Negative, libelous feedback

[tickingalongnicely]

Been a member since 2006, seriously considering no longer selling on this platform, 100% positive feedback a buyer claims that they didn't receive an item a cheap £12.50 item with free shipping, I immediately refund everything, weeks after I sent it they leave feedback. I ask for the feedback to be removed and get told no. With all the fees and the terrible support offered to sellers is it any wonder that they're begging people to stick with this slowly dying platform by offering no fees on clothing sales etc? Anyone else absolutely sick and tired of the arrogant attitude of eBay?

[tressygirl]

It doesn't work on the amount of fees you have paid over many years, those power sellers who probably pay tens of thousands of pounds a month in fees would not get a feedback removed if it didn't break feedback rules,  and yours doesn't break any ,  it shows the disappointment the buyer is showing from not receiving their item.

I fully understand the annoyance and hurt to receive a negative as it shows you  to be a conscientious  seller but the only way  to achieve the removal would be to appease the buyer perhaps send a photo of the proof of postage showing posting but that it has been lost by Royal Mail.

Your buyer complains about the lack of communication?  Did you send any message before refunding?  The messaging system has been glitchy your message may not have reached the buyer?

Once appeased you could send them a feedback revision to complete,  I just hope you stating in the follow up calling their message libellous doesn't prevent any successful outcome here.

[john1297576 · Accepted solution]

A tactful message explaing when sent, apologising for non arrival and that you were refunding, could possibly have avoided this.

Communication is important, unless of course you did send and it was  lost by ebay,

[red_magpie]

If you had used a tracked postal service to prove it was posted eBay may have removed this feedback, but without this there was no chance of them doing so.

You mention in reply to the feedback that you didn't send it tracked because it was only a £12.50 item, but you don't have to pay for tracking. Any Royal Mail parcels service provide a delivery number on the postal receipt, which can be checked on RM's track and trace web site and is accepted by eBay. The only service which doesn't is the letter post. All couriers provide tracking. 

Regrettably, eBay sellers often change their minds and cancel sale. As you didn't upload a tracking number your buyer was bound to suspect this. The bad news is that depending upon what reason you gave for cancelling the sale eBay may now also also penalise you with an account defect.

[*vyolla*]

Just to add to all of the great advice given, that feedback comment isn't libelous in a legal sense.