Feedback help please?

[Rockchick1984]

Ordered an item from an eBay shop with good feedback rating (not quite 100%), which was sold as buy it now. When it arrived it had been damaged in transit, however it was an obviously fragile item and had only been sent in a plastic envelope with no padding, bubble wrap or anything. I'd needed it for a specific date which it only just arrived in time for, my own fault of course but meant there would have been no time to return it or wait for a replacement to be sent out.

I left neutral feedback without contacting the customer as I felt that it should be obvious not to send a fragile item without any padding or other protection, but wrote in the comments that the item was nice but poorly packaged, so was damaged in transit.

Seller has now requested I change to positive feedback as I didn't give them the chance to resolve the problem. Should I do this? I understand that they may have been willing to exchange it for me, but I feel like I'd want to know if I was buying from someone who this may be a problem with, which is why I left neutral feedback!

Just can't decide if I'm doing the right thing or being unfair!! Item was only a few £'s so I just binned it and bought another one elsewhere.

Personally, as someone who buys and sells on Ebay, I think you should have contacted the seller first. Often a quick note to say what has happened results in a refund (partial or full) or a replacement. If, after you contacting them, they responded poorly then I would leave neutral or negative feedback.

I think it is only fair to let a seller try to solve your complaint before you leave any feedback.

Although I think you should have given them the chance to act prior to feedback it boils down to whether you feel you have been fair. If you do then let the feedback stand - no-one has the right to try and bully you or guilt you into changing your comments.

I agree, you should have contacted them first before leaving feedback. Have they refunded/replaced?

Should I contact them and offer to remove feedback if they will refund, or is that no good? Replacement wouldn't be any good to me.

No don't do that as it is feedback extortion

I would ask them how they want to resolve it. How much was the item, why is a replacement no good?

I didn't think it sounded like I should do that as I was typing it! I needed it for a specific date, which was just after the seller's delivery timescales of when I would receive it. It arrived on the last day it said it would, which was the day before I needed it, so when it was damaged I had to go out and buy one elsewhere as there wouldn't have been time for another one to reach me. It was around £5 so not expensive.