Create A Great Customer Experience

eBay has been focusing it’s attention on improving the buyer experience for the past few years implementing changes on the site that placed significant burdens and restrictions on sellers on the site. One of my many soapboxes has been that eBay has long felt that the buyers on the site are their customers, while I believe the sellers are eBay’s real customers as they pay the fees, but that is not what this post is all about.

eBay has long professed that ultimately the buyer is always right. No matter what. I have heard this time and time again on the eBay Radio program. Jim Griffith, host of the program, my former mentor at eBay University, and perenial eBay cheerleader has repeated nearly every week.

So Do As We Say, Not As We Do!

Recently I received an email notice from eBay telling me that my seller fees where overdue. Hmm, that is strange, so I checked my PayPal account and sure enough the debit card on file had expired. Not so unusual, that happens every couple of years. I looked in my wallet, and guess what,, no new card. So I called the bank and was told that they would cancel the card that had been mailed, and mail me a new card.

A couple of days later, I get a gentle reminder from eBay about my account being overdue. To avoid the inevitable suspension from eBay for a $149.00 bill, I made a one time payment through PayPal with the funds coming from my checking account. On December 2, I checked my PayPal account, the payment had been processed and I then checked My eBay and sure enough there is the payment and I am again in the good graces of eBay. Oh happy days!

December 12 I receive an email notice that eBay has again submitted an automatic payment request through PayPal for the bill, which had been paid 10 days ago! So I call eBay Customer Support. Now this is an improvement because unless you are a PowerSeller, there previously had not been any way to call eBay. Ok, enough of the niceties.

The C/S rep tells me she sees the second payment on my account and will submit a refund request through PayPal. I am told to watch my PayPal account as she would submit the request immediately.

24 hours elapses with no refund. Ok, I’ll call again to check on this. The second call to C/S and the woman tells me the first C/S was had in fact submitted the request, but that it must be approved by a supervisor and there are no supervisors available. In addition she informs me that my refund may take up to 5 Business Days to appear in my PayPal account. She additionally informs me that the first C/S was mistaken when she told me it would be handled immediately.

Well I am not happy with the latest answer, but am polite (really I am) and say thank you. I ponder on this for 2 more days, and my dissatisfaction level increases as time goes on. So, on Tuesday, I call again fully intending to speak with a C/S supervisor. Instead my call is answered by Andrew. Andrew takes my information, looks up my account and proceeds to inform me that the entire situation is MY FAULT for making a one time payment. He continues to tell me that BOTH of the previous C/S reps were wrong because my refund will take 30 days!

Now I am furious! I made the payment because I did not want the wrath of eBay to befall me. I owed them the money, so I paid them. I calmly inform Andrew that my displeasure is not directed at him, and thank him for his time.

So 600+ words into this, here is my point!

eBay, if I as a seller treated my paying customer like this I would be suspended or permanently banned from eBay! What happened to the customer is ALWAYS RIGHT! What happened to a great customer experience?

eBay I AM YOUR CUSTOMER! REFUND MY MONEY THAT YOU INCORRECTLY BILLED ME FOR TWICE!

With all the computer power you have, you can certainly determine that payment has been received 10 days before you take it out AGAIN!

Oh yeah, in the meantime my new card arrived and you can bet I am not putting it back up as a funding source until I am satisfied!

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