Negative Feedback Question

[zoe092769]

I received my first negative feedback in nearly 20 years.  😕.   The buyer seems new to eBay.  He waited nearly 2 months to leave negative feedback (never contacted me first), saying I didn’t accurately describe a pair of jeans.  Waist tag says 36, the style tag number is relaxed fit (I googled it when I listed it).  Evidently they don’t fit (he says they fit like a 20” waist skinny fit 🙄) and that’s my fault although he even says the waist tag says 36.  I responded to his feedback in a professional manner. I know experienced eBay buyers won’t be scared away from my rating but I’m still bummed that dropped from 100% to 97.5%.   Is there anything more I should do?

thanks and happy selling…may all your feedback be positive!

[m60driver]

There is probably little you can do other than use it as a learning experience.  The photo shows a measurement as being 28" and a 28" inseam would be a very short inseam for a 36" waist.  That is a very, very uncommon size for any jeans and I sold jeans in my store since the 1970s until 2014.  Anybody who is a size 36 x 28, basically a short squat fellow, will have a hard time finding pants that fit well.  And the pants were used so you are obligated to measure the waist and ignore the tag size.  

[mr_lincoln]

@zoe092769   There is a 60 max limit on Feedback being left by either party in a transaction.  Replies maybe different but the Buyer only has 60 days.  If you are outside that then it will stand.  That being said, if there is any time remaining you could message the Buyer and explain that eBay encourages "Trading partners" (their term for a Buyer and Seller on a transaction) to try and work things out before taking action, in this case it would be leaving less then Positive Feedback.  In the process of "working things out" the Buyer can become satisfied with what they agree with the Seller on what to do (Return, Refund, Etc). But when a Buyer simply puts down less then Postive FB that gives the Seller no opportunity to try and work anything out.

Feedback can be Revised and Sellers can send 5 FB Revisions per year (or 1000 transactions someone posted) ...again, if there is time left you could simply message them and be upfront about your desire to have them change the FB providing the two of you can reach and pursue an agreement ...

Regards,

Mr. L

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, your feedback follow-up response is excellent.

It’s possible this neg could be a result of a new inexperiened eBay buyer, coupled with a No Returns policy. The buyer may well think that it is useless to contact the seller, knowing upfront that the policy is no returns. But he is unhappy and thus  voiced his dissatisfaction in feedback instead of contacting you directly. 

You could reach out to him to try to resolve the issue, since there were no measurements in the listing, except for the inseam. (When selling pre-owned clothes, fit can be much different than the tag indicates. A seller may not know the garment’s history, where washing and possible alterations can drastically affect the size and fit of an item, making physical measurements important.) Once the buyer is satisfied, he may be amenable to revising the feedback. Below is the policy with timelines and the how-to on Feedback Revision Requests.

Or you can try to get the neg removed by contacting eBay, although i see no policy violations in his comment. You might get a sympathetic customer service rep. It is a stretch, but you might be able to argue that the garment’s fit issue is outside of your scope as a seller, beyond reporting the label size. That his feedback is a critique of the size which you clearly labelled in the listing. That is the only angle (and a weak one at that)  i can see for possible feedback removal.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling-seller-performance/dispute-feedback-ebay?id=4102

[buyselljack2016]

You left a good reply.

First neg stings.

Most looking at that feedback would be inclined to think that the buyer was in some way confused, as a 36 is not likely to fit any where near the same as a 20. Seriously, how would they even begin to get a 20 on?

Like the jeans, relax, and move on. I would not waste a moment more of my time communicating with this buyer.

[katzrul15]

@zoe092769 

Make sure you BBL this wonder buyer.

So very sorry about your selling experience on this one.  All this angst for an item that sold on an offer for less than $25.  

You could reach out to this guy and let them know they can ship them back to you, at their expense, if they have been unworn or unaltered and you will refund them less shipping.  My guess is that will just make them more upset, so this might be one to just move on from.

Better sales await.  Hang in there!

[5594shelleys]

I've received a couple of negs (same kind of weird reasoning) in my 20 plus years and after the second one, I just happened by chance to buy an item and lo and behold, my rating went up a couple of points.  I didn't pay attention so didn't notice the amount of time it took, but my rating increased within a short time. Seems that I have seen this mentioned elsewhere. Good luck. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

I am a pre-owned clothing seller & this is a pre-owned item, so you should always rely on & post YOUR measurements, not the tag measurements, to any item.   Pre-owned items have been washed multiple times, worn & likely shrunk.   I see an inseam photo of the measurements, but that's it.  If these were mine, I would have measured & listed waist, inseam, outseam, rise, leg opening & possibly rear rise.  

Your reply is professional & that's good, but I don't see anything removable about the FB, nor do I see anything in your listing that would necessarily indicate he was wrong, since you don't have the actual waist measurement in there.  That seems like an awful LOT of shrinkage though.  I'm sorry about your neg, but this is why it's imperative to do your own measurements with pre-owned clothes.  

That said, in case of a SNAD, eBay will not stand behind you even if you do have measurements, so it's more for your & the buyer's peace of mind.   You may also consider having a Returns Accepted policy.  Likely this would then have just been an easy return.  Though it's not a guarantee that they won't neg you. 

[chapeau-noir]

---

@m60driver wrote:

There is probably little you can do other than use it as a learning experience.  The photo shows a measurement as being 28" and a 28" inseam would be a very short inseam for a 36" waist.  That is a very, very uncommon size for any jeans and I sold jeans in my store since the 1970s until 2014.  Anybody who is a size 36 x 28, basically a short squat fellow, will have a hard time finding pants that fit well.  And the pants were used so you are obligated to measure the waist and ignore the tag size.  

---

Southpole has baggy fit jeans with a long rise - it's very possible for the inseam to be 28" - similar style to the old JNCO Slacker or Pipes that I used to wear with inseam of about 28" - my inseam is usually 31" and they fit fine, but were slouchy and off the hips.

But the buyer seems confused as to what he's even purchased.  I think the response is excellent, as well.

[caseypl]

I had more sales than ever after my first negative feedback. I think buyers, if they even look into it, realize some people are unrealistic. 

[zoe092769]

I recently sold a new pair of Carhartt work pants that were 44x30!  Talk about a short, squat guy!  But I get what you’re saying about measuring the waist.  I do that for misses clothing since sizes vary but have felt it wasn’t needed with men’s.  Until now.  Thanks.

[mandisattictoyz]

This is a product review and therefor qualifies for removal.  Just appeal after you try removal the “bot” way, this way a human can actually intervene.

[chickadee8618]

 " Is there anything more I should do?"

Sell more, receive more positive feedback, and move on is my best advice. It will improve your seller rating. I have never had any help from Ebay Business or Ebay in general when it comes to removing false negative feedback. 

[glasser]

I would have been less specific in your FB reply and more like: "I am sorry that you were unhappy with your purchase. I always want my customers to satisfied. (if you take returns) If you had contacted me with my 30 day return window, I would have gladly refunded your money.  Please lawys reach out to sellers as soon as you have an issue with a purchase."

This will let future buyers know you are a good seller.

[chevymontecarlo88]

I think simply-the-best-for-you sums it up best. In my experience as well, it is good practice to measure used clothing to make sure no shrinkage has occurred. On pants, it is a good idea to measure the waist, inseam, leg at the minimum. Also a good idea to include pictures of measurements for clarification. A good seamstress measuring tape is inexpensive and easy to use. Also if there are variations of what the size is on the label and what you actually measured, i would suggest listing the item (Ebay listing specifics) with Your measurements and include what the manufacture tag measurements are. If not you risk the "item not as described" return.

There is great info online that will help you determine how to measure jeans, jackets, shirts and sweaters. 

The last step i would suggest is following up with your customer a couple of days (minimum) after they receive it to thank them and see if they have any questions. Yes it is busy work but the more you cover yourself, the better chances a return, or neg. feedback will not surprise you. 

Communicate all angles (variations and/or pictures that detail listing)  of the item  as well as after the sale is key.