eBay eBay penalizes sellers and rewards dishonest buyers Internet

    I've been a eBay customer for years and I'm shocked to find out how they penalize sellers and inadvertently promote dishonest buyers. When I recently purchased an item for $10.99 and didn't receive it after 12 days I requested an update on the shipping status or reshipment of item. 

    The response I got was a refund (which I didn't request) and then I actually received the item from the U.S. postal service the next day. I contacted eBay customer service to inform them that i received the item and I needed to pay for it. The eBay customer service representative told me they could not do anything and I needed to contact the seller directly.

     After I contacted the seller I was shocked to learn that he was being penalized for 90 days with increased ebay fees for a purchase inquirey due to the United States Postal Service delay in delivery. The seller passed on the follwoing information:

1) Don't blame yourself -- this problem here is neither you or me -- it is ebay policy INTENTIONALLY designed to penalize sellers for things that could easily be resolved "the old fashioned way" -- simple communication.  They have been assaulting sellers since John Donahue became CEO in 2008, ratcheting up the heat every year since then.  You can't even recognize that marketplace anymore, it has fallen so badly.

As it stands, they now URGE buyers to open disputes (even when the issue is not really a DISPUTE but rather some small issue that needs to be worked out), then they penalize a seller simply because the dispute was filed -- regardless of WHY or HOW it was handled. 2) This seems to happen somewhat regularly in July & August, which is when the Post Office is doing vacations for employees and "cheap" mail is either routinely delayed or handled by "temps" who CARE LESS about how they handle mail. 3) Having dealt with ebay for 17 years now (since 1998), there is honestly no way for me to reverse this situation as far as the DISPUTE being opened.  Trying to contact anyone "competent" is fruitless. Myself (and other full-time sellers) have come to realize that this is a "cost of doing business with ebay".  Until it changes -- IF it ever changes -- it will be a poor place to sell.  I do not sell ANY "high end" items on there anymore (haven't done so for SEVERAL YEARS), because quite honestly, it is open hunting season for dishonest buyers to steal the items (either for free or via shaking-down a big price adjustment after they receive it).  So, I sell cheap stuff on there, and hope that new management will someday realize that a one-sided system is why their stock has performed so poorly over the past 6 years when compared to other tech giants.