Why eBay is Merciless for Buyers

By J.D. Dec 9, 2024

(Disclaimer: The contents of this article reflect the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of all buyers.)

While nothing beats eBay for finding a great deal, it goes without saying that great deals are only worth it assuming you actually receive your item.

While eBay does have a money-back guarantee, it's important to realize that it is only applicable in certain scenarios, such as when the seller did not provide you with a tracking number. However, if the seller provides tracking and the delivery service marks the item as delivered, eBay will not issue a refund for a lost item.
That's right—they will not refund you. Period.

This is a huge problem because there have been many times where the delivery service showed an item as 'delivered' when, in fact, it was not. This is exactly what happened to me. When I reached out to eBay for help, their response was essentially: "Tough luck. The delivery service shows that it was delivered. Take the hundreds of dollars you lost and eat it."

So was it a good deal? It sure would've been. But even the best deals are only worth it if they actually come through. My advice? Avoid platforms like eBay at all costs. Instead, go with a platform like Amazon or Walmart, which are known for their customer service. They won't leave you hanging like eBay will.

Will you spend more money? Maybe. But at least you'll get what you paid for.