eBay questions

General Questions
#1

Hi,
I used to sell on eBay years ago and now have been buying for about a year. My score is over 500 100% feedback , I asked a question on eBay messaging and got targeted by a couple of nasty people who were just outright mean. I now need to sell items and I am afraid that these people or person is watching and will target me. They used a posting ID and I stupidly used my regular ID.
Also I recently bought about $1000 dollars of clothing from a what I assume was a scammer, she told me that eBay had put a hold on her account and she was selling all this because she was broke and didn’t have funds to ship items and would have to send them a few at a time on Fridays when she got paid.
I looked up the 21 day hold because I never knew this existed and understood why this happened to her and sided with her. I bought many of her auctions and she would combine shipping and invoice me which I would promptly pay. Trouble starts when receive a box of clothes that are not all within the same combined order with some articles of clothing that I had never seen…Also this was a recent won auction and not the first stuff I had bid on. I messaged her why? She said they were freebies since I was so understanding.She shipped cheap freebies instead of items first ordered and of more value. I reminded her that the 21 days were up and her money was released (she admitted this) and would she send me all my orders, I was getting nervous because she had not sent the original orders which were just at 45 days, which was my last day to open case.
I opened a case against her after hours of ebay he!!, eBay telling me I was too late than telling me I was just in time. I had messaged and emailed her many times about this, which she didn’t respond. I then opened cases on all the stuff I didn’t receive. She had sent a total of six boxes and still owed me a little more than half of the clothes I had purchased, some of these boxes were med flat rate. Her answer to eBay was providing the same tracking number for all, she lost the cases and I received over $500 back from eBay which was about even but not for the time and worry that went into this.
I just now got a chance to start leaving feedback (due to some events in my life) and lost the opportunity to negative her on the most expensive stuff I bought, and Im of course leaving negatives with the explanation that I didn’t receive items at all or incomplete orders. This has brought her score down to a 96.5%.
My questions are I am going to start selling and dont want to be targeted by any of these people. But I do want to enjoy the reward of trust that comes with my 500 plus 100% well earned a lot of through selling which really puts you at everyone’s mercy.

  1. If I change my user ID and email (the above person has it) will this shield me from any abuse from them as can they find me? She would I believe be able to find me through feedback left.

From what eBay told me (that I can understand because of accent barrier*)the people from the ebay forum cant find me. But because of received and left feedback the above woman can find me and I can just block her from any auctions of mine. I’m sure she has friends because she sucked me in and she has people who have left her wonderful feedback that she promptly shipped their items to them except for a few. She is good at getting someone to feel sorry for her so now I’m worried that even if I block her could she get someone else to mess with my listings. I will be listing on most likely buy it nows.

2)What should I do? If I do a new seller ID I start off with 0 feedback and risk 21 day hold on my money I believe.

  1. Also I want to get completely away from eBay eventually and I’m working on a merchant website. Whichever way I go with I would like to list items on eBay on a buy it now and also in my online store until it can take off. On a buy it now I can cancel and shouldnt have any issue as long as two people dont buy at the same time, and I watch both continuously. Any input on this would be greatly appreciated!!!

Sorry so long and thanks for reading!

#2

Do you have just one Ebay ID? What kind of abuse do you expect this seller to mete out on you? Buying your stuff and leaving negative feedback on your seller ID? You can complain to Ebay in the future if you suspect any abuse that’s outside of their rules. Most Ebayers have two IDs, one for selling and another for buying and posting on the forums.

#3

Thanks for reading my question GreenElf. I only have one user ID that has been changed several years ago. Im concerned she or a friend may do a non paying bidder, buy a cheaper item I sell and leave undeserved neg feedback, Im not sure just read a lot of horror stories and dont want someone to mess up my account. For selling I would like to use my current one because I wont get a 21 day hold (even if I change ID name ), and I guess Ill open a new one just for buying and posting if I do that ever again, it was a really weird experience, I was bullied by two posters with posting IDs (never knew this existed) and when I researched their previous post they had a habit of picking on one person every week or so. It was bizarre, I have been on many forums and have seen flameing etc but not anything like this. So all of this made me kind of paranoid. I probably place too much value on my account but really need money right now and cant take chance of hold, frozen funds or any of the other nightmares I have read about.

#4

Im thinking of listing some items under a new ID, which will probably incur 21 day hold and some on the the old one, that way maybe if something happens to one the other will give me money to make shipping obligations and keep me out of some catastrophic eBay financial bind.

#5

Sounds like a plan. Hope it works out for you. Ebay discussion board posters tend to be on the nasty side so I wouldn’t take it personal unless something else happens to confirm otherwise.

#6

There used to be a way to block specific userid’s from bidding.

I don’t know if ebay’s “change your id” function would catch a banned user from bidding after changing id.

Does ebay allow multiple id’s? Some people will use a second id as a shill to bid up their auctions, so they’d have a concern.

#7

They allow multiple IDs but my concern is with the seller I had issues with that looking at feedback and items bought would lead her to me. I really cant figure a way around it except to just dive in and quit worrying about it. When I researched this I read so many eBay horror stories I was afraid I would become one :slight_smile:

#8

I have been selling on ebay for 13 years and have sold many thousands of items. I understand you had issues with that seller, but IMO you are being irrationally paranoid. Her delaying behavior after selling the items was inexcusable and deserved negative feedback.

You need to put your fears aside and just get on with listing and selling your items. Regardless of how mean these other people were in the message forum I doubt anyone has the time or inclination to make a campaign of coming after you personally. Selling is enough work as it is without getting into feedback pissing contests by making bad faith purchases.

#9

I agree, and have been on eBay since 03, but not selling since around 09. After I went through the weird message board thing and when this seller messaged me about the 21 day hold and I looked it up because I had never heard of it, this what led me to all the hoops sellers jump through now.Plus all the horror stories . And that I was naive in not having a posting ID (probably why I was targeted) and that more informed or experienced ebayers than myself also have a seller and buyer account. I will create another ID, maybe change the one I have now, and also block her from bidding on my stuff. Someone wrote an article about how to be successful on eBay and one thing she recommended was never to negative someone. I just disagree with this because this is needed to warn others and I read feedback to be warned.

#10

If you are a seller you CANNOT negative someone. You can respond to a negative comment with your own version, but that’s it re what can be seen publicly. You can report the buyer to ebay but that’s all internal. Beyond this you kind of need to adopt a detached attitude. If you are serious about it it’s a business. It’s about profit margins and transaction volume. If you make it personal that’s huge mistake. Be polite, be professional, be direct. Apologize your ass off and offer full refunds for any transaction mistakes. Give refunds cheerfully and professionally.

IMO you should keep your name because of your feedback rating. Good feedback is a huge confidence builder in getting people to bid on or buy your items. Throwing it away because you fear some cranks is not a good business decision.

#11

Thanks, this makes me feel better. I am aware that sellers cant neg. now just was afraid when I start listing, i had pissed a couple of people off and they could potentially become my buyers. I was behind leaving feedback and just left all the negatives on hers this morning, I was refunded by eBay about a month ago. I plan to start listing tomorrow. You give good advice thank you:) Especially about the detached attitude, this has served me well at my regular job and kept me out of work drama on a daily basis.

#12

I don’t want to hijack, but since the OP’s question appears to be answered, can she or anyone tell me about any major changes to ebay in the last nine years? It has been that long since I’ve sold things. II have purchased things since then, but recall hearing complaints about higher seller fees, new feedback policies etc, and would appreciate any information.