BEWARE EBAY SELLERS...I just had a Supervisor advise me they really don't honor sellers' "NO RETURN" policies...

...even if the buyer claims "not as described" originally, and then later claims they know it IS AS DESCRIBED but still wants to return it anyway (i.e. buyer's remorse) eBay will ALWAYS SIDE WITH THE BUYER.

I have just been involved with an extremely frustrating case where a buyer with an odd username at eBay, (that nearly matches someone's odd username here..except for added digits at the end, who may or may not like my political views) was allowed to buy a $500 painting from me, and return it for no valid reason--costing me $160+ in 2-way freight charges. She was allowed to OPEN AN ACCOUNT SEPARATE FROM HER MAIN ACCOUNT, to buy this painting, and, to my knowledge has no other action on this separate account. When I accepted he offer of $450 plus shipping for my painting, I should have seen through THAT, but I was desperate for money to pay my real estate taxes and accepted, hoping for the best.

Well, it has been THE WORST experience of my on-line life.

The buyer originally claimed it was "a photograph" and not an original painting, even though I had had the painting authenticated as an original oil painting by a prominent artist and was given an estimated value by a top 10 auction house. She was adamant it was fake, and I repeatedly assured her it wasn't, and refused her return request as my auctions all are clearly marked as "NO RETURN" and all of them urge buyers to call or write in advance PRIOR TO BIDDING if they have any questions. She didn't.

Despite the obvious bogus nature of the return request, eBay issued her a return postage label (which, of course, I have to pay too...) and gave her until today to return it. I was assured that she had only until November 1 to return, or the case would be closed in my favor. Three days ago she wrote and said she took it to an auction house in NYC and was told it WAS original, but a watercolor. Yesterday evening, I noticed they had sent her a SECOND PRINTING LABEL and gave her an additional ten days to return it.

I've spent eight hours and counting on the phone with eBay and finally got a supervisor in the returns department to acknowledge that they do not pay any attention to a seller's "NO RETURN" policies, and that they don't care that she spent almost two weeks calling me a liar, and that even though she HAS AN ORIGINAL AND ADMITS IT'S AN ORIGINAL that she can still return it. I asked if they could return an item for any reason whatever even if it was "as described" and the answer was basically "yes."

SO BEWARE.

AND...I have perfect feedback on nearly 800 eBay transactions and no complaints after selling there for seven plus years, and none of that means anything to them.

They will not tell me why she was allowed to open a separate account for the purposes of doing this to me either.

BEWARE.

Here is what the painting looks like..It's an ORIGINAL by well-listed artist, Frank Knox Morton Rehn: