Negative Feedback which isn't my fault.. is it affecting me?

[ill91_official]

Hey everyone,

I just started eBay last month trying to sell some stuff I purchased at thrift stores.

I got negative feedback on my first ever order and the reason was "not the best experience". Keep in mind the issue was USPS delaying the package during a hectic COVID & Christmas season and me keeping the buyer up to date and also calling USPS myself, waiting on hold for 2 hours to create a package research case apparently wasn't enough. I've contacted eBay support 3 times, the first a rep told me they "made a note and someone will get back to me in 3 days" (they didn't come back to me..), the second they forwarded my call and I made some soft of over-the-phone a removal request and I received a message a day later neither approving nor denying that it was false feedback, just telling me to resolve it with the buyer (they're ignoring the message/or haven't seen it) and referring me to a bunch of articles. The third time I made a seller help request to remove it (pending).

I have a 50% rating now and I feel like it's not allowing me to sell well.

My question is do you think the feedback will be removed? It's an evident carrier issue out of my control. And, in the meantime, will people still be willing to do business with me, with my 50% rating?

Apologies for the paragraph, just worried and looking for answers.

[iart · Accepted solution]

If you can't get the feedback removed, there's a simple solution.

Make a new ID and abandon that one.

Added suggestion. With your new ID, buy a bunch of stuff you need and get feedback. It will be buyer feedback but better than no feedback.

[jayjaspersgarage]

When I started out I didn't sell anything for several weeks until I had bought twenty or so smaller items similar to what I was hoping to sell.  That way I learned how not to wrap and ship stuff by the examples that were mailed to me.  Once I started listing to sell I pretty much had simplified how to mail coins which to this day many seller treat like the most fragile substance in the world rather than a solid piece of metal.  Five years in I got my first negative mark that stayed on my record for 11 months or so.   I lived through it and don't even remember what it was.

[2011schauers2]

You can call Ebay and talk to a feedback specialist. If they feel that you did not earn that feedback 

they can remove it! Your feedback is vital. So calling and talking to them in my mind is better because you can explain the issue better. 

What helps me is that I stay in contact with my customers until they receive the item. This helps with them and getting good feedback.  Communication is key! 

I hope this helps!

Regards,

Steve 

[inhawaii]

...or buy a few cheap items to build up your score.

BTW you did a excellent job of replying to that feedback. 

Good luck and stay safe!

[sin-n-dex]

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@iart wrote:

If you can't get the feedback removed, there's a simple solution.

Make a new ID and abandon that one.

Added suggestion. With your new ID, buy a bunch of stuff you need and get feedback. It will be buyer feedback but better than no feedback.

---

My partner did just this... he spent $1000 buying stuff (lots of it was coins and banknotes, new stuff, for me to collect... but it would cost $3 for the banknote and $1 for shipping). To repay his kindness in buying so many little gifts for me, I provided him with 1500 tokens to sell on the account to get more feedback. He's got 1000 FB now.

C.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@inhawaii 

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@inhawaii wrote:

...or buy a few cheap items to build up your score.

BTW you did a excellent job of replying to that feedback. 

Good luck and stay safe!

---

I have to agree, that feedback reply was great, think I would have gone thru the screen in attack mode!!!

[backroomnoir]

You can create a package research case on the USPS website, there's no need to wait on hold.  

[mtgraves7984]

Yes... a 50% feedback score is hard to overcome... it's mathematics.

Now, eBay has said in recent Seller Announcements that sellers will have protection... here's the latest, updated on 12/16:

For transactions occurring November 15 through December 31, we are adding the following seller protections: 

We will automatically remove any defects for “item not received” cases closed without seller resolution as well as associated negative or neutral feedback if these conditions are met:

• Tracking was uploaded and has a physical scan from the carrier before the case was opened.
• A delivery scan shows the item was delivered after the case was closed. 

In addition, these cases will not impact your service metrics rating.   

We will also remove negative or neutral feedback related to a late delivery automatically if an item arrives late but tracking shows that you shipped on time.

@ill91_official 

I haven't seen this ^^^ being done 'automatically', but hope it gets done ultimately. Until then... you might consider a new ID as @iart recommends.

I, too, commend you on your reply. Sometimes the seller's reply will actually help me to buy from the seller who takes the high road. Hang in there somehow!

[summer.stuff]

I have had negative feedback intended for someone else!! Ebay told me they now never remove feedback anymore as you can reply to feedback, & I had to contact the buyer , who did in this case, remove it.  I have had neg when it has been lost or late delivery which is the post office fault and right now, even though I have included tracking details and sent a pic of proof or posting to a buyer, they have put that  'seller does not send goods paid for' negative feedback.  All ebay said was to reply to it.   As a seller I can't put neg feedback for a buyer so I just tick positive and then put the negative remarks 

[mtgraves7984]

"As a seller I can't put neg feedback for a buyer so I just tick positive and then put the negative remarks"

@summer.stuff (and @ill91_official)

^^^ You're not supposed do this. ^^^ It's 'Feedback misuse'.

From the Help & Contact pages:

Any misuse of feedback is not allowed. Feedback comments should match the positive or negative rating that was given in both buyer and seller feedback. For example, a negative comment should not be left with a positive rating.

[futuremarine2011]

eventuallly if you sell  a lot and long enough  1 negative wont really do anything to you except your at 99.9% not 100% feedback.   i actually  looked  thru a buyers feedback left for sellers years ago that had just bought  from me and he left something like 8 negatives out of 17 purchases. instantly refunded him and stated something was wrong with his mailing address. lol.

[soh.maryl]

You know your suggestion about the new ID to get around bad ratings on the old one is a no-no with eBay, right?

[luckythewinner]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

You know your suggestion about the new ID to get around bad ratings on the old one is a no-no with eBay, right?

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No it isn't.

It is only against policy t create a new account to avoid a restriction or a policy consequence.

Feedback is not a restriction and it is not a policy consequence.

[luckythewinner]

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@mtgraves7984 wrote:

For transactions occurring November 15 through December 31, we are adding the following seller protections: 

 We will automatically remove any defects for “item not received” cases closed without seller resolution as well as associated negative or neutral feedback if these conditions are met:

• Tracking was uploaded and has a physical scan from the carrier before the case was opened.
• A delivery scan shows the item was delivered after the case was closed. 

We will also remove negative or neutral feedback related to a late delivery automatically if an item arrives late but tracking shows that you shipped on time.

I haven't seen this ^^^ being done 'automatically', but hope it gets done ultimately. Until then... you might consider a new ID as @iart recommends.

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What was quoted above says the automatic removal only applies to INR cases closed without a seller resolution. The OP did not mention an INR or a case closed without a seller resolution.

The second part doesn't say that all feedback will be removed, only feedback "related to a late delivery". The feedback the OP received was a general comment about the experience and does not mention late delivery.