eBay, etc. General Question/Answer Thread

[Straight-Laced]

Feeling so played by eBay right now.

I shipped a jewellery item to France on January 22. EBay gave estimated delivery window of 4 - 8 February. Yesterday the buyer opened an INR; the delivery was last tracked on 6 February when handed over to the local postal service in Northern France for delivery. So buyer is well within her rights to make a claim.

The issue is that eBay gave a delivery estimate based on metropolitan France - a major town or centre - and my buyer is in a tiny and remote village in the high mountains (a very long and complicated address).
According to my post office there’s nothing out of the ordinary with the delivery, it takes a long time from regional collection to destination and will probably be delivered next week, within the very approximate 28 day time frame they provide for remote, regional France.
There was almost no chance of the item being delivered within the eBay time frame, but I didn’t realise that when I shipped it. The PO won’t even let me lodge an enquiry yet because it’s too soon.

It may turn out to be a missing item after all, but eBay has really let me down by providing the wrong delivery estimate in the first place and not allowing for irregular scans from local delivery agents, and I’m going to be paying out.

Lesson learned! I’m going to be much more cautious going forward. Hope this helps someone else.

 

[whateve]

Feeling so played by eBay right now.

I shipped a jewellery item to France on January 22. EBay gave estimated delivery window of 4 - 8 February. Yesterday the buyer opened an INR; the delivery was last tracked on 6 February when handed over to the local postal service in Northern France for delivery. So buyer is well within her rights to make a claim.

The issue is that eBay gave a delivery estimate based on metropolitan France - a major town or centre - and my buyer is in a tiny and remote village in the high mountains (a very long and complicated address).
According to my post office there’s nothing out of the ordinary with the delivery, it takes a long time from regional collection to destination and will probably be delivered next week, within the very approximate 28 day time frame they provide for remote, regional France.
There was almost no chance of the item being delivered within the eBay time frame, but I didn’t realise that when I shipped it. The PO won’t even let me lodge an enquiry yet because it’s too soon.

It may turn out to be a missing item after all, but eBay has really let me down by providing the wrong delivery estimate in the first place and not allowing for irregular scans from local delivery agents, and I’m going to be paying out.

Lesson learned! I’m going to be much more cautious going forward. Hope this helps someone else.

Respond to the case with tracking information and what the post office told you. Hopefully someone at ebay will allow a delay of a week or two before closing the case in her favor, or the buyer will wait to escalate. Usually there is a period of time once a case is opened before she is allowed to escalate, maybe at least a week?

 

[onlyk]

Feeling so played by eBay right now.

I shipped a jewellery item to France on January 22. EBay gave estimated delivery window of 4 - 8 February. Yesterday the buyer opened an INR; the delivery was last tracked on 6 February when handed over to the local postal service in Northern France for delivery. So buyer is well within her rights to make a claim.

The issue is that eBay gave a delivery estimate based on metropolitan France - a major town or centre - and my buyer is in a tiny and remote village in the high mountains (a very long and complicated address).
According to my post office there’s nothing out of the ordinary with the delivery, it takes a long time from regional collection to destination and will probably be delivered next week, within the very approximate 28 day time frame they provide for remote, regional France.
There was almost no chance of the item being delivered within the eBay time frame, but I didn’t realise that when I shipped it. The PO won’t even let me lodge an enquiry yet because it’s too soon.

It may turn out to be a missing item after all, but eBay has really let me down by providing the wrong delivery estimate in the first place and not allowing for irregular scans from local delivery agents, and I’m going to be paying out.

Lesson learned! I’m going to be much more cautious going forward. Hope this helps someone else.

Best not selling anything expensive overseas.

 

[Straight-Laced]

Respond to the case with tracking information and what the post office told you. Hopefully someone at ebay will allow a delay of a week or two before closing the case in her favor, or the buyer will wait to escalate. Usually there is a period of time once a case is opened before she is allowed to escalate, maybe at least a week?

Thanks! There doesn’t seem to be any recourse at this stage though.
I haven’t been able to get through to a human at eBay and I’ve been trying on and off all day.
I’m only given options to provide proof of delivery, refund or send message to seller.
I sent a message to the seller yesterday requesting that she allow more time due to Post Office delivery advice but no response. She hasn’t communicated with me at all so is just after a refund through eBay.

Refunding isn’t going to break the bank but it’s a lousy situation for reasons already stated and if ultimately it’s delivered as I expect it will be I won’t even get a small payout from the Post Office for missing item.

What eBay has done with the original incorrect delivery estimate (and dare I say what the buyer might have taken advantage of) is a loophole in the system that’s put me in a no-win situation. It’s really wrong and so far I can’t find a way to do anything about it

 

[whateve]

Thanks! There doesn’t seem to be any recourse at this stage though.
I haven’t been able to get through to a human at eBay and I’ve been trying on and off all day.
I’m only given options to provide proof of delivery, refund or send message to seller.
I sent a message to the seller yesterday requesting that she allow more time due to Post Office delivery advice but no response. She hasn’t communicated with me at all so is just after a refund through eBay.

Refunding isn’t going to break the bank but it’s a lousy situation for reasons already stated and if ultimately it’s delivered as I expect it will be I won’t even get a small payout from the Post Office for missing item.

What eBay has done with the original incorrect delivery estimate (and dare I say what the buyer might have taken advantage of) is a loophole in the system that’s put me in a no-win situation. It’s really wrong and so far I can’t find a way to do anything about it

I would still wait until the last moment, then provide the tracking information as proof of delivery. Maybe it would need human intervention in order to read the tracking. I certainly wouldn't refund until I was forced to.

 

[Lightja]

frequent buyers and authenticators, what is your advice for resellers?

I've thrifted a decent sized collection of what I believe to be authentic Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Dooney & Bourke, and other designer bags. I've done a lot of research, but I have no credentials to prove that I am correct about my authentication. Aside from an established record of selling genuine bags, which I don't have yet, what do you look for in a listing that would make you comfortable in a bag's authenticity?

Feel free to advise on anything I didn't mention, but here are some things I am wondering about:

1 - Photos - I include lots, all angles of anything that seems remotely relevant, but are there certain photos/features that I should make sure I don't leave out? Is this mostly designer specific? Like for instance I would definitely want to make sure the creed and serial are visible and readable if I were to list a Coach bag. I'd also make sure to get interior linings, tags/patches, stitching, etc.
2 - Source - should I disclose that the item was sourced from a thrift store? I wouldn't ever lie about it if asked, but I could see an argument for not trying to advertise it, I expect most buyers prefer buying from people who made the original retail purchase most of the time, but on the other hand I value transparency.
3 - Authentication - in most cases it's probably not economically feasible to get a paid authentication for every bag, and I'm skeptical of any such services to begin with. I could also post all bags on this forum and have them authenticated, but it feels like a misuse of the authenticator's time for my personal business. Is there policy/etiquette on this?
4 - Personal thoughts - I'm just someone on the internet trying to sell a bag with no documented credentials proving any expertise on these items, yet I personally feel I have a pretty good understanding of how to authenticate *some* of the features of *some* designers. Say for instance, if I have a Coach bag, and I know based on the serial the production year, production plant, production month, and style number, should I highlight all of that information to indicate that I'm knowledgeable about the product that I'm selling, or should I just shut up and let the photos do the talking?

 

[whateve]

frequent buyers and authenticators, what is your advice for resellers?

I've thrifted a decent sized collection of what I believe to be authentic Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Dooney & Bourke, and other designer bags. I've done a lot of research, but I have no credentials to prove that I am correct about my authentication. Aside from an established record of selling genuine bags, which I don't have yet, what do you look for in a listing that would make you comfortable in a bag's authenticity?

Feel free to advise on anything I didn't mention, but here are some things I am wondering about:

1 - Photos - I include lots, all angles of anything that seems remotely relevant, but are there certain photos/features that I should make sure I don't leave out? Is this mostly designer specific? Like for instance I would definitely want to make sure the creed and serial are visible and readable if I were to list a Coach bag. I'd also make sure to get interior linings, tags/patches, stitching, etc.
2 - Source - should I disclose that the item was sourced from a thrift store? I wouldn't ever lie about it if asked, but I could see an argument for not trying to advertise it, I expect most buyers prefer buying from people who made the original retail purchase most of the time, but on the other hand I value transparency.
3 - Authentication - in most cases it's probably not economically feasible to get a paid authentication for every bag, and I'm skeptical of any such services to begin with. I could also post all bags on this forum and have them authenticated, but it feels like a misuse of the authenticator's time for my personal business. Is there policy/etiquette on this?
4 - Personal thoughts - I'm just someone on the internet trying to sell a bag with no documented credentials proving any expertise on these items, yet I personally feel I have a pretty good understanding of how to authenticate *some* of the features of *some* designers. Say for instance, if I have a Coach bag, and I know based on the serial the production year, production plant, production month, and style number, should I highlight all of that information to indicate that I'm knowledgeable about the product that I'm selling, or should I just shut up and let the photos do the talking?

I never mention the source. I think some people who buy on reselling sites would never be caught in a thrift store. They like to believe it came out of the seller's own collection. Somehow associating the bag with a person, even someone they don't know, makes it seem less icky. I give quite a bit of information in my listings but it kind of depends on the site. I notice that very few people have descriptions on a site like Poshmark.

You need credentials to sell but some sites have measures in place specifically for new sellers. Like on ebay, a new seller can't list a bunch of designer bags all at once. You have to develop a track record before they'll trust you. I don't think there is a problem with this on some other sites.

Make sure you include all photos needed to authentication in your listing. This is brand specific. As far as Coach is concerned, we will authenticate your bags for free on the forum. You can't post a link to your own listing but we will authenticate from pictures. Don't overwhelm us with too many requests per day, but eventually we can do all your bags.

 

[Lightja]

Thanks for the advice! I agree about the people who buy on these sites which is why I'm hesitant to advertise it. I like the framing of selling from a collection, I just wont advertise that the collection was built thrifting. Also, I didn't know that about eBay, I'll have to look into more details on that, thanks for the heads up! So far I've got about 40 sales on eBay but only 1 was for a designer (Frye) bag. Also good to know on not posting a link to my own listing, I figured that might make it easy, but I could definitely see why that's not permitted.

With regards to posting images, is there a preferred method for that, like links to imgur or something? I noticed older images tend to break (or more likely, get deleted due to server space) with time, would hosting them externally be preferable for future records? Thats another reason I was planning on not just posting the listing link anyways.

I'll start with one or two and do my best to be respectful and not overwhelm the authenticators, I just don't want to overstep any boundaries, and maybe eventually I can return the favor.

 

[whateve]

Thanks for the advice! I agree about the people who buy on these sites which is why I'm hesitant to advertise it. I like the framing of selling from a collection, I just wont advertise that the collection was built thrifting. Also, I didn't know that about eBay, I'll have to look into more details on that, thanks for the heads up! So far I've got about 40 sales on eBay but only 1 was for a designer (Frye) bag. Also good to know on not posting a link to my own listing, I figured that might make it easy, but I could definitely see why that's not permitted.

With regards to posting images, is there a preferred method for that, like links to imgur or something? I noticed older images tend to break (or more likely, get deleted due to server space) with time, would hosting them externally be preferable for future records? Thats another reason I was planning on not just posting the listing link anyways.

I'll start with one or two and do my best to be respectful and not overwhelm the authenticators, I just don't want to overstep any boundaries, and maybe eventually I can return the favor.

I prefer to have the pictures uploaded directly to the forum. They are more likely to disappear if they are hosted elsewhere.

I joined the forum to get authentications 14 years ago; look how long I stayed!

 

[nicole0612]

I prefer to have the pictures uploaded directly to the forum. They are more likely to disappear if they are hosted elsewhere.

I joined the forum to get authentications 14 years ago; look how long I stayed!

You are always so kind and generous with your advice. Thank you for bringing your warmth and expertise to TPF 🥰

 

[whateve]

You are always so kind and generous with your advice. Thank you for bringing your warmth and expertise to TPF 🥰

Aw, I'm blushing! Thank you so much!

 

[jellyv]

s. I've done a lot of research, but I have no credentials to prove that I am correct about my authentication. Aside from an established record of selling genuine bags, which I don't have yet, what do you look for in a listing that would make you comfortable in a bag's authenticity?

It's not a question of how to persuade potential buyers in this situation, since you are not in fact expert about what you're hoping to sell. It's a question of recognizing your responsibility as the seller to only sell authentic items. If you don't know for sure, you must have them authenticated, perhaps on threads here or if there are known authenticators in the brands you're going to offer. I take it you're selling things that don't meet eBay's criteria for their authentication (over $500 selling price).

 

[SarahT85]

Not sure where to put this, but I sold an item on Vestiaire, I did mention and show that the strap of the bag has signs of wear, the buyer then returned the bag, but minus the dust bag and had only thrown it into a cheap paper envelope without any protection, as a result the bag arrived badly scuffed and bent out of shape, I contacted Vestiaire about the state of the item and the missing dust bag. I was wondering as it was a private buyer but went to the business address of a known reseller in London, in fact I had entertained the thought of buying from them as they offer to find items that are vintage. I was even more surprised when the buyer raised an issue, asked Vestiaire what the issue is (since I had shown the wear clearly and mentioned it), the pictures I got back were from underneath the strap, I thought fair enough, however I did contact them when I received it back, as it was in a very bad shape (like somebody dragged it over a rough floor and kicked it for good measure) and had the dust bag missing.
Next thing I know is that another name posts nasty comments on my items on Vestiaire, to beware of me as a seller, apparently I tracked her down (I contacted Vestiaire) and harassed her, I never had contact with her, I contacted Vestiaire and I did mention to them that I would expect a resale business to know more about packaging.
I had snapped a quick picture of the bag before I sent it with the dust bag and wrapped in tissue paper in a solid card board box, just so that nobody could claim "Wrong item received" as I read happens frequently.

Obviously I wasn't happy about the missing dust bag and the state in which I received the item back, so I contacted Vestiaire, after all I sent it with a dust bag and correctly packaged, to be returned in the state I sent it, WITH the dust bag, I would have been fine.

Now the "buyer" leaves nasty comments under another name, but she confirms she is the "buyer" under all my items, claims I harass her, track her down and troll her (she is posting the comments, I have not reached out to her as under the name she bought she apparently can't receive messages on Vestiaire, I tried to send her a message that it was posted after the sale and got "buyer can't receive messages" - I assume she has switched this feature off or she has been blocked).

I attach a picture of how I received my item back, clearly that paper envelope is not good protection and why would you not send a bag back in the dust bag it came with? And why would a professional reseller be so upset that you want your item back in the state you sent it, then go out and troll all of your items? I had 27 comments from her, literally on every item I have listed, accusing me of trolling and harassing her.

I repeat, I have not contacted her, as the sale went through Vestiaire I went to Vestiaire and submitted pictures

 

[BeenBurned]

Has anyone heard of this company?
I didn't download the app but based on what the home page shows, it strikes me as ridiculous.

That they use brand experts sounded good .......... at first, but then submitting that expert's "pre-authentication" for a vote? Ugh!

So if the brand expert deems it authentic but others question the finding, an authentic item can be concluded as fake?
or vice versa
If the brand expert deems it fake, others can override the expert and the item can be deemed authentic.

Authenticate Pro

Generated by create next app

authenticatepro.app

Per the page:

Process

1. Download the App
Download the app - Real or Not by Authenticate Pro.


2. Upload Pictures
Take good and clear pictures and upload.


3. Pre-Authentication
An approved brand expert gives a "pre-authentication" that the item is Real or Not.


4. Voting and Results
Friends and other Experts vote on whether the item is Real or Not. See voting results in real-time.


5. Conclusion
Authenticate Pro Admin makes a conclusion regarding whether the item is real or not.

 

[ciciv]

Hello,

I am need of opinions.

I bought a super cute vintage gucci bag off ebay, but it smells horrendous, like wet mold. I attempted to clean it with based of the posts I read on here but it kinda ended up ... bit wrinkly, (context it is a gg canvas small boston bag), even after washing it smells horrible.

I knew vintage bags kinda smell, but not this bad.

It was not too pricy, but I do not think I can return it because it is not in original condition, nor do I want to wear it even tho its soo cute.
The smell is just so bad. *Plus it is international so it will be a pain to return and get customs money back

Im debating between taking a L or was thinking of filing a dispute for a partial refund?
I never have done a dispute and dont know if I should or not. Also, is this reasonable?