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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be really upset I have recieved my first negative feedback on Ebay?

52 replies

BoobleBeep · 20/11/2011 18:20

I have an ebay business which I have worked really hard to build up over the last year (yes I pay tax) and I have almost 2000 transactions and up until today 100% f/b.

A buyer has left me negative because they changed their mind about an item and I didn't refund their return postage, I wasn't even asked to...

All my competitors have 100% and I am so upset, AIBU?!

OP posts:
FlyingStart · 22/11/2011 19:20

As someone with over 900 transactions all but 30 of them as a purchaser (yes, I am one of those people who buys almost everything on eBay!) 1 negative feedback will not make a difference. I always read neg feedback, and many are obviously misunderstandings and people having a bad day etc.
As a purchaser, so long as the seller has a 98% or higher feedback, i am happy to purchase goods from that seller.

thisisyesterday · 22/11/2011 19:24

nooo, don't open a new account.
just comment under it.

i know that ebay don't usually remove feedback, but for your latest one i would DEFINITELY contact them and ask about it. after all, you have refunded!
it might be worth a try

but i agree with the others, i have bought from sellers with more negatives than that and you still have an outstanding record IMO.

Original poster
BoobleBeep · 22/11/2011 19:28

Do you think they might remove it?! Looks hopeful

OP posts:
Original poster
BoobleBeep · 22/11/2011 19:29

Sorry that was meant to be

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 22/11/2011 19:30

To be honest as a buyer 99.8% wouldnt bother me at all. I wouldn't even bother looking at the details for that. I think lower than 97% might get me looking or why neg feedback was left and even then a sensible explanation would reassure me.

Coinky · 22/11/2011 19:44

I remember a friend of mine getting very upset over this and I couldn't understand why it was so upsetting but guess it must be one of those things that you don't know how it feels til it happens to you.

whackamole · 22/11/2011 19:50

It wouldn't bother me either. And I agree they both must be miserable bastards.

I was under the impression that if you were left out of pocket or the item was not as described then leave a neg. I left positive feedback for a seller that sent the wrong item as she responded quickly to my email and said she would pay return postage, refund completely as the colour we wanted was out of stock.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 22/11/2011 19:55

No, I don't think you can get that feedback removed. It's an honest opinion of the buyer. Respond as you did with the first one, calmly, factually - "Sorry you weren't happy, full refund issued".

Add the second one to you blocked bidder list so that they can't buy any more stuff from you again, by the way.

I'd buy from you... 100% feedback looks artificial.

ANTagony · 22/11/2011 19:56

It would really, really upset me too. I lost sleep over a neutral. The funny thing is so long as people are over 98% positive I don't hesitate to buy.

There will always be odd people out there, don't let them stop you from what sounds like otherwise a good business.

SpottyTeacakes · 22/11/2011 20:01

eBay can phone the buyer and ask them to remove the negative feedback but they can't make them. Actually I think they can give you the buyer's number and you can phone them.

Unfortunately eBay is very buyer focused and doesn't care much for sellers. Just when you think you have them worked out they go and change all the rules again.

I have been selling on eBay for five years and have two different shops and there will always be people who you just cannot please eg negative feedback for items not being received within a few days when there is three foot of snow everywhere and the main sorting office is shut?!

RoxyRobin · 22/11/2011 20:03

Another one here who would buy from you - especially if you leave an explanatory comment which is calm and reasonable. We all know there are a lot of idiots buying on Ebay. Don't be tempted to throw away all the good feedback by starting again!

warthog · 22/11/2011 20:04

98% i wouldn't think twice about buying. we all know that there are knobs out there and if YOU were a knob your feedback would be a lot less!

Flisspaps · 22/11/2011 20:10

I feel your pain, I've been left my first negative feedback today (out of 669 transactions)as well :( Down to 99.3& from 100

I sold some of DH's ties, DH is particularly fussy about getting them dry cleaned and whatnot and they left here in near perfect condition. The buyer complained that they were severely stained and had threads pulled out - I didn't believe him but offered to refund his money if he returned them. This was WEEKS ago. The ties have never come back to me, he entered a tracking number on the dispute which didn't work Hmm and despite several requests for the correct info he's not sent it (which makes me think he's not bothered sending them back). It went on so long that Ebay closed the dispute because as far as they were concerned he'd not fulfilled his part of the bargain in a reasonable amount of time. Last night he sent me a message demanding his money back or else he was leaving negative feedback - as far as I am concerned, he's not having my bloody good ties and his money back so he can go whistle.

So tonight the arse has left me a big fat negative. I can't fit all of the above on the 80 character reply space, but have done my best. I've also requested he modify his feedback (which he won't) but I don't see that it's fair that my reputation has a black mark against it now when I think he's a bloody con artist. I also think it's shitty that you can't leave buyers negative feedback - who knows how many other people he's tried this stunt with as sellers can only leave him positive feedback.

Gah.

MenopausalHaze · 22/11/2011 20:10

Ebay will never ever phone a buyer on your behalf! You can request contact details for a buyer (if you are in a transaction with them) and phone them if you feel like it but I can't see that ending well.

As others have said, wear your negs with pride - it's your response to them that does the talking to prospective buyers!

Original poster
BoobleBeep · 23/11/2011 13:44

I called ebay and they removed the f/b's for me! Yay!

OP posts:
Original poster
BoobleBeep · 23/11/2011 13:49

I'm not sure if it's because I'm a powerseller and they make a lot of money out of me in fees... I just said how it was affecting business sales and that it was unwarranted as I had refunded them incl return postage, they looked into it and removed them as I done everything I was supposed to do to help the buyer

OP posts:
Haberdashery · 23/11/2011 13:57

Just to cheer some of you up about dropping below 100%, I buy quite a few bits and pieces off eBay and something like 98% or even 96% wouldn't necessarily bother me. I'd always look at the feedback and see if it was something I could live with (eg obviously unreasonable buyers or just slightly late posting or something that doesn't really matter). It wouldn't stop me buying from you unless there was a whole load of stuff saying genuinely worrying things. So don't worry too much!

tigercametotea · 23/11/2011 14:16

100% doesn't mean a seller is reliable. I bought an item from a seller previously who had 100% feedback but it came in a different condition from what is stated as perfect condition - the silver colour on a decorative ornament on the skirt was tarnished pink but as it wasn't sterling silver the tarnish could not be removed. When I contacted the seller she claimed it was "perfect" when it left her hands, and to justify that, she told me to go look at her past feedback and I will "see that she had nothing but 100% excellent feedback and wouldn't send out things she wouldn't wear herself", told me off for wanting a full refund because "she wasn't a mail order catalogue company" and said she will refund me only the cost of the skirt if I returned it to her, which was not worth doing as that meant the inconvenience of going to the local post office which was a half hour walk away, paying for postage both ways (possibly more for the return as Ebay advises to return items via Registered mail for security's sake) and the cost of the skirt was not high enough to make it worthwhile. Well... all this trouble for nothing.

thisisyesterday · 23/11/2011 14:23

tiger.. i presume you then left her a negative?

tigercametotea · 23/11/2011 15:12

That was 4 years ago. No unfortunately I didn't. She threatened to leave a neg on my profile if I did to her. I had Paypal settle the dispute but learned the hard way that Paypal doesn't do much for you if you had received the item already. They supported her offer of a refund just for the skirt on receipt of the skirt being returned. Luckily it didn't cost much.

tigercametotea · 23/11/2011 15:14

I believe these days it is not allowed for sellers to leave retaliatory negs on buyers if buyers leave a neg though? I'm not sure but remember reading it. I still do sell things on Ebay from time to time if I'm clearing out stuff. I've not yet received a neg though but I'm not a prolific seller.

exoticfruits · 23/11/2011 17:20

Sellers can't leave a negative but they can comment and if they do it politely then it becomes obvious that they were not at fault.
For example I remember one where the thing took a long time and the seller just came back with a nice message saying she was really sorry she had a lot going on and had simply forgotten. It was written very nicely, it was clear that she was genuine and I would have been quite happy to buy.
On another the seller came back in a very unpleasant, sarcastic manner-ending with a very patronising 'darlin' and I took an instant dislike and wouldn't have bought from them.

exoticfruits · 23/11/2011 17:22

I would buy off less than 100% because some buyers are dreadful and I think it is most unfair that you can't give a negative. I would look for the negatives and read and make up my mind from that.

HecateGoddessOfTheNight · 23/11/2011 17:28

What puts me off is not the odd negative feedback - I know that you can't please everyone and some folks are really unreasonable! What does put me off is if sellers reply to a neg in a really rude manner. I've seen some vile responses. I won't buy from sellers who insult or abuse. But a calm reply to an unreasonable buyer just gives information and wouldn't stop me buying from them.

I've seen sellers calling buyers morons and all sorts. Very unprofessional indeed.

mickeyjohn · 23/11/2011 17:39

I just had someone moan to me about a tshirt (part of a bundle of kids' tops) where i had clearly put 2 photos of 2 small paint blobs on it, plus stated where they were....she STILL emailed me and said they weren't as described (not sure what else she wanted?!) and that she had had to throw it in the bin! Bonkers! So i sent a v nice polite reply saying that it actually WAS as described - not heard from her since and she's not left any feedback so am guessing she re-read the description and realised she was in the wrong! HA! She only paid 70p per top so not like she was paying a fortune anyway...(for lovely Baby Gap stuff - sob sob!!)

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