Seller had my negative feedback removed

[willlow65]

I am beyond **bleep** off. I purchased  live aquatic moss from a seller and he sent me a dead dry patch of craft moss that was so thin and small that it needed only one stamp. His photos were fake as well.  I left negative feedback and there were several negatives that said the same thing.I filed a return to sender option and called ebay about this disaster.  They said that I am covered by buyer protection and the seller should send a return label. He never sent me the return label and I received a full refund with an email saying they removed my negative feedback. I called ebay and a service rep said the seller filed an appeal for the negative to be removed. How can this happen?

How can ebay allow this scammer to continue to scam buyers? Since when does ebay remove honest feedback?

[plumbingspecials]

@willow65

Why did you post this at all if you do not want to hear anything that might help you in the future ... because you did not know this information before, you don't want to hear it now?
You cannot use profanity in feedback. Putting spaces between the letters is not all that ingenious, so you got caught. Don't blame the seller, don't blame ebay. Your own words got your feedback removed.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@nowthatsjustducky wrote:

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

@missjen831

I understand when you say eBay does not want anyone to go around their policies, so it is  no longer written, but it is irritating buyers, who don't know these policies, when their feedback is removed.

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How in blazes can keeping a policy like that hidden prevent buyers from circumventing said policy.

Knowing that mentioning a buyer protection case in feedback will get that feedback removed would likely motivate buyers to just post plain factual feedback that does not mention the case.

That makes absolutely zero sense.  I swear the folk creating these policies must have the same intellect level of the Pointy Haired Boss from Dilbert.

"We can't tell you the rule about not mentioning a case in feedback because you might then otherwise not bother mentioning a case in order to not get your feedback removed and instead just post facts that are not in violation of feedback policies?"  Here is your sign (to whoever decided this was a smart thing to do).

Pro Tip, dudes...  If you do not want policies being violated, then you should make it clear what activities violate those policies.

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@nowthatsjustducky

@missjen316

My apologies to you both as I could have expressed that better.  I understand that that is what they say, but find it confusing, as I am not sure who it is supposed to keep from circumventing the policy, and I agree with you, having written policies is best for transparency and trust, and to avoid policies from being circumvented.

Is it to keep the seller from circumventing policy if they don't know it so honest feedback is not removed on the tecnicality of mentioning a case?   But this seller managed to get the feedback removed and it did not mention a case.  They got it removed on just an appeal?  

Or is it so the buyer does not circumvent policy when they would not mention a case if they knew it was grounds for removal, so that their feedback stands as posted?

There have been a LOT of threads recently from irate buyers who feel removing their feedback is dishonest, and if the rules are unwritten, it just breeds mistrust.  It causes them to not want to buy on eBay any longer.  A bad buyer experience.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@missjen316 wrote:

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

@missjen831

I thought I read recently that that had changed, that feedback could mention a case and that it was no longer grounds for removal, possibly because a seller tried to get it removed and could not?  Don't remember what thread it was, but I think Trinton was called into the thread as you say.

There have been many threads on the buying Board recently from irate buyers who have had their feedback removed!

Anyway, thanks, missjen!

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@castlemagicmemories I don't recall Trinton saying that cases can be mentioned now. He said the exact opposite just a few days ago and I copied and pasted what he said. You are talking about a thread on this board right? I do recall that thread but not any responses from Trinton where he said the policy has changed but it's possible I missed it. @Anonymous can you please clear this up for us? Perhaps I missed understood or missed an important response somewhere 🙂

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Hey everyone, happy to clarify this a little further. I've grabbed a quote from a post I made regarding this topic recently for more details:

"We can remove feedback if there is a reference to the outcome, such as "I had to file a claim to get my money back," or "I filed a case and eBay sided with me." Certain general statements like, "Poor experience, had to open a case," or "Seller is rude, Had to ask eBay for help" are not removable as the outcome is not referenced. An investigation is not indicative of guilt or wrong doing and we will withdraw references to eBay, PayPal, or law enforcement investigations, as we do not want to validate these claims within the feedback forum."

Looking at the details provided in this thread, it appears that the seller may have pursued an appeal of the case decision after we sided with the buyer. Anytime a seller wins an appeal, any related feedback would be removed. This generally has nothing to do with the buyer or the contents of the feedback, and is simply a part of the seller protection we provide.

There are times where feedback is removed for reasons we can't discuss due to privacy concerns, though these are few and far between. Feedback removal is strict and closely monitored, so rest assured that we take this matter very seriously.

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@Anonymous

Thank you, Trinton, for clarifying this!  Cases may be mentioned, outcomes may not.  And I took the info that the seller appealed and it was removed as a given, which I know it is not, when there were extenuating, qualifying circumstances.  I know that when a seller wins an appeal, the buyer's feedback is removed.  

There are a lot of recent threads by irate buyers about seller's feedback being removed, though; it makes them question trusting eBay any longer, even though it is posted that usually a buyer's feedback is allowed to stand.  

[castlemagicmemories]

@missjen831

Thank you to you as well!!!

[willlow65]

My feedback never mentioned a case, a refund etc, all I wrote was the condition the moss came to me.

[willlow65]

No

[castlemagicmemories]

@willlow65

Yes, I know because  you posted what your feedback said and I said that I didn't see anything wrong.  This is harder to determine because they said it concerned the closing of a case, which the seller appealed, and due to their privacy rules regarding other's accounts, we don't know what happened.

I took it literally when you said the seller appealed and the feedback was removed, as in one was the direct result of the other, but I know that feedback removal, even when ra seller files an appeal, is not guaranteed.

It seems the seller appealed their decision in your favor.  I don'tknow on what grounds, but they won and so your feedback was reversed; at least, I think that is what happened but of course this is just speculation due to the privacy rules.

Sorry again but glad you got your money back from this.

[willlow65]

It seems that ebay customer service is in foreign countries and that has something to do with their decision. There is no way anyone with a functioning brain would side with a scammer. He has several negative feedbacks with the same complaints.

[willlow65]

How do I edit a post here?

[willlow65]

I'm out off here, the board moderator is harassing me. Just letting the public know the scamming situation I experienced. I think I will stop buying on Ebay and just use Amazon.

[j2774]

Ebay has been doing it for eons!  They removed three negative feedbacks I left for a seller who cancelled three BIN sales.  She lied to PayPal and said I asked to cancel!  NOT true.  I complained to eBay, and they told me nothing could be done about it.  She relisted the items at FOUR times what I paid for them, and I left simple, factual negative feedbacks.  She got eBay to remove them.  This is not the first time this has happened.  I have filed complaints with the attorney general's office and the BBB.  Negative feedback is what eBay often tells buyers is their "only option," and then they remove the negative feedback.  Thus, other buyers have no clue how dishonest a seller has been.  Sorry this happened to you.  I know EXACTLY how you feel.

[j2774]

Yes, I was one who recently began a thread about this sort of thing, too.  It is absolutely INFURIATING.  Feedbacks mean nothing anymore.  There appears to be a million loopholes for sellers to get negative feedback removed.   I no longer rely on seller feedbacks, and it has made me wary of purchasing from anyone with whom I have not previously done business with no problems.

[j2774]

Just the fact that the seller "appealled" = automatic removal of the feedback?!  Holy cow!  As I said, feedback is worthless.  It means nothing any more.

[j2774]

No, it seems to be very arbitrary, but more and more often I see negative feedback removed even though there was no vulagrity or hateful language or anyting.  It happened to me a few weeks ago.  Negative feedback has little chance of remaining in place most of the time.  The feedback system here is a joke.

[j2774]

Precisely!