False negative feedback

[ipublishweb]

NEGATIVE FEEDBACK INQUIRY 

I listed an item valued at $25 on a one-week auction. I anticipated worse-case scenario at $9.65 USPS Priority Shipping. The eBay app prompted a starting price point at $.99 cents. The week went by,  No bids, no offers until the last few minutes. Then, to my surprise, a $.99 cent sale. That brought the total sale to $10. 64 plus tax. I placed the item into my branded eBay bubble-envelope and shipped it out within a couple of hours. The item I sold was new-never used.

Background: In anticipation of worse case scenario, I figured a USPS bubble wrapped envelope at $9.65 would be perfect. As it turned out, the sale was local, so I shipped it by USPS First Class for $7.05 plus 99 cents—a total of $10.64 plus tax. The customer wanted to do a local pick-up which I denied. 

Three days laterI received Negative Feedback. The customer felt he was cheated out of shipping fees. I actually paid $7.05 rather than the $9.65 which is included in the listing upon placing it in auction.

The buyer claims the item was used. He called me a cheater over the $2.60 extra shipping cost he endured. He made threats of legal suit. He threatened me with criminal behavior.

I immediately issued the person a full and unconditional refund. I suggested he keep the product or discard it. I did this out of concern about the possibility of receiving NEGATIVE feedback.

Before I finished his refund. NEGATIVE feedback appeared in my history. I contacted eBay to inform the eBay team of the Negative feedback. To my surprise, eBay sent me a notification that the negative feedback would NOT be reversed.

eBay did not stand behind me. I was told that eBay would protect me, but they DID NOT! 

Any advice out there?

[caseypl]

The best advice I can give is that if that type of item presents problems because of the people who buy it, avoid selling them in the future and move on from it. The buyer could be upset you didn't want to meet locally. I would look at how you responded and see if that had anything to do with it. Also, maybe just use buy it now in the future. 

[ipublishweb]

My biggest problem is how eBay did not back me. I have an 11 year flawless history. It seems eBay caved. I want to know how to get through to eBay. I should be protected from false feedback. On first view, eBay stone-walled me.

Any advice on that? 

[katzrul15]

@ipublishweb 

I did take a look at the listing and to be honest - cannot tell from the pix if it is new, used, etc.

As for auctions, never take e-Bay's advice about the starting amount.  Start it for the LEAST you wish to accept for the item.  

For the shipping, it states "expedited" and $9.65.  I would have thought that would be Priority mail, not 1st class based on the amount charged and how it is shown on the listing.

I would 1st - add this Buyer to your BBL.

2nd - I would report your Buyer for return abuse from the Transaction menu (down arrow gets you to "report buyer")  Describe what happened.

3rd - I would reply to the FB received with a calm and professional response - you have asked e-Bay to remove it and they have indicated that they would not.

"Item sold was factory new with tags and as advertised.  Buyer was unhappy we would not allow local pickup and we attempted to resolve this matter calmly and professionally, but as outlined above, Buyer was not rational in their response.  We did refund this Buyer in full, including shipping and allowed them to retain the new Starbucks item.   While we do not allow local pickup, we refunded the 99 cent item won + full shipping as Customer Service remains a priority."

Probably a better way to word that, etc.

You can try reaching out to e-Bay CS on social media to ask them to re-consider the FB left.  Not likely they will reverse, but you never know.  Contact them here and send a private message to them with your User ID, email and the transaction number with a short summary of what occurred.

(19) eBay for Business | Facebook

Good luck!

[zero29zero]

Looks like your feedback was not false at all, you just made so many mistakes it seems hard to believe you've been registered for 12 years

Your listing showed "expedited shipping" which translates to Priority mail, you refused to let the guy pick it up to avoid the $9.65 shipping charge for this 99 cent item getting him a little hot and then downgraded the shipping service getting him hotter yet, whether it was new or not nobody but you and he know

On top of that you began by listing a commonplace item (a quick search of Starbucks tumbler showed 68,000 items) at auction and took ebays "advice" to start it at .99 cents

Common household items like that are not good material for an auction, as you found out.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, just the way I see it, better luck next time