Well, I never thought I would see this day – a day when I, a long term eBay seller (1998) would consider leaving what had become ‘my world’ in many ways – a community – a very lucrative source of income – and a friend. I’ve been a seller for 11 years and have also been an eBay educator – teaching people how to be successful sellers. I’ve given alot to eBay and all this I manage around a full time career. An average sales month for me working at it for an hour or two every night was $1000 to $1500 Gross. I taught scores of people in my locale how to sell; and made a tidy little sum doing that too; it helped me; helped the attendee and MOST definitely helped eBay but alas .. I’ve been a bad, bad girl … and have gotten my hands slapped by the eBay school marm … and I find myself sitting outside the eBay window so to speak; peering in, watching all the lovely little eBay POWER Merchants like Dell, Sears and the like selling their refurb and return crap like crazy; and many buyers bloated with their new found power to ruin seller’s livelyhoods with a lie and a carefully placed DSR rating.
Here’s my story for what its worth. I posted it over on eBay too and the comments in the forums were .. umm there’s nothing you can do, blah blah blah .. I talked to an eBay ‘representive’ on the phone and finally hung up on her. She couldn’t even pretend nicely that she was reading a script to me – I told her I had read all the things she was saying already and if she was going to waste my time with her dribble from her nicely laid out script I was hanging up; which I did.
I’ve had pretty good feedback through all the years I’ve sold on eBay. Recently I’ve had some illness related issues that delayed shipping but whenever possible; I will refund the shipping to a buyer if I’m too slow in shipping. That generally makes them happy and ‘sometimes’ they will leave feedback for me. I probably get about 50% return on feedback though I leave it for every single transaction I make on eBay, either buying OR selling.
So here’s the story: I sell a guy (I’ll call him Dimwit Dave) an electronic part. It didn’t cost much $9.99 and after he paid, I promptly shipped it 2 days later on Oct 20. Two days later on Oct 22 my delivery confirmation (which I have decided now is an absolute waste of money as it doesn’t ‘fix’ a damn thing) showed that the item had arrived at its destination – Dingledorf Dave’s house. End of story .. Notttttttt so .. a week ago; Dorky Dave files a Dispute against me with Paypal claiming he didn’t get his item – oh contrare Mr. Dick .. er Dave Doofus! The tracking number clearly shows you did! So I file a counter claim and I win the claim with Paypal aka eBay. End of story. Dipchit Dave doesn’t contact me after that .. and suddenly what should appear before my wondering eyes .. (sounds like the Night Before Christmas vaguely huh) but a hideous NEGATIVE feedback on this auction. Deceitful Dave tells the ‘world’ that I didn’t communicate with him (hmm how many more emails do ya want buddy?) and that he didn’t get his precious little electronic part. Not only that but he rated me at the lowest rating possible on Shipping in the DSR’s .. which .. you guessed it, dropped my rating there to 3.9 which is NOT good for a seller. Its REALLY not good; I got my hand slapped really hard because eBay has now locked me out of selling till I bring up that DSR score .. and ‘graciously’ they have said I can still sell the items I currently have posted but that I can’t list anything new and I better not even THINK about using another account or creating a new user because Big Brother is watching me and they will ban me for time and eternity if I do that to avoid the pain of having my hand slapped.
So, I thought .. maybe I can negotiate with this joker .. err sorry … Dragonion Dave .. and ask (BEG) him to remove the bad feedback and in particular the low DSR’s. He agrees IF I will send him another electronic part just like the one he claims he never got – and if I do that he will remove all negative referrences and all will be right with the world. So .. against the advice of some friends .. I went out and bought this extortionist .. errr .. did I say he EXTORTED goods, services and feedback ratings … that’s exactly what he did. Diobolical Dave told me that IF I did as he demanded I could have my precious eBay privledges back because after all; the buyer is GOD now on eBay so .. I buy the item, ship it Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation and Signature required to a NEW address he gives me of his girlfriend so he’s ‘sure’ someone will be there to accept because guess what .. he goes to school all day and works all evening so isn’t at his own address to receive packages .. how handy. So .. I send the item; all at my cost and wait expectantly for him to receive it which he did, 2 days later. I feel confident that my problem will eBay will be resolved momentarily when Devine Dave removes all reference to a bad transaction with me .. but … but .. it is not to be .. no .. this is my punishment for working my tail off at a full time job, selling on eBay part time, teaching eBay classes and doing ACT proctoring so I can’t ship within 24 hours always of receipt of payment … Devil Dave changes my feedback but NOT to positive as he promised BUT to Neutral AND he didn’t even touch the DSR rating section .. so nothing has changed. I am still blocked from selling on eBay and don’t know how long I’ll have to wait for this joker’s lies to roll off my account .. and I can only hope that my current winners will leave me positive feedback or leave feedback at all. As I said, its my experience that no more than 50% do so I’m going to have to humble myself even more after my hand slapping to ‘virtual’ begging .. asking my bidders to please remember me kindly with feedback and more importantly DSR ratings. I’m done .. I’m fed up and I have no loyalty to eBay anymore .. they don’t have an ounce of loyalty to me and they also this Dilbert .. to get away with this .. they don’t take any action on behalf of sellers .. and I’m not even gonna get started with regard to all the new fees, ‘no check/no MO’ rules .. I think there are even more sinister things behind that too .. if they can totally control the money that passes through eBay they can totally control the seller’s account. They know when you are paid, when you ship .. etc .. and they will tighten their screws down even tighter on us. I don’t need this .. I’m too old to be spanked like a little kid and all I have to say is eBay .. you have lost not only my loyalty and membership but every single person I’ve taught all these years – all my loyal customers who will follow me wherever I go and more than that; you’ll totally lost the company’s vision .. and without a vision .. the people perish .. hasta bye bye eBay .. I’ll send flowers to your funeral.
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