Review Time
Absolutely unacceptable experience with eBay.
Their system is clearly designed to favor buyers at all costs — even when the seller provides proof, tracking, and full transparency. The outcome? The buyer gets refunded, keeps the item, and the seller loses everything: the product, the shipping fees, and the platform fees.
So what exactly are sellers protected from? Nothing.
You invest time, inventory, packaging, shipping — and in one click, it’s all gone. No real investigation, no balanced arbitration, just automatic bias toward the buyer.
Selling on this platform has become a gamble where the only guaranteed result is loss. There is zero incentive to continue under these conditions.
Total financial risk. No accountability. No seller protection. Bye eBay
Bought what was listed as an authentic designer item from a seller with hundreds of positive reviews and a verified badge. Item arrived and was obviously fake, wrong stitching, wrong hardware, smell of cheap materials that was noticeable immediately. Reported it to eBay with detailed photos comparing it to authentic reference images. Was told the case needed further review and then eleven days later was informed they could not confirm the item was inauthentic without a third party appraisal at my own expense. So I pay for the fake and then pay again to prove it is fake.
Relisted several items after a break from selling and watched them get essentially zero visibility despite competitive pricing and detailed descriptions. Meanwhile the same items from power sellers with thousands of feedback were sitting at the top of every search regardless of price or relevance. eBay's search algorithm heavily favors seller history over listing quality which creates a system where new and returning sellers cannot compete on a level playing field. Combined with the fees and the customer service issues it paints a picture of a platform that has stopped caring about the average person who just wants to buy and sell things fairly.
My phone is in English. But the app decided that because I'm in Germany, it has to be in German. Language i speak, but not as fluently as English. When I search for books by author, only German options pop up. Again, I'm not at the level of reading in German.
WHY IF I SET THE APP IN ENGLISH, IS IT NOT IN ENGLISH?
NOW the first page on the app is in German, but if I'm searching for something, filters etc. Are in German. That cannot be changed. WHAT THE...
Like this wasn't enough, emails from them are in Spanish, as I lived in Spain before. Customer service in German only. And you need a German number. Thanks for nothing.
Pretty sure I'm not the only expat in the world, nor the only person who wants to order stuff to a country different than where they opened the account.
I have already contacted support, they told me to suck it up and open a new account - which would only solve the problem with emails in Spanish.
Who programmed this? A toddler after reading "app building for dummies"?
Ebay always favors the sellers over the buyers. I was told I had to wait until Thursday to get a refund for an item not received. Today, Thursday I was informed ebay is giving the seller until March 4th to respond which is 6 days away. That's ridiculous and so unfair to buyers.
eBay used to be fun for both buyers and sellers — I’ve been both. Now, I honestly can’t enjoy either experience.
There are too many policies, very little real customer service, and everything feels automated. When you try to get help, you’re often dealing with overseas call centres reading from scripts. I’m a dual citizen and have lived in England for 25 years, so this isn’t about race — it’s about understanding local systems and being able to provide proper, practical support. You need people who understand the country and how things work here.
The app on iPad is also extremely limited and frustrating to use.
As a seller, buyers can leave negative or neutral feedback unfairly, and even when you go through all the steps to challenge it, eBay doesn’t properly review or remove it. It feels like a pointless process.
Example: I sold an item for £7 (engine oil additive). I posted it within 30 minutes. Three hours later, the buyer messaged asking to cancel because they made a mistake. I explained it was already at the sorting office and couldn’t be cancelled. My terms state no returns, but I still offered: return it and I’ll refund minus postage (£3.55). For such a small amount, I even suggested it wasn’t worth the hassle and they could just keep it — everyone owns a car at some point.
They went quiet. Two months later, they left neutral feedback simply saying “ok.” I requested removal because it was unfair and misleading, but eBay refused. So why provide a feedback removal request option if you don’t genuinely review cases?
As a buyer, I’ve also lost hundreds of pounds on faulty car parts. Some sellers ask for cash on collection, but if something turns out to be faulty, eBay’s Money Back Guarantee doesn’t apply — even though buyer protection fees are charged. You drive hours to collect what’s advertised as genuine and working, only to find it’s faulty, and the seller disappears. There’s no meaningful protection.
Also many times they send me promotional offers and discounts and when goes faulty or doesn’t apply or work they sting me with hefty fees, and refused to refund or remove it, just again hide behind too many policy’s etc
Overall, the platform feels heavily policy-driven but lacking in fairness and common sense. Customer service feels distant and robotic. It’s no longer the enjoyable marketplace it once was.
Absolute shi# I got bid 85 on an item (worth more but was happy) ebay then blocked buyers bid to 26.01,,,,, I spent 55 minutes on a call they tried to call me a liar 'It's your ...... or the buyer .... ' being prepared I sent them screen prints which showed ebay are liars!!!!! Buyer had bid 85 and I had it as an auction listing, what is point of auction if ebay does not list highest bid - that's what an auction is!!!!!!! Can someone please suggest an alternative platform that is honest.
One thing I did I finally got a hold of the number and then it told me no one was available I have to classify eBay as a criminal activity because if you never can't get a hold of him as soon as the wrong person in which I did get a phone call from the person that bought my house they said it showed up but we don't know what to do with it as far as I'm concerned this company ought to be shut down by law enforcement and of course I found out there's no chat line directly to eBay either thanks for the information on that so I guess if you buy from them you might get ripped off reason I say that I tried to buy a air fryer from him because 229 they sent it to the wrong address then I bought the paper towels that I wanted the case it got sent the exact same place if any part about this company is about a build from them and it came directly to my address so I don't know what kind of game they're playing but definitely they're in criminal activity as far as I'm concerned and I wouldn't buy from them but the last thing on the planet I'm going to start buying it at the store and just paying the price is a whole lot better at least you know what you're getting and at least you know you're going to take it home to your home not to somebody else's these people are definitely
Ebay is just a bully. To the sellers anyway. If you're package is destroyed in transit...they will deduct it from any available funds on your account and then if it is not available charge your bank account...when none of it is your fault. Ebay is a terrible platform. Mis advertising...false products.
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