eBay

katlover1952 · ‎06-07-2017

Sorry guys but I just got off the phone from talking to a CSR on eBay & I must rant about the ridiculousness of the situation.

I had a buyer open a case as they had not received an item. I replied right away and while I felt the item should have been there asked her to wait till the end of that week (this was on Mon) to see if it was just delayed by the PO or customs and that if she did not have it by then I would process a refund for her. She replied back saying she would wait the few days. Then on Thursday she left negative feedback just saying "the necklace did not arrive". I immediately contacted her saying I was sorry she had felt it necessary to leave the feedback and that as discussed earlier if it did not arrive by Sat to let me know (one way or another) & I would process a refund if it had not gotten there. Over the weekend she closed the case with the reason being "item received".

So today I tried to have the feedback removed as it is simply untrue. The CSR said they could not remove it and went on about how I could contact the buyer to revise the feedback etc & that as this was the buyers "opinion" eBay could not remove it. I said wait hold on it is not "an opinion" , this is a stated fact that it did not arrive but we know it did arrive as she closed the case saying it had been received. Well we went round the merry-go-round again with the end result being the buyer has to revise FB. I said the buyer likely would not know how to do this (I personally don't & I have been on eBay for some time) and she said if she called they would walk her though it. Yeah likely a buyer is going to go to all this trouble. Well I was not my nicest self and told her this was one of the reasons eBay sellers are finding it so difficult to deal with eBay & hung up before she could say "thanks for calling eBay."

My rant for the day - just had to get it off my chest to some other who would understand the situation! Grrr

femmefan1946 · ‎06-07-2017

Well that's painful.

I don't like recommending that sellers leave Responses, since they draw attention to the original feedback, but this does seem a good time to use the option.

Sent May 15/17 Rec'd June 5/17 for example is calm and factual. It also corrects the buyer's neg (making her look a bit of a fool).

While feedback no longer affects our seller accounts, it does serve a public relations function, and have that on your otherwise spotless record is nasty. Like a pimple on prom night.

ricarmic · ‎06-07-2017

I very much agree with femme.

If you leave a factual, professional response, if I were reading it I would see it as a positive - ie if you reacted professionally to a negative comment, meaning that if I were to buy something from you, you would be much more likely to respond professionally to my problem and I would have no problem purchasing from you.

PS it wouldn't hurt either to send a polite note to the buyer saying you are glad to see that the item arrived and you would very much appreciate it if they would be so kind as to revise the feedback, and if they needed help with the process to do that to let you know. In the worst case nothing happens.....in the best case they will fix it.....without all the hassles of trying to further the case with the CSRs etc...

hlmacdon · ‎06-07-2017

@katlover1952 wrote:
The CSR said they could not remove it and went on about how I could contact the buyer to revise the feedback etc & that as this was the buyers "opinion" eBay could not remove it. I said wait hold on it is not "an opinion" , this is a stated fact that it did not arrive but we know it did arrive as she closed the case saying it had been received. Well we went round the merry-go-round again with the end result being the buyer has to revise FB. I said the buyer likely would not know how to do this (I personally don't & I have been on eBay for some time) and she said if she called they would walk her though it. Yeah likely a buyer is going to go to all this trouble. Well I was not my nicest self and told her this was one of the reasons eBay sellers are finding it so difficult to deal with eBay & hung up before she could say "thanks for calling eBay."
My rant for the day - just had to get it off my chest to some other who would understand the situation! Grrr

The "opinion or factual statement" bit is their usual get out card that the CSR will use to not deal with the situation and skip on to the next call, and in many cases they are misapplying this. YMMV but this is highly dependent on the CSR you get and whether they are actually willing to read the context of the feedback and use common sense. The department that handles the "report a problem with a buyer" issues can also deal with feedback removal and is another avenue. When I get roadblocks like this I ask to speak to a supervisor and push the issue, and if that fails call back in and go onto either a related department (if applicable) or try to get a different staff member. It can be a frustrating merry go round, but where I have had a valid point I have been able to get the situation resolved after a few calls. If nothing else you may get a survey after your call allowing you to leave feedback for your CSR. I have no problem with the general policies regarding feedback removal but feel like some of the CSRs are default to "opinion" or "fact" without consideration of context and are in fact not following stated policies.

esclyons · ‎06-07-2017

yes i would send them a request to change feedback., then if they don't i would respond as indicated above.

2nd-time-around-jewelry · ‎06-07-2017

I've had the same issues with getting a knowledgeable persons from Customer Service to resolve a problem. Many of them are clueless or from another country. Also gotten many different answers & many of them I knew were wrong. I have ended up correcting them on their own policies. They have standard forms that they read to try to appease you. Usually they just make me mad. I have phoned back & gotten different people from the US or I have asked for a Supervisor on many occasions & they have been more helpful.

hlmacdon · ‎06-07-2017

@dustmite007 wrote:
I've had the same issues with getting a knowledgeable persons from Customer Service to resolve a problem. I have phoned back & gotten different people from the US or I have asked for a Supervisor on many occasions & they have been more helpful.

Yep. There are some wonderful and truly helpful CSR reps there. When you find an experienced person to deal with that a) understands policies and more importantly b) the intent of the policies the level of service is great. It seems like you either get someone who is genuinely interested in assisting you with your issue and anything beyond that or you get someone who just wants to read off a standard reply without investing the time to understand their own policies and what applies in a situation. I find it is often more productive to call back in and just start the conversation with a new CSR by asking would you mind giving me a second opinion on this situation and that usually makes for smooth sailing.

For what it is worth, if you are trying to get feedback removed I have been advised by several reps to not apply to the original feedback in question in the meantime as they causes difficulties with the feedback removal, so use that option only if you have decided not to pursue the matter further.

pjcdn2005 · ‎06-07-2017

I think that the easiest thing to do is to first ask the buyer to revise feedback. They did close the case once the item was received so I think chances are good that they will revise the feedback.

The seller has to be the one to request the feedback revision. Go to the following page and on the right side under feedback tools, click on request feedback revision.

http://pages.ebay.ca/services/forum/feedback.html

rose-dee · ‎06-08-2017

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
I think that the easiest thing to do is to first ask the buyer to revise feedback. They did close the case once the item was received so I think chances are good that they will revise the feedback.

I agree, this is the first best option, but I'd say the OP should make only one stab at it, and very, very politely at that. You don't want the buyer taking offence and revising the FB comment to make it even worse.

If the buyer doesn't immediately agree, or doesn't respond at all, I'd give them a few days, then leave a factual, professional response to the FB, such as: "Item shipped _____/2017, buyer herself confirmed receipt on _____/2017". Anyone seeing the buyer's negative comment and this statement will probably conclude the buyer jumped the gun.

As was said earlier, although eBay doesn't use FB to punish sellers directly anymore, FB can influence buyers' decisions about whether to purchase from a particular seller. Still, if the seller's FB record is otherwise pretty much spotless, I think this one negative would stand out as a buyer problem, not a seller problem.

tyler@ebay · ‎06-08-2017

Hi @katlover1952 - typically a feedback left is considered the buyer's experience of the transaction. However, if there is tracking that can prove the item was delivered we may have some wiggle room in a feedback appeal. Otherwise, I agree that approaching the buyer with a revision request may be the best alternative.

Tyler,

hlmacdon · ‎06-08-2017

tyler@ebay wrote:
Hi @katlover1952 - typically a feedback left is considered the buyer's experience of the transaction. However, if there is tracking that can prove the item was delivered we may have some wiggle room in a feedback appeal. Otherwise, I agree that approaching the buyer with a revision request may be the best alternative.

Just a personal opinion, but if it is something factual the seller can demonstrate in an objective manner, perhaps looking at as a "wiggle room" case is not the best way to handle things and explains why sellers are often dissatisfied with how these cases get handled. While a seller can request revision, the situation has already been somewhat antagonistic and inflaming that isn't always in the seller's interest as it can just further annoy a buyer. I'm sure you understand why sellers are often dissatisfied how this is often handled, but I just thought I would reiterate that point.

tyler@ebay · ‎06-08-2017

That's fair - and a point I'm not unaware of. As we all know there are strict guidelines for feedback removal, just wanted to make sure if there was a tracking number as that may help with an appeal. Thanks!

Tyler,

snoopwiz · ‎06-09-2017

Just a personal opinion, but if it is something factual the seller can demonstrate in an objective manner, perhaps looking at as a "wiggle room" case is not the best way to handle things and explains why sellers are often dissatisfied with how these cases get handled. While a seller can request revision, the situation has already been somewhat antagonistic and inflaming that isn't always in the seller's interest as it can just further annoy a buyer. I'm sure you understand why sellers are often dissatisfied how this is often handled, but I just thought I would reiterate that point.

Very, very well put. I strongly suggest to any/all eBay staff who happen across this wonderful posting to run it past those who have the authority to make change. And if no change is made, take it to their supervisors/seniors. And if, yet again, no changes, perhaps at worst it will help you, and you, and you, understand the realities of the (throngs?) of frustrated sellers, tired of hearing "It's the buyers opinion."

It is this sellers opinion that as important as the buyer is to sellers, to eBay, to their shareholders, you may just have to agree that sometimes, just sometimes, their opinion does not always equate fact.

justtherightcard2018 · ‎10-27-2017

I have had similar instances as well. Last year a buyer purchased some stationery and I mailed their package the same day the money was received. After about a week and a half the buyer contacted me to let me know that he did not receive the package. I politely asked him to wait a few more days since this was an international transaction and had to clear customs. He initially agreed but opened a case later that day for Item Not Received. I use the most economical method of shipping and most times this does not include insurance or a tracking number. However, I keep my postal receipt which shows the date, Post Office location, the weight and measurements of the package and the destination country. If the package is being mailed to locations within Canada or the USA, the postal code or zip code will also appear on the postal receipt. I took a copy of my postal receipt and sent an email to the buyer with this information. Miraculously, he received his package late that afternoon. He tried to scam me but failed.

justtherightcard2018 · ‎10-27-2017

I called Customer Service regarding Promotional Offers. The person I was speaking to just couldn't bother to answer any questions I had. She pretended she could not hear me and hung up on me. I realise there may be a slight language barrier since eBay's call centre is now located in the Philippines but that does not excuse their lack of knowledge or politeness. I avoid calling Customer Service because of the lack of knowledge and their overall rudeness and condescending manner.

iamempress · ‎03-13-2018

This post really helped in terms of sending an email to the buyer. I sold something and got a negative feedback. I was very surprised because the item should still be in transit and the review didn't seem right based on the listing, so I emailed the buyer based on suggestions in this post. The buyer replied that the feedback was left for the wrong item and that they want to revise it.

The issue I'm having is that when I click on "Request Feedback Revision", it says "None of your Feedback is eligible for revision". I'm not sure if it's because I clicked on it before and the buyer needs to do something from their end - I'm not sure what the buyer is seeing and what options are available to instruct them.

So how do I get the buyer to revise the feedback please?

Thanks!

momcqueen · ‎03-13-2018

It should be as simple as asking the buyer to revise that feedback BUT since you have the buyer confirming in a message that he/she left this feedback for the wrong seller, you can call ebay Customer Service to have it removed.

iamempress · ‎03-14-2018

OK. Thank you!

momcqueen · ‎03-14-2018

This exact same thing happened to me, it was a quick call to a CSR to fix. They were able to see the message from the buyer who freely admit it was a mistake to leave it for me, and the CSR could also see that the buyer subsequently left that negative for the seller who legitimately had it coming. It was easier and faster to fix it through Customer Service in this case than send the Feedback Revision to the buyer and then wait (maybe) for him to get around to it. He was already embarrassed by that point and avoided ebay for like a week or two afterwards. Long past the point my request would have expired.

amcdc79 · ‎03-14-2018

I can't believe I'm saying, be happy it was a negative. Years ago, a buyer left me a neutral(for condition) before my item had even arrived. He later sent a message apologizing for the feedback, admitting it was for the wrong seller, and thanking me for the better than described one from me.

He could not change a neutral, and ebay CS also said they could not either, left a bad taste in my mouth regarding ebay and their CS.

I do not know if that policy has changed or not, thankfully I haven't had to try.