I recently had an item that I sold where the customer used negative feedback to punish me as a seller for not giving him a greater discount. After submitting a revision request that was denied, I contacted customer service and was told that the only time they will consider this as a policy violation is if and when the customer states it in the feedback itself. Apparently it no longer carries any weight if they send you a DM coercing you to give them a cheaper price or giving negative feedback.
In my circumstance the item itself did not have any defect, the customer just stated that they didn't realize how much shipping was although they agreed to the purchase price of the item. Once receiving the item they wanted a discount on shipping, which having been around eBay for awhile I know most of the time it's easier to solve any disputes like this by giving into whatever demands the customer has. So I gave him a discount on the shipping, which he agreed to initially, but then after the fact wanted a greater discount. I refused, he posted negative feedback. I even discussed with him that this violates eBay's user policy, which to my dismay no longer matters unless you're a seller using the platform.
I can't say that this is something that would make me stop using the platform, but I do find it disturbing that the user agreement everyone signs to use this platform only applies to the buyers. If any admins see my post and want more details please message me for the transaction ID as I would be glad to explain in more detail.
-Jake
