Locked
Discussion interactions are currently paused.
Buyer with history of leaving frequent negative feedback left me negative feedback
I know the title is a little confusing but I received my first negative feedback in over a decade and when I looked at the buyer's history it made me roll my eyes. They had a stretch of 5 purchases in a row all from different sellers where they left negative feedback 4 out of the 5 times. It makes me think they are just having a laugh. Is there any way to reverse this or have ebay look at it? It probably doesn't matter but this buyer's account is less than a year old.
48 comments
kh-shakhib
·1 year agoHi 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.
inhawaii
·1 year agoLove your reply to that feedback.
shootwill_0
·1 year agoHi, i now this was for ever ago but im pretty sure i know this man. And im aware this lowkey creepy. But I use to have contact with him… i think. If the person i think he is he did something similar to me. Did this person live in cali?
jewelsofnature
·2 years agoHere is an interesting one to break down..
I ran across a customer that has been a member for just over 1 year. Here is the break down..
37 Total Feedback Ratings Left for Others
23 Positive
4 Neutral
10 Negative
So 38% of the time transactions with this customer will end up as a Non-Positive Result.
This breaks down to 27% of the time the Customer Leaves a Negative Feedback; so 1 in every 4 transactions with this customer ends up being a Bad Experience for someone..
In my opinion .. Something is off with this buyer!
This is way past the odds of it just being bad luck. For that to be so, we would need to see many sellers with a feedback rating in 50% thru 70% as a counterweight to the 90% to 100% Sellers..
What does everyone else think?
susanb1872
·2 years agoThe OP already mentioned he reached out to ebay and was denied. What is that link in your message for?
krazzykats
·2 years agoI think it was self-advertisement...
susanb1872
·2 years agoI think that post you and I were referring to has been removed.
gloryglorygifts
·2 years agoThey reached out to have the feedback removed, not to report them.
krazzykats
·2 years agoReport an issue with a buyer | eBay
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoThis is not good advice. You are implying that the OP can leave a negative comment (albeit "professional") for the buyer. Sellers CANNOT leave anything other than positive feedback with a positive comment for buyers.
While you are trying to be helpful, please verify that you are giving accurate advice.
frankenhobbit
·2 years agoYou can only leave positive feedback for a buyer. It's against policy to leave 'fake positive' with negative text. even if anyone actually read it. People only read the negative ones and you can't leave a buyer a red donut. My guess is eBay will leave the 'positive' feedback and remove the negative text. Net effect will be to just up the buyers feedback by another green positive.
chickenbonecharlie620
·2 years agoI get how you feel and I understand the need to respond to the buyer leaving a weird, kind of ominous single word like "fatal." That's scary. Although many of the replies I've read tell you what they think you did wrong and how to just chalk it up to seller woes, it's different when you are a low volume seller without a lot of sales under your belt. And that one negative feedback can be really devastating. I'm really sorry that happened and hope you are able to resolve it either with that creepy buyer or with eBay. Now be sure to block that creepy buyer and try to resolve it with eBay! 🤓
(...and Merry Christmas!)
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoI keep coming back to look at the adorable little pup in the OP's avatar.
inhawaii
·1 year ago@chapeau-noir
That cute little puppy avatar reminds me of last nights debate. 😉
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoThe phone reps have a terrible reputation for getting you off the phone as soon as possible even if that means giving you the advice you want to hear instead of the advice you need to have.

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.
https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.


The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.
And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.
He found you on FB because your FB account is in your own name (probably) and your own name was on the package you shipped (probably).
You may be able to cut and paste the FB Message into your Chat with an eBay employee.
I don't know if it is possible for others to see your FB Messages or if they are private.
frankenhobbit
·2 years agoI'd at least report him to Facebook. Don't have a FB account, so no idea if that's possible. But it's clear attempted extortion and AFAIK they don't (allegedly) allow criminal conduct on their platform.
ckimodog
·2 years ago@jrwellington
Really sorry for your situation. You didn't deserve that comment at all. My thoughts are that comment makes the buyer look a bit squirrelly to other perspective buyers and I doubt it will have much effect on your account at all.
Like Jim Morrison sang..."People are strange"...hang in there and
Happy Holidays
inhawaii
·2 years agoRandom thoughts.
I have no problem with your reply.
The nutty feedback and your reply really makes the customer look whacko.
The "threat" you received on facebook means nothing to ebay.
Only threats made through the ebay message system might count.
If ebay will not remove that feedback, I wouldn't worry to much about it.
It would not discourage me from buying from you at all.
Good luck!
susanb1872
·2 years agoNo!! Do not pay him! Many good sellers get stuck with a undeserved feedback but still thrive here on ebay. Also, many buyers don't look at feedback. Eventually (I think in a year), the feedback will roll off and your feedback % will be adjusted.
jrwellington
OP2 years ago"Let us know if the buyer has asked for something outside of the transaction such as money to remove the feedback. This would be considered valid extortion. The member will receive a red flag on their account for such issues and may result in them being unable to leave feedback in the future ~Ryan"
Wow so even if they confirmed a buyer was an extortionist they would still let them do business on ebay. Maybe even let them continue to leave feedback. That's integrity ebay.
gloryglorygifts
·2 years agoHey Ryan. That is EXACTLY what he did. SMH
jrwellington
OP2 years agoOh really? I didn't know that negative feedback disappeared after a set amount of time.
gloryglorygifts
·2 years agoIt does not disappear after a set amount of time. It stays on your year at a glance feedback for a year, but it is still there, but buried in your feedback for perpetuity. It's just harder to find it.
susanb1872
·2 years agoI said the feedback % is adjusted not that it disappears. The actual feedback stays and goes way down the list.
jrwellington
OP2 years agoThe guy is asking for $50. Should I just pay him to remove the feedback and get it over with? Ebay is useless and denied my request to remove the negative feedback and hasn't responded outside of denying my request.
fern*wood
·2 years agoThat's why some do this. It works often enough to continue. I've had several neg feedbacks and survived.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoNO! Even if you were to issue a refund, there's no guarantee that he'd revise the feedback. Plus, it would just encourage his to do the same to other sellers.
lakefor94
·2 years ago@jrwellington
Do not respond to the buyer in any form. This feedback extortion may be the least of your headaches. This buyer still has your $152 item to play with. The next thing is perhaps opening a Item Not As Described return case and further trying to extort thru the return or sending you back a box of nothing in a return case.
Did you contact eBay thru Facebook? If so, don't continue to pester them about the feedback but be ready if you get a return case that goes south.
You can always come back here and folks will walk you thru it the best way possible. I would suggest coming here before following up with any actions on a return case if you care to.
You just want to stay in pace or ahead of the game, so to speak.
toomuchstuffagain35
·2 years agoNO NO NO NO
jrwellington
OP2 years agoOk so this guy just contacted me on facebook somehow and wants money in exchange to remove the negative feedback. He's in puerto rico. How do I contact ebay and show them the message?
lakefor94
·2 years agoDon't respond to the Facebook message. If you respond he will only keep bugging you.
EBay won't do anything about a FB message.
Wait until he contacts you thru eBay and then come back here and post. Folks here can help with the right avenue for removal.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoWith that type of request, tell the buyer that you can't handle his request unless it's done through the order.
If he does send the request through ebay, you can then report it as feedback extortion.
toomuchstuffagain35
·2 years agoTell him he needs to ask through ebay messages.
Then ignore anything else he says.
a_c_green
·2 years agoMaybe. I have had a couple of equally-nonsensical feedbacks removed in past years. I would say that you have nothing to lose by contacting eBay (not the goofy buyer) to see if they will yank it.
Were the other Negs he left any more coherent than the one he left for you? What did they say? If they don't make any sense either, you might want to point that out when talking to a Customer Service rep.
P.S. A "Feedback Revision" request does not go to eBay; it goes to the buyer, and you only have 5 available on your account, so be careful to contact eBay CS, not the buyer at this point. (I suppose you could send him a regular message to gently ask what the heck he's talking about, and see how he responds.)
jrwellington
OP2 years agoHis other negative feedbacks were the same one word "fatal."
a_c_green
·2 years agoOkay, that's good (in a way), as it shows he's simply trying to game the system, basically. You're going to have to contact eBay CS about this clown, and (if possible) include a screenshot of his Facebook threat. Only respond to him through eBay messaging, and maybe pretend to not know anything about the Facebook message. (I'm not on Facebook myself, but I have a feeling that he may know when you read his message there...?) Messages between you and him that go through eBay can be reviewed later. Outside messages such as via Facebook probably cannot be considered.
jrwellington
OP2 years agoThanks I contacted ebay before the facebook message. Hopefully they can sort things out.
gloryglorygifts
·2 years agoMy advice? Immediately contact ebay for business on either Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and provide them with screen shots of the feedback he left and his messages. That's extortion. He needs to be banned by ebay.
Good luck!
jrwellington
OP2 years agoEbay's response
" **** that all makes perfect sense to me
I do however want to be incredibly transparent with you so that you don't feel misled. We are very limited in what reasons we can have feedback removed
The reason for this is that there would be no point in having a feedback forum if eBay just remove any feedback the seller doesn't want displayed. Here is where you will find our policies which feedback can be removed →
If a buyer has only ever left members on our platform negative feedback - This wouldn't spike a concern for us, Simply because leaving feedback isn't a requirement when making a purchase on eBay. The buyer may only leave feedback in situations where things go wrong. I appreciate that you and I may not agree with that but in most cases it is the truth of what happens. Due to the circumstances that have prevailed regarding these messages taking place outside of the eBay platform - We cannot consider this feedback extortion because the conversation didn't take place on our platform. Please let me know if you find any other polciy that may stand out and warrant the removal of this feedback. ~Ryan
gloryglorygifts
·2 years agoI wonder if the buyer reached out to the other people he left negs for on Facebook as well. If he is, that is a definite pattern and he is trying to conduct his business with you off the marketplace. How did he find you on Facebook to begin with? What a creepy thing to do.
I would write Ryan back and say thanks for that info, but what is eBay doing to protect me, and my reputation, as a seller?
I just bet that they contacted you elsewhere, so that eBay doesn't have any records of it on their system. Pretty savvy. Wouldn't surprise me if other people refunded him based on that and that they did not amend the crappy feedback.
I feel so bad for you.
antflan77
·2 years agoSo that's what "washing your hands of something" looks like in printed form. Hmm
adamcartwright
·1 year ago@jrwellington
For what it's worth, eBay did not respond to me on Instagram, but responded immediately on Twitter.
Send a message saying you're a seller who needs help with XYZ.
They will ask your account name and send you a link to verify your account before proceeding to assist you.
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoDon't respond to negative feedback. Not sure what the buyer meant....but leaving one word and nothing else would have been OK except you just had to respond. Could have been buyer was having a bad day and took it out on everyone...including you...and you never did anything wrong. It happens.
lakefor94
·2 years agoPerhaps the buyer will contact you fishing for a partial refund in exchange for changing the feedback? Who knows?
If the buyer tries to extort you, you would have grounds for feedback removal.
stainlessenginecovers
·2 years agoWhat is WAY more important is WHY did you leave the comment you left? Everyone can see that- including 'future' buyers. Makes you look very unprofessional.
That feedback, bizarre as it is, will NOT be removed. Simply quit worrying about it. A 'positive' will come along' and bury it (although your 'response' makes it 'bigger, stand out more and again, makes you look......
jrwellington
OP2 years agoI'm not professional. I only have a few sales over like 13 years.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoIn the situation you describe, it doesn't matter whether you're "professional" or not.
sextons-sweet-deals
·2 years agoI didn't see anything wrong with O.P.'s response.
I assume it is this one: Why did you leave me negative feedback? And why didn't you contact me first? What does "fatal" mean?
Buyer spends that kind of money and only leaves a negative without contacting the seller of whatever the issue of 'fatal' means to them. Just seems odd.
If the buyer is showing a pattern of the same feedback left for others, there is more going on at the buyer's end.