Negative feedback received as a seller

[ralfa_29]

Hi all

I need the help and experience of the community regarding a frustrating issue with a negative feedback I recently received. I am a new and relatively young seller, and I started this business on eBay not long ago. In just a month and a half, I have accumulated over 80 reviews, all of them positive and highly appreciative. Recently, I received a negative review from a buyer who was unhappy because I did not agree to combine shipping, even though this was clearly stated in my selling policy. After I refused, the buyer left a negative feedback, citing reasons that have nothing to do with reality. For example, claiming a smell of smoke, even though I am a non-smoker and all my products are stored in a smoke-free environment. In this review, the buyer clearly specified the reason for leaving the negative feedback: because I did not comply with his request, and to reinforce his case, he started lying that the product smelled of cigarette smoke. So, there was absolutely nothing wrong related to the product's quality, description, packaging, or delivery. I have never received any complaints from other buyers about my products, packaging, or shipping. I responded very respectfully to the review publicly, and I also sent a private message to the buyer asking him to revise his feedback. I behaved extremely correctly and with a lot of decency. I contacted eBay support and requested the removal of this review, explaining the situation and providing evidence that the feedback was given out of revenge, not because of a real issue with the product or its description. The reply I received from eBay was a standard one: "We reviewed the feedback, and can see that the buyer found that the item wasn't as described in the listing." Basically, they did not analyze the case in detail and did not consider the context.

Everything I have said can be easily verified on my page. I am not lying, nor am I listing these arguments just to make myself look like a saint. It is upsetting and discouraging when you give your best to satisfy your customers, to build a good reputation, and then see that everything you have built is destroyed by someone who, out of frustration and malice, tries to defame you. I was about to give up, but my family encouraged and supported me to continue this project. Now I am trying to behave the same way, to make my customers happy, but the pain remains. I believe that this kind of feedback unfairly affects the image of honest sellers and does not reflect the reality of the transaction. Moreover, the lack of action from eBay discourages honest sellers from continuing on the platform.

Have any of you encountered a similar situation? What solutions have you found, or what advice do you have for handling such cases? Is there any real way to escalate the issue or to make eBay truly analyze the context of a negative feedback?

Thank you in advance for any answers or suggestions.

[tressygirl]

Reading between the lines of that feedback I think what urged them to leave a neg,  was the fact you refused to combine postage.

Be aware,  combining postage is currently not possible,  sellers are sending polite messages to the buyer explaining this, and offering to refund the excess or delisting the items,  listing them together,  then there is only one postage cost to pay.  Unfortunately,  if this was not explained,  it led the buyer onto the path to leave a neg.

Did you by any chance use a black mailing bag as part of the packaging for the item?  I ask because some give off a horrid acrid smell,  akin to smoke , and clings to any item placed inside.

I would suggest sending the buyer a feedback revision,  but seeing you have replied to their feedback,  I doubt they'll agree now to complete one,  you can try though,  apologise and explain  it was your mistake not to explain the issue with combining postage,  is currently a tech issue.  You may win them round to change that feedback! 🤔

@ralfa_29 

[ralfa_29]

The buyer asked me if I could combine postage, and I replied very politely that I could not do this since one product was on auction, which he was participating in, and the other product was a Buy It Now item. I also explained that this slabbed coin has a market price of over £45, and he got it for £30. I even offered that for future orders, I would do more than just combined postage—I would offer him very cheap delivery.During this discussion, he pointed out that he had previously bought from me using another account, and that I gave him a delivery discount and even included a gift, so he expects the same treatment now. Do you see why I say this is just retaliation? I have presented all this evidence to eBay.

[ralfa_29]

Yes, I packed the item in a box, and that box was placed in a padded envelope. But no customer has ever complained about this—this can be seen in all my reviews. And if we really think about it, this has nothing to do with the product itself, the way it was packed, or the very fast delivery (all of which he actually acknowledged at the end of his review)

[tressygirl]

As I said above I too think the refusal of combining postage,  whatever the reason you gave he saw it as rude and unhelpful,  this sent him onto this path of yes, I agree, a bit of tit for tat , ( retaliation?).

Unfortunately,  there is nothing in the feedback to break feedback rules,  and as eBay have said it reflects the buyers experience of the transaction with you.  They will not remove the feedback.

Your only way forward if you wish,  is to try and placate the buyer and then ask if they would kindly complete a feedback revision.  If they don't,  the feedback will stay for 12 months.

You have one disgruntled customer amongst many very happy peeps,  so it wouldn't put me off buying from you, and I doubt you'll lose any buyers because of this.

@ralfa_29 

[ralfa_29]

I have always taken responsibility for my mistakes and tried to fix them, even in his case—I sent him a private message and politely asked him to withdraw his negative review. Something else bother me. I don't see any mistake in my product description, I didn't mention anything about combined postage, and I have always kept my word. Why does my description not match what the buyer received? Anyway, I have already accept the negative feedback and will continue to be the same onest seller, but it is not fair. This is what I have been trying to explain all along. And I want this experience to open eBay’s eyes to these kinds of manipulations through feedback. By the way, this buyer is also a seller, and, ironically, he sells bullion products just like I do, with photos taken on his living room carpet or on his bedroom bed. He doesn’t have a tester like I do, and he doesn’t describe his products accurately, nothing professional . Doesn’t that mean anything? As far as I’m concerned, my case is closed, but I want to raise a red flag so that eBay pays more attention to reviews left by such people, and so that other honest and fair sellers like me take a stand against eBay’s lack of interest in sellers’ problems.

[tressygirl]

I am not denying that it must be hurtful to receive a negative feedback and from your reaction,  it shows you are genuinely a conscientious seller.

You have to let this go,  eBay will not take your example to 'review ' any feedbacks left by buyers.  They do not see the item, they just see the buyer was unhappy with the transaction and wrote this in their feedback and not breaking any feedback rules.

Not truly sure why your description of this member being an unprofessional seller by photographing his items on the floor, not having a tester,  has to do with your case of removing the feedback ?  🤔

As above let this one go,  it's the 'joy' of selling,  coming across a disgruntled buyer, it happens,  you have far more happy buyers and I'm sure will continue to do so !

@ralfa_29 

[jckl1957]

In your post here and the 'About' section of your account, you make it clear that you are a business seller.

If that is the case, you need to upgrade to a business account.

Your items show 'no returns accepted' - if you had a legal 'any reason' returns policy and were properly registered, your buyers would have more confidence in making a purchase from you.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sellercentre/selling/create-ebay-business-account

[ralfa_29]

You're right, but you missed something from the overall context. I wrote there that I want to turn my business into an art. Combined with the fact that in every product description I mentioned that I am a new seller on eBay, it doesn’t mean that I already have a business. No, it means exactly what I said: that I want to lay the foundations for a business. I’m starting from the bottom, as a simple seller, and I sincerely hope to achieve something bigger. There are, however, some steps to climb. Maybe it’s wrong, but I was honest about my goal here. Now, regarding this topic, I don’t see how it is related to customers trust in me, based on what I wrote here. I didn’t complain about that at all, on the contrary, the trust customers have in me can be seen from the fact that in just a month and a half, I already have many customers who are very satisfied with my services and products. This topic was only about this one frustrated customer who was upset that I didn’t offer free delivery on three other products. He wanted to buy several products at a low price and pay delivery for only one. He never questioned the quality of the product or the packaging at all.

[red_magpie]

I think you could probably get this feedback removed if you contact customer service.

The principal reason is clearly because you didn't combine postage. eBay will remove feedback if the seller was not required by eBay to provide the service complained about.  eBay does not require sellers to combine postage, which in fact sellers can't do anyway under eBay's new simple postage scheme.

Hopefully eBay will disregard the laughable exaggeration about it "stinking like an ashtray". This was just a single coin sealed in a clear plastic capsule!

[ralfa_29]

That's what I thought as well. And yet, the exact opposite happened. Ebay said

 Our decision
We reviewed the feedback, and can see that the buyer found that the item wasn't as described in the listing.
For this reason, the feedback was not removed. Just so you know, this feedback will not impact your seller performance level.

I think you can understand my frustration now.

[ralfa_29]

EBay said "item wasn't as described in the listing." So I have to ask: the buyer is satisfied with the item, he likes the way it was packaged,as he even acknowledges in his negative review, I didn’t mention that I offer combined postage in the description… so how is it not as described? EBay’s response is very strange…