Customer Left Malicious Comment Under Positive Feedback

[perfumenmore]

I sold a perfume sample to a buyer two weeks ago. She left a negative comment under positive fb. Her comment said “Bottle was empty.” She never contacted me to complain or contacted ebay either. Besides the fact that I didn’t sell her a bottle of anything. I sold a 5ml. sample. I know it was full when I sent it (I’m not crazy) and it was impossible that it leaked out because I use pipe tape around the bottle and the nozzle, put it in a plastic bag, then wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap, then shipped in a small box. I know she received it 3 days after I sent it (I keep track of tracking to make sure customers receive their packages) and left the comment almost 2 weeks later. It was a deliberate malicious lie intended to harm my business. I contacted eBay and they said they can’t remove the comment because she left it under positive feedback and all I could do was respond. I did with - “I sold dozens of samples. No complaints. Customers always cite how well packaged.” Which they do. Is there anything else I can do to get this comment removed besides just responding. Something like this can really hurt my business or open the door to scammers later claiming the same thing.

[perfumenmore]

I can see that.  Coming to the forum seems to cause more problems than it solves.  But, like I said, I removed the listings so it's a moot point now. 

[eleanor*rigby]

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@perfumenmore wrote:

Coming to the forum seems to cause more problems than it solves.

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@perfumenmore 

By posting this thread, you found out that decanted samples cannot be sold on eBay. That may have saved your account from being suspended. I'd be thanking these members who warned you if I were you . . . You also received pretty good advice on the topic of your feedback issue, as well, IMO.

[mypalrocco]

My suggestion is, look at her feedback and then click on the feedback left for others' section. Feedback generally will autofill from previous feedback that you've left. In other words, she may have left that feedback for somebody else at some point and when she began typing her feedback to you, it autofilled with the saved text from a previous feedback and she didn't notice and left you that feedback. I had a guy leave me feedback that said "atv was not in ready to ride condition." Upon further inspection, he left that exact same feedback for a couple dozen other transactions, all positives. Obviously it autofilled and he didn't care what it said as long as he left a positive mark. But honestly, don't work about it, nobody is going to see anything but 100% green positive feedback. 

[perfumenmore]

I am grateful but also upset as there are literally hundreds of other sellers out there doing the same.  As an aside, I wanted to stop doing this anyway because 1) takes up too much precious selling real estate 2) no money in it.  After all the expense involved I'm lucky if I clear 2 bucks in profit 3) Too time consuming for such a little return. 

[perfumenmore]

Thank you.  I did not even know I could check that out. 

[shewat_1547]

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@perfumenmore wrote:

I can see that.  Coming to the forum seems to cause more problems than it solves.  But, like I said, I removed the listings so it's a moot point now. 

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You missed one.

163926417980

[a_c_green]

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@mypalrocco wrote:

Feedback generally will autofill from previous feedback that you've left. 

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Funny you should mention that. I've noticed that within the past couple of weeks or so, the autofill has quit working on the Feedback form.

I know it's not anything that I've changed, because it doesn't function for me regardless of what machine I'm using (and from multiple sites), and autofill continues to work normally for all other pages (eBay and elsewhere). It looks like someone's turned it off for the Feedback form.

I know this happened before, earlier this year, but was restored after some complaints. It seems to have gone again.

[perfumenmore]

Done. 

[eleanor*rigby]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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@mypalrocco wrote:

Feedback generally will autofill from previous feedback that you've left. 

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Funny you should mention that. I've noticed that within the past couple of weeks or so, the autofill has quit working on the Feedback form.

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@a_c_green 

Not to dismiss or deny your experience, but, as a buyer, I left feedback for a seller yesterday, and the autofill worked for me.

Windows 10 machine, Chrome browser (both up to date), using desktop version.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, buyers rarely read positive feedback in great number. They are generally skimmed by the majority of shoppers. But leaving a follow up comment to one ensures it will be noticed. In addition, the statement left in response does not serve you well. 

A positive feedback with a negative comment does not have the power to wreck an entire reputation. Failure to keep one’s perspective, on the other hand, can—this is business not personal. Even if it had been a negative, prospective buyers are savvy enough to know a single negative out of many positives holds little weight. Your good reputation overshadows a single poor remark. Shoppers know there are some folks who can’t be pleased.

However, the feedback your buyer left does not name call, denigrate nor accuse. It is merely a declarative statement. As feedback goes, it is pretty tame. So extrapolating that the buyer’s intent was malicious, with savage intent to ruin your business, is a far reach.

There is no way to prove the item was not empty. All kinds of things happen to packages in transit. It is possible the contents evaporated or leaked in a low pressure environment like a plane cargo hold. (Since you mailed the item with first class postage, it could have been transported by air although perfume products with alcohol content  must go by ground transportation, according to USPS regulations.)

It is possible the buyer received an empty vial and was telling the truth. A little investigation into the matter and a more measured response ultimately would have served you better.

[lja440]

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@perfumenmore wrote:

I sold a perfume sample to a buyer two weeks ago. She left a negative comment under positive fb. Her comment said “Bottle was empty.” She never contacted me to complain or contacted ebay either. Besides the fact that I didn’t sell her a bottle of anything. I sold a 5ml. sample. I know it was full when I sent it (I’m not crazy) and it was impossible that it leaked out because I use pipe tape around the bottle and the nozzle, put it in a plastic bag, then wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap, then shipped in a small box. I know she received it 3 days after I sent it (I keep track of tracking to make sure customers receive their packages) and left the comment almost 2 weeks later. It was a deliberate malicious lie intended to harm my business. I contacted eBay and they said they can’t remove the comment because she left it under positive feedback and all I could do was respond. I did with - “I sold dozens of samples. No complaints. Customers always cite how well packaged.” Which they do. Is there anything else I can do to get this comment removed besides just responding. Something like this can really hurt my business or open the door to scammers later claiming the same thing.

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What hurts your business is not sending the product in the retail packaging. As another poster said you are violating eBay rules.

[lja440]

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@the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth wrote:

That would have been a good one to leave alone. Nobody would have read it but now they will. Some buyers want to send a message but not hurt the seller with a negative.

plus the response is not comforting. The fact that many people are happy is irrelevant. You didn't even show a willingness to help the buyer fix the problem. It was just a defensive response. Your future buyers are the audience and I would have liked to add a response about what you were doing to fix the problem.

Decants are against the rules, regardless of how well they are taped.

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LOL, it's kind of like reporting to the police the theft of your drug stash. (not that I advocate drug use in any way) I mean what you are doing by contacting eBay or posting on these boards just gets eyes on your own bad.

[atikovi]

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@perfumenmore wrote:

She left a negative comment under positive fb. 

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Just contact Ebay. False positive feedback comments are grounds for removal.

[mesodude]

I’m with others here. Be glad the buyer didn’t leave a poor rating with positive comments instead.

[city*satins]

For future, if you receive a negative comment or rating on eBay:

1. talk with the buyer first

2. don't quibble over words like 'bottle'  (especially when you are apt to use it yourself) unless you truly think the buyer has mistaken your item for some other purchase.  For instance - bottle (vs container or vial) is a difference without a distinction, whereas bottle (vs hairbow or pair of jeans) is a difference that makes a difference.  See the difference?

3. don't defend your item by saying that scores of other people were satisfied with their item.  Errors happen.  Having done something correctly 100 times doesn't mean that something couldn't possible go wrong on the 101st and never ever reassures the buyer who's holding the evidence in their hand.  

4. don't allow paranoia to be your first reaction.  Most buyers who leave a negative comment aren't doing it because they're plotting against you.