@gsf_tech
Sorry ran out of edit time. Have edited this to show responses more clearly.
gsf_tech wrote:
So this question is to understand how a seller got feedback removed when I made a purchase as a buyer, since I'm not aware of what "method" they used to justify getting the feedback removed.
They called Customer Service. They may have been able, I don't know, to make a case for unrealistic expectations, wanting samples, choosing to purchase to see what you think (things are not sold on approval, whether or not the seller accepts returns) and complaining about picture quality, which you saw before deciding to purchase, but choosing to purchase anyway. This transaction seems to be problematic from the very first and continued that way. Just some thoughts.
A seller offered a given fabric per foot, in various colors with returns accepted. I ordered one color and found out that their poorly lighted (on a dim table with no quality lighting) and differently white balanced listing images did not properly reflect the item's color. Various pictures of the same item in the listing didn't even look the same color. And I use a professionaly color calibrated graphic monitor (for photography) so the problem wasn't on my end.
Not sure why you went ahead and purchased when you noticed the color discrepancies beforehand?
Granted, I understand this can happen so I contacted the seller asking if a small sample could be received of 2 or 3 colors to avoid having to order the whole quantity I needed of each color. If they sent the samples, I'd simply keep the item I couldn't make use of, and buy the one I need in the quantity I needed. They never responded. I wrote again. They didn't respond.
No offense to you, but if sending samples isn't in the listing, I doubt they would send them.
In fact, I doubt any sellers would send you samples like this. Sometimes no response is a no.
So I ordered a second color. It was also substantially different. I ordered the third color and that one turned out good for my use. Since I was being ignored, I opened a legitimate return request for the colors I wasn't able to use. I opened it as "Not needed" even though a "Not as described" case would have been accepted (in Ebay's eyes) because I know it sucks to received them. The shipping fees were also inflated on this item, so I know I was sacrificing getting them refunded by being polite to the seller, despite having an arguable case.
Items are not sold on approval, even if the seller offers returns.
And then the seller immediately contacted me.
I imagine they were upset about the case for return.
I asked them why they were writing now, and not to my previous messages, and they openly admitted they were ignoring them. I told them it was fine and perfectly reasonable to not send samples, but just let the buyer know, don't ignore them as that is horrible customer attention. That bothered me, and when I let them know they told me it wasn't their responsibility to post better pictures, it was mine to better investigate the product codes on the internet (for a generic product in which codes mean little). That bothered me even more.
I understand why you were not happy with this answer.
So I left one negative feedback stating it was for openly admitting to ignoring my messages, one neutral feedback stating that better listing images should be used, and one positive feedback just to balance out a bit since the third order went okay. I just checked and the Negative and Neutral feedbacks were removed, despite being legitimate, for different causes and different orders. What arguments could the seller use to justify that and report them? Just to know if as a seller I can apply them too if it ever happens to me.
I believe the ignoring the messages could have been removed because a case could be made that the listing was correct due to the request as asking for samples is not usual, and could be seen as asking for something that was not in the listing. Many sellers are small sellers and they don't pay for or have, or can afford, to send free samples. No answer may be interpreted as an answer of no.
Better listing pictures being removed could be because you could have made the decision to not buy. It was your choice to go ahead and buy so the pictures must have been acceptable to you, but you had actually decided to take a chance.
Returns, as you know , can hurt a seller. I know you opened up a no longer need so you paid for the shipping, but as a seller, you know the seller has the item and money tied up at the moment of purchase.
Negative and neutral feedback are saved by most buyers for truly egregious behavior.
Excessive negative and neutral feedback may be considered a policy violation and reported with consequences.
Hope this helps!
