What would be the right order of steps to get this neg removed?

[gurlcat]

Well I just had this one drop on me.  Here are the relevant or irrelevant facts, as they may be: I'm a TRS and this was a 30-day Free Return item.  The buyer didn't do a return and never wrote to express any disappointment. So it seems like a slam dunk for removal but I want to do it right.  I'm guessing the first step is to ask for a revision, but not sure what I could say to compel her, considering she bought the item July 26th, so it's too late for her to file a return, and I'm not going to offer a bribe for a revision (as in offer a partial refund), lol.  Come to think of it, why does ebay allow buyers to leave feedback after the return window is closed?     If this necklace was so not-shiny and not-pretty-colored to her, why did she wait so long to even leave this feedback?  

Anyway, if requesting a revision is indeed the first step, does it give the buyer a deadline to respond?  And what happens if they don't, or respond by writing a refusal to revise?  

[soh.maryl]

The buyer has 60 days to leave FB.  The buyer has 30 days to open an item not as described case; however, if that deadline has expired, she has 180 days to open a case with Paypal, if that's how she paid and usually about that same time length to do a chargeback on her credit card.  

Before you ask for a revision from the buyer, you need to make sure she wants to revise before you send a Feedback Revision Request form.

If you are talking about asking eBay to take down the FB, that does not happen very often.  eBay considers FB to be the buyer's honest feedback about the transaction.  

[gurlcat]

Also, I wonder if she doesn't even have the necklace anymore, to return if she could return it (which to be clear, I would be totally fine with).  This may be reading too deeply, but note her wording "was dull", "was not pretty."  -Hey maybe she should look again, maybe it's shiny and pretty now!  

[soh.maryl]

Sometimes writers do not put a fine point on things.  Perhaps she used "was' as in "When I opened the package, it was dull and not pretty".  And, in her eyes, it's not going to get shinier and prettier.

Did you contact her and ask if she wanted to return it? 

[gurlcat]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

Before you ask for a revision from the buyer, you need to make sure she wants to revise before you send a Feedback Revision Request form.

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Can you explain?  What is the point of the request if you have to pre-request?  Does the official request not give a space where you can write anything?    And if you had this situation like this, what would you say to the buyer?   Everything that comes to mind would either be pointless at best, insulting at worst.  Like "If I send a revision request, would you please say something nice for me instead?"  or "I would have accepted your return for a full refund but it's too late for that now, so would you please remove this negative feedback?"  

[gurlcat]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

Sometimes writers do not put a fine point on things.  Perhaps she used "was' as in "When I opened the package, it was dull and not pretty".  And, in her eyes, it's not going to get shinier and prettier.

Did you contact her and ask if she wanted to return it? 

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No I just discovered this, she must have done it within the past few hours.  I would ask her that, but how could she do it, if the return window is already closed?  She would see no return options on her purchase page, right?  

[lakefor94]

Just respond to the feedback and turn it into positive. 

Don't say anything accusatory.  You know, We offer 30-day Free Returns. Let us know if you have a problem in an eBay message rather than in feedback and we will take care of you as we do all buyers. Blah blah blah.

[slati_2013]

Why do you think it is a slam dunk for removal? I am not seeing that. This is a classic example of what eBay call opinion. What was in the description, because the buyer could make a case for INAD. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@gurlcat ebay only removes feedback under certain circumstances. Foul language, which is not present here, is one. I don't think this meets the requirements for ebay removal.

Also, unless I'm mistaken, ebay has said in the past, when condition is at issue, it is the condition box, not the description box, that governs, and I believe ebay has been clear that if the condition is not clearly stated in the condition box, whatever you have in the description doesn't matter. I'd say your reference to the Description puts you in a gray area, because ebay wants the condition stated there, and I don't think a general link to elsewhere is going to count. 

[robbie31415]

You can try and get them to voluntarily remove it.

Not a slam dunk because your return window closed, and can't qualify for auto scrub.

The feedback doesn't seem to violate any eBay policies so I don't see them removing.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@gurlcat 

For example, you can report negative feedback to eBay for the following reasons: 

1. A customer leaves a bad review, but has not paid for their item(s).
2. Negative feedback left for your store violates eBay’s policies by containing vulgar, abusive, threatening or offensive language, or any other content not allowed by eBay.
3. You can show evidence of any attempts at feedback extortion by the buyer (such as promising to give you a positive review if you give them a discount).

In order to report a review to eBay, go to your Seller Hub to contact eBay directly and explain why you want them to investigate the situation. Upon investigation, eBay may remove the entire review, the comment only, the rating only or let you know why they are leaving the review as-is. 

[inhawaii]

Sorry this happened to you @gurlcat 

This is definately a "buyers opinion" negative feedback.

Which means you have almost no chance of getting ebay to remove it.

Your only recourse it to convince the buyer to remove it. 

Everyone has their own opinion on how to respond to  negative feedback.

Keeping in mind that this is what future potential buyers are going to see,

this is how I would respond if it were mine...

"Sorry you are not happy with your item. I will pay for return shipping and offer you a full refund."

[lakefor94]

Agreed, I put the condition of the item in the Condition field and in the Description. Cut and paste.

Any defects of the item are put in colored print in the description to stand out.

[pjcdn2005]

It's not too late for a return if you are still willing to give them one.  They will still be able to open a return but if it has been more than 30 days since they received it,   you have the option of denying it or approving the return.

[gurlcat]

I thought I recalled that feedback is supposed to be only about the seller, not the item (that's what the star rating is for).   A neg COULD include the fact that something was wrong with the item, but only in the context that the seller did not handle the situation satisfyingly.   -When you mark negative on feedback, you automatically get this popup, before you can write your complaint. 


... so she saw that, but she did NOT give me that chance.    

And with Free Returns it doesn't even have to be an INAD (like claiming this wasn't a genuine ruby for example); the buyer could have returned, with postage paid by me, simply because she didn't find it "pretty" enough for her tastes.  So the fact that she didn't return it at any point in the 30 days she could have would seen to indicate she was happy with it.  The fact that a seller cannot control buyers' standard of "pretty" would seem to be ....well, something that is out of sellers' control.