Is ebay Stealing from Sellers?

We were just ripped off by ebay for $338.76 - unbelievable!!!!!

We sold and shipped coins to a customer in India, UPSP Priority Mail International with tracking and delivery confirmation.  We purchased the postage in the ebay system, so the tracking number was automatically uploaded to the ebay system.  The customer has not yet satisfied the Customs Service in India.  Rather than work it out with the Indian Customs Service, he disputed the transaction with us.  Despite the fact that the United States Postal Service tracking number (on record in the ebay system) shows that the coins are still being processed through Customs in India, ebay took the money out of our account and refunded it to the customer!!!!!!  So now the customer gets to keep the coins when they finally clear Customs, AND he was given his money back by ebay!!!!!

We will be filing suit against ebay to recover the money that they, in our opinion, stole from us.  If you or anyone you know has been ripped off by ebay in a similar manner, please contact us.  Perhaps a class action suit will be needed to stop similar abuses by ebay.

If you sell on ebay and ship internationally, you may want to reconsider whether you will allow sales to India.  The customer acknowledged to us that his problem was not with us but with the Customs Service in India (of course, that didn't stop ebay from taking $338.76 of our money and giving it to the customer).  He also told us that the Customs Service in India is notoriously corrupt, which ebay also knows.

We've blocked sales to India.  But that won't stop ebay from pulling the same scam again with shipments to any other international destination. 

We are actively seeking other sales channels to continue to de-emphasize ebay and eventually stop selling on ebay altogether.  If you have positive experience with moving your business off ebay, we would love to hear about your experience.  As more ebay sellers find alternatives to ebay, perhaps someone in senior management will wake up and realize that without us sellers, there is no ebay.