Negative feedback removal for mortals…

[djtchort]

So, I am not a major seller, but I’ve been selling vintage audio and weird gadgets lately. 

Overall, I my account has been active since August of 1999.  My total feed back as a seller and a buyer is 309 at the moment (yeah, I know it’s not much for almost 24 years), but I’ve been selling local mostly. Only the stuff that does not have any local demand gets put up here.  I have minuscule seller feedback of 27. I know for a fact I did more sales, but some buyers just never leave feedback. Whatever.

Up until last month, i have not has a single feedback less than 5 stars as a seller and as a buyer. And I go out of the way to always ship the same business day, plus I send buyers photos of the packaging before the box is taped shut. I am an honest person and I think 100% positive feedback is a reflection of that. It also makes people feel better then they buy a 40-50 year-old audio component for $2,000. And I don’t have to deal with endless questions if i pack things properly or not. So they know it’s coming and it is coming undamaged. 

Anyway, last month I sold a $75 gadget, “as is/parts only/no returns”. Stated that it is untested other than the fact that it does power on. Shipped it to a guy in AK. He received it, writes me and tells me it does not work. Ok, fine. I reply that i will issue full refund and he can keep it. Though it said the item is parts only and untested. Well, before I could issue his refund, someone T-boned a car I was passenger in. Nothing too serious but my shoulder got banged up and i was out of commission for a few days taking painkillers. Obviously away from the computer, and forgot issue this guys refund. 

Few days later I get notification that he left negative feedback, I am now at only 98.1% positive! so I immediately contact him explain the situation and issue full refund. He replies, “no problem, thanks for resolving, i will remove the negative feedback”. I don’t know what happened, but instead of removing it he left the comment on his original negative feedback saying the issue has been resolved and he is happy.

The thing is my feedback is still 98.1%, so that does not help me even a little. If i completely ignored him and did not issue the refund it would still be 98.1% and I would be $75 richer. 

Sellers dashboard says “5 curtesy feedback removals per month”. Sweet! I contact ebay, explaining the situation and ask the  to remove it, because the issue has been resolved. Mind you, this is one and ONLY time in almost 24 years that I requested a curtesy feedback removal. To which I receive a reply that “Feedback does not violate policies and will not be removed”.  

I got pretty upset about it. Yes, it is my fault I got negative feedback, but it has been promptly resolved, It happened due to medical reasons, i did not have to issue the refund at all, and I have been a member for so may years, so it would be nice to see just a little bit appreciation from eBay. I did 10K in sales in the past 60 days, and all my sales are advertised, so eBay gets enough out of me in fees to throw me a bone just one time, especially something THAT insignificant. 

Has anyone of nobody status, like me, ever managed to have feedback removed? 

But, this is a second “f u” i got from eBay since the beginning of this year. 

I bought a MacBook pro in November of last year, from a reputable seller, it seemed, well,  in January it turned out that the MacBook was stolen form a <Large Corporation> and  I found that out by turning it on one bay and being greeted with a 6 digit pin informing me that the device is a corporate asset of so and so <Large Corporation> and I need to contact their IT department. Which I did. They told me to return to seller and they will get it from him. I tried returning it, the seller would not provide a shipping label and then I was able to extract clear evidence that the seller knew laptop was stolen, because there were Google searches on how to “unlock MDM locked laptop”. After I told him that he stopped responding. I contacted eBay, they read my interaction with the seller where he was EXTREMELY rude to me, read my communication with IT Department of <Large Corporation> and then said “Well, its been over 30 days, so we can not do anything for you. Sorry”.  So I am sitting on a $2800 brick. 

Thanks eBay, you making me feel so welcome. 

[itscalledapostingid]

@djtchort 

A buyer can't just remove a negative feedback. If they agreed to change it you must send the buyer a Feedback Revision Request. Do that from your feedback profile page.

 As far as the stolen laptop - you could have probably done a credit card chargeback (payment dispute) back in January but it's most likely too late now. 

[djtchort]

Thank you, i do not see any specific way for feedback revision. Do I just reply to buyers comment and ask him to remove it ?

I did try the credit card, but It was over 60 days by the time seller stopped responding. I originally opened return request, but he immediately closed it and told me he will send me another macbook. and promised to send me a shipping label. I waited for a week, reminded him about it and he told me to buy my own label.

I also tried via my homeowners insurance, which got denied as well.

[slippinjimmy]

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@djtchort wrote:

Thank you, i do not see any specific way for feedback revision. Do I just reply to buyers comment and ask him to remove it ?

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Follow the instructions on this Help page:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/leaving-feedback-buyers/replying-feedback-received-item-sold?id=41...

[djtchort]

Yes, thank you, I have seen that already. What constituted the revision request? Is there a form? Its there a button i need to click? Do I just send a verbal request as a message to the buyer? 

[mam98031]

Most credit cards give you 90 days and some a little more.  Did you check to see how long you had?

[djtchort]

Yep. 60 days. And then I called them again, because the insurance people suggested I try again and was told the same thing. 

[inhawaii]

About that feedback.

It looks like everything is cool with the buyer.

It was nice of them to leave that follow up but a revision would have been better.

Are you able to ask them if you send the feedback revision request if they would comply?

[djtchort]

I do not know what constitutes the “feedback revision request”. Is that a simple message to the user asking them to remove it? do I need to select something and click “request feedback revision”?

Can someone, please define what it is, exactly? I do not see any buttons, any links or any forms that say that. I have no idea what format or form it has to be in? 

[djtchort]

I sent this on June first. Does this constitute “feedback revision request”?

According to the user, he is a seldom eBay visitor and rarely comes here, so it is possible he has not seen my message. Given the fact that he is in AK, it is entirely possible for him to be away form internet for extended periods of time 

[lacemaker3]

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@djtchort wrote:

Yes, thank you, I have seen that already. What constituted the revision request? Is there a form? Its there a button i need to click? Do I just send a verbal request as a message to the buyer? 

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@djtchort,

@slippinjimmy  gave you the link, and you have to click on the blue button that says "Request a feedback revision" and follow the prompts from there. It will take you to your feedback profile page, so that you can choose the negative feedback, and send the request.

The buyer has to respond within 10 days, so if your buyer doesn't respond often, then I would wait until you hear back from him, and then send it as quickly as you can. You can only do this once.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/leaving-feedback-buyers/replying-feedback-received-item-sold?id=41...

[djtchort]

Look. I am not stupid. I can follow the links and click on buttons. It takes me to this page right here. 

I am, for the 5th time, asking WHAT CONSTITUTES THE FEEDBACK REMOVAL REQUEST.

I see absolutely NOTHING that directs me to a place or tells me what i need to do to request feedback removal. I asked number of times, DO I NEED TO REPLY TO BUYER AND ASK THEM TO REMOVE FEEDBACK?? OR AM I SUPPOSED TO SEE A FORM OR A LINK OF SOME SORT???

[wilsonharborsales]

eBay no longer removes feedback unless there is a major policy violation.  I believe that top rated seller return/refund feedback protections have also ended.   I spoke with eBay customer service today and the agent said that feedback protections for sellers have been removed (I had my own issue with a buyer extorting for money).  Nothing to do but move on.

[djtchort]

ebay just keeps making me more and more welcome. amazing. 

are they running an experiment to see just how painful they can make it for sellers before they start leaving? 

I don’t understand what lead that for a decision like that? 

because it seems like anyone can build a bot that could completely destroy sellers reputation over a short period of time. all you need is to build a network of “seller bots” and “buyer bots” let buyer bots age and get some feedback from “seller bots” by making a bunch of $1 purchases over a period of time. after that you can direct that buyer bot network at anyone, buy bunch of their products and then leave all negative reviews. you can literally kill your competitors ebay business like that 

[ten_o_nine]

 I spoke with eBay customer service today and the agent said that feedback protections for sellers have been removed

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That is not true, a buyer couldn't leave me negative last week, so they sent a message to me saying I am a scammer, and this person left many negatives for sellers.

I think the CSR you were talking to was trying to get you off the phone.