Help! Accused of selling fake item and wrong size

[Allthegoodusernamesaretaken]

I've started selling a few bits on eBay to have a clear out and raise some cash.

I just sold a Topshop top and the buyer has left me a negative feedback saying it is fake and is a size 8 instead of the size 16 which I listed it as. She made no attempt to contact me prior to leaving this feedback and has not opened a not as described case or requested a refund.

It most certainly isn't fake but I can't prove this as I bought it years ago and no longer have the receipt. It also isn't an 8, it is a 16 as I said in my listing.

I have sent her a message earlier today asking why she left this feedback but haven't heard back yet. What can I do? I am really upset to have been left a negative feedback and my 100% score is now damaged. I am worried this will affect my future sales.

I would contact the buyer and ask them to return the item for a full refund offering to pay the return postage as a goodwill gesture if they are unhappy with it.
I would then leave a calm response to the negative feedback saying that a full refund upon return has been offered.

If the rest of your feedback is good and along the lines of "as described" "good seller" etc... then one negative is unlikely to do much harm. The response a seller leaves to an unreasonable neg can often be beneficial as you can state an offer has been made to rectify the situation.

Ebay is supposed to be bringing in a policy where negs cannot be left unless the seller has been contacted first and given an opportunity to resolve any problems. In my opinion this policy can't come quickly enough.

What sort of feedback has your buyer left for other people ? Is this a regular type of feedback for them ? If so you could try and appeal to Ebay. I would also report the buyer and just flag that they have not contacted you before leaving the negative.

could she have mistaken you for another seller?

Thanks for the good advice. I was fuming yesterday and this has helped calm me down a bit.

I will give her a another day or so to respond to my message, if I offer a refund, should I do so on the condition that she removes or changes her feedback?
If she doesn't respond I will report it to eBay to see if they will intervene. If that fails I guess I have no choice but to leave a comment as 80sbabe suggested, stating that I have reached out and tried to resolve the issue and the offer of a return and refund is on the table.

She doesn't appear to have form for this, and the rest of my feedback is good.

Fergoose - it is possible she made a mix up but I don't think so as she referenced the brand and size in her comment. Surely if she genuinely received the wrong size she would want to return it, so I don't understand why she has done this. My only theory is that the top is too small for her and she therefore thinks it is fake as she believes she should be able to fit a size 16?

I'm kicking myself for not taking a close up photo of the label prior to posting, if it gets escalated to eBay I could point out that a prospective buyer (not her) messaged me whilst the listing was still active asking for the chest measurements and I responded, surely they can see from these that it is not in line with an average size 8?

Buyer is in idiot. Agree with what others have said- leave a polite, comment in response to the feedback. I would say: 'Sorry that dress (or whatever it was) did not fit, have refunded you'. And refund her the cost of the item (unless it was expensive, in which case, ask her to return it for a refund)

BUT: if your item was bought years ago then I think you need to have made it clear in the listing. This is because what was a size 16 say, ten years ago, is probably about a 12-14 now. This buyer probably is a size 16 in Topshop today which, when you bought your item new, would have been an 18-20. So, in fairness to the buyer, she bought something expecting it to be her size when it wasn't. So, I would say you are partly to blame here and should offer a refund.

I sell quite a bit of vintage I.e. old clothing and always make it clear in the listing that it is smaller than stated. Am about to list an elderly Next dress which is a size 16. It is NO WAY a size 16 now, more like a 12-14 and I will make that clear on the listing.

To give you an example: I am 5'9" and 25 years ago, I weighed 8.5 stones and was a size 12. Today, I weigh about 12.5 stones and yet am a size 14 which is only one size up despite the 4 stone weight gain!!!

no don't refund her until it is sent back and don't make a refund a condition of changing feedback either.

Tryharder - I agree with your point re: proper vintage clothes not being true to today's sizes, but this top is like 3 years old. In fact, most high street shops nowadays use 'vanity sizing' i.e. an 18 is labelled as 16, a 16 becomes a 14 etc. This is a psychological tactic intended to make you think you are thinner andnfeel good about yourself and therefore reach for your wallet. Bearing this in mind, it is likely my top was bigger than a 16, instead of smaller! Maybe she's just in denial about her weight

Thanks Fergoose, will follow your advice and refund if she decides to respond to me. I've never had this before so wasn't really sure what to do.

I keep reminding myself to get some perspective, it's only eBay!!