eBay

brcyclesalvage · ‎09-17-2003

I'm sure that most of use have a neg or two. How many are due to shipping times to the US? I know most of mine are due to parcels getting delayed in limbo some place. On the neg note, how many people that leave negs contact you before they leave it?

firedept10 · ‎09-17-2003

One neg here and that was bidders remorse on a $10.00 14k & rice pearl bracelet. Two neutrals, one my fault and one buyer meant positive. As for long shipping times, never a problem, only one in every two or three hundred packages takes a little longer. Customer emails to find out where it is and it usually arrives next day. I put this message in every email to my buyers and it usually helps the impatient ones. "Please bear in mind that your item will be coming from Canada and will take a little longer than items mailed within the US. I make every effort to get your item to you as quickly as I can, though Customs and the Postal system can make this quite a challenge!" Use it if you would like.

deltone · ‎09-17-2003

I have 2 negs, both have "shipping" issues, although one was due to a scam artist trying to get a free product, but used shipping as the "excuse". The other guy was just very impatient and nasty and left the neg without any discussion or warning. When I wrote him to question this negative, he said Oh well, a negative is a good thing as it shows other ebayers that you're not a robot and that you're human, then followed it with the word "joke". he thought it was funny. I wrote him back and said that I didn't see the humour in his "joke" and I doubted he'd find the humor in my "joke" and I negged him back. Some would disagree with negging someone who did pay, but I really don't care. I sent the item out the very same day I was paid, and I kept he guy informed of that fact. My 'your item is in the mail' email explains clearly how long the parcel can take, and the fact it goes through 2 postal services and US Customs. This guy was a jerk, and I negged him for being a jerk.

Some feel that you should never neg someone who paid, and that the buyer's only obligation is to pay, and pay quickly. I don't agree though. This guy simply thought it would be funny to scr*w with someone's feedback.

I have found that most buyers are very understanding and patient when the shipping is slower than they would have hoped. I've got a gal who just today wrote to me that her item finally arrived. She's been great and very patient as I had sent her one which never arrived, and then sent her another which took a bit longer than normal, but she was very sweet about the whole thing. I just left her a GLOWING feedback, and if she chooses to leave me a neg, which I hope she doesn't, well, I wouldn't be angry (bout would be hurt and disppointed as I did make things right by sending her another.....) as she's been topnotch through this whole thing. She has kept communication open with me. She has a right to be upset. It wasn't my fault, but she did end up having to wait a long time, and the item got there too late to give as a gift which had been her intention.

treasure-pot · ‎09-17-2003

My last neg came from a woman in Nevada. The neg just appeared one day without a word of communication. I pulled her contact info and called her and her response was "It's not here and that's all I care". I explained to her that, according to USPS, a delivery attempt was made and a notice was left to advise that the item be picked up at a local outlet.

Her response was that it wasn't her job to deliver the mail. It was the seller's responsibility. I explained that USPS made a genuine effort to make deliver and that her neg was very unfair under the circumstance. At that point she hung up.

Moral of the story?? Jerks are jerks. If it's not shipping they'll get you on something else. The colour of my logo, that I only run 7 day auctions or that I was born on a Saturday are other possibilities.

Bill

Bill

e-scrooge · ‎09-17-2003

I have 10 negatives.

2 are from before I started selling anything, for being a deadbeat bidder (what can I say, I used to be an SOB, no real excuse)

1 is from a guy who got a $2,000 machine from me, then claimed it was damaged from shipping and nonfunctional. I had shipped it UPS and had Mail Boxes Etc pack it (lesson learned the hard way I guess). But he absolutely refused to provide pictures of the box the item came in to validate that it was indeed shipping damage. UPS threw the claim out because he couldn't or wouldn't produce the packing, so the guy expected me to refund him out of pocket. I refused and got a negative out of it. For a $10 item I'd do it even if it wasn't my fault, but not for $2,000.

3 are from one guy who didn't get three $10 items. I shipped them expedited, could prove they were shipped, and started a trace, but he didn't want to wait 15 days for canada post to get back to me so he left feedback then proceeded to send me a bunch of insulting email. Whatever.

2 are from someone who got the wrong item, sent it back to me, I forgot to refund him in a timely manner and got negatived. My fault.

2 are from someone who got 2 tape drives from me, one worked, the other one he claimed ate tapes. That one's my fault too.

I have 15 neutrals but 9 are from one guy who bought 9 untested hard drives from me which he said didn't work, a few are from people getting items damaged due to postal shipping, etc.

Hope that answers your question, I seem to have more negatives per se than most other people posting here do, but I try to maintain myself above 98% at least.

catseye* · ‎09-17-2003

Some feel that you should never neg someone who paid, and that the buyer's only obligation is to pay, and pay quickly. I don't agree though.

I certainly don't feel that way at all. Most sellers don't. I believe (as eBay puts it), that feedback should be based on the whole transaction.

If the transaction goes sideways, then it is not a *positive* experience!...

*JMHO* - to be taken with a grain of salt!

deltone · ‎09-18-2003

Catseye........read the feedback board sometime. They (most of them) feel that even if the buyer is a major idiot, pita, troublemaker, if they paid, a positive is warranted. They're very adamant about it.

I totally disagree with them. I think a fellow ebayer needs to be warned about pain in the buttheads.

e-scrooge.........the person who left the 3 negs, and the 4 neutrals..well you may have been able to get them removed due to feedback bombing. Not sure if it's too late or not, but worth a try. As your PS rep.

treasurepot.....that lady in Nevada is a real idiot. What a nightmare buyer!! OY

www-labels4less-com · ‎09-18-2003

I have not received any negs due to slow shipping. I send all of my items by small packet airmail. Only charge $6.00 U.S. but true shipping is $9.90 Canadian. I subsidize each shipment but of course this is worked into the selling price.
I've been told I should be shipping by small packet ground but I don't need the hassle and emails every day asking where product is.

e-scrooge · ‎09-18-2003

$9.90CAD for small packet air? Ouch. Whenever I get items which go above the 500 gram mark I just ship expedited because it costs the same amount and I can provide a tangible tracking number. But I guess air is less paperwork, too.

deltone: I wasn't aware you could get feedback removed for thar? I'll have to phone PS support and put this "gold" powerseller level to work I guess. In all the time I've been a powerseller on eBay I've never actually used the support once..

deltone · ‎09-18-2003

e-scrooge.........For feedback bombing yes. I'm not sure about the neutrals, but for negs, if it's more than 3 or 4, they do often remove. I've never done it myself, but I read the feedback board a lot and they speak of it. Another way for removing them is invalid contact information, or if there is a swear word, or reference to a police investigation, or contact information, that sort of thing. GOOD LUCK!!!

I think the type of items you sell probably make you vulnerable to negatives. I only sell brand new sealed things and it's pretty safe, for the most part. I hear that a lot of people who sell used clothing get a lot of negs as well.

deltone · ‎09-18-2003

Here are the reasons for feedback removal:

Circumstances where eBay will consider removing feedback

eBay is provided with a ruling or signed settlement agreement from an eBay approved certified dispute resolution service. Such a ruling may be issued if the feedback recipient initiated a dispute resolution process and the member who left the feedback does not respond to the request for mediation.

eBay is provided with a valid court order finding that the disputed feedback is slanderous, libelous, defamatory or otherwise illegal, or with a settlement agreement resolving such a lawsuit submitted by both attorneys and signed by both parties.

The feedback, on its face, has absolutely no connection with eBay, such as feedback related to commercial transactions that were not conducted through eBay. This also includes feedback that contains any reference to another auction service or feedback that advertises the goods or services of someone other than the user for whom the feedback was left.

The feedback that contains any link to another page, picture, or JavaScript.

The feedback contains profane or vulgar language, or adult material. Inflammatory language, such as "fraud, liar, cheater, scam artist, con man" etc. is strongly discouraged but will not be removed.

Feedback that contains personal identifying information about another user, including real name, address, phone number, or e-mail address.

Feedback that makes any reference to eBay investigations or to any law enforcement organization, i.e., "eBay is investigating this person," or "the FBI has been notified."

Negative feedback intended for another user will be considered for removal only in situations where the user responsible for the mistaken posting informs eBay of the error and has already placed the same feedback for the correct user. This does not apply to a comment that was mistakenly marked negative instead of positive or vice versa.

Feedback left by a user who provided eBay with false contact information during the transaction period (as verified by eBay), and cannot be contacted.

eBay will remove feedback where eBay is provided with evidence showing that it was left by a minor.

Multiple (3 or more) feedbacks left by the same user as part of a campaign to harass one or more users.

eBay may give special consideration to remove feedback upon request from members if the listing ended before the member was suspended, but the feedback was left after we reinstated the member.

can-import · ‎09-22-2003

The problem with feedback is:

Even when you got a non-paying bidder, if you leave a neg feedback, he will do the same to you... so I forgot it and instead of leaving neg, dont leave any! Half of the 5 negs I got are from non-paying bidders...

Can-Import

treasure-pot · ‎09-22-2003

can-import, you need to stop thinking of feedback as a merit badge of some kind. Feedback does not put food on the table.

Failing to leave a neg for a NPB simply because you are worried about getting negged in return does a dis-service to all other sellers that may come in contact with that buyer.

If you are like many of us, you rely on the feedback left for your trading partners to determine the level of risk you are prepared to take. If everyone adopted your policy of not leaving negs for fear of the return neg, none of us would be able to make an accurate assessment. All non-paying bidders would have a free ride. It is only by negging an NPB that we eventually drive them away from eBay - and FVF credit applications, of course.

Remember, feedback left in your profile is not for you... it is for the next person who contemplates entering into a transaction with you.

Bill

Bill

can-import · ‎09-22-2003

I know all of that... but the problem is that people buying from us are doing the same, they check our feedbacks and will hesitate to buy from us when they see negs. I really dont know why ebay couldnt remove feebacks when they come from a non-payer. Thats my point... the problem is that there is a hole in the system and thats too bad cause non-payers can affect your credibility when we all know who the problem is.

cmagor-ctvi · ‎09-23-2003

can-import, read what you just wrote! "we all know who the problem is" ... I don't think certain negs affect a sellers credibility at all - especially since you have the opportunity to add a comment with your side of the story. I believe anyone who is digging through feedback to read negs (as I do) is going to look at the track record of the individual that left it as well as other feedback for that seller (or buyer for that matter!)

One neg from a headcase, in an ocean of glowing positives doesn't color my opinion of that user one bit. Of course when I receive my first neg it will sting, and it is only a matter of time, but life (and sales) will go on!

jewelbay · ‎09-25-2003

after so many auctions negatives mean zilch to me, I used to worry about negatives... no more.

I bend over backwards for my customers, giving refunds when not warranted, taking negatives because of delays in mail and US custom delays,..It all part of selling on ebay.

Advice- don't give out positives until given you, and if you get a negative for no good reason, return it to the bidder, it warns other bidders who may give negatives for silly reasons.

If it is (YOUR)THE SELLER FAULT and you get a negative for something you deserve, accept it in good faith and learn by it. Give the bidder positive and that how ebay should work.