Ebay annoyances

[Nearholmer]

Hello

 

Does anyone know how to contact a human being at eBay U.K., without signing in?

 

Im pretty sure my account has been hacked, and the phone number for verification texts changed, so I can’t log in, yet every method of reporting hacking appears to require me to do so!!!

 

Any help gratefully received,

 

Kevin

[Nick C]

17 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Hello

 

Does anyone know how to contact a human being at eBay U.K., without signing in?

 

Im pretty sure my account has been hacked, and the phone number for verification texts changed, so I can’t log in, yet every method of reporting hacking appears to require me to do so!!!

 

Any help gratefully received,

 

Kevin

Try these?

 

https://gethuman.com/phone-number/eBay-UK

 

https://customerservicecontactnumber.uk/ebay-contact-number/

 

I've not tried either, so can't say if they work...

 

Edit- also https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/account/protecting-account/get-help-hacked-account?id=4196

Edited January 16, 2022 by Nick C

[Nearholmer]

Thanks.

 

I’ve already been round both the eBay ones for a good hour, and they both take you through a mirror-maze, at the centre of which you need to log-in to report that you can’t log in. Which isn’t great!

 

I’ll look at the other one.

 

Nope! That’s part of the mirror-maze too. It’s just a recorded message, telling you to go on-line and use the systems that you can’t use, because you can’t log in.

 

Thanks for trying.

 

Anyone else got any ideas?

Edited January 16, 2022 by Nearholmer

[Nearholmer]

OK, in case it’s of use to anyone else:

 

After much hunting, the following number does, with a bit of persistence, reach a human being: 0800 358 6552.

 

My account has been hacked, delivery address changed, contact phone number changed, and £295 of stuff I’ve never heard of ordered, but, fortunately they didn’t get through two step verification, because they hadn’t changed the email, so goods neither paid for nor sent.

Ebay were seriously unhelpful about resetting it all, and about reporting it as a crime, even though they know the phone and address that were put on, which I can’t see. they couldn’t reset it either, so I instructed them to close the account altogether.
 

Nil points for customer service!! 

 

[Rowsley17D]

Glad to hear that things have turn out okay in the end. eBay is notorious for very poor customer service.

[Nearholmer]

The woeful thing is that ebay have all the details needed to pursue the culprit, but won’t do so unless I report it as a crime, even though it’s their system that was hacked (see news reports of hacked account details being sold online).

 

So, I try to report it as a crime via the online fraud reporting system, run by the police, but clearly designed by the same person that designed eBay’s systems. It’s dreadful, and won’t accept reports about this sort of crime!

 

 

 

 

[Rowsley17D]

10 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

The woeful thing is that ebay have all the details needed to pursue the culprit, but won’t do so unless I report it as a crime, even though it’s their system that was hacked (see news reports of hacked account details being sold online).

 

So, I try to report it as a crime via the online fraud reporting system, run by the police, but clearly designed by the same person that designed eBay’s systems. It’s dreadful, and won’t accept reports about this sort of crime!

 

 

 

 

 

Is it this one?

 

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

[ianmacc]

35 minutes ago, Rowsley17D said:

Glad to hear that things have turn out okay in the end. eBay is notorious for very poor customer service.

Actually he’s had to close his account thanks to eBay’s lack of interest! I’d go spare if it was me as I’ve almost 2600 hard earned feedbacks over 19 years…. 
 

Sorry to hear about that near holmer 

Edited January 16, 2022 by ianmacc
Typo

[Nearholmer]

Yes, it’s the loss of feedback that leaves me deeply p’d off, as well as eBay’s CBA attitude about reporting a crime where they have all the details, and the problem originated with their systems being hacked.

 

Giant faceless tech company wins again.

[Michael Hodgson]

33 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

 

So, I try to report it as a crime via the online fraud reporting system, run by the police, but clearly designed by the same person that designed eBay’s systems. It’s dreadful, and won’t accept reports about this sort of crime!

 

The old bill won't want to know either.  Not a police matter.  Trading Standards don't help any either.  Not on our patch, so try somebody else.  If you can't log in that's a civil matter between you and ebay.

 

Crime?  \It's not theft if you've not lost anything.  It may be an offence against telecoms laws, data protection etc.  But as far as I can see there's still no organisation with enough teeth resourced to do anything about that for the general public.

 

In the old days you could always write to the Chairman of a company, and their registered address was on letterhead, and if necessary you could always look it up.  That option isn't there on modern media.

 

These big multi-national organisations only do anything about rectifying systemic issues these days if enough people make enough fuss on anti-social media, or if you are able to interest one of those TV consumer programs

 

 

[IWCR]

Ebay dont want to know about crime.  They wont even talk to you unless you are the police.

 

Pete

 

[Nearholmer]

To me, as an occasional seller and buyer of hobby things, it’s mainly annoying, but anyone depending upon this shower to act as a shop window for their business……. Sheesh!

[hayfield]

Sadly this is the same for quite a lot of companies at this moment in that they see no reason to offer any form of customer service. As it happens I have found in the past Amazon to buck the trend and are easily contactable and very customer focused. Something the likes of Hermes and eBay could learn from

[sparky66]

"Please message me with any queries or questions about the item!"

And they never reply...

 

It's not model related but I'm currently looking at an engine component that could be from one of two engines, I need one measurement from the seller that can confirm if it's useful to me or not. But nope, no response and an inadequate description.

[Ncarter2]

Had an Athearn Genesis SD-70ACe in CSX for sale, had numerous watches and a bidder. At the last minute, a bidder from the states jumped in, wins the item and now silence. They have zero feedback, only been registered since 2021 and I suspect not likely to follow through. Frustrating as i tend to only list when I get offers. I wish eBay would do more to address this, sadly I doubt they can. I have generally found international buyers genuine and decent but this is the 2nd time on the bounce this has happened, so I think it is time to stop sending abroad. 

[Ruffnut Thorston]

In theory, if the “winning bidder” doesn’t follow through, then you could cancel that bid, and offer a “second chance offer” at the other bidders bid, to that other bidder.

 

There are eBay systems to do this.

 

[cessna152towser]

14 hours ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

In theory, if the “winning bidder” doesn’t follow through, then you could cancel that bid, and offer a “second chance offer” at the other bidders bid, to that other bidder.

In theory, yes.  Some years back I had someone from Canada kept winning bids on all my listings and said he would pay for them all and have them sent together once he had finished bidding.     After he had won everything I had listed and I invoiced him for the total payment he went silent.    So I was left with a number of items on which I sent second chance offers to the next highest bidder.   Not one of them responded and I eventually had to relist everything (was about half a dozen separate items if I recall correctly).  

Edited January 27, 2022 by cessna152towser

[Ruffnut Thorston]

That is the “theory “ part.

 

There is no obligation on the receiver of a second chance offer to accept it.

 

Though that in itself is similar to any “winning bidder”.

 

There does seem to be no actual obligation for any to actually proceed with the transaction! 

[Michael Hodgson]

3 hours ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

That is the “theory “ part.

 

There is no obligation on the receiver of a second chance offer to accept it.

 

Though that in itself is similar to any “winning bidder”.

 

There does seem to be no actual obligation for any to actually proceed with the transaction! 

Well ebay do say a bid is binding - but it's not a contract you'd manage to enforce.

 

As for the under bidder, there's no reason why he should accept a second chance offer - - he may well have bought one somewhere else having apparently lost the auction he was underbidder on.  And some people refuse on principle to accept second chance offers - they may suspect that the seller is shill bidding to force the price up as far as it will go, then cancelling the successful bid so that the second chance offer is higher than an honest auction otherwise would be.

[ianmacc]

4 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Well ebay do say a bid is binding - but it's not a contract you'd manage to enforce.

 

As for the under bidder, there's no reason why he should accept a second chance offer - - he may well have bought one somewhere else having apparently lost the auction he was underbidder on.  And some people refuse on principle to accept second chance offers - they may suspect that the seller is shill bidding to force the price up as far as it will go, then cancelling the successful bid so that the second chance offer is higher than an honest auction otherwise would be.

That would make sense. I’ve issued Second chance offers when bidders haven't paid and the acceptance rate is practically zero. 

[hayfield]

On 19/10/2021 at 14:43, hayfield said:

 

John I totally agree with you, I use Royal Mail and charge for and use their 1st class service

 

Saturday I received a package via Hermes, for a start it took 5 days and for some reason seemed to have a hiccup on its journey

 

The item was a still sealed Langley Models lorry kit, when the item was delivered I was busy so did not notice the Jiffy Bag it was in had been damaged/tampered with. The Jiffy bag was extra large so the tear could have been made by other heavies items on top of it, but strangely the tear was just big enough for the item to be removed, but stopped it falling out by accident. 

 

Now had it been the likes of Royal Mail I would have put it down to an accident, but with the experience I (and a lot of others) have had with this company there is always the nagging thought it was deliberate.

 

The hiccup was not with the end deliverer.

 

The postage I paid was quite expensive, I don't mind as the seller used a new Jiffy bag and it was tracked, its just the time it took and the damage took the shine off the transaction

 

On the other hand I bought a loco kit on Sunday, the postage cheap £4.20 and it arrived today + so did a Lcut kit I bought on Sunday. £1.20 postage again it arrived unexpectedly today. Little things like this make all the differance 

 

I put up an old Jamieson kit built loco on eBay for £20 as it needed a complete refurbishment (its how I bought it but I replaced a missing axle box casting and a whitemetal bogie) Something I bought to do up but never got round to it and now I have decided to clear all these type of loco kits I have accumulated simply because they were inexpensive

 

I stated it was in need of refurbishment but had a 5 pole motor & older Romford wheels, as I said  listed it for £20 + £4.50 for 1st class P&P, no make me an offer etc

 

Well I got an unsolicited message offering £20 in total (due to its condition) but the buyer would accept 2nd class postage

 

Initially I was going to suggest he went forth and multiplied, thought the better of it and thanked him for the offer but reminded him the motor alone sells for between £10 & £15 as spares and I choose to send items first class as its the service I offer. Thought of actually banning him from bidding as I could see he may be a problem buyer

 

If someone has "make me an offer " I sometimes I make a cheeky bid, but if I think someone values the item they are selling more than I value it at, then I just ignore it.

 

I was asked if I would offer to send an item to Peru using overseas standard airmail, I changed the listing and sold it to someone in Slovenia, it opened my eyes to a cheaper email option sending items abroad   

[stovepipe]

How do you contact ebay about the fees they have charged on a recent sale?

 

I accepted a 70% off VSF offer, listed some items which sold 3 days later - but have been charged the standard amount. There's no explanation or anywhere to check, as far as I can see, what terms the listing were made under. I'm a bit stumped as to what to do.

[hayfield]

35 minutes ago, stovepipe said:

How do you contact ebay about the fees they have charged on a recent sale?

 

I accepted a 70% off VSF offer, listed some items which sold 3 days later - but have been charged the standard amount. There's no explanation or anywhere to check, as far as I can see, what terms the listing were made under. I'm a bit stumped as to what to do.

 

You may find you have to list for 5 days or longer to take advantage of the offer, or added buy it now !!

[stovepipe]

It was under a buy it now, with no auction option. Not heard of the 5-days thing before, if that is the case then I dont think I'll be bothering in future.

[teaky]

1 hour ago, stovepipe said:

It was under a buy it now, with no auction option. Not heard of the 5-days thing before, if that is the case then I dont think I'll be bothering in future.

I think the 70% off FVF offer only applied to auction listings.  You could have used an auction listing with BIN added for an additional fixed fee of 50p.  One drawback to this is that eBay now insist on the BIN price being at least 40% higher than the starting price which tends to lead you to lower the starting price which, of course, carries a risk if you do not get enough bidders.