eBay just told me they deleted my negative feedback because they like the seller. Is that normal?

[relucktantkiller]

I had a very sour experience with a seller and left negative feedback after the dust settled. The feedback was fair and honest about my experience, but today it was wiped without any communication with me. It is currently still a negative feedback, but my words were deleted effectively silencing me. After a few hours of contact with eBay I got a message that explained what happened. 

"I was  disappointed  to  learn of the situation you  have  encountered ,and  I  regret  any  inconvenience you  may have  experienced. My name is Jane and  I will help  you  with  your concern.I  read your email  and  felt the  sentiments you  currently have.I want  to  assure you  that  your  BUYER protection  is active  and  this  is  of our highest concern.

When the feedback was removed ,it was based on the resolution of your concern .It shows this on the claim :

Order Refund Amount: USD732.42

this shows that seller helped you with your issue ,who happens to be a top seller who offers free returns.These kind of sellers here at eBay who offer free returns and refund their buyers for complaints enjoy the benefit of feedback removal as long as they do not have open issues and are in good standing.Our specialized team did a careful review of the seller's account and concluded that they are eligible to this request. Note that not all sellers are given this privilege only those who qualify have this.

Since it went through an exhaustive review  we can give you a better alternative than leaving a feedback.You may  post your sentiments on the  transaction  on our  Community  Billboard  via  the  link  below "

It states things like the seller helped me and refunded me as facts, but they're not even true. The seller was very confrontational in our messages and did not want to take the return until I initiated it myself and all communication stopped. He also ignored my questions about the quality of his screen replacement before he even shipped it, but the item itself was not functioning currently so that shouldn't have even mattered. He sat on my return for 3 days without refunding me, until I asked eBay to step in and then they refunded me like the next day. EBay is acting like I did my return because of a complaint, when the device was not properly functioning, the firmware was tampered with and unable to connect to apple servers for an update. Anyways, this is already a long post, I'm mostly just curious, how often does eBay sweep bad feedback under the rug? I'm questioning 15 years of "100% feedback means good seller" because clearly favoritism exists now. Am I crazy for being mad at eBay?

[crazystuff4sale]

It has nothing to do with ebay favoring that particular seller.

The feedback in this particular circumstance qualified for automatic removal according to ebay's published policy.

[mudshark61369]

@relucktantkiller,

You have enough experience using ebay that you should know to check the feedback profile page of any seller you intend to buy from, before buying.  The seller's replies to the other negatives received would have had me hitting the back button, and so would their feedback percentage, which is not a good one by ebay standards.

If you mentioned having to have ebay to step in in any way in your comment, that is why it was removed.  You cannot mention disputes in feedback comments.  The fact that ebay let the negative stay, means they found enough problems in the messages or transaction to let it stand, no matter what the message you received says.

[dnasilver]

I doubt eBay told you "they like the seller". Seems like a stretch they would say that.

Why let little things get you upset. It is a choice to let that happen.

[ma-647837]

---

@relucktantkiller wrote:

I had a very sour experience with a seller and left negative feedback after the dust settled.

The feedback was fair and honest about my experience, but today it was wiped without any communication with me. It is currently still a negative feedback, but my words were deleted effectively silencing me.

After a few hours of contact with eBay I got a message that explained what happened. 

"[...]

Order Refund Amount: USD732.42

that seller helped you with your issue ,who happens to be a top seller who offers free returns.

[...]

Since it went through an exhaustive review  we can give you a better alternative than leaving a feedback. You may  post your sentiments on the  transaction  on our  Community  Billboard  via  the  link  below "

---

Congratulations on the promotion, Sheila! You're now manager of the eBay Community Billboard

-- with the flashing marquee, loud and exuberant fanfare, and a 76-piece marching band!

When you relucktantly try to kill a Top-Ratted Seller @relucktantkiller any "neutral and negative feedback" (it must be simultaneously neutral and negative) will be removed. 

These Top-Rankled Seller are ranked at the top, and enjoy eBay's protection that their top ratting affords. Relish, at least, that the bot faltered, and only removed the comment, not your entire feedback, so you still took your seller down a notch.

[bonjourami]

Ebay doesnt have to tell you that they removed your fb.

[simba6]

When eBay started, they would never remove feedback.  Then they did slowly come up with rules to do so. Now it's quite common.  Still feedback has outlived it's usefulness  and should just go away.

[kh-cathy]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.