Just griping . . . eBaaaay!

[LadyMoondancer]

Apparently eBay will not let you post listings with the words "I am not responsible for items lost in the mail" in it.

If a seller packages something poorly, or forgets to write their return address, or sends it to the wrong person, then I certainly agree with giving out a full refund, but come on, some things are out of a seller's control.  What are sellers supposed to do, drive across the country and make sure no one steals it off the person's doorstep?

Some countries have a lower probability of an item "making it" than others, it's no wonder you see so many eBay sellers who are unwilling to sell internationally.

[FantasticFirefly]

It's not because of ebay, I think that because as part of the "fair credit and billing act", for a business/seller to keep the money the buyer has to physically receive their item. It's part of the price/risk of the convenience of PayPal & selling to strangers on eBay.

If an insured item goes missing, the sender is the one that needs to file a claim with the PO to get the insurance money, the buyer recoups via PayPal within the window.

On eBay I sadly refused to ship to countries that either didn't allow the import of plastic toys, or had notoriously bad records for losing mail. In the end to ship in ways that left me protected as a seller also left me without much bidding activity due to postage costs. For a long time now I only sell privately or on the forums with buyers I can trust. I'm not a big seller and wouldn't make enough to absorb losses from even a small % of charge-backs on ebay.

[LadyMoondancer]

I'd feel better about it if they still let sellers leave negative feedback, so we could see the people who have a pattern of "not receiving" items.  :/

International mail is especially bad since everyone wants the cheapest shipping option (totally understandable, HUGE price difference) . . . which isn't trackable and can take months.  Ahhhhh!

[FantasticFirefly]

Don't get me wrong, I understand the frustration with the buyer scams occurring there, because honestly if the address is correctly marked and the item well packaged the chance of an item becoming truly lost or damaged is rare (except for a few countries). For people who sell hundreds of items with a high profit % ebay isn't all that bad, one can easily caulk up a bad apple buyer to the cost of business.. For those of us simply selling a few things here or there wanting to recoup original purchace price/shipping and make a dollar or two one has to analyze if it's worth it.

I've been considering selling a rather rare FiM item. If I were to list on ebay, who knows how much I'd get, guessing it would go quite high with the fanbase there, even with that temptation if I do sell it from my collection it would be on the forums for less money. Knowing the buyer ahead of time to me is worth getting less in profit. I am truly happy alternative "marketplaces" exist for us.

[ClosetAvalanche]

Here's the thing, though. On Ebay, the seller is responsible for lost mail. Ebay views the usps, ups or whatever shipping service you use as your partner, therefore if they lose it, its on you. This is why insurance is there. I know it sucks, but it's just part of using Ebay.

[ponylady]

Yes, you are correct that they no longer allow you to write that in your listings. It can jeopardize your account if you do 

As a seller you are responsible for items which may be lost, stolen or broken in transit. Once a buyer has bought from you it is your responisbility as a seller to get the goods to the buyer in the condition advertised.  If an item does become lost the buyer should be refunded immediately and the seller should start a claim with the courier / postal service. The seller arranged the delivery so the contract with the courier / postal service is with the seller. So many sellers seem to think that once its left their hands its no longer their responsibility.  And that is wrong.

The best thing to do is always be prepared that it can happen.  And your best bet on that is to make sure it is sent by a trackable method. It helps significantly, although it is not 100%. There is also the option of insurance as well.