How did you handle your first negative feedback?

[retrogames10000]

My wife received a negative feedback on her account and it has derailed me a little this week.

The buyer just waited a week with no contact and placed a bad feedback with no ask for a remedy.

We refunded the buyer completely without asking for a return and changed future policies to just offer free returns for any reason.  The buyer doesn't seem responsive to a feedback revision.

I know that it is statistically probable to receive bad feedback the more that you sell, especially if you sell lower dollar items and second hand goods.  How did you "get over it"?  Did the negative feedback affect your future sales?  Seems disappointing going into the holiday season with a 98% rating.

In some ways it does make me concerned about continuing to acquire more inventory as I feel overexposed with the amount of inventory I already have..

[mam98031]

Each time this happens it is a separate situation with likely a separate course of action.  One thing that will ALWAYS remain the same is to NEVER send out a FB revision form UNTIL you have communicated with your buyer, resolved their issue and then get their agreement they are willing to revise the FB.  If they agree, let them know they will be receiving an email from Ebay and inside that email is a quick link to allow them to adjust the FB they left.

But never send it out just in the hopes the buyer will adjust the FB.  You have a limited number of FB revision forms you can send out, they each have a limited life and if the buyer does not use it within that limited life, it times outs so it can't be used.  Sellers are not allowed to send a second request on the same transaction.

Some buyers simply can't be made happy.  I personally have one of those myself.  I never heard from them, IDK what their issue is and they won't respond to any email I send them.  I have not a clue why.

So unless the buyer broke a rule in the FB, it isn't going to get removed.  However since we can't see that FB because it is not on your account, we can't tell if there is possibly a way you can have it removed for cause.

If you would post the EXACT words the buyer said here, we could be of more help on that end.

Also keep in mind that the response to the FB is EXTREMELY important.  IF and IF is a big word as you don't have to respond, but if you respond, be completely professional, polite and factual ONLY.  No emotions and don't call anyone any kind of name.  Often times the response by the seller is worse than the FB itself.  If you respond, respond in a way that is respectful as potential buyers will gauge you as a seller more by your response than the buyer's FB.

[evelyb30]

The first neg stings, earned or not.  I wouldn't have refunded, but it's too late now.  Just let it scroll off the page; they're only a problem when you get multiples for the same thing - poor packing, slow shipping etc.  If it's just some idjut complaining because they didn't read a description it's best just to leave it there.   

[fern*wood]

It's been too long ago to remember the first one, but I've survived every one just fine. 

Try not to sell in fear of getting a bad feedback.  It has no bearing on your selling metrics.  Thankfully ebay did away with defects with feedback.  I think this helped greatly to cut down on some buyers using feedback to get refunds.  Having said that, I wish you hadn't refunded, but totally your decision.  I figure if they didn't want the item, they would file a return to get a refund.

I've had several negatives over my years, and really never saw it affect anything but my mood for a while.  As Taylor Swift would say -- shake it off.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Refunding AFTER receiving a Neg is like..

Paying DOUBLE for a badly cooked Steak at the restaurant

Treat selling online just like the saying:

Sticks and Stones....

Names (Negs) won't hurt me (at least anyone that does NOT purposely earn them 

[sin-n-dex]

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@retrogames10000 wrote:

My wife received a negative feedback on her account and it has derailed me a little this week.

The buyer just waited a week with no contact and placed a bad feedback with no ask for a remedy.

We refunded the buyer completely without asking for a return and changed future policies to just offer free returns for any reason.  The buyer doesn't seem responsive to a feedback revision.

I know that it is statistically probable to receive bad feedback the more that you sell, especially if you sell lower dollar items and second hand goods.  How did you "get over it"?  Did the negative feedback affect your future sales?  Seems disappointing going into the holiday season with a 98% rating.

In some ways it does make me concerned about continuing to acquire more inventory as I feel overexposed with the amount of inventory I already have..

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I've had about 9 or 10 negs... I'll tell you about them if you think it will help.

1 was for wrong power supply (it worked, but was not the brand name), I worked it out with the buyer for a partial refund and he revised his feedback. He left me a neg without warning, that was my very first one.

2 were from a scammer (same transaction, two items).  He left the worse feedback imaginable. He was on my BBL and I cancelled the sale instead of shipping, and I was able to get the feedback removed (much arguing, 6 calls to eBay, this was in 2016. I told them he shouldn't have been able to purchase in the first place, he got a new account to get around the BBL).

1 was a neutral from a disappointed customer. The refund didn't fix it, he was still disappointed, but he did revise his feedback after refund and apology (that one was on me).

1 was from another scammer who claimed I sent him an empty box (and he called me Satan). Again, much arguing, but on eBay Facebook they removed it.

1 was from a guy who used profanity. eBay wouldn't remove it because there was a SNAD return request in progress. He revised it when he got his refund (and I got my $125 coin back), but revised it to a neutral to complain about how long it took to return the item to Canada for a refund. eBay removed it because the mail is not my problem.

1 was from a guy who said his item was delivered to the wrong house. It was eBay standard envelope, so the tracking showed delivered a few hours before he got it, and then he drew the conclusion a neighbour brought it over. He revised it (I went that route instead of getting eBay to remove it).

The last one which was a few days ago, was from a buyer who bought a couple crowns for making jewellery, tried to make the jewellery, realized it didn't work, then noticed my listing didn't have dimensions and used that as the basis for his negative. I offered him a return for refund (but no refund and keep the item), he ignored me, and with a lot of effort I got eBay to remove it because his expectations on something he didn't ask any questions about are not within my control.

So yeah, I got every single one removed... and no I never got over it, and I'm not sure I would do it that easily. I'd say I get derailed every time this happens because I try my best to make all legitimate buyers happy.

C.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Sorry this happened to your wife—the first one can sting as another poster noted, especially when the seller is blind-sided with it. Try not to take it personally. This is business and a negative feedback is not a rating of one’s personal character. Keep it all in the professional sphere where it belongs.

I also have Free Returns and have for years. I do it to circumvent any buyer from feeling the need to open a case. Luckily, it has not affected my overall return rate either. I rarely get a return. Maybe had 5 in the last 10 years.

In an effort to keep returns low, i spend extra time writing complete descriptions and Item Specifics and take careful photos, so the buyer is never surprised. No longer sell flawed items because of the risk involved. Some buyers just don’t read a listing to understand they are buying an item with issues. 

[dhbookds]

Best thing to do is to try to make your response make YOU look good......

I'm sorry if there was any confusion, we have refunded you and not required a return....

I think you are correct in changing to accepting returns.......A no return policy can invite a neg since there doesn't seem to be anything a buyer can do......(if they aren't conversant with the Ebay Guarantee)........

[downunder-61]

I am sorry the item was ******* customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us and had you contacted us we would have refunded in full.

Then BBL

[ten_o_nine]

The first negative was the worst, I even closed the account and started a new one, then I got a negative on the new one, now I am comfortably numb. 

[geo2061]

 @retrogames10000  .. 

Personally, i wore mine like a badge of honor - in the internet sales game you can never please every buyer.. especially as your on-line business grows, the possibility of negative feedback grows with it it. 

Just like your wife, my buyer left negative feedback without any contact or return request .. i did not refund or even contact the buyer (i just waited to see if they would file a claim with eBay - they never did).

It did, however, make me rethink how i ship/package my items, in this case Blu-rays and DVDs, and now i am a better seller for the experience with feedback to show for it... 

As many have stated before me .. don't let it get to you -- keep plugging along (nose to the grindstone, shoulder to the wheel - etc. etc. etc.) - 

Best of luck to you and your wife's continuing sales 

[mam98031]

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@evelyb30 wrote:

The first neg stings, earned or not.  I wouldn't have refunded, but it's too late now.  Just let it scroll off the page; they're only a problem when you get multiples for the same thing - poor packing, slow shipping etc.  If it's just some idjut complaining because they didn't read a description it's best just to leave it there.   

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I don't automatically go to refunding the buyer.  I try communicating with them to find out what the issue is.  For me that is the place to start.  For the one I have now, that is where it ended too because they just won't communicate.

[chapeau-noir]

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@retrogames10000 wrote:

My wife received a negative feedback on her account and it has derailed me a little this week.

The buyer just waited a week with no contact and placed a bad feedback with no ask for a remedy.

We refunded the buyer completely without asking for a return and changed future policies to just offer free returns for any reason.  The buyer doesn't seem responsive to a feedback revision.

I know that it is statistically probable to receive bad feedback the more that you sell, especially if you sell lower dollar items and second hand goods.  How did you "get over it"?  Did the negative feedback affect your future sales?  Seems disappointing going into the holiday season with a 98% rating.

In some ways it does make me concerned about continuing to acquire more inventory as I feel overexposed with the amount of inventory I already have..

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I certainly don't rearrange my business model around one single neg, nor kneejerk refund. Neither action solves anything.  The only way forward is to continue with good business practices.  Try not to put yourself at the mercy of people's whims. Negs happen to just about everyone - it's the nature of the business - your selling career here does not dangle precariously on one slender negative. Try not to take it so hard.

[gloryglorygifts]

I'm sorry your wife it upset, but it does happen. Sigh....

I don't remember the first neg that I had but I do remember the one I got Christmas night a few years back, which I think might have been the first, idk. Anyway, nice Christmas present.  Instead of contacting me the customer wrote the neg feedback and I contacted them immediately. I replaced the item for them, sent it priority mail, and was in constant contact with them. I did send a fb revision request but idk if it expired or what but they didn't respond to it. So in my response to the feedback, I included a portion of the last email that I received from them saying that they were thrilled with how quickly it was resolved and the replacement was perfect. I think that she wrote the email thinking it was revising the fb. Anyway, that's how I handled it. 

[turtles-trading-post]

I've been a seller on eBay since the beginning and never received less than stellar feedback. I sell mostly postal history and first day covers today... stamp collector items.

That changed less than six months ago.  Without warning, I got a negative on a dollar item.  The 65 year old envelope had the characteristic toning and the glue on the rear seams had aged as well.  Very typical for these, and visible in the photo and noted in the description.  Note I had several of this same item for sale and this was the one he chose.

Clown decided I sent him a moldy old mess from someone's wet basement and I was a scammer!  (For a dollar mind you!) and immediately left a Negative.

If he had sent me a message, I would have refunded him, instructed him to keep it, and would've found a better example to send him free of charge.  And that's why I have glowing feedback.

And it does upset me because every time I look at my listings, where it used to say  100% Positive Feedback, now it says 99.8% Positive Feedback.  And that sucks.