Ebay's New Way of Filling its Kitty and Risking New Seller's eBay Business

[safenetdeals]

Dear ALL,

I am relatively a NEW Seller on eBay just few months back in march I started selling on ebay.in I am writing on this board for the first time as this is my last resort to share my experience on ebay.in.

1. I wanted to know does this happen to ALL New and Experience Sellers ?

2. Is it pure inability of ebay's Billing Team and System to provide timely and correct credit to required User Accounts ?

3. Is it Simply a ebay stratedgy to offer promotion, promise credit on billing and then ask to pay to fill its own kitty ?

4. Do ALL the sellers have time to verify their bills and credits and keep following up for months for their deserved credits ?

My complete experience which raises these questions is as follows:

Gradually after I started getting orders on ebay for my mere 15 listings and a few positive Feedbacks in the month of June, I was offered a Premium Shop on FREE 1 Month Trial basis with the assurance I will get the credit of that 1 Month Fees. I took the word of the ebay representative and subscribed for the same. I was also offered a Promotional Feature use for my listings by my account Manager to increase my business on ebay. I worked hard for all my listings to increase the listing and business on ebay by using this Promotional Feature use for those last 10 days when I was offered the scheme and for which again I was promised a credit back in my account.

I sucessfully un-subcribed from the Premium shop a day in advance and subscribed for Featured Shop as I have a few listings. I did not receive the credit for my FREE Premium Shop Trial subscription and I was billed for the same. I contacted the same ebay representative and she said just pay the bill right now as the billing cycle is already done and I will ensure the credit in the next billing cycle. The next billing cycle has come and gone still the Premuim shop credit is not received.

I then got a call from my account manager who had offered Promotional Feature use on my listings, that the credit is given to my account and I should checked the same. On checking to my surprise I had received a partial credit of 14,258 rupees against the total billing of 24,601/-. I immediately called My Account Manager and I was told to download the Invoice and send the total for which I have not received the credit. I promptly downloaded the entire invoice, summarized all the listings, for which I had used the features on. And send the same to my account Manager in 10 Minutes as I had just used for those last 10 days and merely 200 enteries. And he promptly acknowledge the receipt of the mail and the details and said that the balance credit I will get it in 4 to 5 days after the billing team has verified the same. Its been an entire month, I am been continuosly following up through mails and calls to my Account Manager and now neither I am getting reply nor call back from that Account Manager. My New Account Manager is promptly replying, but the same cycle again. I have forwarded to the concerned team they will check and revert back.

Now came the my next bill with 24,601 Promotional Feature usage billing and partial credit of 14,258. From then again I started my followup with ALL the 3 ebay representatives

1. The Lady who offered FREE 1 Month Premium Shop.
2. My then Account Manager who had Offered Promotional Feature use on my listing (he has stop responding to mails or calls)
3. My New Account Manager, she replies promptly but cannot do anything as she is at the mercy of other operative and billing Team.

I also wrote to Customer Support lastly with a hope of some prompt outcome, as I started getting payment reminder mails and then calls. But no outcome from there as well they have also acknowledge the mail saying we have forward to the concerned team please also checkup with your account manager(which I was already doing for a month before writing to them.

Now again for the second time I am ask to clear my Invoice or else my buying and selling rights will be restricted.

I paid my part of the bill that is 5,500 then why I am asked to pay a hefty sum of 20,000 rupees for the inability of the concerned billing team to provide the promised credit of the FREE Premium shop of 3,999/- and the balance promotional Feature Use credit of 10.343/-.
They want me to pay this 14,000/- plus amount in Advance so even if at ALL I receive the credit it will come to my account which I have to use it with them and not to my bank account which I can use for my fresh Inventory.

Buyers are also not confirming in time inspite of reminders, thus blocking another 25,000 as Awaiting Buyer's confirmation.

I being a New User downloaded Invoice and compiled the excel sheet with the detailed usage which has a date and item Name and number wise entry along with the Feature used and the charges applied, how much time then it should take the team to verify and provide the balance credit ?

Now my Account status and ALL my Hardwork is at risk for No fault at my end. What to do ?

Thanks for your time, would appreciate replies from other community Users

Regards & Best Wishes
Yusuf

[shopllersindia]

There is no use of writing here. I also wrote when Mr Anil joined the community board for my two items which were promoted in weekly deal & was promised that the FVF will be waiver. Its more than 1 month now & no positive response from ebay.

I would like to make other members also aware not to participate in any FVF waiver as they will lastly stop even replying your email & finally you will be in a loss in the deal.

I also learned something from it & will never participate in any deal given by ebay in which they say FVF will be waiver.

[sitare_india]

Dear Sefenetdeals & Other Sellers,

Hello.

We are sellers in Jewellery category since 2004 and 100% agree with you regarding this juglary and confusing system of giving credit by Ebay Team in the next invoice.

Explaining by giving example:

A provision of MAX CAP was introduced 2 years back in which it was said that if you list more than 1500 items means unlimited items in one month, a flat insertion fee of Rs 1500/- will be charged. But seller will have to pay first for all listings and subsequently Ebay team will give credit for excess billing over Rs 1500/- in next month. I happily uploaded thousands of items of our show-room and paid the invoice first. To my great surprise, credit was not given in subsequent month and believing Ebay teams promises, I continued for several months but this is on record that I had to write 80 to 100 communications to all concerns including Account Manager, Category Heads, and Country Heads.

It was a pathetic condition to write complaints daily morning.After that, by making many unpleasant communication at various levels, I could receive the credit after 7-8 months. If I would have lost patience, my money was at risk. This was a patience test for me.

I told Ebay Team that this must be a malicious intention because normally Sellers will not check account regulary and it is not possible all the time.

I promised not to list more than 200-300 listings in a month, so that I need not have to take unneccessary tensions. They promised that the system has been improved and now you will get credit but on the basis of my experience, I did not dare to do that till now whereas I can easily upload 5000 items.

I suggested them a simple process. I told Ebay that you charge us Rs 1500/- every month and do not charge anything when we upload items. The practice is prevailing in Broadband Connection, when we agree to pay a certain amont for unlimited usage, they do not charge anything and just debit the fixed charge.But they did not agreed.

I know, this has got vicious effect on sale but I am at peace now and who cares about this in Ebay.

Regarding Subsribing for one month trial of Shop, same experience was with me also. After subscribing they told that no such offer was given, then I sent screen shot and proved that it is written on the page. Then they agreed.

We have decided not to follow any scheme in whuch Ebay will charge first and then gives credit in next month.

[pymobile]

yes its true.

we wont get any creidts

[karthickk4]

As someone above pointed out, we seller do not have time regularly to check our account details. I was also cheated for couple of times as far as am aware of.

1.Last month I was charged Rs.370 as a daily deal fee. I was wondering how would i be charged when I did NOT even list any of my items in ebay for more than 3 months.

Then I called their customer team. They asked me to contact a/c Manager. And She asked me to contact Incswebhelp. And again they asked me to contact a/c manager. Now after almost a month, I got a message from ac manager saying I was charged for the daily deal fee I participated last time. It was more than a year since I had participated in a daily deal program. And I have been charged already for that.

I never used to check balance trusting ebay, but last month i have checked accidently.

2.When you list item with internationally shipping, you will be charged only Rs.5. But as I was listing more items continuously, I did not had patience to look at the cost for each item since it will be same for all in most cases. But in 4 or 5 transactions, they charge me Rs.75. Now when I call customer care, they say their system is down and not able to check.

Is ebay making frauds intentionally???

Am a 4 years loyal seller, now willing to look any other portal. I would be happy to get rid of ebay provided an option.

P.S: Am not sure how many times i have been charged irrelavant since i dont check every month.