How do we appeal feedback removal denied?

[wtflipdib]

Had something ordered on Monday, April 15th. I shipped the item same day, April 15th, via USPS.

Due to USPS mishandling the item, it was arriving late.

I reached out to buyer on April 24th giving them a heads up that there was a problem with USPS and they are having trouble getting their package to them. Since it was getting circled around to three different hubs, I asked them to confirm their shipping address in the order.

April 25th, the item got delivered. Buyer never responded back to my message from April 24th.

May 1st I wakeup to a message as well as a Negative feedback.

In the negative feedback the buyer said the following:

The lotion took 2 weeks to get to me, and the packaging had been tampered with.

Now, I should note, both of these things are completely out of my control. I didn't tamper with their package nor did I cause a shipping delay.

Also, there is a post on 4/10 about USPS shipping delays on the Announcement board.

In the message they sent to me after leaving the feedback, they said the following:

It doesn't look like I can amend my first review and ratings. I'll contact eBay later today and will try to have my first ratings removed so as not to hurt your ratings. And my sincere apologies!!! I just looked at the tracking for the USPS, and it looks like they sent the package here to XXX, and then sent it to XXX!!!! 😳 It went through XXX, and finally back to XXX. As a seller on eBay, I think that you would have a good case in complaining to the USPS!!!! Maybe they could refund your shipping costs, at minimum. If I can help with that in any way, please feel free to contact me at: XXX-XXX-XXXX. Since your number won't be in my contact list, please send me a text so that I'll answer your number, and it won't show up as spam, or as an unknown number And again, my apologies.

Since they indicated their package was tampered with, I provided them a full refund. In addition, I immediately opened a Feedback Revision request.

On May 6th, I sent them another message indicating the feedback revision request would expire on the 10th.

Since they haven't been back to revise the feedback, I opted to do a removal. I thought it would be pretty easy open-and-shut case for removal as this was out of my control and I'd issued a full refund AND I'd already been reimbursed by USPS for a damaged shipment.

Took them only minutes for the automated feedback removal tool (I'm assuming it was automated) to come back and tell me that it is not eligible for removal.

How can this be appealed? They have a link in the denial indicating if you would like more assistance, click here, but it's a pretty sick joke that they just take you to the main seller help hub with no idea where to start.

[luckythewinner]

Now, I should note, both of these things are completely out of my control. I didn't tamper with their package nor did I cause a shipping delay.

Negative feedback is a buyer's opinion of a transaction. On what basis would you appeal? 

eBay policy specifically states that a buyer can comment on shipping time in feedback: 

"You can also add a comment about your experience, include pictures, or rate specific aspects of the transaction – including whether the item arrived on time, the accuracy of the item description, shipping costs, and the seller's communication. "

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/leaving-feedback-sellers/leaving-feedback-sellers?id=4007

[ebooksdiva]

Even though it's nice to give buyers a"heads up" on slow shipping, in my experience it is never wise to "poke the proverbial bear" if the buyer hasn't first contacted you about it. 
As you are finding out with the negative feedback received. Unfortunately it doesn't violate eBay policy I don't believe you have a basis for an appeal.  Sorry. 
If you sent a feedback revision request your buyer has a couple of options, proceed with the revision, decline the revision or ignore and delete the revision, the later sounds like what your buyer chose to do.  

[adamcartwright]

That ebay policy language was obviously written by someone who was never a seller. It would better read "whether the item was shipped on time." Black and white issue, which is the seller's responsibility.

There should be no suggestion or opportunity for a buyer to penalize a seller for something 100% out of seller's control.

[brightlightbookseller]

It may be out of your control, but it is your responsibility.  You are responsible to get the item delivered on time, and if you have a problem doing so, you sometimes have recourse through the company you contracted to deliver it, and sometimes not.  But legally and morally, it is your responsibility whether you want it to be or not.

[carlmarxx]

Go to  your help contact   on the top of my ebay page and click it   then go down  page  to the box  call back  click it . it will  open a  page  with box's to click for  call  back  . I click seller fees  ,a page will open with  left side   auto help   . you will have click on to it ,and a page will open   , type Call back needed   , it will ask a question type call back  . it will ask you about seller fees  click the yes  .  then it will  give  a scroll   down question  . again click yes phone call   back box   then scroll until your phone number  shows  up  click it  . they will have a time frame wait for call back listed.      in the old days it was Easler  to contact ebay.    

[gamersbaystore]

First off, the postal service has the right to tamper with packages, they explicitly state this in their policies. All packages are subject to inspection.

Second, its an "Estimate", not a guaranteed delivery date. USPS does not guarantee delivery dates for anything other than priority express.

This is squarely ebay's fault for giving your buyer an unrealistic delivery estimate, while failing to notify them that the date given is NOT a guarantee.

This is just ebay's narcissism on full display as usual. Who decides what those delivery estimates are? ebay does! Its their fault. But don't count on ebay to accept accountability for anything they do wrong, they never do.

[inhawaii]

You appeal it by writing a good reply,  which you did.

I would have went more along the lines of...

"Your item was shipped  in one day. Sorry the USPS took longer than usual delivering it to you. If the item is damaged in any way, please contact me for a full refund."

[12345jamesstamps]

I like your reply.

Buyer has a feedback of "2"...and it was for 14 bucks. 

Don't think it will affect your account much.

I wish you didn't refund her...but I assume you blocked her...

Do not give a heads up to buyers when looking at tracking...always let buyer email you first.

You opened a "can of worms".

Sometimes, tracking will not show "delivered" but got delivered. I have items still opened since March 2023...yes...last year where tracking shows in transit...but guess got delivered with the positive feedback from them.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

I am assuming you got a carrier scan/tracking update within your handling time

Pretty sure this excerpt from eBay's seller protections proves everyone wrong who said it's "your responsibility" or "you have no ability to appeal"

You have every right to have this feedback removed, and I would contact eBay Customer Service on Social Media (like on Facebook messenger ... someone else will have the link for that) to get this removed. The automated service denied you but cite this seller protection policy to a human being and they should step in and fix it.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

---

@luckythewinner wrote:

Now, I should note, both of these things are completely out of my control. I didn't tamper with their package nor did I cause a shipping delay.

Negative feedback is a buyer's opinion of a transaction. On what basis would you appeal? 

eBay policy specifically states that a buyer can comment on shipping time in feedback: 

"You can also add a comment about your experience, include pictures, or rate specific aspects of the transaction – including whether the item arrived on time, the accuracy of the item description, shipping costs, and the seller's communication. "

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/leaving-feedback-sellers/leaving-feedback-sellers?id=4007

---

Buyer has explicit right to include that in feedback, and Seller has explicit right to exercise seller protections to remove feedback complaining about carrier delay when seller can prove timely shipment. Seller protections trump in this case.

[12345jamesstamps]

Have you done this before and won.

I need to know if it happens to me.

Not a TRS seller.

And wonder the time spent changing the feedback.

I think the seller did a grand job responding and as a buyer of only 2 feedbacks I think no one would pay attention but laugh at this buyer.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

I've never done it, I could/should have with one of my current neutrals. It's probably too late because I waited too long? It'll drop off this August anyway.

I don't believe this seller protection is TRS only. I believe this is a general seller protection policy, I did think about that and tried to verify -- hard to prove a negative.

I am a HUGE proponent of, and often say, a neutral/negative is only as bad as the seller's reply. Often a neutral or negative is a great thing to have, because your reply to it is HUGE. It shows a seller's true colors. A seller w/ no neutrals/negs, it's hard to know how they truly react to criticism... Boy can I say a lot about that topic... there is a lot I've found out about some sellers by trial and error. Geez. 

The ONLY real bad thing about negatives, is it hurts your % and a buyer may not click through to READ the feedback/reply. Especially if you have lower feedback in general, 200 Total FB with 1 neg is a 99.5% rating ... that can be rougher than someone with 2000 Total FB.

[adamcartwright]

On time by whose standards? Doesn't ebay set the estimated time?

[inhawaii]

---

@gamersbaystore wrote:

This is just ebay's narcissism on full display as usual. Who decides what those delivery estimates are? ebay does! Its their fault. But don't count on ebay to accept accountability for anything they do wrong, they never do.

---

Just curious.

Is there anything you LIKE about ebay?