$20 eBay Plus Voucher to Spend on Anything but Not Really Anything

subywagon on 08/07/2020 - 12:56

A bit of a rant, and warning for people signing up to the $20 eBay Plus voucher to spend on "anything" offer.

I just signed up for an eBay Plus trial due to the offer of a $20 voucher stating I could spend it on anything. There was no star or symbol next to the "anything".

Now at checkout it wouldn't work. I chat with eBay and they say it's because it's a car part and they are in the exclusions list.
I tell them the ad I saw said I can use it on anything with no star or symbol indicating limitations. She said it's all in the fine print.
I said there should be a star or symbol.

The conversation goes around in circles with her just pasting the conditions over and over again and I ask to see a supervisor a few times and copy and paste an excerpt from the ACCC site about misleading advertising and she finally brings a supervisor in who just goes around in the same circles with him just not giving a f#$* even when I showed him the misleading advertising excerpt from the ACCC. He told me it was voluntary that I signed up, isn't any purchase etc voluntary anyways? He was straight up being condescending, pasting their terms and conditions and then trying to shut the conversation down with, "Are we all set?"

So good luck, and don't try to purchase "anything", because the offer to spend the voucher on anything isn't actually anything at all, only some things but apparently that's okay because you weren't forced sign up for the offer.

Internet eBay Australia Membership

Related Stores

eBay Australia
eBay Australia
Marketplace

Comments

  • OzCheapo on 08/07/2020 - 13:10

    Buy toilet paper before it runs out.

    • subywagon on 08/07/2020 - 14:06

      Toilet paper is for peasants.

  • mapax on 08/07/2020 - 13:14

    I got the $20 offer a few weeks ago and they bumped it up to a $50 offer. It also didn’t have an asterisk but did say T&Cs apply, they clearly stated car and truck parts are excluded when I read it last week.

    • subywagon on 08/07/2020 - 14:07

      They should have an asterisk or arrow next to anything. Unless the meaning of the word anything has changed over the last few years and I didn't get the memo.

  • Orico on 08/07/2020 - 13:33
    +1

    CAR PARTS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS (99% of the time) EXCLUDED FROM EBAY SALES AND VOUCHERS.

    It's been like this for 15+ years.

    • subywagon on 08/07/2020 - 14:04

      I've had vouchers in the past few years that have definitely allowed car parts, I buy them all the time through eBay.

      Regardless there will be way more users out there that are not "experts" like us who would have no idea that car parts or other items are often excluded. The ACCC clearly states using broad statements such as this and then having exclusions such as this in the T's and C's constitutes misleading advertising.

      • Orico on 08/07/2020 - 14:41

        I've had vouchers in the past few years that have definitely allowed car parts, I buy them all the time through eBay.

        Really? What type of voucher? Gift cards don't count because that's just like money.

        • subywagon on 08/07/2020 - 17:28

          Not gift cards but codes. There's even been one or two specifically for car parts in the past.

          • mapax on 08/07/2020 - 18:40
            +1

            @subywagon: Can confirm some have worked with car parts. I have bought an oil filter and also some spring bushes a few years ago.

  • Dean29 on 08/07/2020 - 15:04
    -1

    U mad bro?

    • subywagon on 08/07/2020 - 17:29

      No annoyed. Misleading advertising is annoying.

  • cameldownunder on 08/07/2020 - 15:26

    $20 Voucher. That you could use on "other" things. New "hights" om OZBargain.

  • FireRunner on 08/07/2020 - 15:28

    Does it work on eBay gift cards?

    • CC123 on 09/07/2020 - 12:21

      No

      Excluded Items means all items listed in the following categories: Cars, Bikes, Boats (9800), Car & Truck Parts (6030), Coins (11116), Collectables (1), Gift Cards (184609), Other Lots More Items (88433), Real Estate (10542), Services (316), Tickets, Travel (11730)

  • CC123 on 09/07/2020 - 12:21

    Don't see why you are annoyed?
    At the bottom of the email (and eBay message) I received it clearly states:

    *New members only. $49pa post trial. Voucher valid for 30 days & on Plus items only. Offer & eBay Plus T&Cs apply

    Full T&Cs

    • subywagon on 09/07/2020 - 13:51

      Well my one is actually for non eBay Plus items too. I'm annoyed because they use the word "anything" without even a disclaimer symbol at least that there are exceptions. It is clearly misleading according to the ACCC's own explanation of the law. Can you please tell me your definition of anything? And your interpretation of the ACCC's explanation as to what is misleading advertising and claims?

      Creating a false or misleading impression
      Businesses are not allowed to make statements that are incorrect or likely to create a false impression.

      This rule applies to their advertising, their product packaging, and any information provided to you by their staff or online shopping services. It also applies to any statements made by businesses in the media or online, such as testimonials on their websites or social media pages.

      For example, businesses cannot make false claims about:

      the quality, style, model or history of a product or service
      whether the goods are new
      the sponsorship, performance characteristics, accessories, benefits or use of products and services
      the availability of repair facilities or spare parts
      the need for the goods or services
      any exclusions on the goods and services.
      It makes no difference whether the business intended to mislead you or not. If the overall impression left by a business’s advertisement, promotion, quotation, statement or other representation creates a misleading impression in your mind—such as to the price, value or the quality of any goods and services—then the behaviour is likely to breach the law.

      False or misleading advertising
      These are some of the most common types of false or misleading advertising reported to the ACCC.

      Fine print and qualifications
      It is common practice for advertisements to include some information in fine print. This information must not contradict the overall message of the advertisement. For example, if an advertisement states that a product is ‘free’ but the fine print indicates some payment must be made, the advertisement is likely to be misleading.

  • videoman on 10/08/2020 - 13:59

    Yeah I had a hard time finding anything to use my $20 voucher on. It was even harder to find something worth buying with the $10 ebay plus coupons I got. You need to wait a long time for a decent deal to pop up.

  • subywagon on 10/08/2020 - 15:48
    +3

    Well my complaints worked and I was right, it was misleading advertising. They changed the criteria for my voucher and allowed me to purchase car parts.

    • kuruptz on 23/08/2020 - 23:53
      +1

      Big win!

      • subywagon on 24/08/2020 - 14:31
        +1

        Success is a series of small wins apparently lol. Well I got my discounted car parts so it worked out for me.

        • kuruptz on 24/08/2020 - 14:42
          +1

          Haha that's what ozbargain is all about.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join