eBay Auto Return Policy Cost $20K in Extra Fees

by: etectra

More than 15 years ago I purchased a great deal of parts at a live auction for a auto parts wholesaler going out of business. I sold these on eBay. Parts for various vehicles prior to the early 1990s were shipped all over the world, even Australia.

Payments were via U.S. cash sent in the mail, wire transfers, postal money orders and PayPal. Nothing was shipped until the payment was verified. After selling many parts I finally ended up selling all the remaining parts in several large lots to the same buyer who arranged for a freight carrier to pick them up.

I have also have purchased from time to time old school NOS parts at various other auctions for vehicles from the 1910s to 1970s.

These days I would avoid buying any of them as the only way to avoid eBay's return policy is to list the parts as "used" and then include in the description that they are unused and unworn. Listing the items as "used" even though they are new will cause less buyers to visit the items due to eBay filters.

This is completely stupid for eBay. They will only drive away pickers like myself who find hard to find NOS parts for people wanting to restoring vintage vehicles. These people prefer original parts as opposed to replica parts. No way would I take the chance to purchase and try to sell these on eBay today.

eBay's policy can be used by your competitors as well as trolls to cause you severe financial problems at no cost to them. Sellers will be forced to increase their prices to pay for this or simply not longer list on eBay.

by: pace306

ANYONE who sells ANY kind of auto parts (and I from time to time sell Rain-X items) fall into eBays "AUTO HATCHET VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED RETURNS GARBAGE".

In an effort to be "KING of ALL auto parts", eBay offers auto returns for (at least) 30 days. They dont tell you, they dont ask you, its FORCED on you.

Buy the wrong item and install it backasswards? No problem - eBays Guaranteed Auto Parts Program is here to help.... you send it back NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

Who came up with this idea? Well, that would be the San Jose Mafia. They get YOU the seller (and me) to do the dirty work.

Its coercion really, but its how the "boys" do their thing ....  

by: Tahiti_Tom

Adding to the eBay stupidity, they send follow up emails that start with, Need to return it?”

Begging people to find a reason to return.

by: Snapped

eBay continues to exhibit an astonishing lack of concern for their ignorance of every marketplace category nuances, over which they nevertheless demand to ‘control’, claiming it is the best way to attract customers.  

For decades, not just auto parts and related sellers, but most who are not commercial mass produced item sellers have begged eBay to consider including a NOS category, or at least some way to identify and discriminate by filter process.

They are simply infected with some kind of myopic ignorance cloaked in arrogant self deafened hubris, self proclaimed to be “magical”.   The only magical thing about it though, is that it always seems to involve trying to misdirect while they make the contents of your wallet disappear.

by: Shanna

Ebay desperately wants to be Amazon. But if you buy an alternator on Amazon, and return them a rock, Amazon will not give you a refund. The leadership at eBay does not understand this simple concept.