Another feedback removal refusal with customer using feedback extortion/manipulation

[chipchopmod2]

I have to be careful of how i word it as Ebay will want to remove the post so no one else can see it. 

Buyer sent message that item had not arrived, was posted with RM and they can be terrible at times, i politely explained that it will arrive but will be late, i posted on time as i normally do, buyer returned message....

"i will be leaving negative feedback if another one is not dispatched in 12 hours"

Again, i politley explained that it is not how it works and that they have opened a INR case against me and in that case i would not send a replacement as 95% of the time the items arrive,  sure enough, buyer closed case because item had arrived, i requested the FB to be removed and got the usual we cant cant remove it because it doesnt violate any policies. I then called Ebay up and spoke to some in the relevant deptartment, operatives are not longer able to remove it, they have to speak to the elusive back office on my behalf, the operative also said that is definately feedback manipulation and would be removed and i would get an answer, as usual, no answer after 72 hours and feedback still there, i called again, spoke to another one, i asked them is this a violation of Ebay policies, they said yes it is for sure and maybe they didnt word it right, its just a joke, i have now recieved a reply, though i dont know if it is the reply to intial appeal or the second one... does someone from Ebay want to tell me why this FB has not been removed when it blatantly violates Ebay policy ??? for me, i feel like i am being victimised because i speak out, this feeback is a farce, in that they wont remove ANY, no matter what and just another tool given to buyers to pressurise sellers.

This is not the first case of ebay refusing to remove negative feedback givien that is also in violation of ebay policy, the last one i had  received i got threatened by the buyer to come and see me face to face... ebay also refused this as well

[four_mid_able]

Did you send the buyer a feedback revision request ?.

Your follow up's do you no favours.

[chipchopmod2]

Yes, and refused. My follow ups come because Ebay do me no favours, after appealing TWICE and being told by operatives its policy violation i am left seething  and it is all i have. 

Wheres Ebays comment on this ??

[kempseykate]

Your follow ups would stop me buying from you, as goodness knows what would show on my feedback profile if I had to open an INR (or INAD come to that.)

As for grey being a shade of white ... really?!

[chipchopmod2]

Thats fine by me, probably not the type of customer i want. As for shade of white, maybe i should have said snowmans bone, nonetheless, my listing clearly states they may not be an exact match, if people fail to read that and complain about it, well, what can i say, thats the person that finds a tenner on the floor then compalins it wasnt a twenty, anyway.. the question isnt about my listings, its about ebay refusing to remove negative feedback that violates Ebay policy and is even backed up by thier own staff so to me it looks like victimisation.

[plpmr]

Unfortunately OP allows themselves to be goaded into making things personal, but the last feedback they left for a buyer [false positive] is the one that would make others run a mile.

[papso22]

So you publicly call out a buyer for abusing the feedback system with feedback that itself abuses the feedback system.

Says it all really.

[chipchopmod2]

No ones going to run anywhere, no one will see it, people only read the negative. Yes i will call them out now, if ebay isnt going to stand up and back up thier own policies, well...says it all really doesnt it... and still no input from Ebay...shame

[dch2112011]

I think that you need to step back before answering customers messages and try and look for the issue that has prompted the customer to contact you in the first place.

You are letting your indignation and temper get the better of you and with this abrasive attitude you are rubbing your customers up the wrong way.

The customer contacted you because their order had not arrived on the estimated delivery date. - this was a good thing - the customer trusted you to sort it out for them  without contacting ebay.

All they wanted was their order delivering when you said it would - nothing more nothing less 

This was your opportunity to back up your business with excellent customer service -

If you had responded with empathy, offering reassurance and an acceptable solution I have no doubt that your customer would have worked with you - rather than reacting angrily, opening an INR case and leaving feedback which describes their opinion of  your condescending  and arrogant attitude.

ebay  would have looked at both your and the customer's messages before making a decision to remove feedback.

Step back read your messages from and to the customer - understand that the customer was concerned maybe even upset that the delivery had not been made - look at how you could have given confidence to the customer and put them at ease 

Could you have started by apologising for your failure not to deliver on time - yes your failure it is your responsibility - RM are your contractor !

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[i.love.hocb]

I know this isnt what you want to hear but the responses to your negative feedback doesn't help you at all.

I know negative feedback can be upsetting but you need to take a step back and THINK before you respond and you must respond professionally otherwise new customers are going to think you'd be impossible to deal with if ever there was a problem.

Things do go wrong whether it be a simple human error on your part, whether it be something completely out of your control or whether it be that the customer is just awful to deal with but you have to be the bigger person.

I know how awful customers can be at times so I completely understand how upsetting it can be when your business is tarnished over someone being spiteful and not giving you the chance to fix things but even I would be put off ordering from you after seeing those responses.

The best way to handle negative feedback is to take a step back, calm down the respond politely and professionally by explaning that you did try to reach out to them and resolve the matter or explain calmly what happened and then apologise to them for whatever went wrong as that will completely remove the sting from their review and it will restore trust in potential buyers knowing that they will get the help they need if something goes wrong.

Never, ever be abusive in any way what so ever even if they're abusive and manipulative towrads you.

And never expose the customers full name or personal details which you did in one of your responses as I am pretty sure that also goes agaisnt eBay policy.

[i.love.hocb]

Exactly, most custoemrs (even the unreasomable ones) know that late delivery is not our fault as long as we dispatch on time but its still our responsibility one way or another.

[chipchopmod2]

This is the thing, i responded with empathy and apolagised, i tried to reassure them that it will arrive and explained that my contractor RM are not performing very well, i am sure most of you have been on the *bleep*py end of thier service, this customer was unreasonable, to the point they broke ebay policy by demanding i send an item out within 12 hours or get negative feedback, at this time i had not replied to the feedback, it was only after ebay would not remove it and appealed twice, where is my seller protection ? i would be here if they had seen it for what it is and removed it..i have negative feedback from a customer that claimed i didnt even send an item and they never received it, they also claimed i didnt respond to them, the tracking proves delivery before they opened the case and ebay can see the messages i replied to... 

[i.love.hocb]

Trust me, I completely understand but to a potential customer reading your feedback, they don't know what you did or didn't do privately or how unreasonable the customer is.

I have my own business (not on here) so I do know how unreasonable they can be but you have to be the bigger person.

I would suggest if theres any way you can remove your responses to have them removed and dont respond in the way you have again because your business will suffer becasue of this.

I know its difficult especially if you're a firey person but your business depends on how you run it and how you deal with problems.