How to Contact eBay via Phone for Assistance with Fraudulent Feedback Manipulation

[oemkeylessremotes]

Hello all!

It's been awhile but I'm in the situation where a buyer receives EXACTLY what is listed on the store, yet leaves negative feedback for the purchase. I'm actually having this issue with two buyers within the same week. 

Here's what I've done on my end:

- responded to neg. feedback

- emailed customers

- called customers

- issued refund

- negotiated feedback revisions

- sent feedback revisions

With that said, the buyers still refuse to remove this feedback. I'm in the situation now where I have done EVERYTHING I can to resolve the issue, however I've lost money at this point and am stuck with a wrongfully damaged feedback score. 

I've called eBay's "support line" to speak to a representative, however I get kicked from the line when waiting. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to resolve this issue indirectly with eBay or how to contact them via phone, in order to speak to a representative? I've been able to do this in the past without issue. 

All help is appreciated. Thanks for your time. 

-Aaron 

[eleanor*rigby]

I don't see any violation of the buyer's feedback according to the "Feedback misuse policy."

I do think your replies are excellent--calm, unemotional, professional, no blaming. About as good as it gets when replying to a negative. If I were interested in what you're selling, I would not hesitate to buy from you!

If you're having trouble getting through to eBay via phone, try their Facebook page or Tweeter feed.

Via private message on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/ebayforbusiness

Via direct message on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/askebay

[dryophelia]

@oemkeylessremotes 

It looks like you have done all you can to satisfy these two customers. If they aren’t willing to change their feedback, even with all your efforts, there isn’t much more to do. 
The feedback is the buyers opinion and doesn’t violate policy. There isn’t any ‘fraudulent’ feedback. 

[oemkeylessremotes]

Thanks for the responses! I should have provided a bit of context into the fraudulent claim involved here by one customer, requesting feedback would only be removed if I provided him the item he needed for his vehicle, along with programming support. This request would cost upwards of $100, and the requested items are not sold through my storefront. 

A good analogy would be purchasing a large t-shirt, when you actually need a small, but then requesting the seller provide you with small and but also having it tailored to fit.

To me, this seems like a reportable offense, or manipulation of feedback to receive additional items and services. 

[oemkeylessremotes]

Thanks so much!

[eleanor*rigby]

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@oemkeylessremotes wrote:

Thanks for the responses! I should have provided a bit of context into the fraudulent claim involved here by one customer, requesting feedback would only be removed if I provided him the item he needed for his vehicle, along with programming support. This request would cost upwards of $100, and the requested items are not sold through my storefront. 

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Be sure to include those messages from your buyer if you contact eBay through Facebook/Twitter. It appears to meet the criteria for removal--feedback extortion and/or demanding something not offered in your listing, but I don't work for eBay, so my opinion isn't relevant to anyone but me. 

Best of luck with this! Let us know how it turns out!

[whattheactualfox]

Looking at the negative feedback, I don't see anything wrong. Besides you still have really high feedback. I can assure you that if someone looks at what you said, you did handle it professionally.

[zamo-zuan]

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@dryophelia wrote:

@oemkeylessremotes 

It looks like you have done all you can to satisfy these two customers. If they aren’t willing to change their feedback, even with all your efforts, there isn’t much more to do. 
The feedback is the buyers opinion and doesn’t violate policy. There isn’t any ‘fraudulent’ feedback. 

---

There's only one thing that I think may be a saving grace in this case, and it's the discussions with the customer.

OP, during the conversations if they had actually agreed to the feedback revision in your offers for customer service and didn't do their part after you honored yours, eBay may assist you. 

If that wasn't the case, there's probably not much you could do other than continuing to work with the customer. But hopefully they agreed upon it before you sent the revisal, and if that's the case, eBay may step in!

(Edit: I noticed in later messages you mentioned the items/programming support, if that's the case, it may qualify for feedback extortion! It at least sounds like as much, as you're only liable for a replacement of the item that was ordered and not the additional steps he's demanding.)

[7794heather]

Your replies to the negatives were very good. High Five! I read them, and all I thought was these buyers don't know what they are doing or buying. How was it your fault they ordered the wrong things, or didnt know what to do with them once they bought them. I'm sorry they neg'd you, but if I was in the market for what you sell, those negs wouldnt hold me back. You sound like someone who would have been helpful IF they had messaged you first before buying. 

[reallynicestamps]

one customer, requesting feedback would only be removed if I provided him the item he needed for his vehicle, along with programming support.

That sounds like Feedback Extortion to me. I would suggest using Chat (which seems to have better trained reps) to ask for removal for that reason.

As others have said, your Responses are calm and professional which makes the customers look silly and incompetent.  (Did these guys buy replacement keys because they managed to lose their own?)

Most bidders think 95% is super dandy. So the minor hit you took on your FB is unlikely to hurt your sales at all

[chapeau-noir]

Their feedbacks barely make any sense.  Your replies are excellent and IAC they'll roll off the first page pretty quickly, which is what most people glance at (if they care at all).  Just keep going. 

[this*old*attic]

Yeah, better description or pics or something 

Getting a refund when you’re disappointed does not turn it into a good transaction 

No fraud here