Adios, eBay!

Just read an article about how eBay sellers are up in arms about a new policy that the auction site is implementing. eBay owns PayPal, and they plan to begin holding payments for up to 21 days for "high-risk" transactions. In other words, if eBay thinks there's a chance that the deal may not be completed, they can hold on to the buyer's payment for several weeks before forwarding it to the seller.

This comes on top of another new policy which eliminates sellers' ability to rate buyers. Only buyers now have the ability to provide feedback on the site.

I HAD ALREADY DECIDED never to use eBay again. In November, Victor and I sold a couple of items to a woman in Australia. I asked if she wanted to purchase insurance; she declined (in retrospect, I should have insisted). She then paid via PayPal.

I sent the item via U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail International which estimated 6-10 days for delivery. After 3 days the woman disputed the transaction, claiming that the item had never arrived even though I had told her the estimated delivery window.

The tracking information from USPS.com confirmed that the package arrived in Australia and cleared customs, which is as far as our Postal Service tracks Priority Mail shipments.

So despite the fact that I furnished PayPal's resolution center with the tracking information, the email in which the buyer declined insurance, and a half dozen other emails supporting the fact that I shipped the item in good faith, they resolved the dispute in favor of the buyer and refunded her $522.

Even worse, they offered no explanation for their reasoning. I called the eBay customer service hotline; they said I had to appeal via email. I did so, only to be told that I needed to provide the tracking information (which I'd done in the first place).

Net result: someone in Australia has the package, most likely the buyer. She also has her payment.

And I'm never using eBay again!