Neg. Feedback left - they won't answer my emails and lied in their negative feedback comment

[saintpaulgolf]

This item was a golf shaft. They left me a negative feedback. Their feedback seems wrong for several reasons:

- They lied in the comment (I, PERSONALLY, didn't cut the shaft down - I got the shaft as it was and listed it).

- I clearly stated in the listing that the item had part of its tip lost when it was removed from previous golf club head.

- They never contacted me stating they weren't happy with their purchase - this is the saddest part as I would have gladly given them a full refund. 

- They will not respond to the email I sent them - NOTHING. I can't rectify this situation with them as they just won't answer the last message I sent them. 

I asked eBay if they would remove the negative rep as it is clearly a lie that they stated in the comment. 

This is so frustrating on so many levels. 

I am sure I will get some comments from here from some people that say "too bad", "your fault" and all that, but this is just frustrating. 

This is the item:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/144106324989

[releasethekraken_1]

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@saintpaulgolf wrote:

- I clearly stated in the listing that the item had part of its tip lost when it was removed from previous golf club head.

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Actually, no you didn't. What you said was:

"Some of the tip may have been taken off in the removal. "

You probably shouldn't have listed it without being sure what had been done to it.

[releasethekraken_1]

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@katzrul15 wrote:

OP's title states this is a "flex" shaft, which it would not be if the "tip" is missing and if OP plays golf or rehabs clubs, OP clearly "knows" this.  

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All golf shafts are "flex" shafts. It doesn't stop flexing because it's cut to length.

[saintpaulgolf]

Truthfully I probably should have went way further in down-talking it, like I have on other items. I should have said: 


"tip appears to have had some loss in removal from clubhead: NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF TIP WAS REMOVED, but installed in a driver head, it measures to 45". PLEASE DO NOT BID IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH. 

Hindsight is 20-20 or course. 

[eleanor*rigby]

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@saintpaulgolf wrote:

Truthfully I probably should have went way further in down-talking it, like I have on other items. I should have said: 

"tip appears to have had some loss in removal from clubhead: NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF TIP WAS REMOVED, but installed in a driver head, it measures to 45". PLEASE DO NOT BID IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH. 

Hindsight is 20-20 or course. 

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As a seller, you shouldn't have to "down talk" an item you're selling. You should be describing it clearly and accurately. If you receive less money for it, so be it. Look what this transaction has gotten you . . . a negative feedback rating and a lot of angst, at best.

You can leave out the above comment--especially the last sentence. If you have to use "appears" or "some loss," then you don't know what you're selling and the buyer doesn't know what s/he's buying. And that last sentence is just not binding under any circumstances. If I saw a seller include something like that in an items description, I run so fast I'd probably trip all over myself.

Next time, if you don't know what's been done to an item and you can't explain it clearly and concisely, don't sell it on eBay. Period.

P.S. As I buyer, your reply to that feedback would discourage me from making a purchase from you. I wish sellers would realize that the audience for feedback replies is future potential buyers. You're not teaching that buyer a lesson or getting retribution or revenge or whatever caused you to reply that way. You're supposed to be showing future buyers how professionally you handle your customer service issues, not pointing the finger at the buyer. 

[chapeau-noir]

Forget the neg - it may be painful and frustrating, absolutely, and it's understandable that it's better for the buyer to contact you first,  but it doesn't 'ruin' your reputation.  This is a customer service issue:  What can you do to rectify this for the buyer?  IMHO it was an honest mistake - selling any kind of tool, part, etc. that's not in original working order is a potential problem in a situation where the buyer cannot actually handle the item to see if they can adapt it or it is usable for them, and as a seller you're not sure of exactly what alterations were made.  I would steer clear of anything like that in future (I've sold a lot of bike parts, for instance, so familiar with these situations*) where you simply cannot determine usability.   If you can't get hold of your buyer, it'll just have to be written off as hard experience.  No one is immune to making a mistake - it's not like you were out to be dishonest, it was just a mistake.

*BTW, I learnt this myself the hard way. 

[saintpaulgolf]

This is what I did. I responded in a feedback I left for them: 

"Buyer made false claims in neg/rep comment they left for me. I tried contacting buyer to offer a full refund but they do not respond. Sorry you weren't happy with purchase but I can't make it right with you if you don't respond to my email to you. SPG"

[inhawaii]

WRONG: "Some of the tip may have been taken off in the removal."

CORRECT: "Some of the tip was taken off in the removal."

[Anonymous]

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@saintpaulgolf wrote:

This is what I did. I responded in a feedback I left for them: 

"Buyer made false claims in neg/rep comment they left for me. I tried contacting buyer to offer a full refund but they do not respond. Sorry you weren't happy with purchase but I can't make it right with you if you don't respond to my email to you. SPG"

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That is a policy violation. You can’t leave a neg fb comment (ie: buyer made false claims) under a pos rating on a buyer’s account. You’re digging yourself deeper. The reply you left to the buyer’s fb isn’t doing you favors, either.

[johnrj1226]

1.  Leaving feed back is an optional activity for both buyer & sellers.  And they are  simply their opinion.

2.  Having 1  negative feed back in the last 12 months is not the end of the world - it will drop off your rating in 12 months.  Sellers are not rated by eBay on the number of negs a seller receives ( they used to).  We all get one sooner or later.   Heck I never received a perfect 100% or 4.0 on my report cards thru high school & 4.5 years of college.

3.  Only the buyer can request the  neg to be removed

[bill.purvis2012]

My opinion only:  You would do better to accept returns. When you have listed that you do not accept returns the buyers react this way and can nail you with negative feedback at will.  Ebay will force you to accept return or refund anyway when a buyer says it is not as described. So, you may as well show you accept returns. That way the buyer's solution is to return and he can't leave negative feedback because you are making him whole.  If he did leave feedback, Ebay will remove it.  This is the best move I ever made in Ebay.