Ebay removes my negative I left For others.IM Not going to buy anything on ebay ever again
Summary: fralomb17 expressed frustration over eBay's removal of negative feedback they left for sellers, questioning who is responsible for these actions. Several participants, including pickapaper and comic-sutra, discussed eBay's feedback policies, with divergent views on whether eBay follows its own rules consistently. comic-sutra shared experiences of eBay removing feedback against their policies, while others mentioned that eBay removes feedback based on specific violations or protective reasons for sellers. The conversation also touched on complications around partial refunds and eBay policies related to abusive buyer behavior, sparking further debate on the reasonableness of the feedback system.
Ebay unjustly takes away the negative feedback that I leave for others!!!Who on ebay is responsible for this??
pickapaper
·2 weeks ago@fralomb17
In looking at the many negative feedback you have left for others, it appears you either are not happy with the item (if you buy cheap junk, you should expect to receive cheap junk and not complain about it), or you did not receive the item. Trying to contact a seller or leaving a negative doesn't get your money back. You need to read eBay's Money Back Guarantee to find out how to get a refund. eBay Money Back Guarantee policy
Just be aware, if you abuse the return policy, that can go against you.
pickapaper
·2 weeks agoIs @fralomb17 (OP) and @comic-sutra the same person? OP started the thread but it has suddenly turned into comic's thread.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks ago · EditedMost assuredly no. And there are many indicators that demonstrate that.
You'll note the lack of multiple exclamation points and question marks, for example, in my comments.
fralomb17
OP2 weeks agoebay did it again
r_lresale
·2 weeks agoApparently they don't take them all down as I see you have left 12 in the last 6 months
jameshen1
·2 weeks ago · EditedWho on ebay is responsible for this??
John.
John is responsible for this. Do you feel better now?
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoThat John!
christworks
·2 weeks ago · EditedLeslie Gore came to mind as I read the OP's post.
@fralomb17 You should be aware that asking a seller for a partial refund is a violation of eBay policy. It also is laughable that you'd want a 50% refund for a TV you claim is broken and did not have the remote. Based on the feedback you've left other sellers, you seem to be in the habit of doing that. Eventually it will catch up to you legally as it could be considered friendly fraud. Glad the seller stood up to you. More need to do that.
You can say you are leaving, but I bet you'll be back for more inflatables. 😉
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoAsking a seller for a partial refund is a violation of eBay policy...?
Huh. That's new.
I mean, I know it's absolutely against policy to extort a partial refund under threat of negative feedback, but...eBay would much, much rather partial refunds, where they keep at least part of the sale, than a return which nets them nothing.
christworks
·2 weeks ago@comic-sutra No, it isn't new. Buyers asking for a partial refund is a violation of eBay's Abusive Buyer Policy and it is reportable to eBay.
A buyer may ask for a return upon return of the item.
eBay encourages sellers to offer partial refunds, but they do not encourage buyers to ask for them. If a buyer has an issue, there is no policy against letting the seller know something arrived damaged or isn't as described. The seller can then respond by offering a partial refund on their own accord or directing the buyer to open a return.
A buyer who messages a seller "The widget you sent me is 10 inches long and you said in the listing it was 15 inches long, I want some of my money back!" is violating eBay policy. A seller should report them, because should that buyer later leave negative feedback it will be removed.
A careful read of the policy also reveals that a buyer should not ask for a discount. That doesn't apply if a seller has best offers turned on. All these buyers that send me unsolicited low ball offers get reported and blocked.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks ago · EditedOh, no, that's definitely new. When you've been on eBay for nearly 30 years, policies from the last 5 years or so are "new." I notice you didn't mention when the policy was instituted; do you know?
I would be perfectly willing to show a screenshot of the old policy, but, sadly, old policies are not archived.
It is, of course, antithetical to successful negotiation to forbid such a practice, but it absolutely fits into eBay's "one size fits all" approach to resolving disputes. A seller is always free to say "no" to an offer of a partial refund, and a buyer suggesting a partial refund is not necessarily trying to scam a seller...but that, of course, is not how eBay does things.
Notice, "requesting a seller hold an item so you can pay later"...this, too, is opposed to reason, especially when many sellers (and eBay) can encourage people to "continue to shop with this seller until (some future date.)" Asking a seller "hey, I'd like to buy some more items, is it ok to hold this to combine?" should not be an "Abusive Buyer" violation...but, going by the strict wording of the policy...it is.
Why would anyone report browsers who send you "low ball" (since everyone's idea of what actually makes a "low ball" is different) offers? Blocking I completely understand, but reporting...? I've had multiple sales result from buyers who initially lowballed (and again, everyone's idea of what is a "lowball" is different), where I was able to explain what was special about my item and why it actually was worth the price I was asking. Doesn't always work, but occasionally it does.
christworks
·2 weeks ago · Edited@comic-sutra The policy is not new and the page is definitely archived, just not on eBay. Here is the earliest screenshot of that page, which is from October 2019, seven years ago.
The policy was in effect before then. If I had more time, I could you show, but I'm not going to get into with someone who claims the definiation of 'new' depends on how long you have been selling on eBay. I've been selling since 2005 so that excuse is hogwosh to me.
I do not report all buyers who send low ball offers. As I stated, I report buyers who send unsolicted offers. This means people who message me a $20 offer on a $200 item that I don't have best offers turned on. The reason for reporting them is because there have been cases where buyers get angry if a seller does not accept their offer, they then turn around and buy the item and leave negative feedback. If the buyer was reported, that feedback will be removed. Not saying this is something that happens every day to me, but it has happened to others. I do not believe I owe an explanation to a buyer why I have an item priced at a certain amount. It's none of the buyer's business how I run my business. My price is my price. If you want the item and are okay with the price, buy it. If not, don't. I don't care either way, but I'm not going to justify it to anybody. Nobody goes into Walmart and goes to the front counter to ask the manager why they sell an item for X amount of dollars. I guess if you look at eBay as one big yard sale, then you are okay with it. I don't see eBay in that light. There are other platforms that have a far more yard sale vibe and I'm more open to negotiation on those platforms.
I do not believe eBay's rules you suggest contradict one another actually do. They must be viewed in their context. Let's assume they do. eBay has a careful needle to thread, one where they must appease both the buyer and the seller. Oftentimes the one who comes out on top is the one who intimately knows policy and who gets to eBay first with the policy that favors them. Time and time again here there are posts by sellers and buyers who are angry about something. They scream how 'unfair' eBay is. Yet eBay isn't unfair. The policy is there for all to read, but it does have one flaw: eBay cannot make one read it.
grann-4629
·2 weeks agoIt's crazy that a buyer would buy something just to leave a negative feedback ... the entire feedback system is crazy and should have been dumped years ago.
I doubt if feedback extortion is high on the list of FBI crimes and if somebody is willing to spend money to do it they need to take another hoot, sit back, shake their head a few times and enjoy instead ... or send their money to me where it will be put to a better, and smarter use.
Sheesh ... really ??
christworks
·2 weeks ago@grann-4629 Who is reporting feedback extortion to the FBI? I never said anything about the FBI. We are talking about reporting buyers to eBay who violate policy.
Who said anything about someone buying something just to leave negative feedback? I'm sure it probably happens. If it didn't sellers wouldn't hide behind non-selling accounts. I have seen situations where a buyer, after making an offer that was declined by the seller, turned around and bought at full price. Then left negative feedback that was clearly only done to get back at the seller for not taking their low ball offer.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoOh, one more note:
Notice the wording from the policy page. It starts with the word "Demanding", but most of the policy bullet points then say "Requesting."
But "demand" and "request" are two entirely different terms, with entirely different legal meanings. While, yes, people of good faith can say "well, we know what they mean", that still requires an assumption be made. And assumptions are risky in business.
And while a seller is always, always free to simply say "no", it stretches the meaning of "Abusive Buyer" to state that a buyer asking to hold to combine (when the seller allows it AND eBay encourages it), or suggesting a partial refund for an item that is not as described is being "Abusive." It places savvy buyers into awkward positions unnecessarily when, in good faith, they buy an item and it turns out to be not as described (which is rife on eBay), but then they run the risk of being labeled an "Abusive Buyer" and have legitimate feedback removed if they simply suggest a partial refund. "I received this, and it's not quite as described but it's not a total loss; would you consider a partial refund?" should not = "Abusive Buyer" in practice...but by policy, it does.
I'm certain people of good faith can agree, no?
christworks
·2 weeks ago"Demanding" is the headline, but what matters is what is in the bullet points as that expressly clarifies what the policy is and what actions violate rules. A polite request to change the terms set out in the listing, which includes the price, is a policy violation. A buyer may ask to clarify a listing's terms. For example, if a seller has a 3-day handling time, it is okay if a buyer messages a seller to ask whether they know if they plan to ship on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. It would not be okay if a buyer asks the seller to ship it on a certain day.
Again, on the asking for partial refunds for an INAD, sellers are the ones eBay encourages to offer partial refunds. Buyers are supposed to open a return. That's what the whole 30-Day MBG is about. Nowhere in it does it direct a buyer to message a seller and ask for half their money back. Also, as I noted in my other reponse post, eBay has to thread a careful needle. On the surface is looks like eBay always sides with the buyer, but a savvy seller who knows policy can use it to their advantage and come out on top in many circumstances. I see nothing wrong with that.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoOf course, no one ever stated, nor implied, that eBay would ever, or did ever, direct a buyer to "message a seller and ask for half their money back."
That, of course, is an exaggeration no one made.
And, of course, in the attempt to micromanage to eBay's (never, ever the users') benefit, they have created a system which discards reason and logic, things that reasonable people behaving reasonably would not consider unreasonable at all...for example, it being a policy violation...and a "justification" for removing legitimate, deserved feedback which harms the community by being removed...to make reasonable requests, such as "would it be possible to ship on thus and such a day?"
Sellers always have the right and ability to say "no."
Taking advantage of illogical and self-serving loopholes is just smart behavior, but such loopholes ought not exist in the first place. Legalism only helps the lawyers.
grand-and-glorious-purpose
·2 weeks agoNo, I cannot agree.
Ebay sanctioning negotiations post sale would be absolute chaos.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoThere's a substantial difference between "eBay sanctioning negotiations post sale" and a buyer NOT being called "Abusive" and NOT having their legitimate feedback removed if they so much as suggest the possibility of a partial refund.
I endorse the latter, and have never suggested the former.
Remember: when a buyer returns an item for something not as described, the buyer loses. They lose time, they lose opportunity, they lose whatever it costs to get the item back in the mail...and they have absolutely nothing to show for it.
The seller potentially wins. They get the item back and, assuming the item is in the same condition, they get to sell it again...potentially for more than it even cost them to process the return.
grand-and-glorious-purpose
·2 weeks ago · EditedYou absolutely are endorsing post sale negotiation.
grand-and-glorious-purpose
·2 weeks ago · EditedIt's always been against policy...well since 2008 anyway.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoIt's been against policy for a buyer to even raise the issue of a partial refund since 2008...?
Sadly, because of, again, the lack of archive, I cannot say whether that's true or not, but I would lay money on that being not true. Again, I have no way to confirm or deny.
shado-x
·2 weeks agoThe coffee smells good.
albertabrightalberta
·2 weeks ago@fralomb17
I see that you've left quite a few negs as well as several soft positives for sellers.
lady_madonna
·2 weeks ago@fralomb17 You stated: "Ebay unjustly takes away the negative feedback that I leave for others!!!"
Not true. The negative feedback you left for the seller of the TV purchased is still there.
redmodelt
·2 weeks agoNot only is it still there the seller responded to it.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoWell, of course, eBay is responsible for it. They will remove any feedback they like, for any reason they like, and they will not tell you why it was removed, because that's a corporate secret...and they'll tell you, to your face, that they won't tell you, "for the security of the other account", even though it's YOUR account that left it.
It has made the entire feedback system a useless joke for two+ DECADES now.
redmodelt
·2 weeks ago · EditedUnless the feedback is against policy eBay doesn't just remove it, the seller has to request its removal.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoCorrect. They do not go looking for feedback to remove. That would be a colossal waste of time and manpower.
stainlessenginecovers
·2 weeks agoWHO is responsible for this??
WHO cares??
You said you were leaving.
Thread Over.
redmodelt
·2 weeks agoI see one negative from you on this account for a TV in the past month.
pickapaper
·2 weeks agoeBay doesn't usually remove feedback unless there is something in it that is against policy.
What did you say in the feedback? If you would give more details about what transpired, maybe someone can give you answers.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoThat is not true at all. eBay removes feedback all day, every day, with zero regard to their policy.
christworks
·2 weeks agoExample?
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoHow do I give examples of things that no longer exist? I can provide screenshots, but I like being able to sell on eBay, so I will refrain.
christworks
·2 weeks agoYou can give an example of a feedback what was removed simply by typing out what the feedback said. You can also post screen shots as long as any sensitive information is blocked out.
In some cases the feedback itself may not violate policy, but I can removed due to other seller protection reasons. For example, sellers who report buyers for violating eBay's Abusive Buyer Policy will automatically have any negative feedback left by that buyer removed, even if the feedback itself does not violate policy.
What I am getting at is that you are correct in that the feedback itself may not violate policy and can still be removed due to another policy violation committed by the buyer. That's why I'm asking for an example and some context.
comic-sutra
·2 weeks agoThanks for the reply. I've been on eBay a very, very long time...since 1998, in fact!...and the only thing consistent about eBay is its remarkable lack of consistency. They remove legitimate negative and neutral feedback all the time, against their own policies, and which have no justification for being removed, as already mentioned. The buyer violated no policies whatsoever, and the feedback is still removed simply because a seller requested it...and eBay's shroud of secrecy doesn't alleviate that in any way.
mudshark61369
·2 weeks ago@comic-sutra ,
"eBay removes feedback all day, every day, with zero regard to their policy".
That is a patently false statement. While there are a number of reasons why feedback are removed they are pretty well thought out, except for one IMO, and that is;
An eBay Money Back Guarantee case or payment dispute was closed with the seller having met their obligations to the buyer.
To me a seller meeting their return obligations and issuing a refund, does not mean that the buyer was made whole. They wanted the item they purchased not a refund.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-policies/feedback-policies?id=4208
comic-sutra
·2 weeks ago · EditedWell, except it's not patently false. Notice, I never said eBay has no valid reasons to remove feedback. They clearly do. What I said was that they remove feedback all day, every day, with zero regard to their policy. That statement does not exclude legitimate removals. It simply means that they also remove feedback that does not qualify for removal, according to their own policy.
They're not mutually exclusive positions.
It depends on the circumstances. If the seller made a legitimate mistake, should a buyer be able to take punitive action against them? For example, my sole and only neutral feedback was left by a buyer who bought an item that I did not have in stock. It's very, very, exceptionally rare, but it happens. We're all human. I apologized profusely to the buyer, told them precisely what you mentioned ("I know you wanted the item, not a refund"), and offered them a hefty discount on a future item.
They chose to leave a damaging feedback AND also damaged my DSRs...even though they didn't actually receive anything...and I, according to a strict reading of the policy, met my obligation to refund the buyer. (I have few enough DSRs to know when a specific feedback affects them, yes.)
eBay told me "this was the buyer's legitimate experience" and refused to remove it. Again, even though, by a strict reading of the policy, I was in compliance.
Speaking of bad policy, I was the victim of damaging DSRs when a buyer in China bought an item, and the carriers (eBay international shipping) took well over a month to deliver it. I had followed eBay policy to a "T"; the item was shipped the next business day, per my policy. I had done everything I could do; but the buyer was still allowed to hammer my "shipping speed" DSR even though the eBay international shipping carriers were entirely responsible. I complained; eBay removed the feedback comment but, like that 1982 scary movie, they declined to remove the actual DSR rating...which now sits at 4.9 as a result.
grann-4629
·2 weeks agoDoes a hit to a DSR cost anything or take away any eBay 'incentives'?
kathiec
·2 weeks agoDSRs have been meaningless for years. The vast majority of buyers totally ignore them. Heck, the vast majority of buyers ignore feedback in general. EBay hasn't had any kind of seller penalties for feedback, including DSRs, in years.
stainlessenginecovers
·2 weeks ago@comic-sutra No, they don't. I've tried for maybe 5 of mine and only 1 was removed. Including the last where a buyer leaves a photo with the wrong dimensions for everyone to see.