eBay

sandandtone · ‎06-02-2019

I have been selling for years and have sold thousands of items over the years on eBay. From print cartridges to cars I have sold a lot of different items. Yesterday I get a negative feedback comment from a girl who bought a brand new Carhartt beanie from me almost a month ago. Her feedback says- "item damaged and seller isn’t willing to compensate." First of all it was brand new with tags and secondly she never contacted me about damage or compensation until after I asked her what was the issue and she demands a full refund. Fine! I offer FREE returns so send it back. I want the negative feedback pulled down immediately because it was all untrue and even eBay can see it's a lie. Well after 2 hours on the phone with eBay and a long unhealthy debate with a Supervisor who has the power to remove he tells me it stays. Even though it's undeserved, slanderous, untruthful, negative feedback the bottom line is he will not because it is against their policy. In other words if eBay knows and can even verify that a buyer lied with their feedback they do not have seller's backs and are willing to allow it to remain. In a world that craves honesty and integrity apparently eBay will allow untruth reign. Sad, sad, sad. I will be migrating over to another bigger selling platform as a result, and by the way the beanie sold for $11.95! I will not let someone verifiably blatantly lie about me and my efforts without a prompt and immediately redaction or correction! Why can't or won't eBay remove negative feedback if the comment is verifiably false or wrong? Why do they allow lies to be told about sellers?

mam98031 · ‎06-02-2019

@moo*cow*corner wrote:
@mam98031

I'm giving the seller a Mulligan on this one. Especially with the offering of Free Returns thrown in the mix. If their FB page was riddled with poor replies, I might feel differently. It's a one-off, compared to their overall selling history.

Also, if the OP says no communication, I believe it. This seller knows what they are doing. The snark is mild and relatively innocuous.

As for communicating in ebay messages only....very recently, I wanted to contact one of my sellers regarding an item I purchased. I wanted to do it outside of ebay. It simply was not possible from the buyer's side. I tried every trick I know to get the seller's email, and failed. I did end up using ebay messages, and got no reply from the seller. I'm still pondering what kind of FB to leave, if I decide to leave any at all.

My conclusion is that it's much, much easier to get that info as a seller than it is a buyer. My ebay purchase-related marketing emails from big box sellers that sell on ebay says the same thing.

@moo*cow*corner

I didn't say that I don't believe the OP and I don't find their comment overly offensive. But I did share how I would have responded to the discovery of the negative FB. Some may choose not to do that. Some may choose to try and convince Ebay to remove it. IMHO Ebay will not for the reason I previously shared. Hence, I shared what I would have done in a situation like this.

This really has nothing to do with Free returns or no free returns. I don't offer free returns, but I still would have reached out to my customer as previously shared.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

fordtrucking18 · ‎06-02-2019

Ebay doesn't care about you as a seller - move on and try not to let it affect your life. Life is too short....

moo*cow*corner · ‎06-02-2019

@mam98031 wrote:
@moo*cow*corner wrote:
@mam98031
<snipped>
@moo*cow*corner

I didn't say that I don't believe the OP and I don't find their comment overly offensive. But I did share how I would have responded to the discovery of the negative FB. Some may choose not to do that. Some may choose to try and convince Ebay to remove it. IMHO Ebay will not for the reason I previously shared. Hence, I shared what I would have done in a situation like this.

This really has nothing to do with Free returns or no free returns. I don't offer free returns, but I still would have reached out to my customer as previously shared.

I didn't say anything about you not believing the OP. I simply said that I believe the OP.

To me, offering Free returns has a LOT to do with it. It takes less effort for a buyer to initiate a free return than it does to leave a negative FB. That's a fact.

From the buyer side, ebay says in many, many places for a buyer to contact their seller if they have any issues. It's emphatically stated again on the FB page. This buyer had to click through THAT to even leave a neg.

If this were my sale, I'd try and get the neg removed, and block, block, block. Maybe it's just the mood I'm in today, but I'd not be overly excited about making any concerted effort to kowtow to a buyer who refuses to use the tools available to them before they go and blast a good seller with a neg.

Déjà Moo: The strange feeling that I've heard this bull before...

classic_luxe · ‎06-02-2019

You should always try to have negative fb removed before leaving a reply. If I were you I would try another eBay rep, sometimes it may take 2-3 tries before you reach a reasonable one that is willing to help, do not give up.

kaysert · ‎06-02-2019

This has already been stated, but it was buried in the reply. The seller can ask the buyer for a feedback revision. If the buyer is satisfied with the resolution, and this is documented in the eBay communication system, and the buyer still refuses to revise the fb, eBay will probably remove the fb.

medenica1 · ‎06-02-2019

Do not personally receive the grade.

100% Positive feedback is utopia. Not possible.

You have a wonderful reputation, do not worry.

mam98031 · ‎06-02-2019

@classic_luxe wrote:
You should always try to have negative fb removed before leaving a reply. If I were you I would try another eBay rep, sometimes it may take 2-3 tries before you reach a reasonable one that is willing to help, do not give up.

I give this advice from time to time as well. But the FB has to violate some policy on Ebay and the FB the OP received does not appear to do so.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

jeannicho22 · ‎06-02-2019

@kaysert wrote:
This has already been stated, but it was buried in the reply. The seller can ask the buyer for a feedback revision. If the buyer is satisfied with the resolution, and this is documented in the eBay communication system, and the buyer still refuses to revise the fb, eBay will probably remove the fb.

I have gotten many fb removed because what the buyer complained about in FB was covered in the listing. I have NEVER heard of eBay removing FB because the buyer was satisfied with the resolution but refused to revise the FB.... NEVER.

clearsphere · ‎06-02-2019

It definitely happens less than it used to.

remote_controls_and_more · ‎06-02-2019

I once got a negative feedback that said something like seller never replys and won't take returns.

I called Ebay and it was removed immediately. They saw that the buyer never contacted me and I do allow returns. So the buyer lied and it was removed.

comicallycomic · ‎06-02-2019

Thought this was a funny coincidence regarding your buyers hidden Ebay nick. Buyer: b***h

Sorry to see this btw as you seem to have outstanding service, they really should have considered this. Especially that they can see if the buyer contacted you through a PM. If not she clearly lied and her comment was erroneous.

nkpina2014 · ‎06-02-2019

@sandandtone wrote:
I have been selling for years and have sold thousands of items over the years on eBay. From print cartridges to cars I have sold a lot of different items. Yesterday I get a negative feedback comment from a girl who bought a brand new Carhartt beanie from me almost a month ago. Her feedback says- "item damaged and seller isn’t willing to compensate." First of all it was brand new with tags and secondly she never contacted me about damage or compensation until after I asked her what was the issue and she demands a full refund. Fine! I offer FREE returns so send it back. I want the negative feedback pulled down immediately because it was all untrue and even eBay can see it's a lie. Well after 2 hours on the phone with eBay and a long unhealthy debate with a Supervisor who has the power to remove he tells me it stays. Even though it's undeserved, slanderous, untruthful, negative feedback the bottom line is he will not because it is against their policy. In other words if eBay knows and can even verify that a buyer lied with their feedback they do not have seller's backs and are willing to allow it to remain. In a world that craves honesty and integrity apparently eBay will allow untruth reign. Sad, sad, sad. I will be migrating over to another bigger selling platform as a result, and by the way the beanie sold for $11.95! I will not let someone verifiably blatantly lie about me and my efforts without a prompt and immediately redaction or correction! Why can't or won't eBay remove negative feedback if the comment is verifiably false or wrong? Why do they allow lies to be told about sellers?

I had someone leave me feedback because he got the incorrect seller/item. He literally clicked on the wrong item. I politely asked him what the issue was as the feedback comments didn't seem to apply to the item I sold. He wrote me back and apologized profusely about it, saying he got the sellers mixed up.

I called Ebay, and they agreed to remove the feedback since it was in error. In this case, it was verified by the buyer in Ebay Messages.

However, I've received negative feedback as you're describing. There's nothing slanderous about it. I would advise you to contact the buyer and try and work it out. Offer a full refund. If the buyer is adamant about keeping the item or the feedback, let it go. You can post a reply to the feedback stating that you offered a full refund/free return. That's all you can do.

beardedbovine · ‎06-03-2019

@sandandtone

I went through something very similar... the buyer went straight for a neg, ignoring the free returns policy and never contacted me. They didn't reply when I reached out to them, either.

eBay stood strong that the neg would stand unless the buyer opened a return. Since it's a free returns the neg is completely removable, but only if the buyer opens a return.

While I would have left the "horse hockey" out of the FB reply, I don't think one neg is anything to worry about... certainly not a reason to stop selling here. You sell enough volume to make it worth sticking around in my opinion. By leaving you would be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

sandandtone · ‎06-03-2019

A couple years ago a guy gave me negative feedback because a briefcase I sold him was black not brown. Nowhere in the listing did it say brown. I contacted eBay and they agreed and pulled it down. What really irritates the **bleep** out of me is she has lied about the situation, even eBay admits that, and yet they are willing to let such misleading untrue information stand. Feedback can be opinion but it can also be false. I have heard from this irrational person twice in brief snippets that both times stated things that never happened. I honestly believe she's either on drugs or has a mental condition. Either way it all came at a very bad time for me. Had just returned from a long drive having attended my mother's funeral and then to have someone lie about me sent me through the roof. Maybe you are right in general but in principle my father would have dug his heels in. Guess that's what I am going to do. eBay really needs to address unwarranted negative feedback, especially false claims. It's just not right and hurtful. If not for me I'm willing to continue to make a stink about it so it doesn't happen to someone else.

sandandtone · ‎06-03-2019

I have tried to work things out and would have given her a refund and told her to keep it if she had done so quicker than a month later and had supplied some kind of evidence. A picture or something. No evidence and a month later demanding a refund and saying she told me about it being damage and I was uncooperative? Really? She can go pound sand as can eBay not backing me up on the situation. It's stupid but she's not getting a dime from me.