Recently scammed on here for the first time and eBay refuses to help me. What would you do?

[rexboyce]

I've been a seller since 2018, almost 1000 total sales with no issues. I recently sold a used apple pencil for 40 dollars to a relatively new eBay buyer, all was fine until he received the product and requested a refund because he said it wasn't working.  Now I had tested it and I know it was working, but I accepted the refund right away because I just wanted to keep my customer happy and 40 dollars isn't a big deal. He immediately left me my first ever negative feedback, even after I refunded him. He then proceeded to let me know that he would not be shipping the item back because "it was broken and he already threw it away", he then refused to change the negative feedback he left me now permanently falsely tarnishing my account. I called eBay for help and the customer service agent on the phone who barely spoke english agreed with me that I was in the right and that they would help me if I pushed to escalate further, but when I did that I got an automated decision made in the buyers favor and now I can't do anything. I don't even care about the $40, I'd rather not have the made up negative feedback on my account. This platform is so bad, it won't even let me leave the buyer a negative feedback, it only lets me leave him a positive one so I had to leave the guy positive feedback, with a note in the message warning everyone he is a scammer. This whole situation makes me not even want to use eBay anymore, what would you do?

[kensgiftshop]

You kind of scammed yourself.

If you refunded the buyer before it was returned, the buyer had no reason to return the item.

Always refund after the item is returned.

[pikabo-icu]

@rexboyce 

That FB wouldn't stop me from buying from you..

I know it burns but it's not as damaging as you think.. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

The FB should not be a problem. Your response was calm and factual.

@kensgiftshopis correct, your error was refunding before return. You need to realize that FB is a relic of the past and you should not allow it or the threat of it to rattle you to do something not in your best interest.

If you follow Ebay MBG process and policy as written, your account will not be in jeopardy.

[bennotbill]

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@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

The FB should not be a problem. Your response was calm and factual.

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Except for the feedback left for the buyer.

[house*of*paws]

Hi @rexboyce 

You’ve already received excellent replies to your question.  I just wanted to point out that your feedback for the buyer violated eBay policy.  We are NOT allowed to leave a negative comment with a positive feedback rating.  You should ask eBay to remove your negative comment before someone does it for you.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Fortunately for all involved, few people will read FB left for a buyer, so the only risk is the buyer reporting it and Ebay punishing you.

[house*of*paws]

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@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

Fortunately for all involved, few people will read FB left for a buyer, so the only risk is the buyer reporting it and Ebay punishing you.

@tobaccocardyahoo / @rexboyce 

It's actually not the only risk.  Other members, especially mentors, have been known to report these feedback violations.  It's usually repeat violators, however. 

eBay takes this particular violation seriously ... and I know of a few cases where the consequences were serious.  This really shouldn't be minimized.

[rexboyce]

It's honestly completely unfair that this is how eBay works. What is the point of feedback if I'm only allowed to leave the buyer a positive feedback? Even if the guy completely scams me I'm not allowed to let other people know? Sounds completely unreasonable to me. I appreciate all of the replies tho

[rexboyce]

It's honestly completely unfair that this is how eBay works. What is the point of feedback if I'm only allowed to leave the buyer a positive feedback? Even if the guy completely scams me I'm not allowed to let other people know? Sounds completely unreasonable to me. I appreciate all of the replies

[tinsoldierunderground]

@rexboyce 

I'm sorry, but the cardinal sin here was refunding the buyer before they returned the item.

Had you told him to open a case, and sent him a return shipping label, things wouldn't have turned out this way. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

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@rexboyce wrote:

It's honestly completely unfair that this is how eBay works. What is the point of feedback if I'm only allowed to leave the buyer a positive feedback? Even if the guy completely scams me I'm not allowed to let other people know? Sounds completely unreasonable to me. I appreciate all of the replies tho

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There is no longer any justification for FB. Not for Sellers and not for buyers even more. It continues to exist because no marketplace that has it will discontinue it for fear of bad PR driven by SELLERS who have nothing going for them other than 100% FB.

Back around 2008 or 2009, Amazon floated two objective measures of performance it for consideration to be displayed publicly in lieu of FB. The seller reaction was violent, and they backed off.

As for why buyer FB cannot be negative, that was driven by the use of retaliatory negative by sellers to an extent that buyers would not buy on Ebay. Negative buyer FB was costing Ebay more money than many sellers generated for Ebay.

The system has to go, but no site is willing to make it go away. If one brave site deep sixed others would follow.

With the Ebay MBG, and credit card chargebacks available, FB has no practical benefit. When Pierre created it, there was no recourse for buyers, and he did not want to waste any money on providing it.

[soh.maryl]

You didn't know that it's against the rules to leave negative feedback for a buyer.  Were you aware that that buyer could report that FB and get it removed? 

You didn't know that all you needed to do was tell the buyer to open an item not as described case and you would've been required to send him a prepaid return label and refund upon receipt of the returned item.

You didn'  know that a seller isn't required to refund a buyer in an item not as described case until he receives the returned item.

I'm sorry, but the way this turned out was because of not being as familiar with the way eBay works as you should've/could've been. 

[inhawaii]

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@rexboyce wrote:

It's honestly completely unfair that this is how eBay works. 

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This is NOT how ebay works.

You did not follow protocol.

[grand-and-glorious-purpose]

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@rexboyce wrote:

what would you do?

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I would spend some time getting more current than 2008 on best ebay practices and polices.

You were your own worst enemy here.

Negatives do not count for much of anything anymore other than annoyance.

Many come from noobs and users you were going to get a negative from no matter what and they usually show themselves as crazy by what they leave.