On Friday, eBay released a revised version of its user agreement. The changes deal with situations where a buyer has alleged receipt of a counterfeit item.
eBay Senior Counsel Scot Shipman discusses the changes in a company blog post. He says that under the changes:
– Buyers and sellers shall work in good faith during the resolution process to determine that the item is not counterfeit.
– If buyer and seller cannot determine that the item is not counterfeit, buyers are required to send the item back to the seller. Cost of return shipping will be paid by the buyer or eBay, unless both buyer and seller have agreed otherwise.
– Covered claims that meet the conditions and are not excluded will count as a violation by the seller of our prohibited and infringing items policy.
– If eBay determines the buyer is not acting in good faith, eBay may restrict or eliminate their ability to return items or make future claims.
– Sellers shall not list, advertise, or cause that item to appear for sale, barter or trade, on any eBay Inc. web site or service.
According to Shipman, the goals of the revisions are to:
– Provide sellers protections against inaccurate counterfeit claims.
– Provide buyers assurances about the authenticity of the item received.
– Maintain integrity of the eBay marketplace.
The updates to the user agreement go into effect on June 14th for current eBay members. For new members, they will apply immediately.
I’m guessing eBay users will have some things to say about the changes. So let’s hear them. What are your thoughts?
