Return Started THEN Buyer Left Negative Feedback?

[slv-somelikeitvintage]

Hi,

Not sure how to handle this - it's a first for me!

A buyer didn't like their purchase and requested a return. No problem, I accepted the return immediately and will refund when it arrives. 

A few minutes later I receive negative feedback. 

Should I try to get it removed? Not sure how this can be allowed after I accepted a return...doesn't seem fair.  Feedback is simply spiteful 😞

What do you think? Sit on the phone forever with ebay or just let it go?

[maggiebvintage2010 · Accepted solution]

Buyer was an avid bidder and willing to pay even more than the final amount, since she had 3 additional bids that were higher.  It's possible the s/he never read the description, but that is not your fault.  Your listing is clear about the condition, the beads falling off, and the fact that the dress can't be worn - you stated that in 3 different places.  You have accepted the return.  Why not call eBay?  Why would you want that negative showing?

If you choose the correct flow in the help and contact section, and call during normal North American business hours, you should get an English-speaking CS in Utah.  This may help to reduce the time you have to spend on the phone.

[reallynicestamps · Accepted solution]

I'd call eBay.

The negative was left before the problem was resolved and after the resolution was underway.

Try to get the Utah people by calling during North American business hours.

HOWEVER.

Your unhappy American buyer may have discovered that you cannot send her a return shipping label. Be sure the CS rep understands that you are in Canada, that Canada is not part of the USPS system, and that it is NOT POSSIBLE to provide a usable return shipping label to your customer.

Make sure they rep understands all these points. Some are more geography challenged than others.

You may have to tell your buyer to return the dress on her own dime, which will further annoy her, and trust you that you will refund the return cost.

It may be a good idea to guide her to the USPS site and to First Class International Parcel shipping, which is below the pictured Priority line and is text only, making it harder to find.

You should also encourage her to mark the dress as 'returned merchandise', or you may be paying duty and sales taxes on it.

[slv-somelikeitvintage]

Great replies, thanks! I think I will call ebay and see what they can do. As for postage, I informed the buyer she will be re-imbursed her return postage since I can't create a label from USA. She was fine with that - didn't seem annoyed by it actually. She is a seller herself and knows the way things work.

[slv-somelikeitvintage]

Ack...just called ebay. They won't remove the negative feedback even though I have fully co-operated and accepted the return. My only recourse is to respond to the feedback or try to get her to revise it - which I know won't happen.

[reallynicestamps]

Thank heavens for reasonable adults who want to correct a problem and not just have hysterics.

[momcqueen]

I thought that feedback left on an item being returned disappears automatically when the return is closed because ebay considers the return to be the end of the transaction and resolved satisfactorily? Am I incorrect?