Negative Feedback

[yerigan1974]

I just received negative feedback from a buyer, and when I tried to leave a retort to her comment, that option is nolonger available!  So, now when a buyer wants to look at this negative strike, I cannot even defend myself!  When and Why did eBay remove this option?

[johnrj1226]

"had an error in my listing, and did not have the item in stock"  - your bad - can't  sell from an  empty box the buyer  lived up to their obligation and they  had  a valid reason to vent.

"why can't a seller leave negative feedback....?"   simple eBay policy  says  you can't  this is eBay's play ground - sellers are just renters that gotta' follow the rules in their  User Agreement.

Seems to me  you couldn't  deliver what  you advertised for whatever reason.  That deserves a negative - wear that  red hickey for 365 days and it  won't  show up in your in your Feedback Profile but will remain on your eBay  records - Kinda like the punishment Hester Prynne received in Nathaniel Hawthorne's  book the "Scarlet Letter" but  not so  harsh.

 A  battle of words (aka mud slinging) over  the internet wires won't resolve one single thing. - its just flexing ones "internet muscles" kinda like a case of  the "beer muscles"

"What happened to the option of responding under the negative feedback to give our side?"  All I can say to that  question is it has been that  way since  Jan. 2010 when I  started selling on eBay.

Ciao & Pura Vida

[yerigan1974]

Correct.  Anyone buying Stampin Up knows exactly what the simple description means!  They want to see the stamps if used for ink stain etc...and they want to make sure all the die cuts are there if used.  If it states "new" they know the set is complete and not used.  Mainly they need the pics, and the name of the set, that's it.  It's pretty simple, and I've sold thousands of these without anyone ever asking for more info.  This is WHY I see this stuff!  As far as the buyer that left negative feedback, NO I did not sell the set to someone else that she ordered.  Somehow a set that I sold weeks before got listed again, not sure how I managed to do that.  It's human error.  I offered to give her a big discount on the same set when I got another one it, which I do often.  She never even responded to my apology, just left the feedback.

[jameshen1]

So the buyer spent their time researching these sets on eBay and possibly elsewhere.  Finally decided that yours was the one.  Bought it and paid right away.  Then they were told that the item was not available due to an error on your part.  They received their money back, but not their time and effort and now have to go back and do it all over again.

Huh.  Can't imagine why the buyer would feel negative about the situation. 

[kensgiftshop]

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@inhawaii wrote:

FYI:  Your description is terrible on that listing!

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Don't you love it when a seller puts in a lot of work on their descriptions.

[femmefan1946]

Somehow a set that I sold weeks before got listed again, not sure how I managed to do that.

EBay has been doing this for decades. It's slightly more likely that it is an eBay error than yours.

The only way to manage the problem is to occasionally put all your listings in alphabetical order and check them for duplications and if possible for relists.

I do this about once a month. I have 10 times your listings and it takes maybe 15 minutes.

when a buyer wants to look at this negative strike, I cannot even defend myself!

Who do you think reads feedback?
Not the buyer.
They know what happened and don't care what you say.
Not eBay.
They do not use FB to measure member accounts.

Not only is FB voluntary.

Not only do less than 40% of transactions get any FB.

But also FB is an opinion on how the transaction went.

Not your fellow sellers.
They never see buyer feedback because less than 15% of transactions are Auctions. Most are FixedPrice or Buy It Now/auction and the seller meets the buyer after the purchase has been made.
 
The only reader will be your future customer.
Who will hit the backbutton when they see how you badmouth other customers.
Remember only you can see the identity of the buyer.

[mam98031]

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@yerigan1974 wrote:

Correct.  Anyone buying Stampin Up knows exactly what the simple description means!  They want to see the stamps if used for ink stain etc...and they want to make sure all the die cuts are there if used.  If it states "new" they know the set is complete and not used.  Mainly they need the pics, and the name of the set, that's it.  It's pretty simple, and I've sold thousands of these without anyone ever asking for more info.  This is WHY I see this stuff!  As far as the buyer that left negative feedback, NO I did not sell the set to someone else that she ordered.  Somehow a set that I sold weeks before got listed again, not sure how I managed to do that.  It's human error.  I offered to give her a big discount on the same set when I got another one it, which I do often.  She never even responded to my apology, just left the feedback.

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I think that is a mistake for a seller at this time of year to ASSUME buyers will know what they are selling and therefore not do a good descriptions.  LOTS of people are out there Holiday shopping for things they know little to nothing about.  But are looking to buy it because someone they want a gift for does want the item.

Your issue with your negative feedback had NOTHING to do with the description.  Buyers have a right to be upset when a seller finds themselves in the pickle that you were in.  The buyer just wanted the item they purchased and you made a mistake, a honest mistake, and can't provide it for them.  They are disappointed and they can and do show that in the feedback that they can leave.  You've done what you can, you need to just leave this matter alone and not try to make it worse by saying something in a response to their feedback that in any way suggests the buyer did anything wrong.  As they did not.

[mam98031]

@femmefan1946 

"EBay has been doing this for decades..It's slightly more likely that it is an eBay error than yours."  That is an assumption in this case with nothing to back it up.  The simple fact that the item got relisted does not mean that Ebay is at fault.  I know many will leap to that, but there are other reasons it can happen too.  It is just easier to blame someone, anyone else other than ourselves.  I know that ghost listings happen, I've had one myself.  But not every time that a listing reappears on the site is it a Ghost Listings.