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Sat May 28 2022 14:47:27

eBay Seller Loses Thousands over Payment Disputes

By: Reader
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Dear Ina,

I have lost so far $3000 on payment disputes with eBay.


Before we were on eBay Managed Payments, we as sellers never heard of payment disputes for 13 years, until eBay took over the payment management system from PayPal. 


Since then, eBay has been passing those losses to sellers, and they claim seller protection, which is a lie, they are not protecting anybody. They let the scammers/banks/online payment systems abuse and steal the sellers' merchandise and money. 


I made a vow to protect myself because eBay would not do so. If a customer opens a payment dispute, I send the customer immediately a return shipping label because I want my item back (we are talking about $600+ item value, not items value less than $40).


And, since you have to fight the case and they only let you send one document only for rebuttal, I usually cram everything in that document all the proofs/pictures along with proof that I sent the customer a return shipping label and demanded my item back.


If there's anything you can do to help us as sellers, please publish this so sellers can get together and fight this injustice.

H.
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Readers Comments
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by: lessthanthreerecords This user has validated their user name.
Sat May 28 14:55:06 2022

You really never had a payment dispute for 13 years?  I don't like managed payments any better than anyone else, but when PayPal handled payments, buyers could still open a dispute through eBay, and it would work more or less the same way.  I will admit that I've gotten a slightly higher percentage of sales opened as disputes since managed payments, but I think that's got more to do with the collapse of USPS than it does with managed payments.
Perminate Link for eBay Seller Loses Thousands over Payment Disputes   eBay Seller Loses Thousands over Payment Disputes

by: comments This user has validated their user name.
Sat May 28 21:24:21 2022

I find this letter writers claims to be inconsistent with my own experience, or at least they left something out.

Payment disputes are not new to managed payments, and they have nothing to do with managed payments.  

If you have an easy return policy buyers will always try that avenue first. Typically when returns are accepted or are declined that is usually when a credit card company will step in and rule in their customers favor in a dispute. This is the reason you must accept returns even if you don't want to.

As far as buyer protection. Ebay has been offering me the same protection from INR and unauthorized transactions that paypal did provided that items over $750 required a signature.

In some cases ebay will fail to cover a payment dispute for unauthorized transaction/INR. For example I had an item over $750 the buyer claimed was an unauthorized transaction. I followed policy to the letter and they reversed the charge anyway. I called and a rep verified the signature tracking and released the funds back to me. So on expensive items you may have to call and request the credit or that seller protection be applied.

In all instances a rep will tell you why the item was or was not covered. Since that info was omitted from the letter it is not possible to provide advice or any helpful guidance.
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by: comments This user has validated their user name.
Sat May 28 21:26:37 2022

Correction:

If you have an easy return policy buyers will always try that avenue first. Typically when returns aren't accepted....
Perminate Link for eBay Seller Loses Thousands over Payment Disputes   eBay Seller Loses Thousands over Payment Disputes

by: GetAGrip This user has validated their user name.
Sun May 29 05:14:29 2022

Best policy is " If you can't afford to lose it,  then don't list it on Ebay. "
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This user has validated their user name. by: iheartjacksparrow
Sun May 29 13:16:35 2022

I second what GetAGrip states. And I require Signature Confirmation once the items(s) reaches $200 in value.

It's not unreasonable that the OP hadn't had a dispute in 13 years. I sold on eBay from 2000 to 2008, and then eCrater from 2008 onward, and the first dispute I had was in 2020. But I will say that I think there are more scammers and thieves shopping online than there were in the early days of eBay.
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