The Fine Print: Sorry eBay, My Claim Is Not Frivolous

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The following is not legal advice. Please contact Alexander Bachuwa if you have questions or claims regarding consumer arbitration. 

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There was no email to tell us the $500 was taken. The eBay Bucks just never showed up in my account a few days after the end of the quarter, as they usually do.

The dispute resolution provision for many companies includes an arbitration clause which specifies that the company will cover the cost of arbitration. Without such a provision, consumers would have little incentive to file a claim as the cost of the process can be thousands of dollars. This purported consumer friendly provision is not without limitation. Many companies include an addendum that states that a consumer may ultimately be liable for the arbitration proceeding should the claim be deemed frivolous. The eBay User Agreement, for example, provides that “[i]n the event the arbitrator determines the claim(s) [Claimant] assert[s] in the arbitration to be frivolous, [Claimant] agree[s] to reimburse eBay for all fees associated with the arbitration paid by eBay on [Claimant’s] behalf.”

This begs the question, “What is frivolous?” Is filing a claim for $5 frivolous because of the dollar amount? Is filing a claim due to account suspension or shutdown frivolous because the consumer took advantage of the terms and conditions? At what point is the efficacy of consumer arbitration claims undermined by the risk of a frivolous counterclaim? The answer to the final question is something eBay would like consumers to ponder before proceeding. While it is an effective mechanism for deterring fraudsters from filing random claims, it also intimidates those with meritorious claims from going forward for fear of retribution.

My client and I contemplated the answers to these questions as we debated whether to file an arbitration claim to recoup the $500 worth of eBay Bucks that was taken without explanation. Resolute that he was in the right and that his claim was far from frivolous, we decided to proceed with the arbitration. Shortly thereafter, eBay’s in-house counsel emailed me offering to refund the client his eBay Bucks if the client would sign a settlement agreement. My client was understandably upset that it took this level of legal action to resolve what could have been handled by competent customer service. At the same time, eBay refused to inform my client what he did to get shut down in the first place. After spending months corresponding with eBay via email and Twitter to no avail, my client was interested in more than a refund for what was rightfully his. He was searching for an explanation. In an attempt to get more answers, we declined the offer.

Weeks later, we received a response from eBay’s outside counsel which stated the following, “Claimant’s claims lack evidentiary or legal support and are patently frivolous. Accordingly, pursuant to eBay’s User Agreement and the Consumer Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association, eBay requests that the Arbitration fees paid by eBay be reallocated to Claimant and Claimant ordered to reimburse eBay in full.”

Neither the client nor I were surprised by this response. From a strategic perspective, it makes sense for a company to try and bully a client into settling or dropping the claim by filing a counterclaim. Given the tumultuous relationship my client had with eBay up to this point, he also was not stunned by this sly maneuver.

Following the initial conference with the arbitrator, I called opposing counsel to see if there was a possibility of settlement. We were presented the same offer: a refund of the eBay Bucks if the client signed a settlement agreement. Otherwise, eBay was prepared to move forward with the arbitration.

As weeks passed and the deadline for document exchange, arbitration’s version of discovery, approached, the futile settlement dance continued. The final offer was a refund and a whopping $300 for my legal fees. Curiously, the contention that the claim was ‘patently frivolous’, was never referenced.

The only concession that eBay would make was the opportunity for a conference call with my client and eBay’s outside counsel where we could pose questions regarding my client’s account. My client and I drafted a wish list of questions that every eBay subscriber would love to ask. Most notably, we wanted to know what triggered the shutdown and what could be done to make sure that this does not happen in the future.

To the shock of none, we did not receive any concrete answers. The canned response was that eBay reserves the right to do whatever it wants.

Satisfied that we were never going to be satisfied, we agreed to the settlement.

Lessons Learned

The cynic may say that this was a waste of time, that small claims could have brought about the same resolution. Given the number of hours my client and I spent analyzing this claim, I cannot say that the cynic is wrong.

On the other hand, we gained valuable insight as to how eBay handles arbitration which may benefit future claimants. First, it is clear that eBay is not in the business of settling these claims for more than actual damages i.e., emotional distress, fundamental fairness, and other creative pleas for equitable relief are ignored regardless of the amount of time expended or stress endured.

Second, the threat of a frivolous counterclaim is frivolous in its own right. If eBay truly believed that my client’s claim was baseless, it would have pulled the settlement offer, gone through with the arbitration, and left my client with a hefty bill for challenging its omnipotence.

The Future Outlook

The way to get more answers out of eBay and compel it to change is to never settle and take such claims to decision. With the frivolous claim neutralized, the financial burden shifts back to eBay which now has to explain to the arbitrator why its own customers are filing claims against it. The cumulative effect of defending claim after claim even if the actual damages are modest will impact eBay’s bottom line.

The optimist can hope that this will make eBay more transparent and fairer with its users. The realist will assume that eBay would be more inclined to settle these valid claims for amounts that are more appropriate.

As for the pessimist, he is preparing to file his next case in small claims because he knows that big business will never change its behavior.

 

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[…] should not hesitate to file an arbitration claim. My paid advertisement goes as follows: “If eBay has taken away your eBay Bucks, if Citi has taken your ThankYou points, or if a company has taken $1 that rightfully belongs to […]

[…] The Fine Print: Sorry eBay, My Claim Is Not Frivolous by Frequent Miler. Really loving this series by Alex on FM! […]

Tammy

I wish I could take the USPS to small claims court. They are losing my packages too often.

Amy

Oh, amen: they damaged a package–went through the box and did some damage to the contents–and when I pressed them on it, all I got was, “So sorry, we thoroughly train our employees not to do that.”

Michael

Curious. Do small claims against national corporations go anywhere? I’d imagine they’re like a pesky bug that’s easy to shoo away. Even if you get a victory in small claims, can you actually ever get the payment owed to you? Is it worth the hassle for amounts less than <$1000?

Nicole

Is the beginning of this post cut off? Seems like something is missing to start the post.

Greg The Frequent Miler

I’m seeing it as intended.

Nicole

looks like the image was messing it up on my computer for some reason. seems to be fixed now. thanks

[…] The Fine Print: Sorry eBay, My Claim Is Not Frivolous […]

Mser

You admit the only way to get EBay to change is to never settle. Yet you settled.

Then you claim the wall of claims would cause EBay to change it’s behavior. Nonsense and poppycock. The way to change behavior is to proceed in Federal Court and file a Class Action and get a settlement that requires change. Continually allowing companies to hide behind arbitration proceedings is what allows these companies to act so capriciously.

The $300 in legal fees is more than your advice is worth.

Peter

Thanks Alex. We need more people like you.

Carl

I really appreciate this service/commentary/aspect here on frequentmiler.

stvr

Not sure there’s enough meat on the bone on some of these to involve a JD. I guess there are too many JDs, though…

escot

Alex, you bring immense credit to your profession….. all the while being a source of reason, calm, and hope for those who don’t mindlessly bow down before the faux gods of corporate arrogance.

Michael

I’m surprised eBay let you talk about this case as part of it’s settlement. Scumbags like this usually put in some language that’s it’s protecting their business interests not to spill the beans, per se on how pathetic they actually are.

Michael

Sorry, had not read that Citi article.

eBay = fair. That’s a good joke!

Don’t really know how NDAs work, I just thought eBay would try to pull that out of their bag of tricks. Never dealt with such a slimy company that intends to screw their uses at every turn. (Just a tad bitter with how they’ve handled my concerns over the years).

MrWho

What did the client do for the account shutdown?

Emmanuel

Can you not read?

Cleo

I read and reread after your (snarky) response. And still I couldn’t find out what was done to instigate the shutdown. So please enlighten me!

MrWho

“At the same time, eBay refused to inform my client what he did to get shut down in the first place.”

So then the statement above is incorrect? Confusing….

Eli C

David vs Goliath, as usual. Love it. Go Alex!!!

ebay Sucks

Dealing with eBay is a PIA. I always have to make at least 5 phone calls and jump through hoops to get issues resolved.