Apparently SELLERS CAN REMOVE FEEDBACK They Do Not Like!

[iliketurtles112]

I purchased an item from a seller and had an issue with the order. I contacted the seller immediately about the problem and they were uncooperative and skirted around my question without directly answering me. They also dropped the price of the item I purchased IN HALF, literally, shortly after I bought it (from $32.60 to $16.89) I returned the item. I do NOT leave negative feedback (I have only left positives and 1 neutral in my time on eBay). I proceeded to leave a negative for this seller and it was immediately removed (no profanity used). It was honest feedback about my experience with this difficult seller (they already had negative feedback from another buyer).

I contacted eBay and one of their "bots" told me that a seller can have feedback removed if they don't like it. WHAT? 

What is the point of having a feedback system if honest feedback is removed because a seller does not like it?

eBay's rules are whack-a-doodle! To all the sellers out there who receive negative feedback, warranted or not, I am proof that it does not have to stick. Just ask eBay to remove it.

[maxine*j]

I don't know who told you what, but it was wrong.  Feedback is not removed just because someone doesn't like it.  The feedback had to have violated eBay policy, which you can read about here:

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-policies/feedback-policies?id=4208

[anthonydelillo]

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@maxine*j wrote:

The feedback had to have violated eBay policy, which you can read about here:

Hi, that is NOT true.

Negative feedback that I left was also removed and it did NOT violate the policy.

Last month I ordered what the listing described as a "brand new" CD. The pictures showed it was completely sealed in shrink wrap. I was sent an unwrapped CD with just a piece of the shrink wrap draped on top of it. The bottom hinge of the jewel case was cracked but the white seal was intact, indicating the seller attempted to access the CD (to download the music, I assume) without breaking the seal so he could re-sell as "new".

After opening a case, the seller never responded nor apologized. I sent the item back with the label provided by eBay and the seller only refunded the item cost, not the shipping I paid to have the item sent to me. I had to escalate the case and eBay issued a "courtesy refund" out of their own pocket! Then they removed the negative feedback I left this seller, in which I simply stated that "item was not as described, seller only issued partial refund, ebay issued the rest".

I asked eBay why this happened and here is their reply:

The ironic thing is shortly after my ordeal, ANOTHER buyer left feedback for this seller stating that a "brand new" DVD that they received was scratched and in "inferior shrink wrap".

Certain sellers apparently have extra protections that apparently include automatic feedback removal. The explanation I received as to why these sellers have this protection was very vague and non-informative. 

[7606dennis]

I'm not sure how a bot could tell you anything.  They are,  after all, just programs.  Unless, of course, Johnny 5 is now working for eBay.

Of course, without being privy to the actual wording of the feedback comment it is difficult to know if any of eBay's feedback policies were violated resulting in its removal.  The use of profanity is not the only reason that feedback can be removed, by the way.  Often it is merely a matter of mentioning a case being opened or something like that.

Did you, perhaps, open a dispute and eBay decide in the seller's favor?  If so, the feedback that you left would have been remove.

By the way, the seller can lower the price on an item as they wish.  It is somewhat annoying to walk into a store and find an item you had recently purchased on sale but things like that happen both here and in B&M stores.

[maxine*j]

And where does that message you posted say that the feedback was removed just  because the seller didn't like it, which is what you claim you were told.  

[anthonydelillo]

@maxine*j 

I am not the original poster in this topic. I never stated that my feedback was removed "because the seller didn't like it".

However, after my initial reply I remembered that other users suggested my feedback was removed because I mentioned eBay's role in the sale.

Perhaps that is true...

It says feedback cannot include reference to "investigations".

So, you may actually be right. My comment may have violated the policy, despite the good intention I had when writing it—informing other potential buyers to stay away from a seller that doesn't even issue full refunds for when they are called out for their dishonesty.

Maybe @iliketurtles112 also left feedback referencing eBay's role in the return/transaction, which caused them to automatically remove the feedback.

Honestly, in this instance, they should send the buyer a notification that the feedback violates the policy and they need to EDIT their feedback to exclude mention of eBay.

If it was a violation due to profanity, that is different. I can understand removal without a warning in that case.

[bonjourami]

"The ironic thing is shortly after my ordeal, "

You consider your feedback removed an ordeal?

[anthonydelillo]

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@bonjourami wrote:

"The ironic thing is shortly after my ordeal, "

You consider your feedback removed an ordeal?

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Ordeal referring to the fact that I was sent an item that was not at all as described, then when I contacted the seller I received no communication or apology from them and when I returned the item I only received a partial refund and had to escalate to eBay in order to receive the rest of my refund. Then when I leave very much deserved negative feedback (which I've only done a handful of times over the course of hundreds if not thousands of transactions), it is removed.

[buyselljack2016]

@anthonydelillo 

Not sure if this was the case with yours, but if a seller is TRS, accepts returns, and a refund is made, any bad feedback is "auto-scrubbed" as a "perk" for being such a great asset 🙄 to eBay.

[anthonydelillo]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

@anthonydelillo 

Not sure if this was the case with yours, but if a seller is TRS, accepts returns, and a refund is made, any bad feedback is "auto-scrubbed" as a "perk" for being such a great asset 🙄 to eBay.

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The seller was not a Top Rated Seller. 

But as I mentioned in my second post, I realize now that it may have been removed because I mentioned eBay's involvement in the return/case which is apparently may be against the policy. It states that feedback must "only be related to the transaction" and "any references to investigations" is against the policy.

[1tuna]

I think a lot of people are not aware of the autoscrubbing for many returns.its one of the best perks I can think of for being a TRS.

its such a good perk that I often think of it when I   here a seller say  "where are the buyer protctions from ebay "

[etacarina11]

Don't care what that says in their feedback policies..Any seller can get negative feedback removed if they know who to contact. Been" there" had it done to me and know sellers that get ALL their negs removed when ever they receive them usually within a half hour. Lets stop this nonsense that the feedback must of violated their policies somehow. We are not talking about newbies here that might of done that . But of experience E-bayers who know the feedback policy like the back of their hand. What I know what's being done is because my experience with CS and other sellers. Not something that's as a so called policy that's broken everyday.

[7606dennis]

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@anthonydelillo wrote:

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

@anthonydelillo 

Not sure if this was the case with yours, but if a seller is TRS, accepts returns, and a refund is made, any bad feedback is "auto-scrubbed" as a "perk" for being such a great asset 🙄 to eBay.

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The seller was not a Top Rated Seller. 

But as I mentioned in my second post, I realize now that it may have been removed because I mentioned eBay's involvement in the return/case which is apparently may be against the policy. It states that feedback must "only be related to the transaction" and "any references to investigations" is against the policy.

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That is probably the reason for the removal.  Often eBay doesn't remove feedback that violates one of their feedback rules unless the seller complains an draws their attention to the violation.  Perhaps that is what the CSR tried to explain.  Unfortunately, many eBay CSR's do not have the command of the language to always communicate efficiently.

[myangelandmyprincess]

That's not a common thing that happens. I do believe some of the big box sellers have extra privileges that allows them to do that but more often than not with you every day average seller we find what made the feedback eligible for removal.  In fact your every day average seller often struggles to get feedback that clearly violates policy removed 

I know big box sellers get more choices for cancelling. I had one cancel saying customer returned when in fact they were out of stock.  Waited until the other item I ordered was delivered. Then cancelled for that reason on the one out of stock apparently

[tallpall7]

The integrity of Ebay is gone. When I first opened my account 20 years ago it wasn't like this. The only thing Ebay cares about is seller fees no matter what the buyers go through