How is it legal for Ebay to only allow positive feedback for buyers

[fatesfan]

Doesn't it seem highly unethical and possibly illegal that Ebay only allows for positive feedback to buyers? 

i've had a buyer leave negative feedback over a 99 cent item without even discussing or letting me know of a problem, denying communication when i reach out to offer a refund. I've had an instance where I mailed the wrong item to a customer then they refuse to return it even though I've paid for the return label, etc. Another guy admits that he didn't understand what a proof set was yet decides to hop on the neutral feedback train about me even though he admitted his own ignorance to what he bought not to mention never even requesting a return.

How is it ethical/legal for ebay to paint this world where every buyer is a shining star and never causes problems, pays totally late, cancels repeat bids, etc. Very sus. It makes ebay look like this sea of positivity when really there can be multiple probs/issues with buyers. 

I also think that buyers who cancel after winning something should have to pay a 5 percent restock fee regardless if payment was made. They are discouraging others to bid and wastes seller time by picking/packing things that are then cancelled with no repercussions 

[chevymontecarlo88]

Some of those ideas make sense but they are not doing anything illegal. It is voluntary to join and Ebay still is the best selling platform IMHO.

I feel your pain and the only suggestion i can give is to over communicate. Describe your listings accurately and detailed. Provide clear and multiple pictures. Communicate with each buyer during and after the sale.

Sometimes qualifying the customers after the purchase is a good idea so their are no surprises later on. A lot of buyers do not understand the ramifications of feedback and non payers. That being said it is what it is.

-Good Luck

[kathiec]

Ebay is the only platform I know of that even allows feedback for buyers. IMHO they should just eliminate buyer feedback. But no, eBay's feedback rules aren't illegal. Their sandbox, their rules. 

I would mention, however, that you might want to rethink your responses to less than positive feedback. Your response to the one neutral that shows up in your 12-month stats makes you look far worse than it does the buyer. That's the double-edged sword of feedback. There are lots of buyers who take the time to read a seller's feedback before buying, not just go by the numbers. One neutral in 12 months wouldn't make me hit the back button on your listings. That response probably would.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

I've had a buyer leave negative feedback over a 99 cent item without even discussing or letting me know of a problem,

This is a serious reason why you should be considering whether you should be offering 99 cent items or $2.99 items or any items below some price level you set. If you believe that FB matters to your business (some sellers do not) you should be limiting your sales to those which justify the risk of negative FB.

I found my lowest priced items more likely to generate after the sale customer service than higher priced items. I stopped listing them.

[jerseyboymusic]

@fatesfan 

To be honest, on my selling account, I have everything at Buy It Now with Immediate Payment Required. I personally don't see the need to leave feedback for buyers much any longer. What am I going to say? "Fast payment (buyer needs to pay before I see the sale), great buyer (not sure if they are great or will complain)"

At first, I was pretty upset about ONLY leaving positive feedback for a buyer, but it's been like 16 years... what good would ANY buyer feedback do for me?

[kensgiftshop]

Looking at the reply you left to the neutral, makes you look bad and a lot of buyers would be hitting that back button.

How is it illegal, their site, their rules.

[kitschy*loot]

You sound absolutely horrid in your response to the buyer's neutral, and on top of that you called them an imiture liar who needs to relearn communication skills... if I were you I wouldn't tell anyone else what they need to learn if I can't spell immature correctly. If you're going to insult people at least spell the insult correctly.

It has been 16 years since buyers were able to receive negatives... A buyer can leave factual feedback about a transaction whenever they like even if the item had been free. Would I do that? No... but I could.  

[kathiec]

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@kitschy*loot wrote:

You sound absolutely horrid in your response to the buyer's neutral, and on top of that you called them an imiture liar who needs to relearn communication skills... if I were you I wouldn't tell anyone else what they need to learn if I can't spell immature correctly. If you're going to insult people at least spell the insult correctly.

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Actually, they also misspelled the word communication as 'communiaction'. If you look up 'irony' in the dictionary I bet that's one of the definitions.

[campanaelia]

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@fatesfan wrote:

Doesn't it seem highly unethical and possibly illegal that Ebay only allows for positive feedback to buyers?

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Unethical? It's about as unethical as ebay removing the majority of negs and neutrals for sellers.

Illegal? Who ya gonna call?

[powell-memorabilia]

Are you sure you want to call out a buyer for his “communiaction” skills?

Seriously, there is no requirement for a buyer to discuss his feelings with a seller before leaving feedback, let alone a dollar threshold that entitles him to this privilege.

[campanaelia]

“communiaction”, I guess that is spanglish

[1786davycrockett]

@fatesfan 

"Doesn't it seem highly unethical and possibly illegal that Ebay only allows for positive feedback to buyers?"

Private businesses have been legally permitted to control communications within the boundaries of their businesses since the establishment of the United States as a nation -- nothing new there.

Since eBay is not a government entity, there are NO First Amendment issues involved -- and eBay, as a private business, is wholly entitled to create its own rules (based in normal business law), as well as to maintain its own form of censorship.