Negative feedback Policy leaves sellers without adequate protection

[emohawk11]

I've sold on eBay for 21 years and for the most part very much enjoy the experience with helping customers and their positive experiences of my products.

However, recently I've received negative feedback without any prior communication for an item which does not fit. I offer free returns as standard and messaged the buyer to offer help. There is no reply back and eBay won't remove the feedback as it does not violate their feedback policy. I know the product is fine as it's been sold since 2016 and it's a good seller. 

I'm wanting to share my experience to see if anyone else has a similar issue, and whether there is any advice please. I currently feel the customer fitting / not fitting is an area I have no control. 

[btr.style · Accepted solution]

That's the way eBay is sadly. 

I used to care about getting negative feedback, always good having that 100% record but some time ago I stopped caring. 

The reality is what does it matter? The best of the best get lots of negatives. I've seen huge eBay stores taking in 100 negs a month and many could be appealed but likely aren't (negs saying "very happy", "great service" and so on). 

As long as the vast majority of feedback is positive, buyers won't mind some negatives as people know how easy it is to have been left one. 

[tressygirl]

It unfortunately as you know,  hasn't broken any feedback rules so won't be removed. 

However,  you left a very good follow up , and when I read it , it just showed me,  that the buyer simply didn't know How to fit this item.

[tressygirl]

Would language here be a barrier to the understanding of the fitting of this item ?

Could you use Google Translate to send them the fitting instructions,  then when all is good, item fit for purpose,   you could send them a feedback revision to complete.

[*knight-rider*]

I completely agree with all your points, i buy items off people with negs, because very often, the negs say as much about the buyer, than they do about the seller. When your selling a few hundred items a week, i think it's almost impossible to maintain 100% feedback, in fact, i think negatives are just so common now and people are so fed up with the feedback system, that many buyers don't even look anymore, because lets face it, if buyers actually took any notice of half these negs, these sellers getting 100 negs a week would have gone bust years ago 😉

[antiques-maps-prints]

I Have had a buyer who bought five items then sent them back they where refunded all there payments but still left negative feedback which I have asked to be removed with no chance, a buyer who only joined the day before the first purchase then puchased again a week later my fault for being trusting and not refusing new buyers. Where is the help from Ebay and just like you I have been a member since 2002 obviously counts for nothing.

[2010kev1966]

Hi

I've just have one now first in 2 years,

I had an item i gave  a part refund on, for buyer saying it arrived damaged. 

pictures where a joke as well but anyway I did it. 

next thing he wanted more, so offered a return never heard from him again until a month later and received a negative saying poorly packed. so he got a refund and still did this.

Due to the wording they won't remove it regardless of all the emails showing he was trying it on.

ebays advice reply to the feedback with out saying the customer is a blackmailer.

so we are not protected and can be blackmailed quite easily 

[creamcycles]

As are so many protocols on ebay a complete shambles. I had a client who had a delay on delivery and decided to leave some negative feedaback even though the issue was completely out of my control. He actually said something deffamatory which ebay rmoved leaving the negative hit. When the buyer after conversation saw my side of things he agreed he would remove the feedback only to be told be eaby that he couldnt. I intervened and asked ebay to remove and they told me they couldnt. Only negative hit on my feedback reducing my score that the BUYER wants to remove. Ridiculous. Ebay has popped now anyway. Hits down massively sales down massively. Waffle when you ask about this. 

[radetek]

I completely agree with you, don’t worry about reviews because all the time positive ones will be suspicious and will scare off buyers

[dvd-uncut-worldwide]

Hi,

i sent a dvd to U.K. wich arrived in time as advertised.

Directly after he received the dvd the buyer left a negative feedback for me stating he hasn't received it.

Tracking it on Royalmail it shows clearly (including photo) that the dvd has been delivered.

I tried to contact Ebay several ways but they do nothing.

Is this what they call "seller protection"?!? 😞

Greetings and sorry about my bad english...Sina Christin J.

[hooper747192]

ebay is all for damaging the sellers and protecting the buyers!!!

ebay it's self is a scam!! they will happily bankrupt businesses with unjustified refunds to buyers because they know that buyers can make up any untrue complaint, leave negative feedback without speaking with the seller in the first instance.

ebay does not and will never listen to sellers concerns.

ebay is a criminals paradise and ebay know it.

It's all about protecting the buyer and nothing else.

ebays policy is scam the seller and refund the buyer without properly investigating.

ebay investigate using AI and even their own staff admit themselves ebay is a scam!! 

And tell you on the telephone just how easy it is to get a refund without having to cancel or send items back to the seller.

A negative feedback left on mine recently over the idiot of a buyer who decided not to read the item and understand the words Homemade and Allergen Free.

Decided to compare my item to the one from a shop which is completely different  in the taste as I do not use any butter.

Manufactured and Homemade are entirely different altogether, Homemade is exactly that without any added ingredients you're find from a factory e.g. Citric Acid, Flavouring, Additives, Sweeteners etc.

Moaning about large pieces, use the back of a spoon and simply break up the pieces into smaller ones.

It's called using your common sense!!

I brought some toffee with large pieces in, did i take it back to the sweet shop & ask for a refund?? No!! why because its toffee and you simply break it up with a hammer ir the back of a spoon...

[pmcomponents]

The feedback system is a nightmare, it used to stress me out. 

I've come to the conclusion sometimes people just want to vent and you the seller are an easy target.  The frustration is a lot of times, it feels unfair.   We make mistakes but do our best to rectify them, even in cases where the customer hasn't read the listing properly or something has been delayed in the post.

I had a customer recently who wasn't happy with what he received, so we sent him replacements.  Because I didn't reply with a tracking number over the weekend (we all need time away from the screen) he left me a negative. At the end of the day, you know you're doing your best and sometimes you can't live up to the standards set by big Etailers with massive budgets.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

My oh my, you really have a problem with a single bad feedback!

The negative feedback left you is quite reasonable.

Obviously, they didn't like it.  Or is that something that is not allowed?

Part of the reason (other than the taste), is that is was in large pieces.

So you are focusing on the wrong reasons!

And instead of the attack on the customer, which all your other customers can see, why not take it on board and break into smaller pieces?

Just because you may not complain to a shop about it, does not mean that someone else might.

I would suggest that in future, you put yourself in their shoes and do not just write the first thing that comes to mind, as that is usually the wrong thing.

Don't ever forget that customers are reading your answers and will take that into account when making a decision to buy!

[hooper747192]

Thank you for your response.

Allow me to clarify somethings you mentioned:

1) Under no circumstances have I attacked the customer in any way.

I simply explained that my item is a unique brand as it's the only one made using no butter, artificial flavouring, citric acid etc unlike manufactured toffee. 

2) I have ebay installed on my phone for all feedback / messages from buyers to contact me.

After looking back through, nothing was ever left back in January 2025 for me to contact the customer before leaving their feedback.

3) I do take negative feedback seriously, as it has impacted my trade. By simply deciding without any hesitation to leave negative feedback before you have the chance to speak with the customer about their unhappy purchase is unfair.

Also it could be perceived as simply being malicious.  

4) Size of the toffee pieces.

I'm afraid to say that I am in a no win here as my item is a mixture of pieces smashed up, previously, I had allot of complaints about pieces being too small or too large.

5) This complaint stands out, against the positive feedback regarding the taste and sizes.

Out of the amount I sold, only one complaint regarding taste of the toffee seems harsh considering nobody else has complained about it being flavourless and hard.

6) eBay expect any problems to be first and foremost dealt with by giving the seller a chance to rectify / refund where necessary for the unhappy purchase without the need for simply leaving unreasonable feedback.

7) Common Sense.

If something is too big e.g sweets, all I was saying here, I purchased some toffee last week with large pieces, I simply smashed them up in reasonable sizes.

Did I need to take my item back to the sweet shop for a refund simply because the sizes were large??

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Ok, you have completely missed the point.

The heart of all feedback, is that it is the customers OPINION!

They are entitled to dislike something and they way it is sold.

It has absolutely nothing to do with with common sense etc.  ie.  If you don't like something, you don't like it!

As to attacking the customer, maybe my terminology was a little strong, but you are very much being defensive over nothing on your response.

And I can only say, where I buying from you and saw that, I would walk on by.

The customer in this instance as said nothing that is untrue.  You just don't like what they have said, is what it boils down to.   And for the record, they do not need to contact you if they don't want to!

It is not unfair, though it can be malicious sometimes.  But the feedback you have does not come across that way.

You do of course realise, that not everyone likes everything, which means that your going to get some customers that do not like it?

Ebay do expect you to fix any issues with the customer, but it is still the customers choice as to whether they want you to fix the issue!

Again, you are taking all of this far too personally!

1 bad reasonable feedback is no big deal at all.  It does not affect your trade.  

What may affect it, is the responses you leave.....

[tonycstech]

This should be a 2 way street.
Seller should be able to block buyers with X amount of negative feedbacks.
Buyer should be able to block listings from sellers with X amount of feedback.

Market has to be based on trust. If trust is removed, market will fail.
I used to sell allot on ebay and now i dont want to. I sell so little i get warning about my seller performance dropping too low and is at some kind of risk.
How does ebay expect me to sell anything if people who do not read description can return orders listing it not as described while they never read the description to begin with ?

eBay was good  years ago.
Now its all China China China and abusive buyers that you pay astronomical fees to have.

Screw you eBay. You will soon perish just like craigslist.

[patrickbegood]

I can see your point fwiw because that is quite a big chunk off 100%, it's not like it only took you to 99.8%. I just wish I had better teeth, finding products with no aspergillus-derived citric acid (that stuff stopped coming from lemons, and started coming from GM'd black mold, a few years ago) is really appealing! Oh well. 😢

If I was going to buy from you, having a profile & banner pic and a more personal-seeming name would swing the deal if I wasn't sure, but that's just my opinion.The number of items sold and Followers suggest people come back for more, which is the real indicator of quality. 🙂 

[jlovie]

It's difficult to know what to do to please buyers sometimes.

I recently received a feedback comment (luckily a positive) for an old book "Smaller than I was expecting, but in good condition".

What were they expecting when the listing clearly stated "8" x 5½" softcover, 80 pages"?