eBay

audioman321 · ‎05-09-2022

I sold an item, one of many in a multiple item listing, and clearly state in the listing that I have up to a 4-day handling time. Usually it doesn't take that long, but sometimes I have to travel a bit around the state where I live and I can't get to a post office right away. This has never been a problem until now. The buyer contacted me after 2 days and asked why I hadn't shipped yet. I told him, very nicely, that there is up to a 4-day handling time and this is clearly shown in the listing but I could probably get this item out the next day. He then wrote back and threatened to leave negative feedback. I told him I was sorry, but again the item would probably be shipped the next day. He then wrote back and told me he was going to be saying prayers for me to drop dead. Suddenly I didn't feel like selling to this guy anymore, so I called eBay support and they read the messages. The rep told me I had been very polite and that the buyer had violated policy by threatening negative feedback (I guess wishing death on someone in messenger isn't really an issue for them), so I could cancel the sale and refund the buyer, which I did. When I asked, the rep assured me I could NOT get negative feedback for this. Well nearly a month later, I got a negative review. Again, this is after the buyer got his full refund. So I called eBay again and the rep put me on hold while she reviewed the messages again and said she was contacting the feedback team. After about 5 minutes on hold, she came back and said it was all taken care of and the negative feedback would be removed. Less than an hour later I got an email saying that I needed to contact the buyer to have him remove his negative feedback (fat chance). I called a THIRD time and this time the rep told me I needed to report the buyer on the site. Of course, you have to select a reason to report a buyer, and there is no option even resembling the real reason I would report him. All the options are things like 'buyer didn't pay' or 'buyer made a false claim'. I explained this to the rep, who told me to just pick any option then type it all out in the explanation. I have been on eBay 18 years (which they thanked me for every time I have called) and have ZERO negative feedback, at least until now, and I'd like to keep it that way. I will give eBay a couple of days to respond to me report, but why do I feel like I am going to be having to make a fourth call to them soon? Was I foolish for believing the first rep who promised me I couldn't get negative feedback for cancelling the sale?

sin-n-dex · ‎05-09-2022

You can "appeal a defect" on the site itself and fill out a request to eBay to review the situation. Explain in the message you can write to them all the things you tell the rep on the phone, about your 4 day handling time, being harassed after 2 days, having the buyer threatening you, and the calls you made where you were advised you could cancel the sale. (You didn't happen to get a call reference number for those did you?)

When you close your message to eBay (that you are going to do online), summarize with the fact you had 4 days handling and the buyer threatened you because you did not complete shipping in that time and threatened negative feedback (which is feedback extortion). And furthermore, sending a package to a guy who has threatened you will give him your contact info. Another good reason to not ship that package.

Generally I would ship the package anyway so I can say I did all that I could to make the buyer happy, but I completely get cancelling a sale when a buyer makes you feel uncomfortable.

C.

yesterdazed-newz · ‎05-09-2022

Yes, there "feedback" protection seems selective. I have one feedback..its neutral...but its the principle that matters to me. The customer wrote a whole paragraph explaining that a cd she ordered was not there yet. BUT her tracking number shows it had been delivered to her door two weeks earlier. I contacted ebay and they were no help. I think it should be removed because it is a lie and she is claiming she didnt get a cd she DID get.. I have also noticed that since ebay extended the number of words they can post in a feedback..that there are people leaving whole reviews and dont appear to know the difference between contacting the seller (which they should do first) and see if they can get a resolution BEFORE going to feedback. I always work with customers and this lady did NOT contact me at all. I contacted ebay about it and they didnt care. Live and learn, I guess. Just dont believe them til they do it. ("they" =Ebay I mean)

itscalledapostingid · ‎05-09-2022

I would contact ebay again on that one. It sounds like you talked to someone who didn't understand the situation or know the ebay policy.

hkfever456 · ‎05-09-2022

out of curiosity how do remove a negative feedback, if you are the buyer and leave a negative feedback? is that even possible? i thought negative feedback was stuck there for a certain amount of time before it expires.

mr_lincoln · ‎05-09-2022

@audioman321 For some reason the "Report" function on certain issues helps them process it ... I know I had one of the eBay Community team members stress that more then once for one of my transactions that had issues with the Buyer.

Regards,

Mr. L

Best regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

sin-n-dex · ‎05-09-2022

@yesterdazed-newz wrote:
Yes, there "feedback" protection seems selective. I have one feedback..its neutral...but its the principle that matters to me. The customer wrote a whole paragraph explaining that a cd she ordered was not there yet. BUT her tracking number shows it had been delivered to her door two weeks earlier. I contacted ebay and they were no help. I think it should be removed because it is a lie and she is claiming she didnt get a cd she DID get.. I have also noticed that since ebay extended the number of words they can post in a feedback..that there are people leaving whole reviews and dont appear to know the difference between contacting the seller (which they should do first) and see if they can get a resolution BEFORE going to feedback. I always work with customers and this lady did NOT contact me at all. I contacted ebay about it and they didnt care. Live and learn, I guess. Just dont believe them til they do it. ("they" =Ebay I mean)

That's totally removable as feedback. Having a buyer say they didn't get something when it shows delivered is removable. I find phoning to not be the most useful way to get FB removed, but the online appeal defect option (which only works on negs/neutrals, you have to call if it's positive and against policy).

I had a neg removed last week because they complained they hadn't gotten it yet (on May 1, when delivery date was May 15 to June 7), in my statement I said "of course he doesn't have it, it's two weeks before it's expected to arrive". They removed it.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎05-09-2022

@hkfever456 wrote:
out of curiosity how do remove a negative feedback, if you are the buyer and leave a negative feedback? is that even possible? i thought negative feedback was stuck there for a certain amount of time before it expires.

If you leave one as the buyer, you tell the seller you made a mistake with your negative and ask they send you a "feedback revision request", then you can revise it to a positive feedback.

If you are the seller, you can send the revision request to the buyer, but I tend to not do that with idiot buyers like the one I got last week.... he's bent he didn't get his item 5 days after I mailed it when delivery time is 2+ weeks, there's no chance he's got enough sense to revise it when I request it. It was better to contact eBay directly with the evidence from the sales order.

C.