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Original poster

what can you do about neutral feedback - really miffed

33 replies

stressed2007 · 29/09/2009 11:45

I am so miffed! I have nearly 300 positive feedback - I am a great ebayer - people nornslly leave messages like the best ebayer I have ever dealt with etc as I go out of my way to help people. etc I sold an item to a lady (she has feeback of 3!) Unfortunately the item, a clock, was dropped by my little son before packing and stopped working. I paid to have it look at by jeweller - he could not mend so I told buyer andd immediately refunded £. She has written " damaged before posting and so not dispatched. full refund given-thanks" but given me neutral feedback messing my ratings up - so miffed. As newbe she probably did n't understand. Now I have repair cost, no sale and damaged ratings. Is there anything I can do about this feedback?

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 29/09/2009 11:47

Anyone who knows ebay will take no notice of that feedback.

I don't think there's anything you can do unfortunately.

Knickers0nmahead · 29/09/2009 11:49

I think she was reasonable in leaving neutral tbh.

Stayingsunnygirl · 29/09/2009 12:01

One neutral feedback out of so many transactions wouldn't make me worried about buying from you, stressed. I might read the neutral feedback to see what it was about, and her comment tells the story fairly and wouldn't put me off buying.

If you are really worried, you could contact ebay and the buyer, and see if you can mutually get the feedback withdrawn, but I honestly wouldn't say it was worth the effort - your record speaks for itself.

aristocat · 29/09/2009 12:31

dont worry, one neutral is fine.
buyers will read it and see it was nothing to be concerned about.

cassell · 29/09/2009 12:49

tbh I would have left neutral in her position, she has been factual in her comment and imo given a fair description of what happened. I agree with the others that one neutral like this isn't going to affect your ratings or stop people buying from you. Anyway iirc the way ebay calculate the feedback percentages they only take into account positives & negatives and not neutrals?

Tinfoil · 29/09/2009 13:16

You can always leave a follow-up comment/apology underneath her feedback if it helps explain things further.

Original poster
stressed2007 · 29/09/2009 15:06

thanks all for your comments - I may add a comment. I just feel woudld have been more useful if she had said nothing. Don't think she really understands about ratings etc

OP posts:
Knickers0nmahead · 29/09/2009 15:10

She was being honest though. I understand ratings and would of left a neutral too.

Bucharest · 29/09/2009 15:13

I think that's outrageous tbh....you refunded her in full because the item had been damaged- what more could you have done? Go out and buy her a new one? I didn't send a Barney dinosaur in the summer because when I got it into bright light there were a couple of stains on the surface that I couldn't shift by rubbing with soap....If the putative buyer had left me neutral for that I'd have been well miffed.

I would contact ebay and try and get the comment removed...otherwise put an answering comment underneath, make it uber-reasonable
something like: "I refunded this buyer in full without sending the item as I noticed it had been inadvertently damaged" (and then follow it with a rolly-eye emoticon!)

lynniep · 29/09/2009 15:19

Actually I dont see a problem. Whilst from your point of view it was an accident and you did what you could to recitify the situation - from hers it was an inconvenience - she bought an item which was then withdrawn (for a valid reason but thats by the by).
She then gave a neutral - why should she give a positive when she hasnt particularly had a positive experience ?- but explained what had happened and that you gave a refund. I would have been fuming about a negative, but I think she was being reasonable. I dont think it would have been more useful if she had said nothing. It wouldnt have been fair to her.

It doesnt affect your 100% rating and buyers can see you are genuine.

Bucharest · 29/09/2009 15:23

I wouldn't leave any f/b at all in this case...on a few occasions when it's happened that sellers have contacted me and said they couldn't complete the sale for this kind of reason that's what I've done...I wouldn't have dreamed of giving them neutral. Luckily Barney dinosaur person was the same with me.

ILoveStripeySocks · 29/09/2009 17:25

she is at a disadvantage though, because you did not take care of an item you were selling/she had purchased. I think the nuetral is fair. Ebay will only remove feedback if it contains swearwords or racist or highly personal insults.

ILoveStripeySocks · 29/09/2009 17:26

she could have left a neg with the comment "seller let young son play with & break my item", so you are quite lucky really. Id have been peed off that you had let my item get broken by a child.

StrictlyAvadaKedavra · 29/09/2009 22:49

I'd have left a neutral for that too as the sale wasn't completed.

Original poster
stressed2007 · 30/09/2009 11:24

official - neutral is considered to be bad!

I have just gone to leave feedback for someone that was a great seller (stuff arrived this morning) and when you leave feedback it says

You cannot leave negative or neutral Feedback for this PowerSeller within 7 days of the transaction.
In the mean time, email the seller or request additional contact information, such as a phone number, to resolve any issues.

i.e. neutral is not great!

OP posts:
Carrotfly · 30/09/2009 11:45

Well, I kind of think that she did the right thing.

She left a neutral because she didnt have a positive experience about the whole transaction.

One neutral is not a big thing with a good track record.

She might of thought you didn't think it had gone for enough money and so wanted to avoid sending it. I know in this case that wasnt true, but it happens.

I cant believe the jewellers actually had the gall to charge you to look at it then said they couldnt repair it ! Cheeky sweeps !

Knickers0nmahead · 30/09/2009 12:04

Stressed, she did have ever right to leave neutral. Why should she think of your ratings when she hasn't had a good experience?

Original poster
stressed2007 · 30/09/2009 12:19

Hey no one does anything for nothing. They tried to fix so they charged - not much (less then £5) but means the whole thing cost me nearly £5.

"Why should she think of your ratings when she hasn't had a good experience?"

Maybe it is me then - I do think of this when I leave feedback for people. I think in their situation what would I do and if the same then I don't leave anything other then positive feedback if I would have done the same.

The point I wanted to make is ebay themselves think neutral feedback is bad as they don't let you leave it as a buyer until after 7 days as they want you to resolve any issues.

OP posts:
Knickers0nmahead · 30/09/2009 12:35

So say, for example, you bought something which was broken when you received it, would you not leave any feedback then?

I don't see neutral as bad feedback. It doesn't affect your percentage.

Original poster
stressed2007 · 30/09/2009 13:16

Yes I would leave feedback in some circumstances. If it was sent as broken and I contacted seller and they said ok have your money back I would n't leave any feedback. I don't think you could be positive but they have done their best for you etc so I would say nothing - maybe I am wierd. It would be neg feedback if they were not interested etc.

You may not see neutral as bad feedback but ebay obviously do as you can't leave it until you have tried to "resolve any issue".

I would see it as bad so maybe I am wierd again.

Conclusion I am wierd.

OP posts:
ILoveStripeySocks · 30/09/2009 13:27

You didnt take care of her item, that she had paid for. You let your son play with it. It didnt get broken in the post or anything like that, but because of your negligence. In my opinion, that does deserve a neutral at the very least.

Original poster
stressed2007 · 30/09/2009 13:30

errrrr....? talk about overreaction. There is always one! Ever thought of becoming a magistrate? Bye folks

OP posts:
ILoveStripeySocks · 30/09/2009 13:42

Im sorry that you dont like other peoples viewpoint I hadnt realised this was a "agree-with-me-or-i'll-get-arsey thread.

Carrotfly · 30/09/2009 13:45

Dontcha just love it when someones name describes them exactly

Knickers0nmahead · 30/09/2009 13:59

Stressed, tis a good job you didn't post this in AIBU

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