New FB extortion policy...

[westernstargifts]

Link

What are the guidelines?

Allowed


Examples that aren't Feedback extortion

*

A buyer says he or she will leave negative Feedback or low detailed seller ratings (DSRs) unless the seller accepts a return and pays for return shipping.
*

A buyer says he or she will leave negative Feedback or DSRs unless the seller gives a full or partial refund for an item.
*

A buyer feels the shipping costs are too high and says he or she will leave negative Feedback or DSRs unless the seller lowers the shipping costs.
*

A buyer pays for an item and waits several weeks for it to arrive. The buyer tells the seller that if the item doesn't arrive by a certain date, he or she will leave negative Feedback or low detailed seller ratings (DSRs).
*

A buyer receives an item and decides the item is significantly not as it was described in the original listing. The buyer tells the seller he or she will leave negative Feedback unless the seller allows it to be returned for a refund.

Not allowed


Examples of Feedback extortion

*

A seller refuses to ship the item or refund the buyer unless the buyer leaves good Feedback or detailed seller ratings (DSRs).
*

A seller refuses to let a buyer use a warranty included in the listing unless the buyer leaves a positive Feedback or good DSRs.
*

A buyer threatens to leave negative Feedback or low DSRs unless he or she gets a full refund without shipping the item back to the seller.
*

A buyer threatens to leave negative Feedback or low DSRs unless the seller sends an extra item that wasn't part of the original listing (unless the buyer wants a replacement for an item they're not satisfied with).

Any thoughts?

[momoftwingles2]

Hi Judy,

My thoughts are....my perception of feedback extortion and eBay's perception of feedback extortion ARE NO WHERE NEAR THE SAME!

I'm shocked, but not surprised.

Or perhaps my brain is frozen for being at the rink continuously since August 4th!

Susan

[jakeeangel]

W.T.F.?!?!?

Who's the moron that dreamed up this nonsense! fffttt

I need a better job so I can leave this place behind.

That stuff is ridiculous. It really is. What is their intention, to have every eBay seller only ship to their own country? Anything going international automatically costs more, add some weight and we're talking huge costs.

I have a buyer I'm sending a 9 pound box of toys to New Zealand for $70. USPS charges $68. So if they decide I've charged too much I get dinged even though I added a measly $2 for the box - 18 x 12 x 9"? Who's going to act as an observer here? Nobody I imagine so we're all just screwed then?

Even shipping inside Canada is expensive and a lot of stupid Canadians out there just don't get it. I've been accused by Canadians of using Expedited just to get tracking. ???? No, anything over 2cm has to go as a package. Here's the weight, the measurements and a link You go do the math. Oh. But that only works when given the opportunity to address the issue. Many others don't ask, they just complain.

So now we have to go by what the buyer feels is expensive or not huh? LOL I remember reading a thread where some stupid mommy type let her kid buy on eBay and leave feedback and DSR's. The kid dinged this seller for some $2 item with shipping of $1 because the kid felt it could have gone for less. ????? *shakes head*

Tell me the above post is a joke please. Pretty please....

[canadaspatchking]

Glad we closed our eBay store and ended all our listings this month. This place is going downhill and the angle of the slope is getting steeper everyday. The drama that seems to accompany buyers that come to this site, thanks to eBay, is about 10X what we experience selling on our own venues.

Good luck to all of you still sticking around and slugging it out. It's too bad it had to come to this but we are doing it for our own sanity.

Perhaps in the future eBay will grow up and decides what it truly wants to be (a River hybrid or go it's own way) and that working _with_ sellers is only to their benefit.

[4thlerbrig]

Lol, I saw these rules in my research regarding the FB removal. I myself think they all ok, except maybe the "buyer thinks shipping too high" one. In fact I used one of those 2 weeks ago in a reverse way, when a seller sent an item not as described and would not pay for return shipping. I told him you cover return shipping and I'll remove the neg. He wouldn't so to bad for him then.

My thoughts are if a seller makes a mistake, they need to cover return shipping as well as full refund. Not a ebay rule, but morally correct thing to do.

I think ebay is great, they made me a PS lol. I like that 20% discount. Also I think free listings starting September if I read that correctly. About time!

Kelly

[dipmicro]

Examples that aren't Feedback extortion
* A buyer says he or she will leave negative Feedback or DSRs unless the seller gives a full or partial refund for an item.

If the above is not an extortion than I don't really know what is.

This must be some mistake in the help.

[pjcdn2005]

My thoughts are if a seller makes a mistake, they need to cover return shipping as well as full refund. Not a ebay rule, but morally correct thing to do.

I agree...but according to the rules as you posted them, if the buyer demands free return shipping, it isn't feedback extortion even if the return isn't because of a seller's mistake.

[pjcdn2005]

A buyer threatens to leave negative Feedback or low DSRs unless the seller sends an extra item that wasn't part of the original listing (unless the buyer wants a replacement for an item they're not satisfied with).

Has anyone heard of a buyer asking for an extra item?

In my mind, asking to pay less shipping charges when the shipping charges are stated in the listing, is the same as asking for "extra".

It's all ridiculous.

[westernstargifts]

Another way to force sellers to give free shipping? More likely they will force more sellers to LEAVE eBay.

[pierrelebel]

"More likely they will force more sellers to LEAVE eBay."

REALITY CHECK.

1) The information on the help page has not changed in years. Nothing new.

2) 99%+ of users have never and will never read that information and it will not affect their dealings on eBay.

It is just a tempest in a teapot.

[pierrelebel]

PS - By the way, I agree: the policy as written is stupid.

[jakeeangel]

PS - By the way, I agree: the policy as written is stupid.

Now THERE'S an understatement! teeheehee 😉

[coxengines]

Of the 20,1616 feedbacks we have received so far on this account, I can't recall ever being subject to an extortion attempt.

I agree that the policy as it is written defies sound business logic but sellers can avoid conflicts by treating customers as such and not merely cash cows.

Our 100% customer satisfaction policy is clearly spelled out in our store TOS as well as on every listing.

With over 6,000 packages mailed every year, we only get something like 2 or 3 returns because buyers changed their mind. Given, we screw up shipments on a regular basis 😞 but "fix" such mistakes immediately when notified, before we tend to new business.

Buyers may be able to extort in theory but, with sound business practices, it will rarely happen.

Bernie