Ebay Feedback - Rant

[Nomad]

I've been selling war nickel lots on Ebay and since the coins all had the same mint mark I listed them as Lot 1, Lot 2, etc. I had a rear end of a donkey bid on Lot 6. That lot contained 3 nickels which was clearly stated in the auction. There was a picture of the lot and again clearly stated in the listing that the picture was of the lot you would receive. So I get a message that he was unhappy because he only got three of his six coins. I was very poilte and explained that he had misread the title. It said Lot 6 not a lot of 6. I apologized for any confusion and thanked him for his business. I got another message saying he'd been buying for 10 years and I was intentionally misleading people. I told him that lot 2 had three coins and lot 5 had four coins an nobody else had made the mistake. I also said I've been selling on Ebay for 12 years and try to do my best to make my listings clear. I got one more message today and he was still ranting and said the feedback would reflect his displeasure. He gave me negative feedback. Thanks to the buttheads in charge at Ebay I can't give him a negative nor a neutral. So I can either give him a positive or none at all. Either way my reputation has been hurt by this scum and I lose all the way around because I can't respond. He strikes me as a guy who has a lot of money and just can't admit to a mistake. I know he didn't read the listing. He just saw the price and knew it was low for six coins. He thought he was getting a real bargain. Instead he paid what he should have and is upset by it. Ok, I'm done. I just feel bad because I've always gone out of my way to satisfy the customer and there was no way of placating this jerk.

Nomad

[blufford]

Originally Posted by Nomad

I've been selling war nickel lots on Ebay and since the coins all had the same mint mark I listed them as Lot 1, Lot 2, etc. I had a rear end of a donkey bid on Lot 6. That lot contained 3 nickels which was clearly stated in the auction. There was a picture of the lot and again clearly stated in the listing that the picture was of the lot you would receive. So I get a message that he was unhappy because he only got three of his six coins. I was very poilte and explained that he had misread the title. It said Lot 6 not a lot of 6. I apologized for any confusion and thanked him for his business. I got another message saying he'd been buying for 10 years and I was intentionally misleading people. I told him that lot 2 had three coins and lot 5 had four coins an nobody else had made the mistake. I also said I've been selling on Ebay for 12 years and try to do my best to make my listings clear. I got one more message today and he was still ranting and said the feedback would reflect his displeasure. He gave me negative feedback. Thanks to the buttheads in charge at Ebay I can't give him a negative nor a neutral. So I can either give him a positive or none at all. Either way my reputation has been hurt by this scum and I lose all the way around because I can't respond. He strikes me as a guy who has a lot of money and just can't admit to a mistake. I know he didn't read the listing. He just saw the price and knew it was low for six coins. He thought he was getting a real bargain. Instead he paid what he should have and is upset by it. Ok, I'm done. I just feel bad because I've always gone out of my way to satisfy the customer and there was no way of placating this jerk.

Nomad

At least you know why you got the bad feed back. Next time construct your ad so that this type of confusion dosesn't happen again.

Did you offer him a refund?

[ErinP]

Originally Posted by Nomad

I've been selling war nickel lots on Ebay and since the coins all had the same mint mark I listed them as Lot 1, Lot 2, etc. I had a rear end of a donkey bid on Lot 6. That lot contained 3 nickels which was clearly stated in the auction. There was a picture of the lot and again clearly stated in the listing that the picture was of the lot you would receive. So I get a message that he was unhappy because he only got three of his six coins. I was very poilte and explained that he had misread the title. It said Lot 6 not a lot of 6. I apologized for any confusion and thanked him for his business. I got another message saying he'd been buying for 10 years and I was intentionally misleading people. I told him that lot 2 had three coins and lot 5 had four coins an nobody else had made the mistake. I also said I've been selling on Ebay for 12 years and try to do my best to make my listings clear. I got one more message today and he was still ranting and said the feedback would reflect his displeasure. He gave me negative feedback. Thanks to the buttheads in charge at Ebay I can't give him a negative nor a neutral. So I can either give him a positive or none at all. Either way my reputation has been hurt by this scum and I lose all the way around because I can't respond. He strikes me as a guy who has a lot of money and just can't admit to a mistake. I know he didn't read the listing. He just saw the price and knew it was low for six coins. He thought he was getting a real bargain. Instead he paid what he should have and is upset by it. Ok, I'm done. I just feel bad because I've always gone out of my way to satisfy the customer and there was no way of placating this jerk.

Nomad

I, too, would have offered a refund (shipping is, of course, his as it was his mistake). I've had several customers who are also incapable of reading the description. Or looking at the pictures...

But this:

Thanks to the buttheads in charge at Ebay I can't give him a negative nor a neutral.

is why sellers aren't allowed to leave negatives or neutrals.

He really didn't do anything wrong, so far as the transaction itself is concerned. He might be a moron who's incapable of reading, and he seems to think that is your fault, but he did do his part.
He bought and paid in a timely manner. He didn't cheat you, rescind payment or have you mail to a fraudulent address. His part was fair.

Leaving negative feedback because you're mad about what he left you is called retaliatory feedback. And that is the reason eBay no longer allows we sellers to leave anything but a positive. Too many sellers were basically holding their buyers hostage with the feedback process ('leave me a positive or else!') and that's simply not fair.

So far as your current FB, just make a note under it explaining what happened and what you did to try to make it right.

you can say anything you want and call it positive.

[mommagoose_99]

Next time why don't you list as Lot A, Lot B , Lot C etc. There will be less confusion.
Linda

[Nomad]

If sellers were allowed to give neutral or negative feedback the buyers might be more inclined to work with you and not give negative knowing they can't get any in return. He never gave me a chance to make it right. He was nasty and accusatory right from the beginning saying I purposely misled him. I sold five other lots with no problem. Here's the auction. Tell me if it is misleading if you read the whole listing and not just the title.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MESOX:IT

Nomad

[Ken Scharabok]

I agree the title left it open to intrepretation. Description clearly says listing is for the three nickels shown. I like the A, B, C option.

Two notes:

Now a buyer cannot get a poor feedback (e.g., negative) rating as sellers can't leave anything but a positive. If reported as a non-payinig buyer, and they don't eventually pay, then they just get an unpaid buyers strike. As far as I know three of those get you kicked off eBay. You can code an auction to block certain buyers, such as two unpaid buyer strikes within, as I recall, 30 days.

(And, eBay has shortened the waiting periods. You can now file for non-payment after four days, and file for refund after an additional four days. Use to be seven and seven.)

Postage is the same to AK & HI and US Territories as it is to the other 48 states.

Also put him on your blocked buyer list. Over the years I've accumulated about 100 on there. Predominately for not paying within a reasonable period of time or not paying at all. A couple are there just because of their attitude. One I remember is I was selling hand-forged S-hooks. Description cleared stated that, being hand-forged, they were not identical and the buyer would received what I picked off the top of the pile. Buyer demanded I sort through them and only send the best ones to her. Another left a neutral because I didn't knock off all of the welding flux before painting a working tool. He went on the list even though he paid promptly.

I wish eBay had a buyer cooling off period before they could leave neutral or negative feedback. That is they notify eBay of their intent. eBay then notifies the seller they have X number of days to try to resolve it with the buyer. If buyer is still unhappy, they can confirm the feedback after that period.

Virtually all of my neutrals and negatives have been knee jerk reactions without their even bothering to contact me first.

The negative will go off your feedback rating in one year.

It seems like most of the buyers I have a problem with are new to eBay.

[Nomad]

The problem I have with the negative is that since I've had so many health problems this year I haven't had many auctions. So when I got one it dropped my percentage down to 97.1. If I had 1000 feedbacks in the last year it would barely have dropped at all. I know people look at that. Also if people would bother to give feedback it would help. I only get about 1 in 3 people who will do it. I don't give any until I get some as a seller. As a buyer I always give some as soon as the item arrives. I also have a blocked list and I added the guy right away so he wouldn't bid on any more coins just to screw with me. Oh well, I would have fixed the problem if given a chance but some people are convinced everyone is out to cheat them. Time to move on and sell more to fix that percentage.

Nomad

[ErinP]

Don't forget to put a calm, professional response under their negative telling what you had done to make the situation right.

Buyers do read that stuff. If your reply is more reasonable than his negative, you still win.

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by ErinP

Don't forget to put a calm, professional response under their negative telling what you had done to make the situation right.

Buyers do read that stuff. If your reply is more reasonable than his negative, you still win.

Too late. I was upset and said what I felt. His claim doesn't hold water. His last response was how a lot of 6 coins turned into 3. Right below his words is the title of the auction saying lot 6 not a lot of 6 and showing he was wrong. He was just such an ass he couldn't admit he didn't read the listing. I've been selling for 12 years and it's rare to get a buyer like this, but it happens. With the current feedback rules there is nothing to keep those kind of people in check.

Nomad

[ErinP]

Originally Posted by Nomad

Too late. I was upset and said what I felt. His claim doesn't hold water. His last response was how a lot of 6 coins turned into 3. Right below his words is the title of the auction saying lot 6 not a lot of 6 and showing he was wrong. He was just such an ass he couldn't admit he didn't read the listing. I've been selling for 12 years and it's rare to get a buyer like this, but it happens. With the current feedback rules there is nothing to keep those kind of people in check.

Nomad

At first glance, i keep seeing "Lot of 6", too. Just because that's a common thing in a title.

being grumpy in the reply was not a good idea. But I guess you're right. It's too late.


As a seller, I still appreciate eBay's new policy of not allowing neutral/negatives for buyer. Far more often than not, it was used as retaliation by a POed seller. It made the rest of us look bad.

[Karen]

With that type of attitude, it's no wonder you received negative. You have to understand that it isn't that the buyer is an 'ass', stupid, or a 'moron'; the fault rest with your description. You believe it to be clear because 'you' know what you have; he doesn't know yet and is accustom to title description of numerical numbering of items you received. That's the customary way of doing a description on Ebay.

He really did not do wrong. You really did not do wrong. It's a misunderstanding, pure and simple. In view of that, if you want to maintain your good rating, it's up to you make things right. You should immediately offered to give him a refund rather than argued the point with him.

People forget that Ebay is your business. You have to run it like a business and give the buyer the benefit of the doubt, even when they are wrong. The old "the customer is always right" is an old saying because it works.

[Nomad]

Ok, I'm done. I will continue to list multiple items as lots and if a moron that by his own words has been buying on Ebay for ten years can't figure it out, he shouldn't be on there.

At least I know now that I can't come here to blow off steam, it won't happen again.


Nomad

[Ken Scharabok]

Several years ago I listed an item and put a $1 bill beside it for scale. Sold and then the buyer wanted to know why the $1 bill wasn't included with the item.

Thus, when doing something like that now I include in the description the listing is for the described item only and does not include anything else used for illustration purposes.

[ErinP]

Originally Posted by Nomad

Ok, I'm done. I will continue to list multiple items as lots and if a moron that by his own words has been buying on Ebay for ten years can't figure it out, he shouldn't be on there.

At least I know now that I can't come here to blow off steam, it won't happen again.


Nomad

Or you could chalk up all the comments and suggestions on the same board you list the rest of life's learned lessons.

[Ken Scharabok]

To illustrate you cannot idiot proof a listing I'm working this one now. Buyer bought a 28-pound item and did a PayPal. Then notified me he didn't want it shipped to his eBay/PayPal address in VA, but rather to an island off of WA. I billed him for the difference in shipping cost. He is balking about paying them saying it doesn't say in my listing if a buyer changes delivery address they will be charged for the extra shipping.

Well, all future listings will now.

I've had somewhere around 11,000 eBay sales. First time this has happened.

Update: Guy said he didn't understand the PayNow he did had shipping to VA and not WA and will pay.

[DENALI]

Well if you want to play dirty file an item not paid case on him and if he does not respond to it close it right away at the end of the waiting period and his negative feedback comments will be removed.

[clovis]

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Virtually all of my neutrals and negatives have been knee jerk reactions without their even bothering to contact me first.

I am fortunate to have not recieved a negative in 2500 + FB's, but the three neutrals I have gotten were all unfair, and no one contacted me first.

[whodunit]

We sold a set of items about a year ago. DW made sure everything was in the photo we used in the listing and put into the box when we shipped. We actually used a checklist to make sure we had the entire set.

We listed clearly that if the buyer was not satisfied, we would offer a refund minus S&H and by bidding the buyer was accepting those terms.

The buyer advised me the package arrived with some of the items missing.

I assumed she was honest and was open minded to the possibility that something happened in transit. I began asking questions about the condition of the box, i.e. was it damaged, did it appear to have been opened and re-sealed, etc. She became angry and accused me of stalling.

I offered the refund but she balked at paying the shipping back to me and complained that they had already started using the items they did have.

I stood my ground because I know we did not fail to include everything. We even searched our house up and down in the off chance one of the kids misplaced something or it was knocked behind a couch or something. It had to all be there.

Long story short, she accused me of being dishonest and left negative feedback. I simply responded that she claimed items were missing and that I offered a refund that she did not accept.

I have to admit though, it still bothers me.

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by whodunit

We sold a set of items about a year ago. DW made sure everything was in the photo we used in the listing and put into the box when we shipped. We actually used a checklist to make sure we had the entire set.

We listed clearly that if the buyer was not satisfied, we would offer a refund minus S&H and by bidding the buyer was accepting those terms.

The buyer advised me the package arrived with some of the items missing.

I assumed she was honest and was open minded to the possibility that something happened in transit. I began asking questions about the condition of the box, i.e. was it damaged, did it appear to have been opened and re-sealed, etc. She became angry and accused me of stalling.

I offered the refund but she balked at paying the shipping back to me and complained that they had already started using the items they did have.

I stood my ground because I know we did not fail to include everything. We even searched our house up and down in the off chance one of the kids misplaced something or it was knocked behind a couch or something. It had to all be there.

Long story short, she accused me of being dishonest and left negative feedback. I simply responded that she claimed items were missing and that I offered a refund that she did not accept.

I have to admit though, it still bothers me.

A few years ago I sold a large lot of Covergirl Makeup to a woman who claimed I only sent 50 pieces instead of 100 as advertised. I had the post office slip with the weight on it and knew it had been packed properly. She took half the pieces out...the best ones...and filed a complaint with Pay Pal. It didn't matter what I said or what proof I had they sided with her and I had to refund the whole price and got my half box back. What made me know for sure that she was a thief is that the box was insured and she wouldn't even try to file a claim. Even the cop that interviewed her said he was pretty sure she was lying but couldn't prove it. Oh well, there are people like that. Her husband sent me a threatening message through Ebay and I tried to report it. Ebay said they couldn't read the messages so it was my word against theirs. Good old Ebay looking out for the seller...not...yet again.

Nomad