Buyer Requested Return | Made false claims, I accepted return anyways, still for negative feedback

[try2hard2try]

Get this, a buyer ordered a NorthFace jacket from us that was used and described as such. I think they had buyers remorse or wanted the itemfor free. Why? Because the buy stated verbatim "when I've had problems before sellers let me keep the item and give me a refund." Mind you we sold the jacket for $18. I was almost on that fence until the buyer called me ignorant, stupid, and kept belittling me every response. I stayed professional even when the buyer was making threats to leave a negative feedback.

I gave the buyer a 100% refund.
The returned the jacket used. 
Smells of smoke and covered in pet hair. 

Yet, I cant leave a negative review and apparently I have to keep a fake negative review on my profile. 

Make it make sense! 

[pebbles74012]

Reach out to Ebay and explain the situation, they will likely remove the feedback.  I had a similar situation and they removed it withing 24 hours.  Good luck!

[brightlightbookseller]

You don't want to leave negative feedback for the buyer.  I know you think you do, but it makes sellers look petty and small when they do that.

What you do want to do is request the feedback be removed.  Use the automated tool first (they changed the tools so I can't find a direct link right now, but go here and it should be an option: https://www.ebay.com/help/home ).  Reach out to customer service only if the automated tool doesn't result in it being removed.

Actually, it looks like maybe you did that, and they removed the comment but not the rating?  If you reported it through customer service but didn't use the automated tool, try that anyways, but otherwise reach out again and see if they'll remove it based on the fact that you offered and the customer received a refund, not the falsehood necessarily (that's harder to prove and will just get in the way of your ultimate goal here).

Even if it's not removed completely, one red donut with no comments won't hurt you, fortunately.  Even if the comment was left, I suspect most people who bothered to look at it wouldn't have shied away from buying from you because of it.

[kickin.assets]

@try2hard2try 

Sorry you are going through this. I've had some real winners this year myself.

Report the buyer and make sure you add them to your BBL!

[fbusoni]

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@try2hard2try wrote:

Make it make sense! 

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@try2hard2try 

Ok, here goes:

You've been selling since 2001, and you have sold 157 items on eBay.

What do you estimate to be your total profit over the last 23 years?

More than $18?

If so, then treat this as a relatively small and insignificant loss.   A rounding error, I'd reckon.

(It could have been a $1,000 item that was swapped for a box of pebbles, which were then returned to you.)

And make sure that you add the dirtbag buyer to your blocked buyer list. 

[try2hard2try]

Agreed. They buyer claimed I didn't give them a full refund so they deleted the comment section. The buyer made all these wild claims in the messages. 

Its principle.

I agree with the first comment. We are trying to do more here and have been getting better with pictures, listings etc. We take pride in getting better. It just hurts when you do the the right thing and you get punished.

Buyer even said "we usually dont have to return products and just get a refund" ... 

[try2hard2try]

Agreed. 
Just hurts my pride I suppose since I tried to stay the high road.

People who aer vulgar and rude seem to get rewarded these days.

[ebooksdiva]

@brightlightbookseller 

"You don't want to leave negative feedback for the buyer.  I know you think you do, but it makes sellers look petty and small when they do that"

I think you forgot....Sellers can't leave negative feedback. So even if the seller wanted to it won't happen. eBay did away with negative and neutral feedback for buyers in 2008. 

[brightlightbookseller]

Oh I know, I was just responding to their desire to do so. Edit: Plus we both know some sellers ignore the rules and leave negative comments anyways, even though it's a "positive" feedback technically.  I was trying to discourage that as well.

[stainlessenginecovers]

I'd respond to the negative

"I refunded 100% even though the jacket was returned in horrible condition smelling of smoke and covered in hair"

[ebooksdiva]

Got ya.......

[ebooksdiva]

Looks like eBay removed the comment but the negative still remains.

[glorybells]

@brightlightbookseller , are you connected to the Bright Light book store in the Orlando, FL area?  It’s a wonderful store!

[kensgiftshop]

Looks like the buyer needs to report the feedback the OP left and get it removed.

[b86fiero]

Sorry to hear this happened to you. Unfortunately it occurs more often during the holiday buying season -in my experience and as noted in past posts regarding this same type of bad buyer behavior.

Sellers who automatically allow the buyer to keep the item plus issue them a full refund encourages buyers to repeat this type of intimidation, fraud and theft. And sorry, eBay will always side with the buyer.

I'm sure you blocked them from purchasing from you in the future plus used the Report A Buyer button on the sales record.

Hope you have many positive sales experiences in the future.

Best wishes!