Ebay refuse to remove negative feedback so I'm quitting after 20 years as a seller.

[rustic-avenue]

I've been using Ebay coming up on 20 years/ 2 decades  and I received my 1st negative feedback. 

Buyer of an item claimed the item was damaged which it wasn't, they even sent me pics of the item showing no damage. 

Buyer claimed I wasted time when I actually refunded full amount and paid postage same day ! Buyer claimed  waste of money which was untrue as I made a full refund ! 

Ebay refuse to remove the feedback, I reported Buyer I and used request negative feedback form, I tried to appeal Ebay said I cant appeal. 

20 years 100% feedback and I've sold around 1200 items.. 

I'm planning on closing my account now as a matter of principle, Customer services have sickened me. 

Dreadful experience. 

I have  a heart condition and this has stressed me right out... I've had several call backs  ffom customer service discussing this, no joy, had enough now. 

[chloefox777]

I had similar experience, after 2.0 years and 100% feedback. I am also moving away from eBay at the appropriate time when it suits me. I am absolutely appalled at this customer service. I was directed by initial customer service as to what to do about the return then when it was instigated this is what happened. It went down to 91.5 ?  Soon will be going elsewhere!

[technthread]

It is risky to omit photos of shoes such as the soles, the insides etc. One buyer’s definition of good condition can vary massively to another’s.

That isn’t to be unnecessarily critical but just a few tweaks you can make in future to avoid disputes. In fairness to eBay it is hard to see a way that they can justify taking that feedback down as it doesn’t violate the policy.

[liudlak]

I've got 9 negatives, unfortunately you can't stop fools writing anything,  mostly looking for a backhanded refund to remove it.

Ebay doesn't support the sellers, I sell all used items so expect some kind of negativity. 

Keep smiling 

[must_rock]

I too just had my first negative feedback after nearly 20 yrs selling on ebay. Over a couple of missing bits of lego which I promptly sent out as I'd mislaid them whilst packing. Buyer claimed further bits were missing. Which i know weren't . They requested to return the item I agreed raised the return label and they've kept the item and left negative feedback. Really stung after all this time over something so trivial. Negative should be reserved for complete misrepresentation or non delivery with no communication. 

[dch2112011]

As frustrating as negative feedback may be, your description clearly stated :

'Excellent condition rebuilt prior to listing to verify parts.'

This was as you admit not how it was delivered - this was the first negative experiance your buyer had

The buyer acknowledges the speed you sent missing parts but was still missing some pieces - this is possible given that you found some of the parts after dispatch - you could have missed some others 

The buyers real gripe was the response you gave to him described as sarcastic.

It looks like a few pieces broke away when dismantling - a genuine error but non the less a negative experiance for the buyer - it looks like you tried to rectify the situation very quickly but did not handle the situation well when the buyer further remonstrated.

Always try and keep your responses to buyers empathetic, polite and courteous and always use a negative to showcase your customer service - leaving a positive response to negative feedback will be read by potential buyers and you will be judged on your customer service response rather than the negative comment.

I know it is difficult when you genuinely feel aggrieved with feedback especially when you are personally invested in the sale but buyers will be more likely to feel comfortable buying from you if they can see a positive reaction to the comment regardless of how you personally feel

[megan1512]

1 NEGATIVE CAN CLOSE A ACCOUNT IF YOU DONT HAVE THE SALES TO COVER IT

[dch2112011]

No - one negative really can't close your account if you have low sales - this scenario is covered by ebay policy 

[must_rock]

My response wasn't sarcastic. The buyer opted to have the pieces all one big bag over 1000 parts despite me offering to bag in build order. Further more building the set at 2am and sending me multiple messages when they couldn't find a piece I'm sure I wouldn't find the part I was looking for either in the early hrs. Wasting my money by hastily requesting for a return they haven't used but I'm the one who gets a negative feedback.

[dch2112011]

I am not judging you - your feedback and acknowledged response time to the buyer speaks volumes but on this occassion all be it drink talking you buyer had some justification for a negative feedback - you buyer read sarcism into your response rightly or wrongly !

Sometimes you just have to step back - remove the personal involvement  and respond to feedback in a way that shows empathy, and showcases your customer care skills - this is for future customers not your buyer who left the feedback 

Imagine you were looking at your items and just checked the neg feedback - and read your response which said  something like

Hi sorry that two of the lego pieces were not shipped -  we offered you a full refund should you wish to return the model, you opted for replacement pieces which were priority shipped as soon as you informed us of your decision - many thanks for shopping with us - I will personally check any future orders and ensure they are treated with priority  

Then pop the buyer on your blocked list and forget all about him !

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

I reckon about 1% of my sales have a problem.

If the problem wasnt your fault then you just have to suck it up and move on.

Or have a chat with ebay who usually only remove negs if the seller sells a lot.

[fluffp81]

I think you are missing the point! There are a lot of bonafide honest sellers who get targeted by dishonest buyers making bogus claims saying the item was damaged or never arrived and we as sellers know that's not true! Negative feedback doesn't look good and does have an impact on your sales and it's a constant reminder of how unfair Ebay rules are and will always favour the buyer ! What happened to Buyer protection? Do we not count?  Especially as we are the ones making money for Ebay! Sometimes sellers make honest mistakes like not mentioning something in the description, posting the wrong item or we've had to post it late for some reason and even when we offer a solution the buyer just gives us negative feedback without any explanation! Really?? !!!! Rapists and murder get more leniency than Ebay sellers! Don't worry we'll just except it, suck it up and move on! On that note my negative feedback got removed because the buyer didn't send the item back by the deadline date which proved i was right and the seller was lying! So a victory to me but it now makes me conscious when I sell anything now!!

[crn303]

Hello Rustic Avenue …. You obviously have a good track record selling on eBay including 100% feedback over a long period of time.

eBay support should be better !

Your health is of the paramount importance.

Take good care of yourself, let things go over your head and try to enjoy each day.