I bought a small item on ebay for $4.99.In the auction description, the seller stated "shipping insurance OPTIONAL for $1.50". When I went to "checkout", the $1.50 for insurance was MANDATORY... no way out of it. NO really big deal, but I don't care to pay almost 40% of the item's value for shipping insurance! I understand WHY the seller pushes insurance to provide tracking and get them "off the hook" for lost or damaged mail. HOWEVER, the auction clearly stated insurance was optional. I emailed the seller. NO reply... I emailed ebay... you would think this would be a clear-cut case of fraud, and they would back me up. HECK NO! Here's ebay's reply...
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -- Hello, Thank you for writing to eBay regarding Item number XXXXX XXXXX . We have reviewed the information that you provided. This automatically generated message has been sent to you so we can help you as quickly as possible. The vast majority of transactions on eBay end successfully. However, when problems arise, we recommend that buyers take the following actions
to resolve the situation (details about each are included below): - Talk to the seller - Report the seller to PayPal (up to 45 days from the end of the listing)
- File an Item Not Received or Significantly Not As Described dispute (10-60 days from the date the listing ended) ** Talk to the Seller Often, these situations can be resolved with a friendly conversation. We
recommend that you contact the seller by phone if you haven't already done so. To request the seller's email address and phone number, please follow these steps: 1. Click the "Advanced Search" link in the top right-hand corner of the eBay Home page. 2. Click the "Find Contact Information" link on the left side of the page. 3. Enter the Item number in the space provided. (You can find it in My eBay.)
4. Click the "Search" button. We'll send you an email with the seller's contact information. At the same time, we'll also send the seller your contact information. ** Report the Seller to PayPal (45-day time limit) eBay and PayPal work together closely to help buyers resolve problems quickly and effectively. Because you paid through PayPal, you can file a
claim with them if talking with the seller fails to resolve the situation. Claims must be filed within *45 days* of payment. For more information or to open a dispute, go to:Link
Click>Link the "PayPal Buyer Protection" link.
If more than 45 days have passed since you paid, you won't be able to file a Buyer Protection claim with PayPal. However, we still encourage you to report this member to PayPal. You can then file an Item Not Received or Significantly Not As Described dispute on eBay. ** File an Item Not Received or Significantly Not As Described Dispute (60-day time limit) If the seller fails to send you either the item or a refund, and the item isn't covered by PayPal, you can file an Item Not Received or Significantly Not as Described dispute. You can do this at any time up to *60 days* from the end of the listing. (Although, because you paid with PayPal, you'll be directed to file a claim with PayPal if you file before 45 days have passed.) For more information or to open a dispute, go to: LinkWe>Link will investigate your complaint and take appropriate action. However,
under the eBay Privacy Policy, we can't discuss the results of our investigation or any action we take. We hope that this email has addressed your concerns. If not, please reply to this message and we will pursue the matter further. We are committed to working with you to protect your safety and help you succeed on eBay. Sincerely, eBay Trust & Safety ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -- WHAT a crock! There is only 45 days to file a complaint HOWEVER I can't file one yet! You have to wait 10 days to actually FILE a complaint, yet after 45 days you can't file at all!
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