Fact: Without sellers, there is no ebay

Ebay can go f#@* itself!  I am aware of the absurdity of that statement but I say it frequently because I am an ebay seller.  I have a store which means nothing and since I moved into the store I have come to the realization that I'm only here because something better has yet to catch my eye.  It doesn't have to be that much better; in fact, I have concluded a meeting with my inner cadre and the idea of a yard sale has a recharged luster.  It's not that I think ebay is unfair or their policies to constricting.  I just think there is a vanguard of idiots who have role played their way into the mediocrity of middle management and with flakes freshly frosted have made it clear that common sense is just not going to be tolerated and any seller defending against buyer shenanigans or just trying to make a point can click the Go F#@* Yourself Now button because buyer will always win even when they surrender.  Here is a list of things sellers most likely assume buyers can't do but come to find out otherwise:

• A buyer can receive a package, walk into his den with the package, place package on table without opening, walk over to their laptop, click on through to their ebay account and leave the seller of said package a negative.  Then shoot an email to the seller and extort a partial refund because buyers can leave and revise negative feedbacks.   Sellers cannot and as a result are frequently exploited.
• Ebay uses a feedback rating as some mathematical justification for judging its users.  It is implied that in the case of A > B, then A is better than B because it has a greater absolute value.  This should never really mean anything but when it could it doesn't.  It wouldn't really matter except that it does in the rare instance that logically it is possible to do so.   It is important to note that any buyer, even a buyer who has no feedback, will still get the nod from ebay.  The fact of the matter is simple; feedback ratings are only legitimate pedigrees when necessary and it should be understood that in all other instances, feedback ratings are nothing more than a worthless gimmick tantamount to the "toy" a child receives in a McDonald's happy meal.  
• A buyer can electronically murder an item, harass the seller, and then demand a refund via a claim.  An ebay claim is nothing more than a gift card for the buyer since the seller will always lose and ebay, in the guise of paypal, will just steal the money without any notice or approval.  I am fairly certain that unauthorized use of an individual's bank information and access into the account is illegal.  And if that isn't enough to set a seller off, ebay likes to run game on the seller by waiting a day, ostensibly to give the appearance they have reviewed the claim, before sending the rudest message you will ever get from ebay which basically states that you are screwed and there is no recourse.    The message has no friendly content and is designed to let you know that a seller is not allowed to talk or provide exculpatory evidence as these are considered forms of hazing against buyers.  The message is so different from the usual fake concern and disingenuous offers of help they usually lather on in that all too annoying politically correct vernacular.  It is ebay policy to condescend to sellers and, most importantly, not give a f#@* about what sellers have to say if, on the off chance, they find themselves in a situation where they have to listen to a sellers side of the story.  
• A buyer can repeatedly ask both stupid questions and irrelevant questions.  All buyers are also exempt from following the terms and conditions of the listing as selected by the seller; not by rule but by virtue of the fact buyers cases are pre-approved for victory so long as the buyer has said anything at all.  Buyers can smash the keypad with their face because ebay identifies garbled data as a valid claim and will locate the seller, turn him or her around and shake them violently by their heels until the last penny hits the floor.  
• A buyer can end a listing with a Buy It Now option and never contact the seller, never respond to seller emails and payment; forget about it.  Seller pursuit of payment is looked at as superfluous and at times mischievous and while it won't result in any administrative action against the seller, there is a malaise of sorts through which the seller must endure and wait out some arbitrary time frame where ebay, the buyer and the item the seller is trying to sell do NOTHING for three to four weeks.  The claim is a pacifier, a hoax.  Its ebay's clever attempt to trick you.  Ebay, in a nutshell thinks that sellers are either stupid or they don't give a damn what the seller thinks because it has been marginalized and deemed irrelevant.  Maybe someone should remind ebay that they only make money because of sellers and that without sellers, there would be no buyers.  (Look what sellers did for Meg Whitman.  BTW, you're welcome Meg)  And make sure that pointless claim is closed by the date given or that Final Value Fee ebay takes right off the top won't be returned.  And in case anyone is unaware, ebay is paypal and literally sits in your wallet and online banking accounts helping itself to the seller's money, which may or may not have been generated from sales on ebay. 

The point should arrive on time that ebay has a highly conspicuous and most inauspicious practice of favoring the buyer by completely ignoring the sellers.  I'm sure some sellers have had some success in defending themselves or just getting common sense introduced but not here.  Ticky tack issues that ordinarily I wouldn't spend the time of day to stop and notice nor to which i would give life but with obvious, palpable solutions and remedies in arm's length become protracted processes that do not seem to do anything, go anywhere; unless a buyer is involved, in which case you will be visited by the ebay assault team.

Ebay is clearly headed in the direction of full contact and ultra-nefarious eCommerce fascism.  There is really nothing to do about it insofar as a quick fix is concerned; and they know this and don't try the slightest bit to hide it.  Ebay thought it was cute when it rolled out with the idea of feedback as its niche, and when it first hit the scene, the feedback rating had a newbie charm and was a novel concept in the consumer market.  But now everyone knows it doesn't mean a f#@*!%$g thing at all and is literally just the number of transactions over a certain period of time with perfunctory responses that were good or at least not bad.  Still, for sellers anyway, the feedback rating is a determining factor for a lot of internal and most definitely external activity directly related to a seller's ebay existence.  

I want to open this blog up for those fellow citizens of the world with similar antipathy towards ebay.  This is not a spot for whining or feeling bad lest you get the crosshairs turned on yourself.  This blog is to angry ebay sellers what  a runaway truck exit on a freeway is to the driver of said runaway truck; a fuse for which to drive all that anger and frustration.  You can't live a good life when you are mired in anger and frustration.  And if you are selling on ebay, then you are carrying around a lot of negative energy that jeopardizes everything else in your life.  Stop taking it out on your wife or kids or coworkers or whomever gets the full end of your wrath.  Dump it here.  Compose yourself and breathe easy so we can take on ebay and paypal as lucid, rational individuals and not a lunatic mob of psychopaths.   

 If you love ebay and don't understand how on earth this blog came to fruition, then your ebay activities have been few or you work there.  You are more than welcome so that there is some contrast in content.  I like to paint a pretty picture.  And just so there is no ambiguity, the revolt against ebay is about the procedures and practices put in place and enforced by the powers that be.  I have no qualms with the CSRs at ebay as they have always been friendly and helpful to the best of their ability.  I'm sure ebay CSRs have their own grievances with ebay and paypal.          After all, if you really think about it, sellers and CSRs are both employees of ebay that regularly get the shaft from management.  If you are an ebay employee and agree with that last statement, your two cents is definitely welcome.   

And while this blog is effectively a dart board with the ebay's face as a target, I'm open to seller suggestions since constructive criticisms are always great.  Sellers put an immense amount of effort and maintenance when listing on ebay, which buyers often ignore or just don't appreciate.  I would rather see ebay come clean and right its ship so that my efforts are not wasted.  I have many ideas for simple implementations that can prevent unpaid items, petty, fake disputes and even shipping issues, particularly free shipping which ebay believes is real much like a three year old believes in santa.  Thats a different issue altogether, to be addressed at a later date.  

Sellers, stop taking it from ebay and paypal.  They will continue to do it as long as we let them.  This society is plagued by apathy and a collective tolerance to getting screwed by the corporate world.  Whether its oil prices, government or eCommerce, we are the only ones looking after our best interests.  We decide whether we are going to get screwed by ebay/paypal.  They think we are helpless in our opposition and will just endure under their thumb. 

It's time to break the thumb.