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Satire or support? How eBay delights a premium member (since 2008) with real-life satire 🎭
Summary: mo-do51279 spoke about a problem with a discount voucher on eBay and the unclear follow-up communication from support. A voucher was supposed to reduce the purchase price of a TV by EUR 50, but it was not taken into account during checkout, which was only explained later through additional conditions. Despite many discussions with customer service, no solution was found. The presentation and lack of transparency regarding the voucher terms were felt to be misleading. mo-do51279 plans to pass the case on to consumer protection organizations.
Hello dear community,
today I just have to give a big shoutout to the eBay support team. Who needs Netflix when you’ve got a ticket open with customer service? The entertainment value is absolutely first-class!
A quick bit of background to the comedy (ticket: SR# 1-507365122689):
I’ve been a member since early 2008, have been an eBay Plus member from day one without interruption, and have over 950 positive reviews. In short: I actually like the platform.
On 24/07, I’m interested in a Samsung QLED TV (B-stock) for EUR 599.00. Right on the price details on the item page, the voucher code YDEFSI2SYBPCNKCM worth EUR 50.00 is shown to me and live deducted from the item price. In this official promo window, there are absolutely no restrictions or hints at a specific payment method (see upper part in the attached combined image).
As it turns out, this is a personalized discount promotion to which eBay specially and exclusively invited me as a loyal customer (see lower part in the combined image). Motivated by this tailored discount, I use the option on the item page and submit a price proposal of EUR 580.00. The seller accepts – and that legally binds me to the purchase contract.
The simple math of the case:
Accepted price proposal: EUR 580.00
Minus the promised voucher: - EUR 50.00
Legitimate final price: EUR 530.00
After the click, the big wake-up call at checkout: the system suddenly demands the full amount of EUR 580.00 and withholds the discount. Only now, in the voucher overview under “My eBay,” does the addition “when paying with Klarna” suddenly appear (see middle part in the combined image). Before that, at the crucial moment of the purchase decision and right on the item page, this was completely concealed! To avoid jeopardizing my spotless account with an unpaid item, I had to reluctantly pay the full amount via PayPal.
But now comes the real jackpot – the support team’s written performance:
Act 1 (employee L...): Coldly states in writing that the voucher expired on 28/07 at 09:00 a.m. (Too bad my evidence image clearly shows that it was valid all day until 28/07/26).
Act 2 (employee A... M...): Enters the stage and strongly contradicts his colleague in writing on the same day: “The voucher is still valid and redeemable until 11:59:59 p.m.!” – Brilliant advice for a purchase that was completed 4 days ago. A time machine, unfortunately, is not included.
Act 3 (employee B... I...): The blame shift. I simply shouldn’t have completed the purchase if it didn’t work. Right, I should have just broken the legally binding contract after the price proposal and risked my spotless account. My mistake!
Act 4 (employee A...): The rescue attempt. He absolutely wants to call me (nothing written anymore!) and, as sensational help, sends me a link to... drumroll... “Selling limits for commercial sellers”. Sure, as a private buyer of a TV, those exact limits are what keep me up at night!
I have now written to support on 29/07 that I greatly appreciate this comedic interlude, but that I will continue the communication in writing only for evidence preservation purposes and refuse phone calls.
The formal complaint is now with management. The deadline for compensation (EUR 50 credit or a universal replacement voucher) is unquestionably running until 04/08/2026.
If eBay lets the deadline pass, the whole thing sadly loses its humor: then this seamless real-life satire goes straight to the Wettbewerbszentrale as an evidence file (keyword: misleading pricing / misleading advertising under PAngV & § 5 UWG). The TV will be revoked (which means the seller commission is gone) and my eBay Plus membership will be terminated without notice.
Question for you:
Has anyone ever experienced conditions like a “Klarna requirement” being withheld in exclusive invitation promotions in the item’s price details and only shown after the binding purchase has been completed via price suggestion?
And to the eBay moderators reading along: do you internally find this support theater just as funny as I do, or will someone with real review competence take pity and manually credit me the 50 euros I’m entitled to?
Best regards!
elke@ebay
Mentor1 week agoHello @mo-do51279 , after consulting with the specialist department, no replacement voucher can be issued here, as requested by you. On multiple attempts in the eBay checkout before payment, you were shown that the respective voucher cannot be redeemed with the selected payment method. If you nevertheless decide to go through the checkout without the voucher, you are not entitled to the voucher value. My colleague @verena@ebay has already pointed out our terms of use to you. Of course, for legal advice you can also contact a lawyer or a legal advice center.
Kind regards
Elke
mo-do51279
OP1 week agoHello everyone,
Thank you very much for the standard reply and, above all, for the friendly hint about taking legal action.
Unfortunately, the specialist department is completely missing the point: the legally binding purchase decision (my price suggestion) was made on the basis of the faulty and incomplete price display on the item page. At that point, the discount was deducted live – without any notice of a Klarna requirement.
The fact that afterward the system blocks the voucher at checkout does not change the fact that misleading prices were used to lure people in here (§ 5 UWG / PAngV). A one-sided withdrawal from the purchase contract after acceptance of the price suggestion would not only have jeopardized my spotless account, but also harmed the seller, who is absolutely not to blame for your system errors.
Since the deadline expires tomorrow (04/08) and eBay is showing no willingness to listen, I will proceed as announced: the case will go to the Wettbewerbszentrale and the consumer protection center as evidence. I’m aware that I probably won’t get the 50 euros back directly this way – but this is about the principle.
mo-do51279
OP1 week agomo-do51279
OP1 week ago"Hello everyone, since there is no insight to be expected from support or the specialist department, I am ending the discussion at this point. I would like to expressly thank you for this absolute textbook example of customer hostility, for ignoring system errors, and for the valuable hint to take legal action. Thanks for nothing.Just for legal clarification for the record: The obligation to state the real total price including all conditions directly on the offer arises unequivocally from § 1 Abs. 1 PAngV as well as § 5a Abs. 1 UWG (withholding essential information). Adding a 'Klarna requirement' only at checkout – after a legally binding purchase contract had already come into existence through the acceptance of my price offer pursuant to § 433 BGB – is a clear violation of price disclosure and competition law.The relevant case law of the Federal Court of Justice (cf. BGH, case no. I ZR 22/15) as well as the Higher Regional Courts (cf. OLG Frankfurt, case no. 6 W 12/21) confirms without exception that tying discounts to certain payment methods must be transparent from the outset and may not be added later at the checkout.My complete file of evidence (including the screen recordings) is now, as announced, going directly to the Wettbewerbszentrale and the Verbraucherzentrale for competition-law review, so that this system disaster is stopped for other buyers.Thank you for the 'support' after a loyal membership since 2008. This topic is hereby closed for me in the forum."
voli-maus
Mentor1 week agoYou read the terms and conditions "BEFORE" buying, @mo-do51279 .
Case law from the courts concerns individual cases .
Good luck
mo-do51279
OP1 week ago@voli-maus First do your homework, then reply. 😉
Legal reality: Individual rulings by higher regional courts (like the OLG Frankfurt) very much set the benchmark for the entire industry in competition law.
The heart of the problem: No one has to look for conditions for a discount that, at the moment of the legally binding conclusion of the contract (acceptance of the price proposal), was already actively and without restrictions deducted from the price by the system. According to the Price Indication Ordinance (PAngV), that is simply misleading headline advertising.
But thanks for the well wishes!
mo-do51279
OP1 week agoPostscript: And if you no longer find exactly this kind of vouchers in eBay price suggestions over the next few months – well, why do you think that is? 😉 Every single incorrect listing costs eBay real money after review by the Wettbewerbszentrale.
The topic is closed for me here in the forum.
voli-maus
Mentor1 week agoYeah
mo-do51279
OP1 week agoHello everyone, since I haven’t received any response to this dispute so far and I’ll have a bit more time tomorrow, I’m now going to finalize the documents for the relevant authorities. I have documented all incidents precisely and without any gaps – including the technical evidence videos of the misleading price displays (for the TV and the sofa) as well as the entire email correspondence with support. Best regards!
verena@ebay
Mentor1 week agoHello @mo-do51279 ,
It actually isn’t a system/display error, since this is our normal discount display.
I’m happy to pass your concerns about the accuracy of the price display on internally. As soon as we’ve received feedback on it, we’ll get back to you here in the post.
Best regards
Verena
mo-do51279
OP1 week agoHello everyone, since I still haven't received any response to this issue so far and I have a bit more time tomorrow, I’m now going to finalize the documents for the relevant authorities. I have documented all incidents precisely and completely – including the technical evidence videos of the misleading price displays (for the TV and the sofa) as well as the entire email correspondence with support. Best regards!
petersmodellbahnstuebchen
Mentor1 week agoHey @mo-do51279
then I’ll keep all my fingers crossed for you for your project. Honestly.
Best wishes from the Baltic Sea
Peter
verena@ebay
Mentor1 week agoHello @mo-do51279 ,
Thanks a lot for your post!
On the item page and in the price details, possible discounts are shown to you. The discounted price always refers to the corresponding voucher. And when using these vouchers, the voucher terms and conditions must always be observed.
So before buying the item, you should first have looked at the full terms and conditions for the voucher. For this reason, we also see no reason for compensation.
Thanks for the tag, @perfect-sally !
Best regards
Verena
mo-do51279
OP1 week agoHello Verena,
Thank you very much for your reply. However, your argument overlooks key technical and legal aspects here that are at the heart of the problem.
Here are the three decisive facts that prove the inconsistency in the system:
Contract formation before checkout: The purchase contract became legally binding through acceptance of the price proposal (§ 433 BGB). At that point, the active deduction of 50.00 EUR was shown in the price details directly on the item page (see my combo image and the couch example) – with no indication whatsoever of any payment-method restriction. A buyer must be able to rely on the discounts displayed directly next to the price being correct at the moment the binding contract is formed.
Hidden conditions: The Price Indication Ordinance (PAngV) and § 5 UWG (misleading advertising) require that any essential restrictions on a price must be shown directly with the offer. Showing the “Klarna requirement” only after the binding purchase in a deep subpage under “My eBay” is legally extremely problematic. The duty of transparency lies with the platform, not as detective work for the customer.
No deduction at checkout: The system simply did not apply the discount at checkout when paying, even though it was already factored in at the time of the binding purchase via the price proposal. That is a technical error in the platform logic, not a user error.
Since this is demonstrably a systematic error (as the current couch example also shows), I very much hope that you will assess the case once again with this deeper level of review competence.
My deadline for crediting the 50.00 EUR (or issuing a universal replacement voucher) remains, as announced, until 04/08/2026. I would be happy if we could find a manual, customer-friendly solution here.
Best regards
mo-do51279
OP1 week agoUpdate: The error is SYSTEMATIC! Further proof from 26/07 is available.
Hello everyone,
to reinforce this once again: The error is systematic and affects the entire platform over a period of days!
On 26/07/2026 (two days after buying my TV), I opened another high-priced product – a leather sofa for EUR 3,699.00. And lo and behold: Exactly the same phenomenon! The coupon YDEFSI2SYBPCNKCM is officially deducted by the system in the price details (final price: EUR 3,649.00).
Here too, there is no indication of any Klarna binding in the price details! (See my newly attached screenshot).
Dear eBay team, this is not an "isolated case" and not a "user error". Your system lured customers nationwide with active discounts in the price details and concealed the payment condition until one was legally bound.
@verena@ebay: This is a massive, documented error in price labeling. I expect my case to be resolved by 04/08/2026.
Best regards!
mo-do51279
OP1 week agoHello everyone, here is the German text:
I just have to give a big shout-out to the eBay support team today. Who needs Netflix when you have an open ticket with customer service? The entertainment value is absolutely top-notch!
A quick bit of background to this comedy (ticket: SR# 1-507365122689):
I’ve been a member since early 2008, have been an eBay Plus member continuously since day one, and have over 950 positive ratings. In short: I actually like the platform.
On 24/07, I’m interested in a Samsung QLED TV (B-stock) for EUR 599.00. Right on the price details on the item page, I’m shown the voucher code YDEFSI2SYBPCNKCM worth EUR 50.00 and it is live deducted from the item price. In this official promo window, there are no restrictions or hints about any specific payment method (see the top part in the attached composite image).
As it turns out, this is a personalized discount promotion that eBay has specially invited me to as a loyal customer (see the lower part in the composite image). Motivated by this tailored discount, I use the option on the item page and place a price offer of EUR 580.00. The seller accepts – and that legally binds me to the purchase contract.
The simple math of the case:
Accepted price offer: EUR 580.00
Minus the promised voucher: - EUR 50.00
Lawful final price: EUR 530.00
After the click comes the big wake-up call at checkout: the system suddenly demands the full amount of EUR 580.00 and withholds the discount. Only now, in the voucher overview under “My eBay”, does the addition “when paying with Klarna” suddenly appear (see the middle part in the composite image). Before that, at the crucial moment of the purchase decision and directly on the item, this was completely omitted! To avoid jeopardizing my spotless account with an unpaid item, I had to grit my teeth and pay the full amount via PayPal.
But now comes the real main prize – the support team’s written performance:
Act 1 (employee L...): Coldly claims in writing that the voucher expired on 28/07 at 09:00 in the morning. (Too bad that my proof image clearly shows it was valid all day until 28/07/26).
Act 2 (employee A... M...): Enters the stage and vehemently contradicts his colleague in writing on the same day: “The voucher is still valid and redeemable until 23:59:59!” – A brilliant tip for a purchase that was completed 4 days ago. Unfortunately, a time machine is not included.
Act 3 (employee B... I...): The blame game. I didn’t have to complete the purchase if it didn’t work. Right, I should simply have broken the legally binding contract after the price offer and risked my spotless account. My mistake!
Act 4 (employee A...): The rescue attempt. He absolutely wants to call me (no more written record, please!) and sends me, as sensational help, a link to... drumroll... “Selling limits for commercial sellers”. Sure, as a private buyer of a TV, those exact limits are what’s keeping me up at night!
I have now informed support in writing on 29/07 that I very much appreciate this comic interlude, but that I will continue the communication only in writing for evidentiary purposes and reject phone calls.
The formal complaint is now with management. The deadline for compensation (50 € credit or a universal replacement voucher) runs irrevocably until 04/08/2026.
Should eBay let the deadline pass, the whole thing unfortunately loses its humor: then this seamless real-life satire goes straight to the Wettbewerbszentrale as a file of evidence (keyword: misleading price labeling / misleading advertising under PAngV & § 5 UWG). The TV will be canceled (which means the seller commission is gone) and my eBay Plus membership will be terminated without notice.
Question for you:
Has anyone ever experienced conditions like a “Klarna requirement” being withheld in the item’s price details during exclusive invitation promotions and only shown after the binding purchase is completed via price offer?
And to the eBay moderators reading along: Do you actually find this support theater just as funny internally as I do, or will someone with real review authority take pity and manually credit me the 50 euros I’m entitled to?
Kind regards!
perfect-sally
Mentor1 week agoAnd it was forgotten to mention that, in general, vouchers cannot be combined with other discounts such as price suggestions.
As a long-time user, that should still be in mind 😏
mo-do51279
OP1 week agoNice try, but this blanket statement is simply wrong 😉
As a member since 2008, I can assure you from years of practical experience: promotional vouchers and price offers have always been combinable on eBay. I have already done this in the past very, very often without any problems at all.
The technical reality and my screenshots anyway refute your objection across the board:
No block because of combination: The system did not block the voucher because it was a price offer. My proof image shows black on white that the voucher would have been valid when paying with Klarna. The combination of price offer and voucher is therefore absolutely intended by the system!
The misleading live display: If the system allows this combination, then the decisive payment condition (Klarna requirement) must be communicated before submitting the price offer in the price details.
The legal trap: Showing the Klarna requirement only once the binding purchase contract has already been legally concluded by the accepted price offer is and remains a misleading price display.
This is not about banning double discounts, but about a very clear, documented system failure in the transparent display of conditions. The facts are on the table.
perfect-sally
Mentor1 week agoYes, there are definitely vouchers that are tied to certain payment methods, but not showing that upfront is really something else and just not okay.
Maybe an eBay employee should take a look at that; she can probably classify it better.
@verena@ebay could you take a look please? Many thanks