Why can Buyers post libellous comments and Ebay will not retract them

[blueandwhite57]

Sold a Hornby loco recently, checking my feedback today the buyer who joined ebay 3 weeks ago had left negative feedback, and claiming poor packaging caused it to be delivered broken

In 25 years I have never had a negative feedback, been 100 percent all the way. Numerous buyers have commented on how good the packing has been, and my feedback as a private individual is approaching 8000.

The buyer did not message me on receipt and did not start a goods received damaged report - just left the feedback. I contacted him several times asking for details and photos nothing was forthcoming in response

Customer Service claim they can do nothing about it - So I asked him to revise the feedback pointing out its common courtesy to contact a seller first if theres a problem.

Got a most obnoxious response back and a picture which detailed in my experience, a bit of bodywork broken off which I have never ever seen in years of modelling. The item was posted packed in Hornbys own  innards, inside its outer box, which was bubblewrapped and parcelled up.

Other similar items were delivered elsewhere the same day. The only difference with this one is it was Northern Ireland address so could it have been airfreight involved I dont know

The only realistic way the damage could have occurred is when removing it from the insert. He claims this not to be the case - my response was I had posted numerous photos from all angles and a video of it working on the listing and it was fine when I posted it. So if he didnt break it, then had to be in transit. He did revise his feedback - making his comments far worse than initially

Told him most people who spend a lot on an item would contact the Seller before doing anything else.

Anyways it was posted using the dreaded Simple Delivery scheme - which I thought offered Sellers protection for intransit damage if it were the cause, and protection against negative feedback.

The buyer wants to keep the broken item !!!  Ebay ????

Comments appreciated on this scenario - what can I do ?

[red_magpie]

If this was the buyer who complained that their item was poorly wrapped, they also went on to say that they were refunded by eBay's money back guarantee.

Mentioning eBay's involvement in a dispute is not allowed. So if you contact customer support they will certainly remove the comments, and probably the whole feedback.

[blueandwhite57]

Not quite thanks for the input

I posted the item as I have items for 25 years (I used to own a fulfilment company so know a lot about packing items). I have had hundreds of compliments over the years on how good my packaging was.

This buyer who joined Ebay on 20th June, received the goods end of matter or so I thought.

A few days later I saw he had left negative feedback claiming item damaged due to poor packing.

There was no communication to myself, no raising a dispute just the feedback.

Several times I messaged asking for more information and photos as I found it hard to believe the item had broken and pointed out there was Ebays guarantee system in place - no response

I then requested from him a feedback revision - then I got a response - he made the feedback worse with what he put totally libellous comments.

Messaged again asking why he didnt believe in communication or courtesy and he sent two pictures of the "damage". Well in my experience of posting this sort of item, and buying my own collection I find it hard to believe it was damaged in transit in the manner he claimed, but obviously he said thats how it arrived so it was damaged in transit therefore, even though I feel he damaged it when revoing from Hornbys original packaging - tried lifting out by the cab entrance and snapped it, and instead of tapping the loco and tender out carefully by yanking it out he would have broken the connecting wire - theres no way a wire could be pulled apart cleanly in transit.

The guy is a liar simple as - but Im sticking with the Transit Damage and all Support can say there is nothing we can do about it as no claim raised. So ok the guy wants to keep a broken item he paid £80 for, but can leave negative feedback which I should be protected from. Three times the agent has replied the same to me - they dont know the rules and they dont care

[*vyolla*]

That comment is not libellous though.

[blueandwhite57]

ok its maybe not libellous

But ebay are judge and jury without appeal because he wanted to keep an expensive broken item

Simple Delivery is a con - another money grabbing entity by Ebay

And yes the guy is a liar and the cause of damage is a total fabrication as confirmed to myself by two people I have no connection with - they state his claim was impossible otherwise every item Hornby sold would be produced damaged - they clearly state its a handling breakage not a transit breakage as no other signs were visible

[blueandwhite57]

Pretty straight forward surely - no disclaimer that a Buyer has to make a claim. Just made the negative feedback advising item was damaged

Ebay are in breach of their claim re Simple Delivery

[red_magpie]

[buyer] can leave negative feedback which I should be protected from.

In the real world, that's simply not possible. Unlike sellers, who are prohibited from leaving anything except positive feedback and comments, buyers can describe their experince as they wish.

eBay normally only removes feedback which contravene their rules on what can be said. The most common are mentioning eBay's involvement in a refund, personal abuse or bad language, leaving negative feedback for late or non-delivery when the tracking shows otherwise, or any negative feedback relating to a dispute in which eBay found in the seller's favour.

Ineveitablly, sellers often claim that buyers's feedbacks are mistaken, untruthful or malicious, but eBay's policy is that they are entitled to report their experience as they see it. This is a gauntlet that all sellers have to run. eBay can't verify buyer's claims, but the seller does at least have a right of reply.