Negative feedback

[mdupont612]

A few days ago i sold a bottle of vintage perfume for $15 and the bottle is 50% full. Today the buyer received the package and he was upset that the bottle had leaked in the box. I wrapped the bottle in several layers of bubble wrap and had plenty of packing paper in the box. Anyway, he told me that it was still wrapped up but it leaked out and he told me that it was still half way full. I asked him if he wanted to return or wanted to keep it and receive a partial refund. He stated that returning it will be too much trouble so a partial refund is fine and refund any amount that i feel is fair. I asked him do you feel like $5 is fair and he stated well i paid $18 so if you think $5 fair then thats fine by me so i said ok i will be issuing your refund today. The next minute he gave me a negative feedback say that the bottle leaked and he expects a refund. I just don't feel like i deserved that negative feedback. I'm doing everything possible to make him happy. I just would like to know other people's opinion about this situation because i feel so frustrated.

[disneyshopper]

Fortunately, ebay no longer looks at feedback during seller performance.  I would reply to that feedback stating "Refunded $5.00 which was mutually agreed upon" or some such wording.

[sg51]

I think your buyer was/is playing you here, but that's not the same as seeing a good resolution. 

[divwido]

I think 50% would be fair in this case.

[divwido]

And any liquids should be sealed, bagged in a zip bag and then wrapped in bubble wrap.

[corvettestainless]

Did you confirm with this buyer that they are stating it is "half full" and that they bought it 'half full"... so although it leaked, sounds like nothing was lost? 

Seems to me they were fishing for 50% off, including the cost of shipping- settled on what you offered but obviously was not happy. Even their tone of 'well, I paid $18 so if you think $5 is fair'- is basically saying "I'm not going to battle with you but if you think offering 30% back when 50% is missing- I'll just settle and leave appropriate feedback". 

When things like this occur- ALWAYS ask the customer what they would like. Then they feel they are in the driver seat. If you choose not to give in, you can then state they can "return for a full refund". 

[treasures-4less · Accepted solution]

Always ask for a picture of the damage ie box  before offering anything. Sounds like buyer is just trying to get a discount after the fact. I would report the buyer . Feedback is upsetting but don't let that get you down, it doesnt effect anything just comment buyer was asking for discount after purchase. Noone really looks at the feedback unless you have a really low score. If this is the case try getting past buyers to leave feedback if they haven't done so to offset. And make sure to block this buyer!

[luckythewinner]

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I just don't feel like i deserved that negative feedback.

Buyer feedback is about how the buyer feels about the transaction, not about how the seller feels about it. 

I'm doing everything possible to make him happy. 

A partial refund was only what you were willing to do. It was not everything you could possibly have done. 

[mdupont612]

I gave him the option of full refund with return or partial refund and can keep the item. He chose the partial refund.

[mdupont612]

Thank you. I really needed to hear this. Especially since I just started selling on ebay.

[mtgraves7984]

Sorry this happened to you. The first one stings like crazy! Hang in there...

[bbravo65]

...I feel so sorry for you...heartlessly people won't care for another...there is no regards, no concern, no consideration...except the concern for the sign of dollar bills...

...if I were you, I would rather chose to get my item sending back and issue a full refund...I don't really agree with the option of "partial refund"...no matter in what circumstances the lost is already on the seller side...I will take the lost and move on with a relief of not facing an unnecessary negative feedback...

...as a buyer, I sometimes got "trash" instead of what I bought...clothes with feces, bad odors (smoke, human's body odor, pet's odor...), broken chinaware due to bad handling and packaging, faux jewelry, wrong items, NAD...etc...most of time, I threw away if I can't donate to Salvation Army...another time, I asked seller to arrange a return (wrong item receiving)...and I'm proud of myself that I HAVE NEVER GIVEN A NEGATIVE FEEDBACK...to any sellers that I have involved in buying...

...I believe in KARMA, and I believe that peoples could make mistake unintentionally...everyone deserves a chance, second chance, third chance, many more chances if they are willing to self-correct, to learn from their failures and to achieve to be better...

...take a deep breath to ease your frustration...I hope you will find the joy of selling again when you get a right buyer whom adores and values whatever you sold to them without any quizzing...

...may God bless you in this new journey...

[2015mhfashions]

Personally taking a return is never to much trouble for me, i never offer free money, as mentioned a thousand times before this is now the norm for many E Bay buyers to extort as much as they can for you.

Many sellers cave in so easy so as to try to avoid Negative feedback, in a way paying for the feedback.

You learnt that you actually still paid for Negative feedback.

If there is a problem then return it, if it's to much trouble for them you would have still received the Negative no doubt but you wouldn't have had to pay for that privilege.

I believe this buyer was simply fishing for the most you were prepared to offer, the reply " if you think $5 is fair " meant obviously they didn't, right then i would have asked them to open a return.

It's obvious they wanted it for free or the majority back.

I doubt if there was an issue in the first place, you just fell victim to a common place scam now prevalent here.

I future i would advise just accept any return, do not get into a back & forth over discounts.

[mdupont612]

Thank you, I'm learning something new everyday. Its a new day and I'm focusing on my other customers.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

I'm am sorry that this happened to you and it really does make you feel miserable, I might have some ideas you would like to try in the future: I sold a collectable jewelry lot about 1yr ago and one of the items was a small 14k gold bracelet, I decided that I would pull up the profile on my buyer and look at feedbacks left for others...whoa what a shocker, she had left almost every seller a neg horrible feedback calling them scammers, cheaters, etc. Well thru ebay I contacted one of the sellers that was left a neg and she told me this buyer trys to scam everyone this by intimidation...so back to my packing of this jewelry lot, I photographed each piece being packed and placed in box and mailed it off, fast forward guess who I heard from? "Where is the 14k gold bracelet?" "are you going to send it" I was prepared with whom I was dealing with and I told her where exactly in the box to look, how it was wrapped etc..well she found it a day later, She never left a feedback and I blocked her big time! I now always look at feedback left for others as well as general feedbacks whether I buy or sell, I always package their items the way I would like to receive them also. Your perfume 50% full, scam on buyer but I would have sealed the base and top with blue painters tape before wrapping and placing in plastic bag and took pictures, and if anything like this happens in the future, yes request pictures from buyer, you'll need them for the mailing carrier or ebay. Chin up, don't let this get you down to much, there are alot of wonderful buyers out there!