Feedback Disappearance

[hamilton434]

Recently I left ( provoked ) negative feedback for a seller because the item I bought from them was badly damaged due entirely to grossly inadequate packing. ( the box was unnecessarily large by at least 5 times the requisite and the "protective" material just thrown in with no attempt to wrap it around the item, far less secure it to remain there)

Quite often I review feedback I've left to consider the possibility that it may not have been entirely accurate. Yesterday I was surprised to see that the above had totally disappeared. Can a seller remove feedback according to his own whim, ie flouting the ebay rules and regulations ?

[captain*obvious · Accepted solution]

No, but truth be told, savvy sellers find it far easier than ever to get negs removed.

You have to be incredibly careful with your phraseology and even then, warranted negs can be removed ''accidentally'' but aren't reinstated.

Feedback credibility is at an all time low.

[hamilton434 · Accepted solution]

What do you, ( or anyone ), think of the idea of ebay employing inspectors, accepted by goodwill sellers and buyers, to make surprise visits in the effort to establish who might endeavour to cheat. Obviously it would be impractical to expect to be able to check more than a few from millions(?), but the ever present "threat" that could catch the dishonest out might well discourage the opportunist.

Another idea is to encourage sellers to make videos for upload to YouTube, giving a more realistic indication of the condition of their items for sale; with some kind of favours earned. It would surely be more to the point than establishing loyalty schemes that seem really just for more profit by encouraging folk to buy for the sake of getting a "bargain".

Another, admittedly loosely connected phenomenon, is ebay's willingness to shower you with "more of the same" suggestions for things to buy; plus clart up one's screen with all sorts of adverts that just soak up computer resources and are of little interest to many millions of people. Imagine if you came home with a new car, and every time you got into it to drive somewhere the windscreen started displaying all sorts of unwanted adverts. I guess it's not just f/b credibility that is at an all time low !

[papso22 · Accepted solution]

I suggest you post the above on one of the discussion boards to get a wider audience, there are a limited number of responders on this one.

[pixiesen2012]

I can see a negative in your feedback left for others that mentions bad packing, is this the one you mean, or have left the same negative for a different seller?

[hamilton434]

The feedback that "disappeared" is similar; left for another seller. There's an old saying, "It never rains but it pours", that might be deemed appropriate here in that I should be obliged to account for two instances of very bad packing taking place within such a short "time frame".

[arkwebus]

The seller cannot remove feedback but ebay may do so if it breaches their rules in some way.  

You say that the item arrived damaged so did you open a "not as described" case for a refund?  I know I'm a softy but if so and if the seller refunded without fuss then that to me indicates good customer service for which I would give a +ve feedback

@hamilton434 

[hamilton434]

Thanks for your response.

The seller did offer a partial refund of around 20% that I deemed a mere gesture, particularly since the winning bid was just over £32. It seems to me more than a suggested possibility that once sellers get paid they often ( more often than not ? ) tend to treat what is then your property with less practical care than common etiquette dictates. That is why I left "an honest comment".

I forgot to mention, hence this edit, that I didn't "open a case"; the refund was made without fuss. I was disappointed that what I would have regarded as a bargain was ruined by callous neglect.

EDIT TWO: It might be of interest that I ordered an ( NTSC ) duplicate item ( # 392379652402 - tick "Completed Listings" ) that hopefully will provide the means to resurrect the JVC Camcorder to full working order. I sent him photos of the packing disaster; I'll have to wait a bit yet to see if I can leave a recommendation for him, but he did describe his mode of packing, with criticism for what I got.

FOLLOW UP: I got the NTSC version and it has the same fault as the first - only cost around £12 but had to pay "Global Shipping" of £54 approx - great big box again !