Changes to the eBay Unpaid Item Dispute Process are Now In Effect
eBay has made changes to the Unpaid Item Process. The eBay Help Pages gives instructions to sellers so that they know what to do when a buyer doesn’t pay.
Notice the new changes (copied directly from the eBay Help pages):
You can open an unpaid item case in the Resolution Center as early as 4 days after the sale and up until 32 days after the sale if you don’t receive payment from the buyer.
The buyer has up to 4 days send payment after the case is opened. During this time the buyer can also contact you to request a payment extension or another arrangement. Of course you can agree to the buyer’s request, but you’re not obligated to make special arrangements.
Previously, eBay did not allow sellers to open an Unpaid Item Dispute for 8 days and then that dispute could not be closed for another 7 days. That meant that an eBay seller had to wait at least 15 days after they sold an item before they could consider relisting it. And during the 7-day waiting period, the buyer could at anytime communicate with the seller through the UPI process messaging center. In doing so, the buyer could leave negative feedback which eBay could not remove as long as the buyer made some type of communication in the UPI process.
I filed a new unpaid item dispute tonight and the ability for the buyer to communicate with the seller appears to be gone now. The only action a buyer can now take in the UPI process is to pay, not communicate with the seller. Keep in mind, however, that the buyer can still communicate with the seller through the eBay messaging system but according to eBay the buyer cannot leave feedback now unless they pay. Currently, we’re in the wait-and-see mode. Time will tell if this new UPI process actually “works as advertised.”
It looks like eBay is also removing a seller’s ability to remove the unpaid item strike for a buyer even if they pay after the UPI process has closed. In the eBay FAQ Page for How To Appeal an Unpaid Item, eBay specifically states that “the seller doesn’t have the ability to remove the unpaid item—you’ll need to contact eBay directly” and eBay also instructs buyers that they can provide a copy of a check or money order or a money order stub as proof of payment. This is kind of surprising to me since eBay requires all sellers to list only payment methods that are electronic.
eBay also previously announced that they would be automating the UPI process. However, there are conflicting reports as to when that will actually occur. The timeline was originally announced as late September 2009 but customer service agents have been giving out different information including estimates that it could be April 2010 before the automated UPI process, currently in beta, is rolled out to everyone. With the new changes to the eBay UPI process being rolled out today, however, I suspect that the automated UPI process could be rolling out sooner rather than later.
Interesting that the buyer can produce a copy of a check or MO. I can write a check and not mail it. No problem. Do they mean a cleared check possibly? Mailed, received, cleared and returned to seller in in 4 days? Maybe not.
Also interesting in that the seller can not be compelled to take a check or MO in fact may not even say they are willing to do so.
Very interesting.
Why am I not surprised.
Henrietta of RedINKdiary
October 18, 2009
I agree with what you are saying Henrietta.
Makes me also think that if a copy of a check or MO is ‘ proof ‘ for eBay, then why isn’t a copy of a postage receipt or label enough ‘ proof ‘ for Paypal….?
Leave it up to eBay to think that cleaning out the litter box into the dog dish to feed the dog is a good thing.
mysoapboxrant
October 18, 2009
Hi, I am regretfully writing this e-mail to bring the actions of Ebay’s policies regarding their feedback policies. I have tried to reason with all of the reps to have a unwarranted negative feedback removed on item # 280404256785.
Seller has sent two threating email. I will not pay out of fear of seller. Buyer:
dle5 ( 458) Oct-12-09 10:19
Reply by mixedbag56 (Oct-12-09 10:47):
If you bid,please intend to pay. If asking for payment is a threat, Good God
Antique Hand Painted Converted Gone With the Wind Lamp (#280404256785) US $75.00
The following e-mail was sent to me by one of the members of the “trust and safety team” named Peyton. I have attached both my e-mail and the reply I received. I thank you in advance for taking the time to read this correspondence.
Dear Jeffrey,
Thank you for writing to eBay. My name is Peyton and I appreciate the
chance to assist you with regard to the negative feedback you received
for item 280404256785.
Jeffrey, we encourage buyers to leave honest Feedback, but occasionally,
a buyer will leave Feedback that doesn’t accurately describe a
situation. Even if a member leaves Feedback that is unfair, untruthful,
or harmful to a member’s reputation, we can’t remove it without a court
order describing the comments as libelous, defamatory, or illegal.
We reviewed the Feedback and determine that it isn’t eligible for
removal since it doesn’t meet the specific qualifications under our
Feedback Removal policy.
Due to the fact that there are few instances where we are able to remove
Feedback, we try to encourage all members to use caution in posting
Feedback. Sometimes, good members still end up receiving Feedback they
feel is inappropriate or unfair.
Nonetheless, I’d like to tell you that you have already taken a great
step toward helping potential future trading partners to understand your
point of view in this transaction by posting a reply to the comment.
More often than not, any members looking at the profiles will be able to
discern what actually happened in a situation. In your case, with your
other positive feedback comments in place, your description of the
situation will undoubtedly carry a great deal of weight.
I wish that in cases such as yours I could bend the rules. However, this
is one area where eBay must be rather stringent due to the legal
liability posed to us should we vary from this policy. Please remember
that most members will ignore one or two negative comments and recognize
the pattern of positive transactions that you have achieved.
I understand your frustration regarding this matter and apologize for
the inconvenience it caused you.
Sincerely,
Peyton
eBay Customer Support
Original Message Follows:
————————
Form Message: %42343% 082708
D_ID101820091445D_ID/W_ID182600578W_ID/S_ID000S_ID
Subject: RC=CU0199 Asking us to remove Feedback [280404256785 #US L10 US
$US 100770T A10 100770B !42343! 082708 ?01 -01 ]
User Feedback: 259
User State: ?01
Browser info: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1;
Trident/4.0; GTB6; ATC/1.0; .NET CLR 1.0.3705; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; Media
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Help Contact Us Next Gen > Asking us to remove Feedback
Item number:
280404256785 $US
Message: Hi, I have spoke to a few of your reps concerning the negative
feedback left by this buyer, giving me a negative because I was
“threatening” her by stating policy that ebay has set down for seller to
collect what is owed.I was told to file a non paying bidder alert, I
tried to contact the customer by retreiving their contact info from
ebay’s systems only to find out that the infor was not valid. Ebay’s
trust and safety was notified of this. i tried to contact the buyer to
remove the feedback which was refused in less than 24 hours from being
sent. I received one correspondence from the buyer after filing the non
paying bidder alert only To tell me that I threaten her/him. Ebays
policy has been changed now so that I was able to close the Notice of
not paying today. I was told by ebay reps that once the final nonpaying
bidder has been closed and an unpaid strike has been given to call them
back to re-evaluate the negative left by this buyer for asking them to
pay for the item they bid on. The unpaid bidder has now been closed, my
fees given back, and an upaid srtike given. I do not believe that I
should have to have this negative feedback on my record when clearly the
buyer has no intention of paying and I did nothing wrong by asking her
to pay, for which the negative was given. I have tried very hard to keep
my record clean and work out very little problems with my buyers without
having to have a negative on my record. Please contact me as to ebay’s
intent to remove this feedback. To let this action be allowed what will
be next? A negative feedback for pricing? I would hope ebay will take
the correct measures to remove the unwarranted negative feedback. I
followed your reps instructions to the letter. Now I am wanting for Ebay
to stand behind a sucessful rating, and somewhat high $ ticket for each
item I list on ebay.
Sincerely,
Jeff Kahanec
I also sent this as my reply,
Dear Peyton, Once again Ebay has NOT HELPED the seller. Your double talk about the positives that I have received does not make up for a black mark against me. I thought ebay was changing the way they handled situations like this. Clearly unwarranted negative feedback. The wind that past through your fingers about court ordered is a crock. I have seen this situation over the years when again Ebay does not act As a fair median for the sellers. Guidelines? You must be joking, from one human to another. I really cannot believe that anyone had the nerve to even put your words in writing!!! But ebay has asked me to become a “power Seller” in the past, but by leaving this negative to be on my record for 1 year to clear it provides anyone to again CLEARLY leave me a negative and then ebay comes down on me, suspends me, or my “dashboard” is not up too par, because of too many feedbacks or poor customer service. This will be buried and 6 months down the road this negative will still show but without any way of my buyers to know the real truth with outgoing back 5,6,7 months of feedbacks to find out way this was left. Where is the justice in keeping this feedback, is clearly not acceptable. Over the years many good sellers have left ebay for the above facts. I feel as though ebay does not value my contribution to their bottom line. I am sure the stock holders would like to know about ebay’s polices that keep pushing the smaller sellers away as ebay is doing right now.
The incentive to keep all of the good marks for ebay has just been thrown out the window, as why try? Why try to go the extra mile to make sure my buyers are happy, clearly ebay doesn’t care about it’s sellers. In this volatile economy where every good mark counts to making the sale and show really customer satisfaction has been lost now that I have 2, TWO feedbacks one that makes a mockery of dedicated sellers like myself. This is a shame. Nothing was said about the false contact this buyer had, and what was done to update it. I was even unable to as Ebay polices state “to try and work it out with the buyer” eh some joke, I followed your policies and what did I get?????
With every phone call I was told to follow policy and this situation will be resolved. I am disabled and this just makes me sick, to now that no matter what I am NOT a Valued seller.
Regret tingly,
Jeff Kahanec
If you could please help me with is outrageous situation, as we the little guys have helped ebay grow to what iT is today.
Sincerely,
Jeff Kahanec
Mixedbag56
Jeff Kahanec
October 19, 2009