eBay

iamthescarecrow · ‎12-16-2016

As it stands now, you only have 60 days from the estimated delivery date to leave feedback. This is a hard rule with no exceptions. Here is the problem; you buy something that takes 35 days to arrive. It's missing a part. You contact the vendor and they advise they will send a replacement part. Now you have to wait another 35 days. Your 60 day feedback window is closed. The part doesn't arrive. You contact the vendor again, requesting a refund, they promise to send one but that doesn't happen either. Luckily you used Paypal and they will help with the refund, (you're out of luck as far as eBay goes) but now you can't leave feedback to advise the buying community about a lying, thieving vendor.

You call the feedback team for help only to find that department is apparently a rudderless ship with no oversight. The manager in charge is an almost mythical figure with no name and is completely isolated from the public, leaving us to deal with rude, condescending, uncaring and basically incompetent "team leaders" who refuse to help in any way.

This 60 day window can be easily bypassed by unscrupulous vendors who only need to stall for a few weeks to avoid any negative feedback. This is a failure of eBay policy and needs to be changed. I would suggest giving CS supervisors the authority to waive the 60 limit on a case by case basis. If a buyer can present a good case with evidence, for example; emails, showing they acted in good faith to resolve an issue but the vendor deliberately stalled to get past the 60 day mark and then refused to resolve the issue, the buyer should then still be able to leave feedback.

How many of these seller feedback ratings are deliberately inflated because of this policy preventing buyers from leaving justly deserved negative feedback?

Thoughts?

reallynicestamps · ‎12-16-2016

Feedback is a leftover from the early days of the web.

EBay still has it, because it is a feelgood for members.

It is a helpful, but not reliable guide to the trustworthiness of sellers. It's meaningless for buyers since buyers can only get positive feedback.

But it is ignored for the most part.

Instead, eBay. Paypal and the credit card you back your PP account with combined give you strong Buyer Protection against bad transactions allowing you 180 days (nearly six months) to get a refund for undelivered items or ones that are not as described.

BTW-- you can leave a Response to any feedback left by you or your seller indefinitely.

The most effective Responses, like the most effective Feedbacks, are calm and factual.

2nd-time-around-jewelry · ‎12-16-2016

First of all Never accept a promised replacement of an item from a seller especially from China. That is just a way of stalling for time. Always ask for a refund instead & if you do receive the item then you can pay the seller back. If they do not agree to that open an Item Not Received Case. That way you will have enough time to leave feedback.

i.am.vivian · ‎12-16-2016

iamthescarecrow wrote:
Here is the problem; you buy something that takes 35 days to arrive. It's missing a part. You contact the vendor and they advise they will send a replacement part. Now you have to wait another 35 days.

No you don't. You don't "have to", and in fact you must not. Once a seller promises a replacement, you say "I would rather have a refund". No refund? Go straight to the RESOLUTION CENTER and open a claim.

iamthescarecrow wrote:
This 60 day window can be easily bypassed by unscrupulous vendors who only need to stall for a few weeks to avoid any negative feedback.

That's true, and they will do it. Another good reason to decline a promised replacement and only accept a refund. Then you are within the 60 days. Because a good seller will either refund for a damaged item or pay to get it back. An attempt at stalling to delay the buyer past claim dates and feedback deadlines is not a good seller. So don't be delayed again.

iamthescarecrow wrote:
I would suggest giving CS supervisors the authority to waive the 60 limit on a case by case basis. If a buyer can present a good case with evidence, for example; emails, showing they acted in good faith to resolve an issue but the vendor deliberately stalled to get past the 60 day mark and then refused to resolve the issue, the buyer should then still be able to leave feedback.

Just try to imagine how expensive that would be. Because absolutely everyone imagines themselves to be that special case. Instead, take hold of the situation yourself and just don't be delayed again. The reason the seller did it is because it works. Everyone alive does what they think will work best for them. You thought you would get mailed a new item and so agreed to a replacement because you believed it would give you the best result.

Next time you will politely decline the replacement and go for the claim to get a refund because now you know that will get you the best result. You'll have your money back and will be able to leave FB.

momcqueen · ‎12-17-2016

Also, shop domestically. You will find a different standard of Customer Service comes from sellers who are located in Canada, shipping products from Canada. I guarantee that.

pocomocomputing · ‎12-17-2016

@iamthescarecrow wrote:
As it stands now, you only have 60 days from the estimated delivery date to leave feedback. This is a hard rule with no exceptions. Here is the problem; you buy something that takes 35 days to arrive. It's missing a part. You contact the vendor and they advise they will send a replacement part. Now you have to wait another 35 days. Your 60 day feedback window is closed. The part doesn't arrive. You contact the vendor again, requesting a refund, they promise to send one but that doesn't happen either. Luckily you used Paypal and they will help with the refund, (you're out of luck as far as eBay goes) but now you can't leave feedback to advise the buying community about a lying, thieving vendor.

You call the feedback team for help only to find that department is apparently a rudderless ship with no oversight. The manager in charge is an almost mythical figure with no name and is completely isolated from the public, leaving us to deal with rude, condescending, uncaring and basically incompetent "team leaders" who refuse to help in any way.

This 60 day window can be easily bypassed by unscrupulous vendors who only need to stall for a few weeks to avoid any negative feedback. This is a failure of eBay policy and needs to be changed. I would suggest giving CS supervisors the authority to waive the 60 limit on a case by case basis. If a buyer can present a good case with evidence, for example; emails, showing they acted in good faith to resolve an issue but the vendor deliberately stalled to get past the 60 day mark and then refused to resolve the issue, the buyer should then still be able to leave feedback.

How many of these seller feedback ratings are deliberately inflated because of this policy preventing buyers from leaving justly deserved negative feedback?

Thoughts?

60 days after a purchase is made, not 60 days after latest estimated delivery date.

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/feedback/questions/leave.html

momcqueen · ‎12-17-2016

Thank you for the clarification, pocomo. I always found that part confusing because the 60-day period for feedback starts at the moment purchase is made but the 30-day money back guarantee only starts after delivery or the last date estimated for delivery.