I've been an eBay user since 2007, but after my recent experiences, I’ll never sell on the platform again. Sellers are burdened with excessive fees and unfair policies that overwhelmingly favor buyers.
I sold an item clearly listed as “broken for parts, as-is”, with no returns accepted. The buyer agreed to these terms, yet after failing to repair the item, they opened a case against me. eBay overrode my listing terms, forced a return, and refunded the buyer—who got to keep my item. To make matters worse, they still charged me the final sale fee! Imagine that: I lost my item, had to refund the buyer, and still paid eBay a hefty fee for the "sale." In the end, I paid eBay just to give away a $600 item.
Hoping it was a one-time issue, I listed another item. It received one bid, but I had to cancel the sale because the item was no longer available. Despite not actually selling anything, eBay still charged me a final value fee. Absolutely ridiculous.
Buying on eBay isn’t any better. I ordered an item from the U.S. (I live in Canada), and eBay’s shipping program required the seller to send it to their warehouse first. They "assessed" and repackaged it, delaying delivery by two weeks. When it finally arrived, all I received was an empty box. I opened a case, assuming eBay would fix the issue, but they refused to help. Their employees essentially stole my item, sent me an empty package, and left me with nothing.
At this point, I refuse to use eBay ever again. I’d rather sell locally for less—or even give things away—than deal with their terrible policies. As a buyer, I’ll happily pay more elsewhere to avoid the risk, delays, and outright scams.
I hope this helps others make an informed decision: stay far away from eBay and save yourself the frustration.
I am not happy with eBay