Account Restricted for Leaving Honest Feedback for Buyer Who Missused Returns

[cheyennetradingco]

We have had our account restricted for leaving honest feedback on a buyer’s page.

Buyer requested return for item not as described claiming item not sealed.  We accepted return. Received it back, sealed exactly as stated in listing, uploaded picture of sealed item to return request. Issued refund of cost minus shipping through PayPal.  Ebay overrode our decision, taking money from our PayPal account to refund buyer in full. Buyer sent multiple abusive emails calling us a crook for not offering full refund. Buyer threatened negative feedback in messages and did actually leave negative feedback. We left honest feedback for buyer summarizing the bad experience we had with buyer misusing returns. Ebay restricted account because we were honest in our feedback about the buyer. 

Ebay gives option to leave feedback for buyer after transaction yet filters it so we can only leave positive.  Sellers get penalized with restrictions it we are honest.   Ebay is deciding more of these cases in favor of the buyer leaving sellers to pay the cost in return shipping fees and reputation. Buyers know they can abuse the policies and when confronted Ebay does nothing because they consider sellers as their “employees” instead of the entrepreneurial business people we truly are and consider our customers as their buyers not the consumers who desire our products at our prices. Thinking of moving $36,000 of listings to new platform totaling $80,000 in yearly sales.  Any suggestions?

[femmefan1946]

You sold a Thing.

The buyer decided he did not want the Thing.

The Thing was returned. (Who paid return shipping?)

The Thing was returned in the same condition it was sent.

(Which is amazing, since you sell makeup.)

Now at this point the sensible adult thing to do would have been to add the buyer to your Blocked Bidder List and relist the item.

You refunded only the cost of the item.

Although the cost of shipping is a business expense.

Buyer threatened negative feedback in messages and did actually leave negative feedback.

This is a Violation and the feedback could be removed. Did you ask Help and Contact about this?

You left negative feedback.

Sellers can only leave postive or no feedback.

EBay restricted you for this Violation.

How much will this restriction cost you, compared to the cost of shipping?

If you are grossing $80,000 annually from eBay sales, you can add the shipping costs to your business expenses when you do your income tax .

Not all transactions will go perfectly.

There is an old saying about cutting off your nose to spite your face. The old saying does not recommend this.

This is business not personal.

[mam98031]

Yes, it is in the rules for sellers.

[cheyennetradingco]

Mam980301

What is??

[cheyennetradingco]

Ouch!!  You sound just like Ebay. Already heard the party line when on the phone for 2 hours escalating. Don’t need that again.   

[femmefan1946]

You can't always get what you want.

But you might get what you need. --- Sir Michael Jagger.

[mam98031]

---

@cheyennetradingco wrote:

Mam980301

What is??

---

Seller are not allowed to leave negative comments in the buyer's FB.  It must be postive comments in the positive FB.

[cheyennetradingco]

Then why offer feedback as an option at all for sellers if it is controlled to be only positive?  There is a blank line asking for 80 characters of comment!!  Ebay should put a notice under that blank line saying “We will restrict your account if you are honest about your negative experiences!”  Not offer a blank space, inviting sellers to fill it in with an opinion only to be told no you can’t have that opinion. Sellers should be allowed to inform the feedback forum with honest evaluations of buyers just the same as buyers do for sellers. Pointless to have a democratic forum while being told there is only one way to vote!!!

[mam98031]

---

@cheyennetradingco wrote:

Then why offer feedback as an option at all for sellers if it is controlled to be only positive?  There is a blank line asking for 80 characters of comment!!  Ebay should put a notice under that blank line saying “We will restrict your account if you are honest about your negative experiences!”  Not offer a blank space, inviting sellers to fill it in with an opinion only to be told no you can’t have that opinion. Sellers should be allowed to inform the feedback forum with honest evaluations of buyers just the same as buyers do for sellers. Pointless to have a democratic forum while being told there is only one way to vote!!!

---

There are very few blank spaces in life where you can say whatever comes to mind without some consequences to it.  

Well part of the problem is thinking that this is a "democratic forum".  There is NOTHING that says that or offers that.  Ebay is a company that has the right to set the rules for those using their site within the laws of the US.  I don't know of any actual company that is ran democratically.  There is a chain of command, rules and procedures set my those with the authority to do so within the company.  It isn't rules set by popular vote.  We don't vote in the leaders of Ebay.

As for offering up what you feel is "honest feedback" for the buyer.  There are a couple things to remember.  These are BUSINESS transactions NOT personal ones.  Are you aware of ANY company or site out there that posts a public comment or shaming of their customers.  Of course not as it is not a good BUSINESS practice to have.

I know it can be annoying.  I know that some buyers do not behave responsibly or reasonably and that can really cause issues for a seller.  But this again is a BUSINESS, not a personal transaction, so don't take it personally and things will be easier on you.

[cheyennetradingco]

Not taking it personally.  Just asking for a better system and trying to find solutions or suggestions that work for everyone. Eating the cost of buyers remorse does not fill my kids stomachs. If you just want to quote the rules dont bother.  Rules are meant to be tweaked refined and rewritten to work for everyone. And as they are, the seller sucks it up line doesn’t work for us!!  Fresh ideas welcomed.   You are losing me on the party line.  If anyone wants to innovate please come aboard. 

[mam98031]

---

@cheyennetradingco wrote:

Not taking it personally.  Just asking for a better system and trying to find solutions or suggestions that work for everyone. Eating the cost of buyers remorse does not fill my kids stomachs. If you just want to quote the rules dont bother.  Rules are meant to be tweaked refined and rewritten to work for everyone. And as they are, the seller sucks it up line doesn’t work for us!!  Fresh ideas welcomed.   You are losing me on the party line.  If anyone wants to innovate please come aboard. 

---

There are more than 25 million Ebay sellers worldwide.  It is doubtful that any rule can be written to satisfy the needs of every single seller.

While you may not like the rules, if we are going to sell here we must abide by them.  Don't get upset with me about quoting the rules to you.  I didn't write them, I don't necessarily agree with many of them, but they are what they are and we ALL must deal with them.  You can't just do what you want and hope they will make an exception for you, it just doesn't work that way.

Fresh ideas wasn't what we were discussing. 

You came here not understanding why you got in trouble.  I realize you don't like my answer, but that doesn't mean my answer was wrong.  It just means you don't like it and/or don't agree with it.

And while there are rules on Ebay I have real problems with, I do agree completely that sellers should not be able to leave negative FB for buyers.  That just does not make good business sense to do that.

As for your need to feed the kids.  A lot of us are in that position.  That is exactly why I started selling on Ebay years ago.  So you are preaching to the choir, I fully understand the problems that dishonest buyers cause to sellers.  I've been here long enough, I've seen a lot, dealt with a lot and gone through far too many situations that were unfair to the seller.

I'm NOT giving you a "party line".  You are confusing letting you know what the rule was that got you into trouble with being a "party line".  It is not.  It is just the rule that we all have to deal with and you are not an exception to the rule.  Nor are any of the rest of us.

You can try innovation all you like.  But unless you convince Ebay management to make the changes the other folks here can't implement your ideas.  We are all merely member of Ebay.  It is always a good idea to share ideas with Ebay when you feel you can contribute something that may improve the site.  

[hillbillymedia]

Ebay plays the tune and we all dance to it. If we don`t, we get flogged. You didn`t dance so you got flogged. This is the way it will work until ebay changes the tune. This is generally how life works. As you have stated, you can take your listings elsewhere but who will it really hurt? Only you can decide that.

"I fight authority, authority always wins"-----JOHN MELLENCAMP

[emerald40]

---

@cheyennetradingco wrote:

Not taking it personally.  Just asking for a better system and trying to find solutions or suggestions that work for everyone. Eating the cost of buyers remorse does not fill my kids stomachs. If you just want to quote the rules dont bother.  Rules are meant to be tweaked refined and rewritten to work for everyone. And as they are, the seller sucks it up line doesn’t work for us!!  Fresh ideas welcomed.   You are losing me on the party line.  If anyone wants to innovate please come aboard. 

---

In your home, who makes the rules?

Same here.  For 10 years now sellers cannot leave negative or back handed feedback for buyers.  Period.

Nothing to innovate I am afraid as you saw by what happened to you when you went against it.

[gracieallen01]

I'm afraid that ebay has said it many times, and in many ways - 'Our way or the Highway'.  Whenever you work through someone else, you are also working for them, and with them, as well.  However, they don't have to work with you.  By their grace - their rules - you can work.  The best you can do is decide what works best for you.  You have many choices - from here or somewhere else or something like your own site, but you have to decide, from your own research, what is best and works best for YOU.

ebay is in this for the money, just as you are.  ebay has decided that the money is with, and from, the buyer, and as such, caters to the buyer, and defers to the buyer.  There are plenty of 'you' (sellers), thus they can dictate what they want, go their merry way and you can walk.  Some walked years ago, some walk today, but, only you can decide what is best for you. 

ebay doesn't have to decide what is best for anybody but themselves - just like you.

(personal opinion - your mileage may vary)

[five*sisters]

I would say pick your battles, leaving that comment gave you a suspension and a negative feedback..all for an 11.99 item..was it worth it?