail address through the eBay system in many different ways....like spelling out at for @ and dot for . but their software has thwarted me every time. I'm sure it can be done but they really don't want you to do that.
"I have a gmail account. My username is ...."

[dnemec]

When I was trying to give my email to a Polish seller so I could obtain the Polish DT Vinny Chong books, I had an awful time. There is a way to do it, but it sure ain't easy!

[Br!an]

"I have a gmail account. My username is ...."

That works too.

[Randall Flagg]

I think for the auctions, I'm leaning towards just putting an image in the auction itself showing my business card. I usually send a card and a bookmark to all auction winners anyway. I could also say"TheDarkTower Full Stop Org is proud..."

[jsmcmullen92]

I figured out the easiest way to get around sending your email through the messaging is to leave out the '.' and change to special characters. Their text recognition software doesn't pick up the special characters.
I use email át gmáíl cóm goes through every time. Just gotta be creative.

RF, for yours I bet if you replace the o with ó in org it will stay just fine. Also if you look at Overlook Connection auctions they also put up a photo over their business card.

[jsweet]

I'm assuming I'm screwed here, but I just got a PayPal chargeback for an item I shipped last September. It was delivered (because I check all my packages to make sure they got there). In fact, the buyer left positive feedback as well. Even better -- he resold the item last month: http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-BORDER-ROBERT-McCAMMON-SUBTERRANEAN-PRESS-/111861772807

Anyway, because it is so old the tracking number is not valid according to the USPS website. Does anyone know if there is a way to track an old tracking number? From a little looking around it looks like PayPal allows six months to request a refund, but USPS only keeps records for 4 months.

My guess is that this buyer just figured out a nice loophole to get himself some expensive books for free.

[herbertwest]

Well, can't you prove at Paypal what you just told us?

[Fsmdr]

I'm assuming I'm screwed here, but I just got a PayPal chargeback for an item I shipped last September. It was delivered (because I check all my packages to make sure they got there). In fact, the buyer left positive feedback as well. Even better -- he resold the item last month: http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-BORDER-ROBERT-McCAMMON-SUBTERRANEAN-PRESS-/111861772807

Anyway, because it is so old the tracking number is not valid according to the USPS website. Does anyone know if there is a way to track an old tracking number? From a little looking around it looks like PayPal allows six months to request a refund, but USPS only keeps records for 4 months.

My guess is that this buyer just figured out a nice loophole to get himself some expensive books for free.

What a scumbag!. Can't believe people would do crap like that.

Could you show Paypal the listing that you sold vs the listing that she resold?. The numbering of the limitation is proof positive that she had received the book and hence resold the same book.

[Room 217 Caretaker]

So wait? PayPal sent a charge back to you? Did the seller have a case open? If not, it sounds like a mistake.

What is Paypal saying when you call them?

Mulleins

[jsweet]

I'm assuming I'm screwed here, but I just got a PayPal chargeback for an item I shipped last September. It was delivered (because I check all my packages to make sure they got there). In fact, the buyer left positive feedback as well. Even better -- he resold the item last month: http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-BORDER-ROBERT-McCAMMON-SUBTERRANEAN-PRESS-/111861772807

Anyway, because it is so old the tracking number is not valid according to the USPS website. Does anyone know if there is a way to track an old tracking number? From a little looking around it looks like PayPal allows six months to request a refund, but USPS only keeps records for 4 months.

My guess is that this buyer just figured out a nice loophole to get himself some expensive books for free.

What a scumbag!. Can't believe people would do crap like that.

Could you show Paypal the listing that you sold vs the listing that she resold?. The numbering of the limitation is proof positive that she had received the book and hence resold the same book.

I have sent screenshots of what I can to PayPal -- hoping that will cover it, but I've heard if you can't prove with tracking, they won't rule in your favor. <fingers crossed>

Unfortunately, because my sale was more than 90 days ago, the listing is no longer visible on eBay. This guy definitely knows how to work the system.

[jsweet]

So wait? PayPal sent a charge back to you? Did the seller have a case open? If not, it sounds like a mistake.

What is Paypal saying when you call them?

Mulleins

He initiated a chargeback through his credit card, per PayPal. So technically, my funds are on hold.

[Randall Flagg]

That is incredibly troublesome. Please keep us aware of how this ends up. If that's a loophole it needs to be closed.

[Fsmdr]

I'm assuming I'm screwed here, but I just got a PayPal chargeback for an item I shipped last September. It was delivered (because I check all my packages to make sure they got there). In fact, the buyer left positive feedback as well. Even better -- he resold the item last month: http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-BORDER-ROBERT-McCAMMON-SUBTERRANEAN-PRESS-/111861772807

Anyway, because it is so old the tracking number is not valid according to the USPS website. Does anyone know if there is a way to track an old tracking number? From a little looking around it looks like PayPal allows six months to request a refund, but USPS only keeps records for 4 months.

My guess is that this buyer just figured out a nice loophole to get himself some expensive books for free.

What a scumbag!. Can't believe people would do crap like that.

Could you show Paypal the listing that you sold vs the listing that she resold?. The numbering of the limitation is proof positive that she had received the book and hence resold the same book.

I have sent screenshots of what I can to PayPal -- hoping that will cover it, but I've heard if you can't prove with tracking, they won't rule in your favor. <fingers crossed>

Unfortunately, because my sale was more than 90 days ago, the listing is no longer visible on eBay. This guy definitely knows how to work the system.

Some listing are viewable after 90 days if you have the listing number. Go to your feeback page. If you have left them feedback or they have left one for you, the listing will still be active on the right side of the feedback page. You can also try calling Ebay to try and get the listing number.

[Randall Flagg]

I most often send thing using Stamps.com. I can view delivery information more than 6 months back, but as you mentioned, trying the tracking # on USPS shows blank.

http://www.thedarktower.org/custom/images/1455742263-Stamps%20delivery%20confirm.jpg

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

Another tip... paypal history goes back forever.

[Patrick]

Have you reached out to the buyer to inquire why they are challenging a clearly valid payment? It's a long shot, but maybe the challenge is a mistake by someone with a faulty memory or a meddlesome spouse.

[Br!an]

Contact USPS and let them know that you need the archived tracking for your item. They should be able to restore it for you so that you can show PayPal.

I would also point out that an eBay transaction needs to be resolved through eBay and not through a credit card charge back.

[jsweet]

I have the listing #, have the tracking #, they just don't do me any good. eBay says details aren't available because it is more than 90 days old (not a big deal, it would just be another piece of evidence as to what this buyer has done) USPS online system just tells me the number isn't valid. I am going to have to try to find time to call USPS and see if they can track anything down.

Thus far, the buyer has not responded to my message asking about the chargeback.

[Patrick]

I have the listing #, have the tracking #, they just don't do me any good. eBay says details aren't available because it is more than 90 days old (not a big deal, it would just be another piece of evidence as to what this buyer has done) USPS online system just tells me the number isn't valid. I am going to have to try to find time to call USPS and see if they can track anything down.

Thus far, the buyer has not responded to my message asking about the chargeback.
What a pain in the ass. Good luck with it all.

[cit74]

Can't you go back through your eBay history? if you go into your feedback scores (just click on your eBay number next to ID) - as a seller - anything within past 6 months you can view the item - with your pictures. Since it was sold in September you should be able to view the item that way, as well as see their feedback. Then you can compare that item to their listing that sold. Just one more piece of evidence.

But I thought you'd have to enter an eBay or Paypal dispute within 30 to 45 days either way. And as mentioned before - if bought on eBay it would have to be within 30 days and initiated through them.

[jsweet]

Can't you go back through your eBay history? if you go into your feedback scores (just click on your eBay number next to ID) - as a seller - anything within past 6 months you can view the item - with your pictures. Since it was sold in September you should be able to view the item that way, as well as see their feedback. Then you can compare that item to their listing that sold. Just one more piece of evidence.

But I thought you'd have to enter an eBay or Paypal dispute within 30 to 45 days either way. And as mentioned before - if bought on eBay it would have to be within 30 days and initiated through them.

I can see their feedback and the listing title, but no link to the listing. (I can't figure out how to insert the photo, but here's a link to a screenshot: https://goo.gl/photos/P8qjqEYG4TaEE6G4A)

I heard back from the buyer. They are denying having ever bought anything from me (despite the fact that clearly there is a record of it) and claiming they bought the book they sold directly from SP.

The problem is that they went around eBay and PayPal to say it was an unauthorized transaction with their credit card company. So the credit card issued a chargeback to PayPal, which has then contacted me. I have sent PayPal all the evidence I have, and hopefully it will end up in my favor.

And I had an $80 book that USPS said was delivered yesterday and it hasn't shown up. Not a good eBay week for me. (These are major sales/purchases for me)

:angry_002:

[herbertwest]

ebay has changed their system. In the past, you could find the article (even if the auction is finished) by typing the #, which is the one you can find in your screenshot.
Now, it brings you back to a list of similar items.
Here is the link that it was : http://www.ebay.com/itm/221890997326
The french ebay do not redirect but bring to a page that says that the item is not available anymore and that the items finished more than 90 days are not presented anymore : http://www.ebay.fr/itm/221890997326

Unfortunately, Google's cache gives no results either, but I guess its related with the ebay redirect.

Any chance to maybe contact Subterranean Press to ask them if maybe they would help you by saying if yes or no the buyer bought that specific number directly from them? I dont know if they would want to get involved, but then she mentionned them...

[Room 217 Caretaker]

Can't you go back through your eBay history? if you go into your feedback scores (just click on your eBay number next to ID) - as a seller - anything within past 6 months you can view the item - with your pictures. Since it was sold in September you should be able to view the item that way, as well as see their feedback. Then you can compare that item to their listing that sold. Just one more piece of evidence.

But I thought you'd have to enter an eBay or Paypal dispute within 30 to 45 days either way. And as mentioned before - if bought on eBay it would have to be within 30 days and initiated through them.

I can see their feedback and the listing title, but no link to the listing. (I can't figure out how to insert the photo, but here's a link to a screenshot: https://goo.gl/photos/P8qjqEYG4TaEE6G4A)

I heard back from the buyer. They are denying having ever bought anything from me (despite the fact that clearly there is a record of it) and claiming they bought the book they sold directly from SP.

The problem is that they went around eBay and PayPal to say it was an unauthorized transaction with their credit card company. So the credit card issued a chargeback to PayPal, which has then contacted me. I have sent PayPal all the evidence I have, and hopefully it will end up in my favor.

And I had an $80 book that USPS said was delivered yesterday and it hasn't shown up. Not a good eBay week for me. (These are major sales/purchases for me)

:angry_002:

Ask the Ebayer to explain the excellent feedback left for you :eek:

Mulleins

[jsweet]

Ask the Ebayer to explain the excellent feedback left for you :eek:

Mulleins

I did. Their response: someone else must have purchased it and is "using their good name"

[Room 217 Caretaker]

Wow! You are correct, he/she has figured out a way to work the system. I now fear it won't take long for others to follow.

Sorry you are going through this.

Mulleins

[herbertwest]

Ask the Ebayer to explain the excellent feedback left for you :eek:

Mulleins

I did. Their response: someone else must have purchased it and is "using their good name"

What about the delivery address on ebay and paypal? That argument doesnt stand in front of the same address...

[Randall Flagg]

I think someone used her good name, her good credit card, and her good home address. They seem to have absconded with their ebay user name as they are now auctioning the book.
One hell of a case of identity theft.