Ina Steiner EcommerceBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on ecommerce.
by Ina Steiner, Editor of EcommerceBytes.com
Wed Jan 2 2019 17:18:39

eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

By: Ina Steiner

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eBay will launch new seller protections in 2019 in recognition of the fact that sellers face fraudulent returns and false claims from buyers. 

Bob Kupbens, eBay VP of Seller & Marketplace Operations, revealed the plans during a New Year's Day podcast where he and Scott Cutler, Senior Vice President of the Americas, discussed the marketplace's 2018 performance and looked ahead to 2019.

"There's a big thing you'll hear more about in 2019 around trust," Kupbens said, "and basically what it means to be a partner and how do we make sure that if you're a great seller, we trust you."

"Scott's going to talk a little bit about that, but whether it's an item not as described or fraudulent returns or other things, we know there's some issues there and we're going to build some seller protections in in 2019," he continued.

Scott Cutler confirmed changes were on the way, though he provided no details. He said from a policy perspective, eBay would focus on seller protections in the New Year. "Recognizing that it is our sellers that power that environment and I think many of our sellers have felt as though we've swung the pendulum too far to only focus on buyers. Seller protections is another area that I anticipate us to make some great moves into 2019 that are sellers will feel and I believe recognize."

Kupbens and Cutler were also full of apologies for the technical problems that plagued eBay in 2018. We report on the podcast in today's EcommerceBytes Newsflash.

What changes do you think eBay will make to seller protections, and do you think they'll apply to all sellers? What changes do you think it should make to protect sellers from bad buying behavior, including fraud?



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Readers Comments

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: notfunanymore This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 17:43:59 2019

Pretty funny stuff. eBay will do nothing, or, they will roll out some mutated version that will be bad for sellers.  

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: HappyOne This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 18:35:43 2019

The least they should do for sellers is give some weight to a 5, 10, 15 or 20+ year seller with near flawless record side of a sale. The seller’s side of a disagreement vs. a newly registered buyer is ignored. EBay knows how many accounts and problems some of these “new” buyers have had yet fail to find for sellers when presented with what Ebay considers “he said she said ” documentation/proof.  

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

This user has validated their user name. by: toolguy

Wed Jan 2 18:44:23 2019

I think eBay will remove seller ID's and be the record of sale.

Sellers will just be fulfillment shippers.

I'm wondering who is the record of sale with the new eBay payment system?

Right now ebayshippingsupplies is charging sales tax in states they have NO presence in, which leads me to believe that eBay is the seller on record and eBay is charging sales tax in all but 5 states. . .

I also see fulfillment by ebay coming!

BIG changes for 2019

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

This user has validated their user name. by: toolguy

Wed Jan 2 19:01:45 2019

eBay is REMOVING feedback from ebayshippingsupplies that mention anything about not taking paypal or charging sales tax!

They removed about 30 feedbacks today. . . . .

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: pace306 This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 19:38:52 2019

With out specifics, it’s all just garbage.

eBay is the king of useless statements, and their hatred for the small US based seller is legendary.

Since DW honestly yearns with all his might to be Bezos Jr, he will have to continue to ape Amazon and their returns policies, so expect nothing.

Turning away buyers, any kind including and specifically bad buyers is bad business for eBay - who needs every sale they can get, expect no changes.

The speech given by dope #1&2 is just a whitewash and even they know it.

Look up Herschel Staploia. It’s an EU folklore story about a farmer who tries to win the county fair by putting lipstick on his hog.

THAT is what eBay is all about.

For the eBay defenders 😀 let’s see what they do, mkay?

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

This user has validated their user name. by: NoMoreEbay

Wed Jan 2 19:51:37 2019

The only sellers ebay protects are about 7000 miles away in China.

To add 'new' seller protections, they'd have to have some to start with. They don't. Save for INR with tracking, there are NO seller protections left. This company is so toxic, beginning last April, even when a buyer admits in writing that the item is as described, ebay will FORCE the return on the sellers dime simply because he lied and filed a SNAD.

Nothing, NOTHING ebay says has a residue of credibility. Only when China can no longer afford to ship here will ebay's disingenuous babble appear to USA sellers about how much they love us.

Whatever they do, if anything, will be too little about 11 years too late. The bad will on ebay is just too far gone.  

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

This user has validated their user name. by: iheartjacksparrow

Wed Jan 2 19:56:52 2019

"What changes do you think eBay will make to seller protections,....?"

Probably nothing. It seems every year eBay appoints someone new to "protect" sellers, and where has that gotten them? Sellers keep complaining they're being scammed, and eBay's response is always "it's the cost of doing business." Unless and until eBay takes some substantive measures to protect its sellers, nothing will change. And eBay will continue to see single digit growth per quarter because the good sellers will continue to exit the site.  

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

This user has validated their user name. by: toolguy

Wed Jan 2 19:59:41 2019

ebayshippingsupplies is a Hong Kong Company

Bascom Logistics Corp.

Their address is in Kentucky but they are registered in Nevada

US contact info:

BASCOM LOGISTICS CORP
3300 TURFWAY RD.,ERLANGER, KENTUCKY 41048 U.S.A.
PHONE(859) 494-6464

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: ThebigR This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 20:01:35 2019

You can always tell when those two are lying their lips move..

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: ebayout This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 20:34:47 2019

One of my high school teachers many moons ago gave us a nugget I've carried ever since: "Greatness has two pillars...sincerity and generosity."
ebay cannot be sincere with it's sellers. They admit to shortcomings, promise solutions, and never deliver.
ebay is all about CYA. Put on a smiley face for stockholders every 3 months and back to business.
Point of order: I'm sure they find in favor of buyers in disputes 95%+ of the time. That is statistically impossible. Would they admit that in black & white?

If you're gonna improve seller protection, you need a baseline. Show us the before and after numbers...be SINCERE.


Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: moto-science This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 21:42:19 2019

Ebays gets paid on seller disputes when they decide in favor of the buyer.
When it's in favor of the seller, they lose their commision. Capiche ?
Now you know why it's so lopsided against sellers.

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: TomH This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 21:54:37 2019

Corporate Lawyer Babble..... Nothing more. Nothing of substance!

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: ssusannss This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 22:29:37 2019

If they decide to become the seller of record, then they can pay my taxes too.  

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: pace306 This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 23:02:11 2019

Didnt DW just hire some new guy to help roll out the new "seller protections" ?????

If so - wheres good old Uncle Grifter??? wasnt that HIS job?? (after all he wasnt he some "hot shot bang up eBay seller" and LIFTED to the ranks of eBay Seller Advocate at the good graces of eBay itself?)

Btw - the dictionary says: a grifter is a con artist: someone who swindles people out of money through fraud......... LMAO - THATS eBay "seller protection".

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: dans parts This user has validated their user name.

Wed Jan 2 23:09:51 2019

Buyer in France opened a Return Request Christmas day.  Never had an overseas buyer open one before.  Sent him a couple messages, but next day he left a Neg and has been completely dark since.

Clicked to accept return today (problem was my mistake).  Only choices I could make were: 1) Buy a postage label from somewhere (NOT from eBay!!!) to email to him, or 2) contact him to tell him to buy the postage and I would reimburse him.

Since he's gone dark, I figured his next step would be to escalate.  That's the usual pattern.  I get defect, he probably gets to keep item?  Don't know.

Called eBay.  Finally got an answer from 3rd rep I talked to.

In return process, yes, there's no way for me to have eBay send him a label in France to return.  After he escalates, golly, yes they WILL send him a prepaid label to return.

They have the ability to send him a label, but only AFTER I've gotten a defect???

Rep says only way I can avoid a defect is to send Buyer in France $$$ through PayPal for a label, and document the PP transaction # in Return case before he escalates.

This might be a good start for some new Seller Protection...

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: teddychan This user has validated their user name.

Thu Jan 3 00:06:45 2019

I'll go out on a limb and predict that whatever they do, it's too little, too late. Only the courts can force eBay to go back to being a fair marketplace for buyers AND sellers.

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: Silver Ice King This user has validated their user name.

Thu Jan 3 00:48:12 2019

The only changes that will ever be made are always going to benefit Ebay in some way.  They do not care if the Sellers lose money or are stolen from, as they even participate in it with all these so called glitches that cost the Sellers money.  Some will realize what happened and make enough calls to get it rectified, But for ever 1 Seller that does that i am sure there are many many more that don't even realize that Ebay has once again picked their pockets.  

When Ebay had an invoice issue where they did not charge sellers all they were supposed to, that was fixed immediately as it was costing Ebay money.  But how much longer are sellers going to have to refund Buyers overcharged shipping costs where Ebay continues to keep their 10% FVF on the refund?  How long have we been complaining about the Ebay glitch that suddenly relists previously sold items, yet it never gets addressed because it puts sellers closer to Below Standard and Ebay can collect another 4% FVF from that seller through no fault of their own other than using Ebay as their selling platform?  

Every quarter their seems to be a glitch, especially near quarter end when Ebay is trying to meet their numbers.  I don't believe any of these issues are glitches but are well planned money grabs by Ebay to boost their quarterly numbers.  Even with this most recent statement - all we hear about are the new improvements they are going to make and of course the major plug for Promoted Listings so that Ebay can again make additional revenues because their platform cannot operate correctly but funny how those that agree to pay Ebay extra actually have their items show.  

If they do make any positive changes I am sure there will a price to be paid by the seller for it so that Ebay once again gets more money.  Or they will implement some other ridiculous requirement like only those that offer free return shipping can deduct anything from a return that is damaged.

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

This user has validated their user name. by: DZT

Thu Jan 3 01:24:41 2019

Their new seller protection program will only be available to those sellers that are invited to sign up for the program & of course there will be an additional fee to be enrolled in the program.

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

by: Just Plain Irritated This user has validated their user name.

Thu Jan 3 01:27:21 2019

My first thought:

WHO will protect Sellers from eBay?

Perminate Link for eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019   eBay to Launch New Seller Protections in 2019

This user has validated their user name. by: Ric

Thu Jan 3 02:01:33 2019

IF eBay is serious about protecting sellers from false claims...

They will make it MANDATORY THAT BUYERS INCLUDE DETAILED PHOTOS when claiming damaged goods or SNAD.... NO PHOTOS means no claim, no return shipping label and no consequences to the seller of any kind.

Anything less means that the alleged focus on seller protections is nothing more than lip service designed to string sellers along for a while longer before they abandon eBay.

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