Ebay - is it worth it any more?
Discussion
As some of you know, I have an online business selling car parts (filters, wishbones, suspension components etc).
Now, today Ebay has decided to suspend my account for 30 days for 'Shill Bidding'. I am aware of what Shill Bidding is but I have not partaken in it in any way, shape or form.
In February I got a notification that I was 'caught' Shill Bidding and followed the procedures, rules and regulations. Shortly after I became a Top Rated Seller and recieved a 20% discount on my Final Valuation Fees. I also completed a 'Tutorial' on Shill Bidding.
Fast forward 3 weeks and without any notice and out of the blue they have suspended my account. It has really p*ssed me off because they demanded an outstanding amount of £1000+ for seller fees (emptying my balance to virtually zero - so if someone wants a refund I'm screwed) and then they make their contact number virtually impossible to get.
Finally, I got through to an American woman who just kept telling me to email and it will be sorted. The problem is, my entire livelihood depends on my Ebay Business, I have a mortgage, school fees, bills etc that come from the profits of my Ebay business. If I don't trade for 30 days I'm up the s
t creek basically.
I have submitted my case to Ebay and hopefully they'll see that I didnt shill bid and re-instate my account. IMO, they shouldn't have banned me without due warning or for a 'first time offence' anyway. They are pure bullying tactics and I am totally incensed right now. It seems that all the hard work I've put in since November has come to nought because some computer (or someone jealous, I don't know) has made a mistake.
I'm really questioning the merits of keeping such a business going. I'm really lucky to make 25% on some items and Ebay/Paypal/Royal Mail Fees are quite stupid too. I'm really thinking of jacking it in and going back to a mundane 9-5. It simply isn't worth it any more.
Now, today Ebay has decided to suspend my account for 30 days for 'Shill Bidding'. I am aware of what Shill Bidding is but I have not partaken in it in any way, shape or form.
In February I got a notification that I was 'caught' Shill Bidding and followed the procedures, rules and regulations. Shortly after I became a Top Rated Seller and recieved a 20% discount on my Final Valuation Fees. I also completed a 'Tutorial' on Shill Bidding.
Fast forward 3 weeks and without any notice and out of the blue they have suspended my account. It has really p*ssed me off because they demanded an outstanding amount of £1000+ for seller fees (emptying my balance to virtually zero - so if someone wants a refund I'm screwed) and then they make their contact number virtually impossible to get.
Finally, I got through to an American woman who just kept telling me to email and it will be sorted. The problem is, my entire livelihood depends on my Ebay Business, I have a mortgage, school fees, bills etc that come from the profits of my Ebay business. If I don't trade for 30 days I'm up the s
t creek basically. I have submitted my case to Ebay and hopefully they'll see that I didnt shill bid and re-instate my account. IMO, they shouldn't have banned me without due warning or for a 'first time offence' anyway. They are pure bullying tactics and I am totally incensed right now. It seems that all the hard work I've put in since November has come to nought because some computer (or someone jealous, I don't know) has made a mistake.
I'm really questioning the merits of keeping such a business going. I'm really lucky to make 25% on some items and Ebay/Paypal/Royal Mail Fees are quite stupid too. I'm really thinking of jacking it in and going back to a mundane 9-5. It simply isn't worth it any more.
Edited by Schermerhorn on Thursday 11th March 21:14
I think to put all your eggs in one eBay basket has clearly screwed you.
I only buy and sell for a bit of extra and it cheeses me of exactly how much it costs you. I sold a vanos unit, race spec e30 m3 diff and some race coil overs for an M3 and after everything ended up paying out over couple of hundred quid in fees.
I only buy and sell for a bit of extra and it cheeses me of exactly how much it costs you. I sold a vanos unit, race spec e30 m3 diff and some race coil overs for an M3 and after everything ended up paying out over couple of hundred quid in fees.
No, that is the problem. I recieved a notification of 'Shill Bidding' on 17th February, I was like 'what the **** is going on here?' and completed a tutorial.
Now, 3 weeks later they have suspended me. I'd love to connect the dots of what happened in those 3 weeks but I can't. I don't even know what is happening. All I know it that if it isn't sorted soon my livelihood is seriously at risk.
A friend of mine said Ebay has new security software in place that is quite 'sensitive'.
Now, 3 weeks later they have suspended me. I'd love to connect the dots of what happened in those 3 weeks but I can't. I don't even know what is happening. All I know it that if it isn't sorted soon my livelihood is seriously at risk.
A friend of mine said Ebay has new security software in place that is quite 'sensitive'.
falkster said:
I think to put all your eggs in one eBay basket has clearly screwed you.
I only buy and sell for a bit of extra and it cheeses me of exactly how much it costs you. I sold a vanos unit, race spec e30 m3 diff and some race coil overs for an M3 and after everything ended up paying out over couple of hundred quid in fees.
I know what you are saying but since November I've made over £16,000 on Ebay (around 25-30% profit) and it has been growing every month. I felt it was a worthwhile entity worth pursuing but if I know how crap the 'system' was, I would have stuck to my regular job.I only buy and sell for a bit of extra and it cheeses me of exactly how much it costs you. I sold a vanos unit, race spec e30 m3 diff and some race coil overs for an M3 and after everything ended up paying out over couple of hundred quid in fees.
falkster said:
I think to put all your eggs in one eBay basket has clearly screwed you.
I only buy and sell for a bit of extra and it cheeses me of exactly how much it costs you. I sold a vanos unit, race spec e30 m3 diff and some race coil overs for an M3 and after everything ended up paying out over couple of hundred quid in fees.
How come? Recently sold a Merc on there for over 5k and the fees were about 40 quid. I only buy and sell for a bit of extra and it cheeses me of exactly how much it costs you. I sold a vanos unit, race spec e30 m3 diff and some race coil overs for an M3 and after everything ended up paying out over couple of hundred quid in fees.
It can be a pain in the arse with buyers messing you about but all-in-all it's been an effective way to shift cars.
ridds said:
It may not be you but someone else constantly bidding on but not winning your items maybe?
They think you're involved so suspend your account?
tbh you can't rely on ebay at all, sod trying to run a business through it!
I think that is what has happened but without going into my account, I can't even check who the culprit(s) is.They think you're involved so suspend your account?
tbh you can't rely on ebay at all, sod trying to run a business through it!
In the meantime, I'm bloody screwed. They treat their main assets (the sellers who actually make them money from fees) as second rate. It's horrific especially since they've been making so much money from me.
A friend was selling a good condition cylinder head on there. Someone kept asking him to sell the valves separately (broken cam belt?), but he wanted to sell it complete, which is understandable. The same guy won the auction, and two days later the buyer lodged a complaint with Ebay that the valves were bent. When the head was returned to my friend, he found out that the guy had just taken out the valves, stuck his old ones in the new cylinder head, and then complained that it was knackered when he received it. Ebay are simply not interested, and my friend is several hundred pounds out of pocket.
I think Ebay need to remember that before Google, there was Yahoo, but, almost overnight, Google became the standard search engine. The same could happen with Ebay. They are far too expensive, and their communications are very poor.
I think Ebay need to remember that before Google, there was Yahoo, but, almost overnight, Google became the standard search engine. The same could happen with Ebay. They are far too expensive, and their communications are very poor.
EBay is rife with fraud and all sorts of underhand activity. I once payed a premium price for an 'unlocked ecu' and engine loom for an engine conversion I was undertaking. I only payed the price subsequent to the ECU being unlocked. A week later after spending many hours faffing out getting the wiring right, I attempted to fire the beast up. Nothing happened. So i plugged in a locked ECU that came with the engine and the same happened. Nothing.
On the understanding the ECU was unlocked, I purchased replacement parts like fuel relays and sensors to eliminate possible suspects. Still nothing.
Contacted the seller explaining the situation, and got the old 'well it worked when it was on my car' and a big 'up yours.'
Right then I'll contact eBay's resolution centre and resolve it with them. I provided satisfactory evidence to support my case, including a receipt for £80 that I paid for an actually unlocked ECU, and that actually had the engine working. i only wanted a refund of £80, which I thought was fair, considering I'd converted the loom from its original state.
Nothing for 3 months, then a snotty email of about 4 lines, explaining that the matter was one of a technical nature and that I would receive no refund as they couldn't prove that it was in an unsatisfactory condition.
The guy might as well have sent me half a cabbage to run the engine with.
On the understanding the ECU was unlocked, I purchased replacement parts like fuel relays and sensors to eliminate possible suspects. Still nothing.
Contacted the seller explaining the situation, and got the old 'well it worked when it was on my car' and a big 'up yours.'
Right then I'll contact eBay's resolution centre and resolve it with them. I provided satisfactory evidence to support my case, including a receipt for £80 that I paid for an actually unlocked ECU, and that actually had the engine working. i only wanted a refund of £80, which I thought was fair, considering I'd converted the loom from its original state.
Nothing for 3 months, then a snotty email of about 4 lines, explaining that the matter was one of a technical nature and that I would receive no refund as they couldn't prove that it was in an unsatisfactory condition.
The guy might as well have sent me half a cabbage to run the engine with.
MX7 said:
A friend was selling a good condition cylinder head on there. Someone kept asking him to sell the valves separately (broken cam belt?), but he wanted to sell it complete, which is understandable. The same guy won the auction, and two days later the buyer lodged a complaint with Ebay that the valves were bent. When the head was returned to my friend, he found out that the guy had just taken out the valves, stuck his old ones in the new cylinder head, and then complained that it was knackered when he received it. Ebay are simply not interested, and my friend is several hundred pounds out of pocket.
I'd be round the buyers address with a fking tyre iron. fk me even reading that boils my piss.hornetrider said:
MX7 said:
A friend was selling a good condition cylinder head on there. Someone kept asking him to sell the valves separately (broken cam belt?), but he wanted to sell it complete, which is understandable. The same guy won the auction, and two days later the buyer lodged a complaint with Ebay that the valves were bent. When the head was returned to my friend, he found out that the guy had just taken out the valves, stuck his old ones in the new cylinder head, and then complained that it was knackered when he received it. Ebay are simply not interested, and my friend is several hundred pounds out of pocket.
I'd be round the buyers address with a fking tyre iron. fk me even reading that boils my piss.Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff