eBay

mpcac · ‎01-19-2018

I accepted a bid for an item last month from a good customer. Before shipping, I discovered that the item was broken so I emailed my customer ( he never responded ) and then I sent them a refund. Today I see that the customer has left me negative feedback. I called ebay and told them what had happened and said that I followed all of the rules and did everything that I could do to make this right and still received negative feedback. They said there was nothing they could do. They checked my correspondence with this customer and confirmed everything that I said....but they said the buyer has the right to leave feedback expressing how they felt about the transaction. Ebay used to offer the option of responding to negative feedback but they don't even offer this anymore. Why does Ebay mistreat their sellers like this. The only option for a seller is to block the bidder which I did.

best_vintage_photos · ‎01-19-2018

@duggmills wrote:
I was not aware seller can no longer respond to a negative feed back.

One might wonder if the policy makers at eBay might make even some feeble attempt to level the feed back playing field if they had to have ever sold some things on eBay and had to endure to quality of their lowest bidder customer service (uh-hum) company in some distant land.

You can still reply to feedback. A friend of mine did that just a day or two ago.

mpcac · ‎01-19-2018

Yes, I was wrong... you can respond to feedback. Go to the bottom of your feedback page.

I want to thank all of your for your help. I have many answers to consider.

chrysylys · ‎01-19-2018

For a $60 fountain pen, why didn't you just ship it? Maybe include a note in the package about the discovered crack. Let the buyer decide what to do since your listing offers refund is not satisfied.

Forget keeping up with the Joneses. Be the Finklegrubers!
OK kids, time to get the Dodge loaded up again. I hear 'Poppy's By the Tree' calling. This trip might be a long one too.

fern*wood · ‎01-19-2018

@mpcac wrote:
I was wrong, I found out on this page that if you go to the bottom of your feedback page, you can leaver follow up feedback for either the buyer or the seller.

I've been a seller on Ebay for almost 20 years. I think I've received 2 negatives in the last 10 years. I don't think I've ever had more than 5. I always offer a 100% satisfaction return policy!! I make every effort to make sure my customers are happy. I pay return postage etc. On occasion, I miss some hard to see damage that I missed when listing but found on my final inspection before shipping. For the last 20 years, Ebay has become less friendly to the sellers and has taken the side of the buyer. I think this is a common feeling shared by most if not all experienced sellers. Not sure why this is because I don't think Ebay would even exist if it weren't for venders selling on Ebay.

Most long time sellers try their best, and occasionally, yes we mess up. A couple years ago a seller wrote to tell me I'd neglected to mention a critical part of my item was missing. I looked at my photos and agreed completely. I immediately apologized, refunded their money, and got a neutral feedback, which was a defect at that time.

At first I thought that's strange, since I did all I could, but then I realized that I really hadn't, since I missed seeing the missing part to begin with. The buyer was perfectly within their right to note that in the feedback. I never even thought about ebay or what they could do to help me---it wasn't their problem.

chrysylys · ‎01-19-2018

I could understand if it was an expensive fragile bowl and the crack might have caused it to break in shipment.

Forget keeping up with the Joneses. Be the Finklegrubers!
OK kids, time to get the Dodge loaded up again. I hear 'Poppy's By the Tree' calling. This trip might be a long one too.

slati_2013 · ‎01-19-2018

If the item is broken you tell the buyer, if he wants, you can send it broken and will also refund them partially or fully, that way they know the item is really damaged. Most buyers are convinced the seller refuses to send the items because they are holding out for more money. Broken pen? He might be able to fix it.

creoleorchid · ‎01-19-2018

I had that happen to me once and I did exactly that. I ended up refunding the whole thing and the buyer got a fixable blouse for free. She never did leave feedback and I was holding my breath.

coolections · ‎01-19-2018

@mpcac wrote:
they said the buyer has the right to leave feedback expressing how they felt about the transaction.

The only option for a seller is to block the bidder which I did.

They where correct. It is a consumer giving their opinion of a transaction in which they paid for an item but did not receive it.

Actually there is a better option. Instead of blaming the buyer and blocking them you could pay more attention to the item you are selling before listing it.

gemsandgadgets · ‎01-19-2018

I don't feel negative feedback was justified in this case at all. I would have been 100% satisfied if the seller disclosed there was a problem with the item and refunded me. No-one is perfect, and **bleep** happens. Several years ago we had an armed robbery where many of our items that were listed on Ebay (on a few accounts) were stolen. It took us many months to do an inventory, and cross-reference that with our Ebay items. In the meantime, there were things that sold that I discovered I no longer had because of the robbery, therefore I refunded the buyers. That was through no fault of mine, and I'm glad my buyers didn't leave me negative feedback... at that time people had common courtesy and common sense. It may have been a different outcome if some of you had purchased those items. In this case Ebay didn't do anything wrong... the buyer did.

thenobletuckylife · ‎01-19-2018

@mpcac wrote:
I was wrong, I found out on this page that if you go to the bottom of your feedback page, you can leaver follow up feedback for either the buyer or the seller.

I've been a seller on Ebay for almost 20 years. I think I've received 2 negatives in the last 10 years. I don't think I've ever had more than 5. I always offer a 100% satisfaction return policy!! I make every effort to make sure my customers are happy. I pay return postage etc. On occasion, I miss some hard to see damage that I missed when listing but found on my final inspection before shipping. For the last 20 years, Ebay has become less friendly to the sellers and has taken the side of the buyer. I think this is a common feeling shared by most if not all experienced sellers. Not sure why this is because I don't think Ebay would even exist if it weren't for venders selling on Ebay.

Evening,

Ah...I see you are human...this is good because most of us here get tired of dealing with the bots.

Now that you found out you are not perfect you will find there are many others like you here that accept that weakness...learn from it and move on thanking our lucky stars we have the capacity to do better tomorrow without making yesterdays failings a bigger mess than they already are.

Mr C

dbmm-media · ‎01-19-2018

guess he really shown you he was a good customer

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-19-2018

@gemsandgadgets wrote:

I don't feel negative feedback was justified in this case at all. I would have been 100% satisfied if the seller disclosed there was a problem with the item and refunded me. No-one is perfect, and **bleep** happens. Several years ago we had an armed robbery where many of our items that were listed on Ebay (on a few accounts) were stolen. It took us many months to do an inventory, and cross-reference that with our Ebay items. In the meantime, there were things that sold that I discovered I no longer had because of the robbery, therefore I refunded the buyers. That was through no fault of mine, and I'm glad my buyers didn't leave me negative feedback... at that time people had common courtesy and common sense. It may have been a different outcome if some of you had purchased those items. In this case Ebay didn't do anything wrong... the buyer did.

That's a highly commendable attitude, but while some may choose to forego feedback, others may not. We don't know how many sellers this buyer has bought from recently that somehow missed something, or didn't get enough money, or misfigured the shipping. We don't know how many other transactions were cancelled out from under him because of these things, wasting his time. We don't know how many SNADS he got either because of poor packing or the seller not describing the condition properly, not noting damage in the description, and the buyer missed it in the listing pics. Then the seller expects the buyer to have seen in the listing pics what they could not see with the item physically in front of them. We don't know how many sellers he messaged, asking if there was any damage, to be told the item was fine, but then after paying, the seller suddenly sees damage. Or doesn't see it but buyer finds in the listing pics after receiving it. We don't know how many sellers may have slammed him as a scamming buyer when it was really the seller's fault, or how many sent abusive, hostile messages so he had to open a case. No one's patience is inexhaustible, and a steady diet of this may make even the most agreeable and reasonable buyer reach a point where they decide, enough is enough. Water weareth away stone.

I'm glad you had reasonable buyers after you were robbed; they were understanding and that was good.

But this buyer did nothing wrong. It is his right to leave feedback that expresses how he felt. It was not a positive experience for him.

d-k_treasures · ‎01-19-2018

@mpcac wrote:
I did not break the item. I discovered that the item was broken or acutally it was a very fine hairline crack that I missed when listing. I have an Ebay store and on occasion I find flaw or something that I missed on my initial inspection.

Was the crack on the cap under and to the side of the clip? If so, you can see it in your first photo.

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-19-2018

@d-k_treasures wrote:
@mpcac wrote:
I did not break the item. I discovered that the item was broken or acutally it was a very fine hairline crack that I missed when listing. I have an Ebay store and on occasion I find flaw or something that I missed on my initial inspection.

Was the crack on the cap under and to the side of the clip? If so, you can see it in your first photo.

d-k, I just posted that this happens. Seller doesn't note damage in the listing, but buyer receives the item and checks the listing pic, and the damage is there, just like you found it here. Damage may be missed by the buyer, even in a zoomed picture, and the seller may ask, then why did you buy it. They think the buyer should have seen in the picture what they could not see with the item physically in front of them~and the damage should have been noted in the description.

I do feel for the OP, I understand a neg hurts. But it happens.

tina06457 · ‎01-19-2018

I discovered a broken piece in a Christmas ornament that I had sold. I refunded the buyer and explained the problem. I also sent her the item for free, said I was sorry again, and hoped she could still use it. I was lucky as she was very nice. Loved the ornament and left me great feedback. In your case I would have sent a picture anyway. Maybe you would have gotten a response to that. Some buyers assume a scam when you say it's damaged. That's how ebay has made it. Sorry you got that negative.