eBay charged me New York sales tax on things state doesn’t collect tax on

Dear John: I would like your help and or advice.

EBay began collecting sales tax for New York state last summer. Problem is, they charge sales tax for items not subject to sales tax in New York, like over-the-counter drugs and medicines. These include allergy medications and asthma inhalers.

I have called eBay and opened cases several times, but nothing happens. I have also opened a complaint with New York state tax department, to no avail.

Any thoughts on how to get this corrected would be appreciated, as it is very frustrating to pay sales tax for nontaxable purchases.

Thanks, M.P.

Dear M.P.: The problem is fixed for you, and hopefully for anyone in the future who encounters the same problem with eBay.

I contacted eBay, the company looked into it and this was the answer: “Thank you for flagging this. We reviewed the case flagged below; a refund has been processed for all medicine items going back to June.”

The company said it was looking into how to avoid this happening again to others. But, readers, if you use eBay or any other internet company for purchases, you might want to get a list of things in your state that aren’t subject to sales tax and keep a look out for mistakes like this.