Buyer using negative feedback as blackmail leverage

[anch-4943]

Has this happened to anyone else? 

I have a buyer who purchased a framed print with glass from me. I packaged it with bubble wrap then paper wrap, then shrink wrap and put it in a carboard box. When he received it, he texted me and said the glass was broken during transport, which I asked him to provide some photos so I can ask USPS for refund. He sent me the photo, gave me a negative feedback and ask me to refund some money back to him. I have no problem refund some or all of the money back to him because it is not his fault to receive a print with broken glass. 

So I asked him what is the amount he wants to make this right and he said 30.00, which I have no problem refunding him. However, I asked him why did he gave me a negative feedback, he said he will reverse it after I refund him. I am new to eBay and in my experience, you cannot change your feedback after it has been given. So I asked him how can he do that and he did not answer me.

I refund him the money anyways and he said he texted eBay to reverse his feedback. I also send eBay a request to remove my negative feedback because buyer was kind of blackmailing me. Anyways, the negative feedback was removed but I am not sure it is from his request or mine. Can you reverse your feedback? 

[fairdeal*lb]

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@anch-4943 wrote:

Has this happened to anyone else? 

I have a buyer who purchased a framed print with glass from me. I packaged it with bubble wrap then paper wrap, then shrink wrap and put it in a carboard box. When he received it, he texted me and said the glass was broken during transport, which I asked him to provide some photos so I can ask USPS for refund. He sent me the photo, gave me a negative feedback and ask me to refund some money back to him. I have no problem refund some or all of the money back to him because it is not his fault to receive a print with broken glass. 

So I asked him what is the amount he wants to make this right and he said 30.00, which I have no problem refunding him. However, I asked him why did he gave me a negative feedback, he said he will reverse it after I refund him. I am new to eBay and in my experience, you cannot change your feedback after it has been given. So I asked him how can he do that and he did not answer me.

I refund him the money anyways and he said he texted eBay to reverse his feedback. I also send eBay a request to remove my negative feedback because buyer was kind of blackmailing me. Anyways, the negative feedback was removed but I am not sure it is from his request or mine. Can you reverse your feedback? 

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That's EXTORTION.. Call eBay and ask them to review the correspondence, in turn the negative feedback should be removed.    

[far-above-jewels]

Report him to eBay.  

Also, I sell pretty low cost items, so a pic would suffice for me too, but if my items costs more, I would ask for them to be returned before I would issue a refund.  Too many people know how to photoshop / alter photos.  For the most part, I would say buyers are honest, but I've run into a few unscrupulous ones myself (for a measly light switchplate lol).

[anch-4943]

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@far-above-jewels wrote:

Report him to eBay.  

Also, I sell pretty low cost items, so a pic would suffice for me too, but if my items costs more, I would ask for them to be returned before I would issue a refund.  Too many people know how to photoshop / alter photos.  For the most part, I would say buyers are honest, but I've run into a few unscrupulous ones myself (for a measly light switchplate lol).

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Thank you and a side note. Do you print your switch plate on demand or inventory all those different designs? 

[1tuna]

there has to be some quid pro quo, or this for that

"I am going to leave you negative feedback, I woud like a refund"

the above statement is not extortion at all but could appear to be so

there is no this for that in that statement.

telling a buyer you are getting a negative and woud like some cash back has no this for that.

the words "if you don`t then" are not mentioned

@anch-4943 

its a tricky situation and hard to prove

[anch-4943]

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@1tuna wrote:

there has to be some quid pro quo, or this for that

"I am going to leave you negative feedback, I woud like a refund"

the above statement is not extortion at all but could appear to be so

there is no this for that in that statement.

telling a buyer you are getting a negative and woud like some cash back has no this for that.

the words "if you don`t then" are not mentioned

@anch-4943 

its a tricky situation and hard to prove

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In my case, he gave me the negative feedback then tell me he will reverse it after I refund him. To me, that extortion

[cstpos · Accepted solution]

@anch-4943Buyers can revise feedback once, but not by texting? ebay. The seller sends a request for the buyer to revise their feedback. The buyer can then accept or decline the request. You should add that buyer to your Blocked Buyer List (if you don't want them to be able to purchase from you in the future). You can also report the buyer for Feedback extortion.

Viewing and changing feedback left for sellers

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[goodbrakes]

If we get a Buyer who claims that an item is damaged or not as pictured and requests a partial refund we reply we do not give partial refunds and to start a return through eBay. An honest Buyer will take the time to send it back but the ones that you call thier bluff seem to disappear. Unfortunately eBay gives the Buyers to many ways to try and shake down Sellers.

[luckythewinner]

re. extortion:

Based on your post:

1) You had already agreed to the refund before he mentioned the negative feedback

2) He had not mentioned the negative until after you brought up the subject.

[far-above-jewels]

Custom made after purchase.   I wish they were "ready-made," and I could just ship them out same day.  eBay is always "suggesting" a 1-day shipment policy to me (which I would love), but there's no way for me to do that ;).  

[far-above-jewels]

It is tricky.  But, I've been selling on eBay long enough to spot some trouble-makers from the get-go.  They message you with some "random" question, etc.  Or, ask for an unreasonable discount.  I've also noticed that (at least with me), no good deed goes unpunished lol.

[dkruser1969]

IMHO, feedback means very little on Ebay, especially over the last few years. Seller protection is just about ZERO, even so much as you can no longer leave negative or neutral feedback for a buyer.