Why I'm thinking of leaving eBay altogether

[timeofjewels]

Received an utterly false and slanderous feedback by a buyer today. I called ebay, they agreed that its false and whatever the buyer is blaming me for is totally false, but since its an 'opinion based' platform the feedback will stay even though its totally and categorically false and is a total lie.

I wonder one thing, did ebay lost its mind?

Probably did.

Why should they create a platform were scammers, crooks and nonpaying buyers can leave a totally false and slanderous feedback to the seller and get away with it just because its not breaking the policy of profanity?

WOW,

What a bunch of dimwits ebay has become...

[audioarchive]

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@timeofjewels wrote:

Received an utterly false and slanderous feedback by a buyer today. I called ebay, they agreed that its false and whatever the buyer is blaming me for is totally false, but since its an 'opinion based' platform the feedback will stay even though its totally and categorically false and is a total lie.

I wonder one thing, did ebay lost its mind?

Probably did.

Why should they create a platform were scammers, crooks and nonpaying buyers can leave a totally false and slanderous feedback to the seller and get away with it just because its not breaking the policy of profanity?

WOW,

What a bunch of dimwits ebay has become...

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I agree. You should very seriously reconsider selling here.

[best_vintage_photos]

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@retrose1 wrote:

If this is how you react when you get a neg, what are you going to do when you get a scammer that obviously is stealing from you and ebay lets them?

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That would be an act of war. That is when all out war should be declared on the buyer and eBay.

Just kidding, of course.

I can understand the OP's frustration. They felt violated by the feedback comment, and then betrayed by eBay - you know eBay - the entity that all sellers pay monthly fees to for the ability to list here?

In retrospect, the OP should have counted to ten before replying to the feedback. It is always best to take the high road when it comes to feedback comments, but that is not always easy in the heat of the moment.

At the end of the day, eBay is responsible for everything negative that goes on here, because they have created the environment for these kinds of things to happen as they do. The policies of eBay are the sources of most of the frustration that goes on here. This is just one example of what eBay feedback policies have done. 

Others have said before that eBay has created an environment of hostility between buyers and sellers and an environment of gross unfairness via their policies. Here is an analogy for you:

Introducing the eBay Fight Club!

Main Event: eBay Buyer vs. eBay Seller

Rules of engagement for Sellers:

Sellers must 'fight' blindfolded amd with both hands tied behind their backs. Sellers are also not permitted to do anything that might cause any physical harm to the Buyers in any way.

Rules of engagement for Buyers:

Buyers may use eBay approved weapons and do anything they want. Nothing is off the table.

[tunicaslot]

Did the buyer want to return the item and you advised them to just ship it back rather than opening a return request or SNAD? If so - that comment made sense - the buyer knows how they have to proceed to be protected.

None of your responses have been professional - I'd work on that. 

[best_vintage_photos]

I consider myself very fortunate over the years regarding feedback, and a big part of that may be due to the categories that i have used most often - vintage collectibles.

People who collect vintage items are usually not out there looking for trouble, and most of them have ample resources so they don't need to scam people online in order to survive. They are mostly positive friendly people who leave positive friendly comments.

[luckyladydi]

Personally I don’t blame you. There have been many, many sellers coming to this board with the same complaints as well as other ones re scamming, rock returned, etc., etc., and many responses as well, all well-meaning. There have been many sellers who have left eBay because ebays feedback policy s**ks, and CS s**ks.  So much has been written re this subject that one would think that eBay would do some type of revision or discontinuation of this debacle, but it seems that eBay considers no one indispensable, and there will be someone, probably some newbie to take your place until that newbie gets burned and comes to the board re the same subject, and around and around, and around it goes.  

At this point, I would have to say there is no answer to this situation until eBay does something about it themselves which up to now has been nothing.

I wish you good luck in your future ventures.

[retrose1]

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@best_vintage_photos wrote:

I consider myself very fortunate over the years regarding feedback, and a big part of that may be due to the categories that i have used most often - vintage collectibles.

People who collect vintage items are usually not out there looking for trouble, and most of them have ample resources so they don't need to scam people online in order to survive. They are mostly positive friendly people who leave positive friendly comments.

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But people who resell vintage collectables can be some of the worst scammers on ebay.  More and more I am coming to believe that most of the scamming on ebay is being done by people who turn around and resell their ill gotten gains on ebay.

[orangehound]

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@timeofjewels wrote:

I probably shouldnt have responded to that feedback that way, but I was so frustrated at the insanity of ebay...

Its pathetic

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I understand your frustration.  I too hate some of the unfairness that we have to tolerate as sellers, but it is self-defeating to you as a seller to display that hatred in feedback responses. 

When I buy, I look at feedback responses, and in particular the negatives and neutrals.  The occasional negative in a sea of positives does not turn me off as a buyer ... but when I see "revenge-like" seller responses like what you are leaving, it prompts me to look elsewhere.  In the future, maybe stepping away from the situation and calming down for a little bit would be helpful before responding to sellers in messages or responding to feedback.

Once calm, apologetize and leave positive, professional responses such as "I am so sorry.  I offer 14-day returns to my customers for those rare cases when they are disappointed."

[fern*wood]

I would hate to make any business decision based on the ebay feedback system. 

[rei-npkrlma]

Slander / libel is against Federal Law, but it seems that little fact is ignored. I had this happen to me once, too and called CS - got the exact same run-around.

I wish I had 50G's or so to keep a lawyer on retainer if for nothing else but to send letters to these type of people reminding them that slandering a business publicly w/o proof is against Federal law and IS punishable!

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

slander/libel is not a Federal crime. It is a civil matter. Try asking police to step in. You'll learn pretty quickly it's not against the law. 

[couldabeenworse]

It appears the buyer was dissatisfied with some part of the transaction, and you want the feedback removed because the actual comment (which makes little sense to me) isn't a proven fact?  I'm sure there is much more to this story.

Anyway, eBay removes libelous feedback if they get a court order, so if you can prove the statement is false AND that you have suffered damage from it, you would need to seek help through the courts first.  An eBay rep's (whose primary responsibility is to get you off the phone) opinion doesn't carry a lot of weight.

[*eponymous*]

Feedback removal by court order involves suing eBay. It's never been successfully done, and it won't be done.  Also, proving defamation involves monetary damages due only to the feedback...in short, it can't be done.

[coolections]

Just so you now CS ALWAYS will agree with you. Think about it, an angry customer calls and complains it would do no good to disagree with you. Also if a buyer reports you all those rude comments will be removed. You are not allowed to follow up in feedback as you keep doing.

[gramophone-georg]

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@best_vintage_photos wrote:

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@retrose1 wrote:

If this is how you react when you get a neg, what are you going to do when you get a scammer that obviously is stealing from you and ebay lets them?

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That would be an act of war. That is when all out war should be declared on the buyer and eBay.

Just kidding, of course.

I can understand the OP's frustration. They felt violated by the feedback comment, and then betrayed by eBay - you know eBay - the entity that all sellers pay monthly fees to for the ability to list here?

In retrospect, the OP should have counted to ten before replying to the feedback. It is always best to take the high road when it comes to feedback comments, but that is not always easy in the heat of the moment.

At the end of the day, eBay is responsible for everything negative that goes on here, because they have created the environment for these kinds of things to happen as they do. The policies of eBay are the sources of most of the frustration that goes on here. This is just one example of what eBay feedback policies have done. 

Others have said before that eBay has created an environment of hostility between buyers and sellers and an environment of gross unfairness via their policies. Here is an analogy for you:

Introducing the eBay Fight Club!

Main Event: eBay Buyer vs. eBay Seller

Rules of engagement for Sellers:

Sellers must 'fight' blindfolded amd with both hands tied behind their backs. Sellers are also not permitted to do anything that might cause any physical harm to the Buyers in any way.

Rules of engagement for Buyers:

Buyers may use eBay approved weapons and do anything they want. Nothing is off the table.

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There's a simpler, more accurate, single rule of engagement:

eBay must make fee income from the results.

[emerald40]

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@retrose1 wrote:

If this is how you react when you get a neg, what are you going to do when you get a scammer that obviously is stealing from you and ebay lets them?

______________________________________________________________________

I will answer that one.

That is when after 19 years I will pack it in for good.

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