What to do about feedback

[naqahdriah]

Hello!

Long story short, I sold an item yesterday, and shipped it within an hour of purchase via the buyer selected shipping method (I live across the street from a post office, so this is normal for me). Shortly after I left the post office, the buyer left feedback calling me a scammer. The item wouldn't even arrive until 2 days from now, and the tracking (with signature / insurance) shows it is on the way, so I'm not sure what the scam is and the buyer is unresponsive. Looking at the feedback they've left for others, it looks like this is a pattern for them (on the first 4-5 pages like half of the feedback they've left is calling people scammers) which seems abusive, but... oh well. 

I've contacted them, requested a change from them, and contacted eBay through the removal form. While the negative feedback sucks (especially for an individual who only occasionally sells, and not a business), my concern now is - am I the one being scammed here? Has anyone run into anything like this? Have I done pretty much what there is to do in this situation?

[naqahdriah]

Well, I went ahead and ended my other auction. Apparently, my package, despite not being there until the day after tomorrow and being a Priority Mail package, is apparently not eligible for package intercept.

"USPS Package Intercept service is available only for domestic shipments sent by Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, First-Class Package Service, Parcel Select, USPS Retail Ground and Package Services. Only packages, letters, and flats with a tracking barcode can be intercepted"

It's a Priority Mail package that has a tracking barcode, so I have no idea why the site says it can't be intercepted but... I guess this is just an $800 mistake. 

[fm2000]

Keep in mind this type of unethical buyer is also the kind that would wrongfully file a credit card chargeback, claiming the phone either never arrived or didn't work. Credit card chargebacks circumvent eBay's buyer protection system and are usually unwinnable; these result in the buyer getting your money and your item and on top of it you would be socked with a $20 "chargeback fee". It is why it is crucial you intercept the package and get it back.

Expensive cell phones are a magnet for scammers. Especially for new sellers. Sell it locally, but agree to meet at a police station for safety.

[mam98031]

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@rugerskick wrote:

Its a scammer.  They want you to give them some or all the money back to change the feedback.

This is called feedback extortion (and in this case, outright lying as well as defamation of character, libel).  Get with ebays fruad and security people and show them whats been going on.  Since this is a pattern scammer they need to deactivate their account.

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If the buyer won't respond to emails the seller sends, how could anyone possibly know this?  And if the buyer won't talk to the seller, exactly how do they communicate this is what they want?

[mam98031]

@naqahdriah 

The best advice was early in this thread, you may have missed it.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/What-to-do-about-feedback/m-p/33909120#M2255065

Get on the phone first thing tomorrow and intercept that package.  I know for me that would be a pretty expensive item to lose.  Once you have it back in hand you should come back and discuss the next steps a bit more with the help you are getting on this thread.  You have accessed some pretty darn experienced sellers and received some GREAT advice.  

But the first thing is doing what you can to stop the delivery of this item to your buyer.  Otherwise it is likely you are in for far more trouble and expense.

Someone mentioned you had reviewed the buyers Feedback Left for Others and seen a distinct pattern of this kind of behavior with this buyer.  I urge you to contact Ebay and bring this to their attention.  It is called Feedback abuse.  That will likely get the feedback removed from your account.  But the FIRST thing is to try and get that packaged turned around.  You don't have time to waste, the sooner you contact USPS the better off your chances are.  We can help you through what follows that AFTER you get your item back.

[naqahdriah]

On the plus side, eBay removed the feedback pretty quickly! Also, it looks like maybe there was a problem with USPS's system yesterday, because the package intercept went through today and says 'in progress.' So at this point, I just wait until my package shows up (assuming it does), then cancel / refund the order and be done with it?

I didn't particularly want to sell my phone (or use all of my credit card points on a tablet to sell), but my dog needs ACL surgery so... I guess I'm doing something local and hoping the "buyer" isn't willing to mug me at a police station. 🤣

[ms.rodriguez*]

If the dog is a mean dog,  bring him to meet with the buyer.  Leave your valuables and credit cards at home. Just have your license and some cash.  I have met folks in front of a police station and also INSIDE a McDonalds.   Lots of folks inside.  Outside is still dangerous.

[a_c_green]

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@naqahdriah wrote:

On the plus side, eBay removed the feedback pretty quickly! Also, it looks like maybe there was a problem with USPS's system yesterday, because the package intercept went through today and says 'in progress.' So at this point, I just wait until my package shows up (assuming it does), then cancel / refund the order and be done with it?

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Right. If the buyer receives the package after all, then just sit tight and wait to see what happens next. If the package comes back to you, then cancel ("Buyer requested") and refund. (Feedback-wise, he has already shot off his ammunition, so you don't need to worry about further public comment from him. Be sure that he's welded into your Blocked Buyer List.)

[luckythewinner]

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@naqahdriah wrote:

I sold an item yesterday

the buyer left feedback calling me a scammer

I've contacted them, requested a change from them

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I would not have wasted a feedback revision request on that buyer until the tracking showed delivered so the buyer had confidence I was not a scammer.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

This seems to be a new scammer trend. I read a similar post recently. Seems like a bullying / pressured to make sellers feel guilty / threaten for negative feedback to refund before the package is even delivered. 

Shipping with signature and tracking should protect you. Great decision! 

My guess is you checked their complete feedback profile and Google mapped their location before shipping. This is something that sellers don't do enough of.

[mam98031]

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@naqahdriah wrote:

On the plus side, eBay removed the feedback pretty quickly! Also, it looks like maybe there was a problem with USPS's system yesterday, because the package intercept went through today and says 'in progress.' So at this point, I just wait until my package shows up (assuming it does), then cancel / refund the order and be done with it?

I didn't particularly want to sell my phone (or use all of my credit card points on a tablet to sell), but my dog needs ACL surgery so... I guess I'm doing something local and hoping the "buyer" isn't willing to mug me at a police station. 🤣

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@naqahdriah 

That is good news about the package.  I'm very sorry to hear you are facing surgery.  That is no fun at all.  I sincerely hope it turns out well for you.

BTW, if you do get the package back, there is NO NEED to CANCEL the transaction.  When you refund the transaction you will get your selling fees back.

You won't have to worry about your feedback anymore because they already left FB that Ebay removed, so they don't get another chance for it.

[mam98031]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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@naqahdriah wrote:

On the plus side, eBay removed the feedback pretty quickly! Also, it looks like maybe there was a problem with USPS's system yesterday, because the package intercept went through today and says 'in progress.' So at this point, I just wait until my package shows up (assuming it does), then cancel / refund the order and be done with it?

---

Right. If the buyer receives the package after all, then just sit tight and wait to see what happens next. If the package comes back to you, then cancel ("Buyer requested") and refund. (Feedback-wise, he has already shot off his ammunition, so you don't need to worry about further public comment from him. Be sure that he's welded into your Blocked Buyer List.)

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@a_c_green 

I firmly disagree.  First there would be no reason to cancel the transaction.  The buyer can't leave FB again.  Besides filing the cancellation as the Buyer Requested it is against the rules and @naqahdriah could get sanctioned for that.  There simply is no need to even take the risk or even file a cancellation for any reason.

A refund gets the FVFs refunded to the seller and that is all that the OP needs.  A cancellation serves NO purpose.

[a_c_green]

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@mam98031 wrote:
I firmly disagree.  First there would be no reason to cancel the transaction.  The buyer can't leave FB again.  Besides filing the cancellation as the Buyer Requested it is against the rules and @naqahdriah could get sanctioned for that.  There simply is no need to even take the risk or even file a cancellation for any reason.A refund gets the FVFs refunded to the seller and that is all that the OP needs.  A cancellation serves NO purpose.

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I may be confusing the terminology then, but here's where I am coming from: the buyer is not going to get the phone that he purchased, because the seller is recalling it. Assuming the seller gets the phone back as we hope for, he must then refund the payment.

If he is required to specify the reason for the refund (and here I may be misremembering things), he should select "Buyer Requested" rather than "Out of Stock" to avoid a penalty. As noted, the buyer called him a scammer in the now-deleted feedback, making it fairly clear that he wanted his money back, so "Buyer Requested" seems valid.

I may be confusing the terminology between a sale that is cancelled and a sale that is completed but then refunded later. The significant detail here is that the buyer will never receive the package because the seller is recalling it, so I'm kind of wavering between calling this a cancellation (by the seller) vs. a refund request (by the buyer).

[mam98031]

@a_c_green 

Filing a Cancellation and issuing a Refund are two DIFFERENT actions.  To issue a refund there is NO requirement to file a Cancellation.  

When issuing a refund you can put a reason for the refund on the form, but it is not a required field.

When issuing a Cancellation you have to specify a reason from the short list available, but in this case there is absolutely NO NEED to file a cancellation.  With that said, if the seller selects the reason "buyer requested" and the buyer did NOT request it, that is against the rules and sellers can get sanctioned for that.  In this case the buyer did not ask the seller to refund a darn thing.  The buyer won't even communicate with the seller.  

To get money refunded to a buyer it does NOT require a cancellation to be filed.  And in this case it would be inappropriate to do so.  No need to complicate the process.  Simply refund the transaction once the item is returned to the seller, just like you would if the buyer was returning the item for refund.

The transaction still existed.  I'm unsure as to why you think it was cancelled.  Once the item actually ships out, a cancellation should not be filed.  There simply is no reason to do so.  You certainly don't need a Cancellation in place to issue a refund.

[simply-the-best-for-you]

Best of luck on your pup's surgery!  Meeting at a police station is generally pretty safe.  I've even heard of some that have an area set up for tx's like this.  You might check around in your area or consider going to another part of town, since you mentioned getting stabbed, twice.

I hope your intercept goes through 🤞

[naqahdriah]

Update - The buyer apparently "missed" the signature delivery (the tracking information says "No authorized recipient available"), so even though the package intercept failed, return to sender appears not to have (tracking indicates it is on its way back).

My plan at this point is just to wait until it gets here, and issue a refund. However, I figured it would be worthwhile to ask if that is the correct thing to do in this situation. I'm assuming it is, but I have nearly zero ebay experience, and I wasn't sure if I should have them request a return (assuming they respond), or something else process-wise that would be more appropriate?

Thank you, again, for all of the responses here. It has been enlightening, to say the least. I will say that I probably won't sell a stick of bubblegum here without signature delivery though... that option appears to have saved me a lot of grief.