This page has some remarks about various issues that we came across while doing online transactions.  Your comments are welcome.  However,  we need to state that majority of people/customers are honest and great people to deal with.  This is just less than 1 percent of all dealings.  We consider ourselves very reasonable.

Our Business process
1. Shipping.  Our parcels are well packaged, come with tracking number and insurance unless its regular mail.  You can always ask about tracking when you buy items to make sure.  We will notify you when your package is send.
2. Communication.  Any issues you have, please contact us.  For those buying on Ebay, you have 90 days to post feedback, so if item is not arriving do not post negative feedback right away as we can resolve 99.9% of any issues.  That is what tracking and insurance is for.  Also, allow sufficient time for packages to make their way.
3. Description.  If a good is sold as is that means exactly what it says.  It is possible that we could not test the item, or the item is too old.

Cases
Case 1: Item not received.  Advised buyer item was send regular mail, and that it should arrive.  Buyer left negative feedback, could have waited a bit longer - up to 90 days is the time one can leave negative feedback.  Limited communication on other end.
Case 2: Slow in sending payment. This was resolved: payment was received, positive feedback left, package send.
Case 3: Paypal.  Since then, we have decided to limit the number of dealings with paypal. One of reasons is seller protection policy.
Case 4: The Inpatient Ebayer.  Seller did not want to complete transaction.

Ebay Negative Feedbacks
So far its a total of 3.
1. See Case 4.  Seller backed out of transaction to sell item for more money.  We left negative feedback, seller did also.
2. Overcharged on shipping.  Left in retaliation, for us leaving negative for SDRAM stick received with 10 s&h cost, postage was less than $2)
3. See Case 1.  Buyer claimed no item received.


Case 1: Paypal and its policies.

Date: April 2005.
Well, until you experience it you'll never think it can happen to you.  After 525 transactions, since 1997, we had the "pleasure" to experience Paypal and how secure is it compared to merchandise account offered through financial institutions.  This event and the transaction fees/costs prompted us to consider and limit the number of transactions going through Paypal.

Issue: Chargebacks are a needless headache even for honest businesses/sellers. They arise mainly from:
- claim of non-receipt of merchandise,
- issues with buyer's paypal account such as his/her fraudelent visa, account or non-confirmed address
- claims that goods are "not as described".

Chargeback Process:
Step 1 - Buyer disputes paypal payment with credit card company (disputed funds from that transaction are placed on hold)
Step 2 - Credit card company contacts paypal
Step 3 - Seller responds to chargeback (3 days)
The seller provides relevant information to help PayPal dispute the chargeback. To facilitate a timely resolution, the seller has 3 days to respond to the chargeback via the Resolution Center. The information can be provided by email at chargeback-response@paypal.com or by fax at 402-537-5755
Step 4 - PayPal Chargeback Specialist reviews seller's response (Up to 20 days)
They supposedly use the shipping information you provide to determine whether this chargeback case qualifies for coverage under PayPal's Seller Protection Policy.  If it does, PayPal will lift the temporary hold on the funds and restore the transaction amount associated with this chargeback.
Step 5 - PayPal determines if transaction is covered by Seller Protection Policy
What it means: Paypal has been notified by the buyer's credit card company that a chargeback has been filed against this transaction. The claim indicates that the buyer never received the merchandise they purchased. While this case is being investigated, Paypal has placed a temporary hold on the disputed funds. To review the different ways one can resolve this claim, one must click the "Resolve Chargeback Now" button. Response within 3 calendar days of the filing date of this chargeback is necessary.  If no response occurs within 3 days, Paypal may be limited in their ability to assist you.
Paypal's resolution: Paypal disputes the chargeback on behalf of seller given proof of shipping against buyer's claim of non-receipt filed with his/her VISA company.

Complaints:
- Shipping times and delays.  Chargebacks don't consider slow shipping time or other easier alternatives (such as insurance on items shipped usually covered by seller). If item is shipped from outside of your common area (eg outside of North America), shipping delays are not uncommon.  It can sometimes take ages for package to arrive from Europe or from Australia.

- Extra costs.  Paypal also charges sellers who do not meet the requirements of the Seller Protection Policy a $10.00 USD chargeback fee.  As if it were not enough for them to investigate this and use the income they earn from fees charged - haha!  By the way, the next day, the toll free number disappeared off their website and a long distance number (not free) was placed there instead.  This ought to tell you about the nature of  their business.

- Seller lack of protection.  Seller protection policy conditions, is worth nothing, and is unreasonable (what a headache) given the following:

- applies only to UK, US, Canada!
- does not apply if you shipped the goods not within 7 days!  Delays on shipping should not happen but what if it was the case?
- online proof of receipt for items worth $250 or more: the seller needs to provide a proof of receipt signed, or otherwise  acknowledged, by the buyer. A proof of delivery from the shipper which does not contain the buyer’s signature or other acknowledgement will not be sufficient. It also seems that the proof must be again as "online proof of receipt".
- Questionable policies.  Disputed funds are placed on hold right away, you have only 72 hours to respond to chargeback (fax & email only).  They tell you that: "if we do not receive a response from you within 3 days, we may be limited in our ability to assist you".  Great service!  Another condition is that the seller needs to provide the requested information to PayPal within seven days - what if you're on holidays for one week???  As a seller, your reputation means absolutely nothing, even if you did 500+ transactions!

- Extra charges for investigation. Even if you win the dispute, the seller will be charged the $10.00 USD chargeback fee if the transaction does not qualify for Seller Protection Policy (eg shipped to non-confirmed address or account).  Seems reasonable, but then again, the dispute was won, wasn't it???

- Verifiable online tracking information.  Paypal won't even contact the shipping company via telephone.  Paypal representative stated that package must be tracked online and that they don't call anyone. Nice! Paypal can't afford phone bills?  What do they have the chargeback fee for?  How good is this investigation???  Also, what if the package cannot be tracked online (for whatever reason), or the shipping company does not offer such service.  Worth noting is that not all packages can be tracked everywhere in the entire world. (eg items shipped from some countries in Europe may not be trackable by USPS).

- The duration of investigation. Don't be shocked if your "long" schedule looks like the following:
May 2, 2005  PayPal  Case closed
May 2, 2005  PayPal  Funds recovered from seller
May 2, 2005  PayPal  Unable to dispute on seller's behalf
May 2, 2005  PayPal  Email sent to Seller
Apr. 26, 2005  Buyer  Email send to Paypal
Apr. 15, 2005  Buyer  Email send to Paypal
Apr. 14, 2005  Seller  Tracking information provided
Apr. 13, 2005  PayPal  Temporary hold placed on funds
Apr. 13, 2005  PayPal  Email sent to Seller
Apr. 13, 2005  PayPal  Email sent to Buyer
Apr. 13, 2005  Buyer  Chargeback initiated
Can a seller be assured that reasonable time and measures were taken?

- Personal time and cost invested in dealing with such cases.  As a seller you will find yourself calling paypal and getting instructed to read its detailed policy.  You'll get lucky if you will get a representative after 40 minutes with their Call Centre.  If you're dealing with small price item, this is a needless headache and your time is money isn't it?

- Too short of time to investigate and no close partnership between shipping company and paypal.  Most of shipping companies (eg Canada Post) advise waiting an extra 4-6 weeks after recommended arrival time, before opening a claim case (if item is insured).  So how can Paypal attempt to solve it all within 20 days?  Canada Post can take 30-90 days to trace the package. Yet Paypal won't give more attention to form partnership with shipping companies to invetigate shipping, thereby chargeback cases.  Needless to say, more time should be allowed to investigate chargebacks.

- Unnecessary headache even if package was insured.  Chargeback is a headache, that is usually avoided by seller (this is the way we deal with it) by insuring the package with the shipping company (UPS, Canada Post, USPS, other shippers from other countries).  If item is not delivered, claim is opened, and money refunded as part of the insurance.   Shipping can then be tried again through different company or money can be refunded to the buyer.  This is much simpler and less time consuming of process from seller's endpoint.

- Reliance on buyer not to file with his/her credit company.  If person gets inpatient, he/she will call the credit company.  This is sometimes without contacting the seller to attempt resolving it through  alternate ways (such as insured package etc).

Conclusion:
Insurance and claims should be through seller who should have items insured with shipping company.  Paypal's seller protection policy is worth nothing or adding little value, it's a needless headache, and its time consuming.  Paypal will more than often sit on the side of claims coming from VISA companies.  And let's not forget, that Paypal's fees are not that low.  So at the end of the day, do you as a Seller get what you want?  We feel that this is decided on case-basis and more often the answer is simply no, but thanks!  Last we are not the only ones, just google for other similar experiences.


Case 2: Inpatient Ebayer!
Date: April 2003.

This is about an Ebay seller who was inpatient and did not give the buyer time to adjust to his demands (even though unreasonable).  It is one of the negative feedbacks received (while another was left in retaliation, for us leaving negative for SDRAM stick received with 10 s&h cost, postage was less than $2)
This shows that Ebay's system must work really great as many people don't leave bad feedback in fear of getting one themselves as revenge.  We're not afraid of that, truth must be told so others don't face such issues with the same seller.

Here's a few replies from Pauldoran5 (Ebay id: nora36dd):
1) When asked about what comes in auction (pictures were not clear):
"keyboard,video moniter, mouse 1 extra drive-look at pictures." - polite? hardly.

2) When asked again to provide detail about cards installed, as pictures did not show:
"2meg chip card is attached to 030 and yes will ship 1080, you need to get reg moniter-moniter comes with can view video  out from back,not VGA." - better, but still vague.

3) Another question was about accelarator board:
"Ram is on accelarter board, I assume that you could put 8 32meg simms chips on the board which would cost nothing-64megs use to cost thousands.YES $20.00 NO PROBLEM IS USED."

4) When we suggested that any RAM will not work:
"yes-checks ram,powers up to board reads ram.32,but I have the other GVP on the 040 machine that didn't tech out for sale? are you sure about the Ram? IM' Pretty sure I've seen different ram on these boards, maybe thety didn't have the correct nano second chips, which will smoke and fry any computer." - obviously we must be wrong about the type of RAM not the seller, LOL.

5) Finally auction ends, and we win AMIGA A2000-GVP 030+64 MEGS RAM (Item #3020478413) for  $103 plus  $15 for postage.   We feel its a bargain, we got lucky.  Then we email our mailing details, to which seller reacts:
"Hi- Shipping and handling is not $15.00 -it's  $45.00. The unit is boxed and ready to ship. Please send me a money order for $147.50-THANKS"
So, we send the payment.  Few days from now, seller refunds the money by Paypal stating he won't send to Canada.  Wait, wasn't he first ok with it??  We promptly email him, asking for few days, as we're already in process of setting up a mailling address in the USA to accomodate USA shipping.  He rejects it, stating he doesn't have time.  He has already relisted the item, a day earlier.  Auction ends 2 days later (3 day auction), where seller gets $170 and replies that it's too late to complete his previous auction.
One has to conclude that waiting 3 days is a long time period (Ebay has 90 days to leave feedback and the usual sale & shipping arrangements take 2 weeks or so).

6) So we left him negative feedback.
His feedback reply was:
Never Deal With!!!!-E-Bay Stalker-Thick!! No bidders out of U.S.-Money Returned.
Reply by terminator3: Seller neither wanted to ship to Canada nor USA address! Sold items for more $$
Follow-up by nora36dd: Money Returned-LEAVES NEG FEEDBACK .WILL DO IT TO YOU TOO!!!STAY FAR AWAY!!!

What a skunk, he still failed to face the accusation and we got called Ebay Stalker?!  You bet, we won't deal with you!  You can check his feedback and judge for yourself (he's got 13 negative and 4 neutral from april 19'2003 till May 6, 2005 - when this was written!). An idiot and inpatient Seller is a real danger to face on Ebay!