Seller Update

TAKE ACTION:

• Look for alerts that one of your buyers has a problem. Alerts are delivered in email, in the eBay Resolution Centre, and in My eBayBecause
• If you receive an alert from eBay resolutions about one of your transactions, act promptly.
• Use postage services that provide delivery confirmation and where required, signature confirmation, and upload tracking information into My eBay.
• Clearly describe the items you’re selling and explicitly highlight any flaws, so that buyers understand exactly what they will receive. Use descriptive text and include enough pictures to capture the true condition of the item.

Will all buyers be given the option to contact eBay for dispute resolution?
Eventually, yes. However, we are introducing the new process gradually so that we can help ensure it is working well for buyers and sellers.

Buyers registered on eBay sites other than eBay.co.uk will continue to use the resolution system currently on their site of registration.  We intend to introduce the new resolution process to all eBay sites over time. In the meantime, if you receive a claim from an international buyer, you will see the dispute resolution system of the buyer’s site, and so you will need to monitor both emails from eBay about resolution issues, and the existing PayPal Resolution Centre. 

How does the new eBay resolution process work?
If a buyer has been unsuccessful in resolving a problem directly with you, they can contact eBay. An experienced Customer Support representative reviews the case, runs a fraud check, and confirms that the buyer has already attempted to work with you. If the buyer is in good standing, the agent reviews additional transaction information such as item description, buyer and seller track record, seller location, payment, and postage details.

In some cases, we may tell the buyer to wait — if, for example, they haven’t allowed enough time for an item to arrive. Or, they may be informed that their claim doesn’t qualify. If the matter warrants further investigation, eBay will contact you.

For item not received claims, you have ten days to arrange one of the following:

• Come to an agreement with the buyer to send the item or a replacement item
• Refund the buyer. Or,
• Contest the claim by providing proof of delivery. For items valued over £150, we also require signature confirmation.

For item significantly not as described claims, you have ten days to arrange one of the following:

• Send a replacement item, if this is what the buyer would prefer. Buyers are required to return the original item first.
• Refund the buyer. (buyers are required to return the original item first). or,
• Contest the claim by providing proof to eBay that the item was described properly (for example, the buyer is claiming that the item is used rather than new, and the listing clearly describes the item as used)

At the end of the 10-day period, eBay will check with the buyer to see if they are satisfied. If the buyer is satisfied, the case is closed. If we don’t hear back from the buyer, we won’t refund them or hold you accountable for the transaction.

If the buyer is not satisfied, eBay will review the case. If we find in favour of the buyer, we will remove funds from the seller’s PayPal account to reimburse the buyer for the cost of the item and the original postage cost, in a way similar to how PayPal currently reverses transactions; or, where there are insufficient funds in the seller’s PayPal account or where PayPal is not the reimbursement method of the seller, directly refund the buyer for the cost of the item and the original postage cost, and, in this case, when appropriate, require the seller to reimburse us for the refund according to the process described in Decision and reimbursement from sellers.

We understand that there will be times where both the buyer and the seller may be right. In those cases, eBay may absorb the cost to reimburse the buyer without any impact on you.

How do the eBay and PayPal resolution systems interact?
The PayPal dispute resolution system will continue to exist.  However, the new eBay resolution process is the primary channel for eBay members to resolve transaction issues. Once a buyer selects a system — eBay or PayPal — they are required to use that system and not both for the duration of the case.

In the event a resolution case is reviewed after a decision (either by eBay or PayPal), sellers who were originally found not at fault, will not be asked to refund the buyer.

How are chargebacks managed?
eBay’s and PayPal’s Buyer Protection programmes are independent of credit card companies’ chargeback processes. In the event a buyer files a chargeback on a transaction with an open eBay or PayPal resolution claim, we will remove the resolution claim.  This happens automatically for PayPal resolution claims.  For eBay resolution claims, you need to tell us that a chargeback has been filed on that transaction. 

How will eBay display new claim alerts? What about chargebacks?
At the end of 2009, we are launching an updated eBay Resolution Centre that supports simultaneous monitoring of cases from the eBay and PayPal systems. Alerts will be delivered to your email account, and will be visible in the eBay Resolution Centre, and in My eBay.

Chargebacks for transactions originally paid for via PayPal will continue to be shown in the PayPal Resolution Centre.

What if eBay refunds my buyer, I repay eBay for the refund, and then I get a chargeback from the buyer?
If the buyer’s original payment was through PayPal, we would dispute the charge on your behalf, as PayPal does currently.

If the buyer ended up with two refunds, we would repay you for the amount of the transaction.  We will actively monitor buyers who frequently pursue more than one refund per transaction.

What proof will eBay accept from me when buyers claim their item was not received?
We require proof of delivery. You will need online documentation from a postal company that includes all of the following:

• A status of “delivered” (or equivalent) and the date of delivery.
• The recipient’s address, showing at least the city/county or postcode (or international equivalent).
• Signature confirmation for transactions that total £150 or more

For cross-border transactions we may also ask you for proof of shipment.

We strongly encourage you to provide the postal service you use in your listings. Providing the dispatch time in your listings is mandatory, and is important to assess how we will deal with the buyer’s claim. We also encourage you to use trackable postage services that include delivery and where required, signature confirmation, and upload the tracking information into My eBay.

What if the item is still in transit when the buyer claims the item was not received?
If tracking shows that the item was sent within your dispatch time window, but has not yet arrived, we may extend the delivery time window. We also may expand the amount of time buyers have to wait depending on circumstances — for example if the item was sent internationally. However you are responsible for delivering items all the way to the buyer, not to the courier. So even if the item was dispatched promptly, if it doesn’t show up at the buyer’s address within the allotted time (subject to reasonable cushion time), then you are responsible regardless of whether you provided delivery confirmation.

How much time must elapse before a buyer can file an item significantly not as described case?
Buyers can open a claim as soon as the item arrives.

Does the buyer have to return the original item?  Who pays for return postage? 
The buyer must return the item to you to qualify for a refund. In most cases, the buyer will pay for return postage. In some cases, eBay will pay.

Here are the criteria for return postage:

• Buyers must return the item using trackable postage with delivery confirmation, or risk not qualifying for a refund if the item is lost in transit.
• If tracking or delivery confirmation is not provided by the buyer returning the item, and the item does not appear in a reasonable amount of time, then the seller is not obligated to refund the buyer.

The buyer returned a package with a different or damaged item in it. What do I do?
If the buyer returns a different item, or the same item but in worse condition, you should appeal to eBay immediately. We will review the case, and if we find in your favour we will repay you any funds which have been reversed from your account and record the incident on the buyer’s record. If a pattern emerges, we will take action on the buyer for fraud. We also will track the number of times a seller claims this happens, to monitor for potential abuse.

Does an item significantly not as described case become a “forced return” for sellers? 
We respect sellers’ return policies, and a buyer simply not wanting an item is not an acceptable justification for an item significantly not as described claim. However, if we determine based on information from the buyer and information in the item listing that the item is significantly not as described, then the buyer must return it to you to qualify for a refund. Most items sold by business sellers using the Buy-it-Now format are covered by the Distance Selling Regulations, which give consumer buyers the right to change their mind. You should also see how the Distance Selling Regulations affect your returns policies.

What happens if the buyer claims the item is counterfeit?
Items that are suspected of being counterfeit are covered by the eBay Buyer Protection Policy, subject to these additional terms:

• Sellers and buyers must work together in good faith during the resolution process to satisfy buyer concerns that an item may not be authentic. For example, sellers should provide the buyer with appropriate documentation or other assurances, if such information is available.
• Where the seller is not able to satisfy the buyer’s concerns that the item is not authentic, buyers may be required to send the item back to the seller (where eBay elects to exercise its discretion). Costs of return shipping may be paid by the buyer or eBay, in our sole discretion, unless otherwise agreed upon by the buyer and seller. Due to the unresolved dispute regarding the authenticity of the item, sellers must not later list, advertise or offer for sale the item on any eBay site or service around the world (including our subsidiaries, joint ventures and other members of the eBay corporate family).
• Buyers are not obligated to provide third-party confirmation that an item is counterfeit to open a claim. However, in some cases, a buyer may have written confirmation that the item is counterfeit from a reliable third party (such as the manufacturer or law enforcement). In those cases, buyers agree to cooperate with eBay to ensure the proper disposal of the counterfeit item. For example, buyers may be asked to certify that the item has been destroyed or send the item to the rights owner or other appropriate third party for disposal. Any costs associated with this destruction or disposal may be paid by eBay, in our sole discretion.
• Covered claims that meet the conditions and are not excluded may count as criteria, infringement or a violation by the seller of our prohibited and infringing items policy. As a result, eBay may impose sanctions on the seller, up to and including suspension of the seller's account.

How are reversals managed in the new eBay Resolution system?
In the event eBay finds you at fault for a buyer’s claim — and you haven’t already refunded the buyer — eBay will arrange for a refund of the cost of the item and postage to be sent to the buyer.

eBay will then remove funds from your PayPal account to reimburse the buyer. If there are insufficient funds in your PayPal account or if PayPal is not your preferred reimbursement method, we will charge your alternative reimbursement method. For future claims where eBay has arranged for a refund of your buyer under the eBay Buyer Protection Policy, we will notify you and continue to charge your preferred reimbursement method.

What happens if I successfully appeal a dispute?
If your appeal is successful, the case will be closed and will not be used for seller performance measurement purposes. In some cases, eBay may still refund the buyer at eBay's own expense. If eBay decides you are not at fault for a dispute — including successful appeals — your Buyer Satisfaction Rating, the measure used for eBay's Seller Non-Performance policy, will not be impacted.

I object to this resolution claim. What are the consequences for not repaying eBay for the amount of the transaction?
You are required to pay eBay bills promptly. Failure to pay may result in consequences including loss of selling fees for disputed transactions, loss of PowerSeller and eBay Top-Rated Seller status and associated fee discounts, selling restriction, account suspension, and referral to a collection agency.

What if the buyer never paid for the item? Can they still call eBay with a dispute?
Buyers are welcome to contact eBay for any reason. However, eBay will not permit claims when the buyer has not paid you.

Will my excellent buyer satisfaction rating be taken into account during this process?
Yes. In addition to transaction and listing details, we will also consider whether the claim is an isolated complaint for an otherwise high-performing seller.

Will the buyer be able to leave negative Feedback on a transaction if a seller successfully appeals a dispute?
There is no link between eBay's resolution process and the Feedback system. As is the case today, buyers will be free to leave Feedback regardless of dispute resolution outcomes. All the current reasons for Feedback removal will still apply.

What should I do to make this new process run smoothly?
Follow these best practices:

• Always send the item as soon as possible and, in any event, within 7 days of receiving payment.
• If you accept pre-orders or sell made-to-order goods, clearly specify the expected delivery time and send within that delivery time.
• Choose a postage service that provides delivery confirmation.
• If you are not using PayPal or eBay to print labels, upload item tracking information into My eBay.
• When an item has been posted, mark it as dispatched in My eBay.
• Write detailed listing descriptions with accurate item condition such as used, new or refurbished. Clearly describe any flaws.
• Include multiple pictures of an item in your listings, especially if there are flaws.
• Communicate with your buyers.
• Reply promptly to eBay’s requests for documentation and other information, including proof of delivery.

What is eBay doing to protect me from buyer abuse?
If eBay finds that a buyer is behaving fraudulently, we will remove the buyer from the site. We also monitor for abuse of return policies — for example, too many claims in a period of time. Buyers with more than expected return rates may be prevented from using the system. If we find buyers abusing the resolution system, we will block them from filing claims, and may impose other consequences, such as account restriction or suspension.

What are the consequences for buyers abusing the resolution system?
If we find buyers abusing the resolution system, we will block them from filing claims, and may impose other consequences, such as account restriction or suspension.

How do I see what cases have been opened?
The eBay Resolution Centre displays open and closed cases, and makes it clear which cases require your immediate attention.

How do I respond to a new case?

In the eBay Resolution Centre, once you open a case, you can respond by choosing an option. For example if a buyer claims they didn’t receive the item, some of the options you have are to provide tracking information for the item, issue a full refund, offer agree another solution (such as sending a new item) with the buyer.

• See seller FAQs on eBay Resolution
• See buyer FAQs on eBay Resolution
• See eBay’s Buyer Protection Policy