Incoming moan - Why are buyers so quick to hit the negative button these days

[yorkshire*flower]

Ok this is not my selling ID but I have been on Ebay for 18yrs and rarely get a negative infact recently worked out it was 12 in 18yrs (so not even 1 a year) but this month Ive had 3!

One "Not impressed" - With what? (tried contacting to ask but no reply)

Two complained that their 99p crystal wasnt perfect and flawed eventhough it was clear to see the markings on the images and of course crystals are natural. Ebay refuse to remove as its "their experience" eventhough the images are clear but they told me that its the description that matters not the images!! Btw buyer was offered a return but didnt as they wanted to keep the item and refund!

3rd that RM had fined them £1.50 for extra postage - annoying as my post office have old scales so it must have been 1-2g over and RM slapped the fine on but rather than contact me for a refund leaves FB.

What is wrong with people lately? They want something for nothing and would rather complain on Feedback than message for a return or refund, but looking at their FBs left for other sellers clearly thats what they do, but seems like this is now some buyers goto in the first instance and Ebay just accept this.

I cant even be bothered contacting them to "grovel" for retraction in all my years Ive never had one retracted even after Ive refunded - I sell on Amazon, Etsy and my own website and never get any issues.  I know Ebay is full of scammers and bad sellers but seems to attract as certain type of buyer - the something for nothing crowd! i used to ignore them as the sales out weighed the 1 or 2 bad apples but with less sales, they really impact my FB which is now at 99.6%, which is annoying but really past caring now.

[btr.style]

Who knows but it's not "these days". Some people will be quick to leave negative feedback. 

When I've had negatives, it was someone who according to their left feedback section, leaves negatives like no tomorrow. 

The 2 that were left before (one removed automatically by eBay, another removed after appeal), the buyers regularly leave negatives and the one that eBay failed to remove (it breaches eBay's feedback policy), was also someone who leaves a lot of them. 

So I guess if it seems you've had more than usual, it's a bit of bad luck and you've just crossed paths with those unwanted customers. 

[tornari-group]

I sympathise, we're having much the same problem. eBay have empowered buyers with the ability to leave any nasty response they like. Facts and reality play no part. eBay will have to address this issue as it becomes more serious. Just block the buyers who leave bad FB and move on.

[bravergrace]

Part of the problem is that people are now less likely to leave feedback at all.

If they like the item, they probably won't leave any feedback.

If they are unhappy, with eBay pestering them to "share your experience with others", they are more likely to do it - and leave bad feedback.

I very rarely get negatives, but my last couple of neutrals were from buyers who only leave feedback when there's something wrong - or possibly they find something wrong with every single purchase.

[tressygirl]

Morning 'Yorkshire Flower!'

Why do they do it?  Me thinks too many use it as a messaging board.  Instead of contacting a seller who then at least has the chance to correct any issue, wham bam,  it's put across in a negative !

eBay allowing ,  is it 800 characters now?  Doesn't help either.

[yorkshire*flower]

I dont mind the 800 characters as I can now write a meaningful reply, which Im always polite on but I do now make a point of putting that I see they like to leave alot of sellers negatives and all they had to do was get in touch for a resolution rather than leave a negative in the first instance.  Had one buyer contact me 2 days ago with same issue of having £1.50 fine on  (think my post office scales need recalibrating so note for future Ill weigh them myself but thats another issue and complaint) contacted me so I refunded the whole order as it was under £5 and it was obviously an inconvience for them to pay online or collect so they got a free order - this one can whistle and I havent refunded anything as I know if I refunded they wouldnt remove it anyway so Ill take the hit.

[yorkshire*flower]

Ah I forgot about that from Ebay - That accounts for why they leave it weeks later when all is forgotten, one more reason to add to why Ebay is falling out of favour with me! 

[yorkshire*flower]

oh great and a 4th " not received my order"... give me a break.

[theelench]

I wonder if the "Not impressed" buyer had also received a fine from RM for a postage under-payment and your P.O. has needed to recalibrate the scales for some time?

I wouldn't be impressed either, particularly if they read the previous FB for the same problem and interpreted the "Not impressed" as a third?

I sell one-off items and weigh any parcel that might be near to the 2K small parcel limit because years ago my local P.O had the same problem, they had modern electronic scales that were giving faulty readings.

I'd be inclined to weigh every item before posting and point out any discrepancies ASAP to the counter assistant, who is probably un-aware of the problem and before you get any more negs., which I think you're bound to do if more buyers get £1.50 fines on small value orders.

[plpmr]

Or fined for using 'fake' stamps that are not 'fake'?

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/royal-mail-investigating-barcode-stamps-080142176.html

[yorkshire*flower]

can only guess what "not impressed" means - but yes I am now weighing the LLs before sending as clearly RM arent offering any margin of error which is laughable if their post offices are using old scales and not digital, but when have RM ever made any allowences for error.  

[ducatimondo]

Same, both our accounts have been blitzed with negs this month.

Tried helping the buyers and they are rude and intolerable.

Tried asking eBay for help on live chat and one team member I was chatting to told me they would submit some for removing and they should be removed and they haven't been.

So not only are we being slaughtered in the feedback, the eBay team member lies to you when you ask them for help and they say they will do something about it.

[pcbangles]

Same here.  Have been selling the same items for 12 years on here and managed to keep 100% feedback until last year.   Recently have been told someone couldn't print their pattern out - when all mine come ready printed !   Another left 2 negs because they never received their items as they were unable to get their package before they were returned : ?  Go figure  .....

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

What annoys me is they neg you before asking for help.

9 times out of 10 I can usually help fix a problem.

Why should I help after being negged ?

Also sometimes a return is requested without asking for help.

[*knight-rider*]

I can only talk from my point of view based on 20+ years of useing Ebay and i'm not suggesting your one of them, but i've found that sellers are often a joy to deal with, untill they get your money or there's an issue, almost every time.

Two examples from the last fortnight of purchases by me. First was a vintage toy that has electronic sounds, when it arrived, i removed the battery cover and the batteries were just a lump of rust, so clearly original and the terminals were shot. So, i messaged the seller who tried to convince me he tested it before shipping and it was fine, which no say on this planet is correct.

Second item, four days after paying, it hadn't been marked as dispatched, so i sent a message just asking if it had been posted so i can try to be in. The reply back was 'sorry, i've come down with covid i'll try and post tomorrow'.  And not for the first time with sellers, why has it taken ME to message to find out whats going on, when he could have messaged me to explain the slight delay, why and job done, at least i know 😉

I've got to the point now and have for a long time, where i don't even contact them over issues now and just open a case where they can still deal with it there and i don't waste more of my time. In an ideal world, every seller and every buyer would just deal with issues and everyone is happy, but sadly, it just doesn't happen and why so many just hit the negs, plus the fact that many buyers know the seller can't retaliate back with a neg, otherwise, they wouldn't be so fast on leaving them.

[superchallenge]

I give exemplary customer service both before and after the transaction. My packaging is great. My items are described and photographed accurately. If there's a fault, I fix it. Every item I sell is fully tested. I offer free returns and technical advice. If there's a delay (which is extremely rare, because there's no reason for it when the postman picks the items up from my door) I message the buyer ahead of time. 

Yet in the past year, I've had negs (which were removed, since they were entirely false) and neutrals (which were not removed) and countless messages from people who come at me with an attitude of "you're a scammer" even before they've made a purchase. I've been accused of gouging (even though I had the cheapest item of that type) and misleading potential buyers by overstating the item condition (despite having photographs proving the condition), not to mention the amount of times I'm asked to re-confirm or prove things that are clearly in the item's condition AND main description.

There are times when I basically have to give a character reference to a buyer in order to make a sale.

The problem is that buyers see eBay sellers as just "eBay." We're all one lot. The feedback system just doesn't work anymore, because fewer and fewer people are paying attention to it. They get shafted by one seller and instantly assume that they're about to get the same treatment from the next. If eBay allowed people to differentiate or brand their listings a little more than they do, it might help, but probably not.

[yorkshire*flower]

I agree - Im tired of awful sellers on Ebay but I bend over backwards to help and I get some very pleasant and understanding buyers when things go wrong and like I said in the starting post 12 negs in 18yrs is proof of that, not even one a year - Its when they dont even bother contacting first its maddening - I wouldnt mind if they even opened a case I could then communicate with them but 4 in one month is just jaw dropping, latest one "not received item yet" - Do they not know I they can message me or open a case? I actually wonder what ebay is now prompting them to do with their emailing the customer to ask of their experience as replying "not received my item yet" would make sense but I immediately refunded this person and asked for a revision with apology on behalf of RM - Nope not a reply or a thankyou.  Im just getting sick of their rudeness as if this is the culture that Ebay are encouraging now.

[yorkshire*flower]

I dont think its the general public as Etsy, my own website and Amazon are fine - Never get a complaint.  Its just weird how Ebay have bred this culture of rude customer base lately- I think its because they have let rogue sellers (business sellers masquarading as private so unvetted) to just do what they like and mistreated buyers that suddenly we are all tarred with the same brush - Ebay should be running a professional outlet and protect buyers AND sellers alike instead it seems to be the old "car boot" one stop, anyone can sell here and "buyer beware" mentality and I too have been hit by many awful sellers. 

- I sold an oil burner a few weeks ago and RM scanned it as "problem with address" and she was ranting at me demanding a refund etc etc - I saw the tracking saying "returning to sender" so I refunded as I knew it was on its way back and low and behold 2 days later RM delivered it - Not a flipping peep out of her, cause ranting and demanding and threats of neg FB gets them what they want as Ebay no longer remove them, its so maddening and I really have lost the energy with ebay, when youre treated like rubbish by ebay and buyers its hard to put in the time.  

[vintagechinashop]

You will always get buyers who are quick to leave a negative review. There are however more buyers who leave feedback without giving the seller a chance to address the issue   This is the unfairness of the feedback system.   In my view eBay could do something about this. It's just a simple question on the feedback page.  It would be "have you contacted the seller prior to feedback " and a warning. Negative feedback will be withdrawn if no contact is made prior to feedback. If eBay gave the seller an opportunity to challenge negative feedback when the buyer has made no contact it would be really easy for eBay to verify this through the messages 

[ascotscalemodels]

I've just had my first negative for about 12 years with no contact from buyer to let me know there was a problem,I'm not going to bother with feedback revision or contacting ebay as they never do anything about it anyway,I just left a short reply.