NEGATIVE FEEDBACK WAS it DESERVED?

[kel-conn]

NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

Item description/advertisement posted by us the seller on eBay: PHOTOS TO SUPPORT (if needed)

GRUEN WEST GERMAN QUARTZ TORTOISE SHELL AND BRASS ALARM DESK CLOCK

Pre-owned * * possible trade-in, customer return, estate sale item, inventory liquidation. Not functioning at time of listing, with known & unknown issues and is Sold As Is For Repair or Parts We make no claim. What you see, is What you get, UNLESS NOTED

PHYSICAL CONDITION:  EXCELLENT

VERY RARE ITEM AND NOT FOUND ANYWHERE(NEW OR USED), AT THIS TIME.

THIS IS A VERY RARE & HARD TO FIND CLOCK, IN THIS CONFIGURATION. ONLY 2 FOUND, BUT IN WHITE, NOT TORTOISE SHELL

NOT TICKING (unknown reasons) AND A KNOB TO THE TIME SET FUNCTION IS BROKEN. 

THE BEST DEALS, SELECTION AND SATISFACTION PER OUR CUSTOMERS 

DIMENSIONS:   Case 78mm;   Length 95mm;   Depth including base 40mm.

SOLD AS IS  (NO WARRANTIES EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED).  NO RETURNS 

THIS ADVERTISEMENT/SALE RESULTED IN THIS REVIEW

We ordered a clock, when we received it, it didn't work at all - tried contacting the seller but their only comment was "no returns and no refunds" - extremely unprofessional and very misrepresented - selling products that don't work and then not accepting them back.

Communication that led up to it.

New message from: BUYER

The clock does not work! Tried several new batteries but it doesn't work. - how do I receive a refund!

RESPONSE

Hello,
NO REFUND/RETURNS.
PLEASE re-read our advertisement, and you will clearly have all your questions answered. This item is SOLD AS ADVERTISED.
Respectfully,
The team 

ANSWER

New message from: BUYER Great!

RESULTS – NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

HERE IS EBAY’S LAST RESPONSE TO US WANTING THIS FEEDBACK REMOVED, after 4 attempts with AI & 2 live conversations resulting in agent admitting “they see the problem, and most likely will get it removed”. Then escalating it to a higher agent, assuring us of positive results with-in 48 hours.

NOT . . Still there and this was the last response from eBay (we believe AI generated).

Hello Frank,

Thank you for contacting eBay customer service, this is ***** and I received a request that you need assistance regarding the item you sold to your buyer "******". I can see that you want the related feedback removed as you did your best to resolve this buyer's concern and I commend you for that.

First and foremost, I appreciate how you have been patient in sorting this out with the buyer. As a seller myself, I fully understand the impact of negative feedback on a seller's ability to attract buyers. Please be reminded though that your feedback rating is not included in the parameters of measuring your seller performance rating.   

As soon as the case was assigned to me, I immediately did a careful review of your transaction and saw that this feedback still portrays the buyer's experience.

For us to proceed with your feedback appeal, we recommend you send a message to your buyer today and ask more about their concern and how they would like this to be resolved. You may consider offering a partial refund or replacement as well.

Rest assured that offering these alternatives doesn’t mean you lost a sale but rather, you are merely acting in your capacity as a responsible seller to ensure that your customers are happy and to enable us to remove this feedbacks and attract new customers.

You may also consider sending them a feedback revision request. This way, instead of removing it completely, the buyer can change the feedback into a positive one and may also include their experience on how you made things right for them. While doing that, you may reply to your buyer's feedback.

On the side note, if your buyer's unable to change their feedback using the feedback revision form, you may simply let us see the agreement between you and the buyer on the eBay messages. As long as the buyer agrees to remove the feedback, we will definitely proceed with it.

Again, thank you for contacting eBay customer service.  I'm confident that I have explained what happened on the case to the best of my knowledge. Thank you for choosing eBay as your online selling platform and have a great day!

Kind Regards,

EBAY you’ve got to be kidding. Is this what our sales commissions paid to you get us? Is this what 24 years of loyal membership gets us?

If this negative feedback DOES NOT VIOLATE YOUR POLICY, then we (along with other members, other people,) can’t believe that lies, slander, degrading and misrepresented accusation are, and will continue to be supported by eBay customer service or its management. 

WE WELCOME EVERYONE’S COMMENTS AND OPINIONS. We also ask eBay to correct/direct/instruct us in what we did to get this feedback, but even more important what do we do to not receive something like this again.

We want to thank, in advance everyone who reads this and give their input, positive or negative, and resulting in an awareness that impacts them.

Respectfully,

24 year Member

[fbusoni]

NO REFUND/RETURNS.
PLEASE re-read our advertisement, and you will clearly have all your questions answered. This item is SOLD AS ADVERTISED.

The fast track for "the team" to oblivion.  How incredibly obnoxious.  

Negative feedback was well-earned.   In fact, I think you got off very light.

The fees you pay to eBay for the privilege of selling here do not entitle you to substandard customer service and certainly don't give you the right to treat a buyer in a highhanded and demeaning manner.

"No returns" is a figment of the imagination for most sellers.

[hartungcards]

You should have pointed out to your buyer that the clock is still right twice a day.

[albertabrightalberta]

@kel-conn -- You were wrong.

1. You say "SOLD AS IS  (NO WARRENTIES EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED)." 

But your listed it as "used" and NOT "For Repair or Parts" as you state in the OP. Items sold as used must work as intended. 

From the listing: 

Since the item is NAD, had the buyer opened a case, you would have been required to accept the return and issue a refund or you could have been issued a refund and let him keep the item.

Sorry it's not what you want to hear, this is on you.

[house*of*paws]

Hi @kel-conn 

May I ask why you listed the Item Condition as ‘Used’ … instead of ‘For parts or not working’?

That is the only thing I can see misleading in the listing … which otherwise makes it clear that one shouldn’t expect a ticking clock.

‘Used’ is defined as ‘Fully functional and operates as intended’.

[dhbookds]

if it doesn't work...........should have been in a parts/not working category........

[fern*wood]

It's tricky to sell items that don't work.  Too often descriptions aren't found or read, depending on the device used by a buyer, so it's easy for buyers to miss or ignore them.   The important part of a listing in my mind is the box for condition, which is more prominent, and the options offered.  Your clock was listed as "Used" which is described as a fully functional item, among other things.  I would have chosen "for parts or not working".   I might have added this to the title also, if possible.

--Sorry, I see I'm very slow at typing.😑

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Physical Condition - Excellent

Contradicts your other statements.

If it does not work it is not in excellent condition.

Negative FB and a seller faulted return are appropriate.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@house*of*paws wrote:

Hi @kel-conn 

May I ask why you listed the Item Condition as ‘Used’ … instead of ‘For parts or not working’?

That is the only thing I can see misleading in the listing … which otherwise makes it clear that one shouldn’t expect a ticking clock.

‘Used’ is defined as ‘Fully functional and operates as intended’.

---

Yes, the seller listed it incorrectly. 

But he made more mistakes after being contacted by the buyer, thereby earning that neg.

1. No apology offered.

2. No recommendation to the buyer to open a return request.

3. @kel-conn just dug in his heels and said, "re-read our advertisement, and you will clearly have all your questions answered. This item is SOLD AS ADVERTISED." (IMO, that response from the seller was just plain rude.)

[12345jamesstamps]

Should be 'not working' 'parts only' in the "title or something like that.

Could have been a cell phone purchase on an eBay app. where buyer sees a pretty clock and nothing else and buys it. Description is hard to locate on cell phone of eBay app. A lot of buyers are making purchases on cell phones now.

Whether you are a member for years or one day...it doesn't matter to eBay...we are all in the same pot.

And customer service...gone with the wind.

Just keep selling and don't let one buyer spoil it. I have had a negative feedback before. It hurts.

Just ignore it and keep selling.

[ckimodog]

@kel-conn 

Your description is all over the map.  Great condition, but not working makes absolutely no sense.  You should have just listed it as not working.  Your no returns policy will not hold water on this platform.  No returns does not mean no refunds.  You reply to the complaint was less than professional.  Sorry. 

[house*of*paws]

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@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

Physical Condition - Excellent

Contradicts your other statements.

If it does not work it is not in excellent condition.

---

I believe the OP was referring to the item’s COSMETIC condition as  Excellent.

It’s very possible for a non-working item to LOOK great.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

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@house*of*paws wrote:

---

I believe the OP was referring to the item’s COSMETIC condition as  Excellent.

It’s very possible for a non-working item to LOOK great.

---

His intent is meaningless, it is his words which matter.

Some sellers might say this with benign intent, others to deliberately obfuscate the condition. There is no requirement for the buyer to attempt to determine the seller's motivation.

[harborauction]

You can disregard all the wrong category, wrong description comments. Doesn't really matter, you buyer could have returned the item even if was listed as for parts, not working. Buyer obviously didn't read or comprehend the description. Once again, doesn't really matter, buyers can return anything for any or no reason regardless of your "no returns" policy which is meaningless.

Your mistake was not accepting the return request, trying to force a buyer to keep and pay for an item they don't want regardless of the circumstances rarely works out well for the seller, as you have found out

[house*of*paws]

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@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

---

@house*of*paws wrote:

---

I believe the OP was referring to the item’s COSMETIC condition as  Excellent.

It’s very possible for a non-working item to LOOK great.

---

His intent is meaningless, it is his words which matter.

Some sellers might say this with benign intent, others to deliberately obfuscate the condition. There is no requirement for the buyer to attempt to determine the seller's motivation.

---

I had no difficulty understanding what ‘Physical condition - Excellent’ meant in this case.  I didn’t think it contradicted the fact that the item’s Functionality was NOT  excellent.  

I already had stated that the OP seller chose the wrong ‘Item Condition’ … which made the item ‘not as described’ automatically.  

But I did NOT see that the OP tried to obfuscate the condition.  [Perhaps you don’t agree that ‘Physical condition’ is synonymous with ‘Cosmetic condition’.]