Hulk
Diamond Member
I recently had a dispute with e-bay regarding an automobile auction. Ordinarily I would just pay the e-bay fee and move on, but this one is really getting to me. I respect the opinions of this forums members highly and if the members were to say I didn't have a case, I believe I could pay the e-bay fees and move on without this issue continuing to gnaw at me.
Below is the transcript from my contact with e-bay regarding the issue. Note that e-bay has not responded to my last respone in over two days, so I don't believe they will.
Thanks for any opinions!
Mark
Message: To whom it may concern:
On September 29th, 2003 my e-bay auto auction item number 2434064249 ended. Upon contacting the higher bidder, he informed me that the auction was ending while he would be driving home from work so he had is cousin bid for him. He said his cousin bid beyond his means and he could only pay $1000 of the final auction amount, which was $2250.
As you can imagine I was quite upset at hearing his "tale" when I called him on the phone. Being an experienced e-bay user I told him politely that he really screwed up, but I understood and would have to send him a non-paying bidder form. He apologized and understood. I know there is nothing to be gained by screaming at someone so I decided I would talk to him and move on. He really did seem like a nice guy, either he was trying to ?deal? with me after the fact or he got caught up in the bidding.
I used the second chance offer to sell my item to the next bidders, but none opted to take the offer. I re-listed my item, now as item number 2434064249, which ended on Oct 11th, 2003 at $1825. This time I had an honest bidder and he came the next day, paid for the car in full and drove away. We have since exchanged positive feedback.
I just requested final value auction fee and received it. I have to admit that I was quite disheartened to learn that I would still have to pay the initial $40 listing fee for this car auction. So in reality I had to pay the $40 initial listing fee twice.
I understand that e-bay refrains from "taking sides" in disputes, but I have to say that it is indeed a bitter pill to swallow in this case. Not only do I have to take the $425 loss from the first high bidder not paying ($2250-$1825) and basically being a deadbeat bidder, but I also have to suffer an additional $40 hit by paying the listing fee twice! In addition, e-bay prospers by my hardship from this whole messy and time-consuming ordeal!
I respectfully submit the fact that I only sold one car and should only pay for the initial listing and final value for selling one car, or $80, not $120. If ANYONE should pay the initial listing fee, it should be the initial high bidder who did not follow through on the first auction.
Why should I be penalized for his mistake? It simply does not make sense to me.
I am asking e-bay to refund my initial $40 listing fee for the first listing of this item due to the unique circumstances of this transaction. I believe my feedback record shows that I am a honest and loyal e-bay seller and buyer.
Sincerely,
Mark Dileo
Hello Mark,
Thank you for writing with your concern about the fees for your vehicles listings.
When you list items for sale on eBay, we charge you a listing fee to cover the costs of placing your advertising on eBay.
Listing items for sale on eBay is not a free process. All sellers are charged a fee to run their items for auction using eBay's site, name, and services. However, this does not guarantee your item will sell.
Much like placing an ad in a newspaper, if your item does not sell, you are still charged to post the item. Since you listed your item twice on eBay, we have charged you two listing fees.
You can view the credits and charges related to your account on your Account Status page.
You can reach your Account Status page by following these steps below:
1. Click on the "site map" link located at the top of all eBay pages.
2. Click on "Check my seller account status" in the Services section (middle column) under Seller Accounts. You may be asked to sign in. You can then select the date range and other options you would like to view and click "Submit." (The default is set to view your account since your last invoice.)
I wish you the best with your future transactions.
Regards,
Terry J. L.
eBay Billing Support
Terry,
Thanks for replying to my query. I'm sorry but your answer doesn't make sense to me. It is possible to list items on e-bay for as little as 30cents, surely it doesn't cost $40 to list an item? I wouldn't be asking for this refund if we were talking about a few dollars. I'm being penalized for the fact that my high bidder bid beyond his means and couldn't complete the transaction. I have a real problem getting past that point.
e-bay has developed a great service, no doubt about it. And I have been a strong supporter and part of the e-bay community. If I am charged the full $40 TWICE for this listing then my opinion of e-bay will be greatly decreased. Is it really worth it to "hard line" me on this issue? If it is, then I suspect you are making quite a bit of money off of double listing fees for automobiles.
It is especially duplicitous to double charge me since after my auction ended I had the chance to "re-list your item," which in my opinion assumes you WILL NOT pay the initial listing fee again since the item did not sell the first time.
Yes, my item was listed twice, BUT IT ONLY SOLD ONCE! And not due to my actions, but due to a non-paying bidder, why am I being penalized?
Over the past few years I have supported e-bay with over 170 transactions, including selling two cars, I am one of your stronger non-business customers, please take that into account and do the right thing.
Finally, I would like to speak to someone in person regarding this issue.
Please send me a phone number or call me at 609-xxx-xxxx or my cell at 609-xxx-xxxx.
I urge you to reconsider my request based on the unique circumstances of my transaction.
Sincerely,
Mark Dileo
Hello Mark,
Thank you for writing with your concern about the billing of your eBay account.
When you list a vehicle on eBay Motors, you agree to an insertion fee of $40.00 to list your item for sale. Each time you list an item for sale,we inform you of the fees that we will apply to your eBay account.
If your item ends with a high bidder, we also charge a $40.00 transaction service fee to your account. If you bidder backs out, you can receive a credit of the transaction service fee, which for item 2434064249, you have already received.
Since you agreed to the listing fees when you listed your items for sale and you have already received a refund of the transaction service fee for the item with a non-paying bidder, we cannot further credit your account.
I understand your concern in this matter, and I understand your desire to speak with someone on the phone. However, please understand that eBay's primary focus is to provide support to our community through the most efficient methods available. We have found that providing email and Internet support allows us to give quick, reliable, and consistent answers to questions and concerns. Using email also allows us to document what was communicated in previous emails to you and to avoid duplication of responses.
Because our focus is on online and email support, we are unable to provide you with telephone support at this time. While I realize this may frustrate you further, I hope you see that our support system is designed to get the most number of members the most accurate answers as quickly as possible. Phone support simply does not serve our members' needs as well as email does.
You can always send us an email with any questions or concerns that you have and we will be more than happy to assist you. You can write to us at anytime using the "Contact Us" links available on our online help pages.
Also, if you haven't already, I suggest you take a look at our extensive online help pages. Our help system is redesigned and improved to make it easier to find the information you want. It now features both an alphabetical index and a search tool. The Help pages on our site contain a lot of useful information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions
about eBay.
You can access this information by clicking on the "Help" button on the Navigation Bar found near the top of every page on the site.
I wish you the best with your future transactions.
Regards,
Terry J. L.
eBay Billing Support
Terry,
Legally you are right, and you have pushed the contract into my face to prove your point. But morally, you and I both know that you are wrong.
I should not have to pay the insertion fee for the same item twice, especially since the high bidder backed out, which is not my fault.
In order to help educate the e-bay community I am going to post the log of our e-mail on every bulletin board that I frequent so that no one else falls in this dilemma. If you have a problem with this please tell me, in that case I won't do it.
e-bay has always had a "hands off," sit back and count the money attitude, but this really takes the cake. I seriously can't believe you aren't going to refund my money based on these unique circumstances.
I may continue to use e-bay, it is generally a good service, but my attitude has changed radically due to this issue. I will never forget this injustice, ever, and neither will my family and friends.
Remember, the next time you buy a sandwich, a soda, gas for your car, or pay your electric bill, that you lifted part of that money from Mark Dileo's pocket.
Have a drink on me tonight!
Regards,
Mark Dileo
609-xxx-xxxx
PS - Please, give me a call if your conscience starts to bother you.
Below is the transcript from my contact with e-bay regarding the issue. Note that e-bay has not responded to my last respone in over two days, so I don't believe they will.
Thanks for any opinions!
Mark
Message: To whom it may concern:
On September 29th, 2003 my e-bay auto auction item number 2434064249 ended. Upon contacting the higher bidder, he informed me that the auction was ending while he would be driving home from work so he had is cousin bid for him. He said his cousin bid beyond his means and he could only pay $1000 of the final auction amount, which was $2250.
As you can imagine I was quite upset at hearing his "tale" when I called him on the phone. Being an experienced e-bay user I told him politely that he really screwed up, but I understood and would have to send him a non-paying bidder form. He apologized and understood. I know there is nothing to be gained by screaming at someone so I decided I would talk to him and move on. He really did seem like a nice guy, either he was trying to ?deal? with me after the fact or he got caught up in the bidding.
I used the second chance offer to sell my item to the next bidders, but none opted to take the offer. I re-listed my item, now as item number 2434064249, which ended on Oct 11th, 2003 at $1825. This time I had an honest bidder and he came the next day, paid for the car in full and drove away. We have since exchanged positive feedback.
I just requested final value auction fee and received it. I have to admit that I was quite disheartened to learn that I would still have to pay the initial $40 listing fee for this car auction. So in reality I had to pay the $40 initial listing fee twice.
I understand that e-bay refrains from "taking sides" in disputes, but I have to say that it is indeed a bitter pill to swallow in this case. Not only do I have to take the $425 loss from the first high bidder not paying ($2250-$1825) and basically being a deadbeat bidder, but I also have to suffer an additional $40 hit by paying the listing fee twice! In addition, e-bay prospers by my hardship from this whole messy and time-consuming ordeal!
I respectfully submit the fact that I only sold one car and should only pay for the initial listing and final value for selling one car, or $80, not $120. If ANYONE should pay the initial listing fee, it should be the initial high bidder who did not follow through on the first auction.
Why should I be penalized for his mistake? It simply does not make sense to me.
I am asking e-bay to refund my initial $40 listing fee for the first listing of this item due to the unique circumstances of this transaction. I believe my feedback record shows that I am a honest and loyal e-bay seller and buyer.
Sincerely,
Mark Dileo
Hello Mark,
Thank you for writing with your concern about the fees for your vehicles listings.
When you list items for sale on eBay, we charge you a listing fee to cover the costs of placing your advertising on eBay.
Listing items for sale on eBay is not a free process. All sellers are charged a fee to run their items for auction using eBay's site, name, and services. However, this does not guarantee your item will sell.
Much like placing an ad in a newspaper, if your item does not sell, you are still charged to post the item. Since you listed your item twice on eBay, we have charged you two listing fees.
You can view the credits and charges related to your account on your Account Status page.
You can reach your Account Status page by following these steps below:
1. Click on the "site map" link located at the top of all eBay pages.
2. Click on "Check my seller account status" in the Services section (middle column) under Seller Accounts. You may be asked to sign in. You can then select the date range and other options you would like to view and click "Submit." (The default is set to view your account since your last invoice.)
I wish you the best with your future transactions.
Regards,
Terry J. L.
eBay Billing Support
Terry,
Thanks for replying to my query. I'm sorry but your answer doesn't make sense to me. It is possible to list items on e-bay for as little as 30cents, surely it doesn't cost $40 to list an item? I wouldn't be asking for this refund if we were talking about a few dollars. I'm being penalized for the fact that my high bidder bid beyond his means and couldn't complete the transaction. I have a real problem getting past that point.
e-bay has developed a great service, no doubt about it. And I have been a strong supporter and part of the e-bay community. If I am charged the full $40 TWICE for this listing then my opinion of e-bay will be greatly decreased. Is it really worth it to "hard line" me on this issue? If it is, then I suspect you are making quite a bit of money off of double listing fees for automobiles.
It is especially duplicitous to double charge me since after my auction ended I had the chance to "re-list your item," which in my opinion assumes you WILL NOT pay the initial listing fee again since the item did not sell the first time.
Yes, my item was listed twice, BUT IT ONLY SOLD ONCE! And not due to my actions, but due to a non-paying bidder, why am I being penalized?
Over the past few years I have supported e-bay with over 170 transactions, including selling two cars, I am one of your stronger non-business customers, please take that into account and do the right thing.
Finally, I would like to speak to someone in person regarding this issue.
Please send me a phone number or call me at 609-xxx-xxxx or my cell at 609-xxx-xxxx.
I urge you to reconsider my request based on the unique circumstances of my transaction.
Sincerely,
Mark Dileo
Hello Mark,
Thank you for writing with your concern about the billing of your eBay account.
When you list a vehicle on eBay Motors, you agree to an insertion fee of $40.00 to list your item for sale. Each time you list an item for sale,we inform you of the fees that we will apply to your eBay account.
If your item ends with a high bidder, we also charge a $40.00 transaction service fee to your account. If you bidder backs out, you can receive a credit of the transaction service fee, which for item 2434064249, you have already received.
Since you agreed to the listing fees when you listed your items for sale and you have already received a refund of the transaction service fee for the item with a non-paying bidder, we cannot further credit your account.
I understand your concern in this matter, and I understand your desire to speak with someone on the phone. However, please understand that eBay's primary focus is to provide support to our community through the most efficient methods available. We have found that providing email and Internet support allows us to give quick, reliable, and consistent answers to questions and concerns. Using email also allows us to document what was communicated in previous emails to you and to avoid duplication of responses.
Because our focus is on online and email support, we are unable to provide you with telephone support at this time. While I realize this may frustrate you further, I hope you see that our support system is designed to get the most number of members the most accurate answers as quickly as possible. Phone support simply does not serve our members' needs as well as email does.
You can always send us an email with any questions or concerns that you have and we will be more than happy to assist you. You can write to us at anytime using the "Contact Us" links available on our online help pages.
Also, if you haven't already, I suggest you take a look at our extensive online help pages. Our help system is redesigned and improved to make it easier to find the information you want. It now features both an alphabetical index and a search tool. The Help pages on our site contain a lot of useful information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions
about eBay.
You can access this information by clicking on the "Help" button on the Navigation Bar found near the top of every page on the site.
I wish you the best with your future transactions.
Regards,
Terry J. L.
eBay Billing Support
Terry,
Legally you are right, and you have pushed the contract into my face to prove your point. But morally, you and I both know that you are wrong.
I should not have to pay the insertion fee for the same item twice, especially since the high bidder backed out, which is not my fault.
In order to help educate the e-bay community I am going to post the log of our e-mail on every bulletin board that I frequent so that no one else falls in this dilemma. If you have a problem with this please tell me, in that case I won't do it.
e-bay has always had a "hands off," sit back and count the money attitude, but this really takes the cake. I seriously can't believe you aren't going to refund my money based on these unique circumstances.
I may continue to use e-bay, it is generally a good service, but my attitude has changed radically due to this issue. I will never forget this injustice, ever, and neither will my family and friends.
Remember, the next time you buy a sandwich, a soda, gas for your car, or pay your electric bill, that you lifted part of that money from Mark Dileo's pocket.
Have a drink on me tonight!
Regards,
Mark Dileo
609-xxx-xxxx
PS - Please, give me a call if your conscience starts to bother you.
