Feedback options too limited

[r4vi]

Hi,

I find that the number of characters available is too restrictive.

Regarding positive feedback - sometimes I would like to point out how a seller went out of their way to help, to differentiate them from others where their assistance/patience/resolution of problems has been exemplary.  In these cases I always make sure to send them a message thanking them and congratulating them on their performance.

Regarding negative feedback - well this is the main issue I wanted to comment on.

I find it VERY hard to explain my case for negative feedback in the number of characters allowed.  I have a purchase that I have just made where the seller misrepresented their product, provided incredible poor documentation of operating procedure, where the product does not perform as stated, and has come with a manufacturing fault.

I have been told that the problem is operator error, which is patently incorrect.  The seller has referred to nonexistent correspondence as backup to their argument, which is laughable as it's easily verifiable as to whether said correspondence occurred as all communication has been via eBay messaging.

I have sent photos of the manufacturing defect (blown track off PCB which has been very badly repaired) and been ignored.

So how do I communicate all of this when the time arises for me to leave feedback?

I won't leave feedback yet as if I do, they will just get snarky, and I am quite happy to leave good feedback if my issues are resolved to my satisfaction.  I'm very fair, and I've had problems with sellers where they have screwed up and resolved the problem cheerily, and left positive feedback mentioning their great resolution.  Check my feedback left for others if you don't believe me.

But when a seller is lying, or trying to belittle me, or abuse me, or fob me off, or saying "we have perfect feedback for this item" when it's completely not true, how do I get this across in such a small space?

I will be putting up a web page about my experience with this latest seller and product - but I can't put an URL in my feedback for them as that will get eBay snarky with me.  So I'm limited essentially to just putting up a page and hoping others will find it.

I see a lot of redneck feedback left for sellers and this infuriates me - if people don't give the seller a chance to resolve the issue, that sucks.  I've been bitten by buyers (years ago now) where they haven't read the item description, or bought an item I have listed as pickup only and then asked me to send it to another country even, and then left me neg feedback without trying to resolve the issue.

But what about people such as myself who try to be as community-minded and respectful as possible, who just want their problem resolved properly, and who try everything they can to give the seller a fair go, just to be fobbed off or ignored?

I want to make people aware of the problems with the product that I bought, and the attitude of the seller, and I'm not the first person to have problems with this seller.

Caveat emptor - yes.  But where I have done everything right and the seller is being an arse - well why can't I state my case?

[patchoo78]

I am such a lazy feedback giver, a lot of mine says "Excellent seller, I'll be back!"

A seller once left me feedback that said "Best buyer on ebay, the best one!" :^O that made me laugh

[heavy_head]

I've been asked by a similar seller to remove neg comment on the promise of sending a replacement, I removed the neg, and guess what no replacement ever arrived.....

[r4vi]

Yeah - that's EXACTLY what I'm worried about.  They guy wanted me to remove the neg ASAP on a promise of being sent a replacement.

Well I actually wasn't promised a REPLACEMENT - I was promised ANOTHER one, and to keep the existing one.

So - am I selling my soul/doing the wrong thing in contemplating removing my feedback, and if not, I guess I should be waiting to receive the new item before removing my neg?

[heavy_head]

Yeah, outline to them the order that you are happy to work with....otherwise you may be bitten..

[r4vi]

I've just been very careful with my reply to them - thanks for the offer of another one, if I am left feeling good about my experience with their business, I would be happy to agree to the removal of NF.

Of course, after I am feeling good about the experience 🙂

[putney32]

r4vi, I'd like to ask just one question of you,

why do you feel a 'longer explanation' from you in feedback would in any way be read and acted upon by another prospective buyer when you yourself took absolutely no heed of the One Thousand or so negative / neutral and revised feedbacks given to this seller in the last year??

I will never understand why a buyer would even consider dealing with a company they do not know that over a thousand other buyers were dissatisfied with in the recent past.

?:|

[***super_nova***]

Yeah - that's EXACTLY what I'm worried about.  They guy wanted me to remove the neg ASAP on a promise of being sent a replacement.

i was in similar situation on couple of occassions; I just answer:

"When you resolve the situation to my satisfaction, I will revise the FB"   and leave it at that.  There is no way I would revise, and then expect to get what was promissed. 

[phorum_junkie*]

I have on occasion been asked if I would revise my feedback if they send a replacement without return or give me a refund.

My reply is always that after I receive the replacement/refund I will review the feedback. Only one of them ever did it and they were the worst of the worst so when they sent their $2 replacement and sent the feedback revision I refused it and when they spit the dummy I just replied that I said I would review my feedback and on doing so had decided it should remain the same.]:)

And when they respond with some remark they think is witty or condescending, I become quite infuriated.

Really? I find it extremely amusing, rude,  witty and condescending remarks that are not really witty just make the person who left it look even sillier and make you look like the one in the right.

No matter how many characters you have for feedback anything over the bare facts will dilute the message and for the specifics your tool is the DSR ratings, negs do very little to most aeller accounts however getting only 1s or 2s for their stars has a major impact, more than a couple and dependng on their sales volume they can lose their position in Best March searches and the TRS status.

[r4vi]

r4vi, I'd like to ask just one question of you,

why do you feel a 'longer explanation' from you in feedback would in any way be read and acted upon by another prospective buyer when you yourself took absolutely no heed of the One Thousand or so negative / neutral and revised feedbacks given to this seller in the last year??

I will never understand why a buyer would even consider dealing with a company they do not know that over a thousand other buyers were dissatisfied with in the recent past.

?:|

It's called risk management.  Everything is a risk.

As I stated earlier, I used a neg feedback I had left as an EXAMPLE.  The reason for me opening this thread was not in regards to the seller that was pointed out.  I was enquiring as I am currently dealing with a seller who is being belligerent and unhelpful, condescending and is flat out lying.

Why did I buy from the seller mentioned?  Different factors, the major one being PRICE.  And I'm VERY happy with the item.

It was my treatment when I pointed out something was missing from the item, being sent automated responses and receiving no human interaction.  If they had said "sorry about that, we are sending you the bits in the mail" I would have said "thank you very much" and left POS feedback with a "seller mucked up but fixed it, I'm really pleased"

Heck, I bought an item that outperforms the one my mate has that cost him $400 and mine cost $74.  Do I think I would get warranty?  Nope.  Does that suck?  Yep.  Is that normal on eBay?  Yep.  Am I happy with what I bought?  Yep.  Do I care about the missing bits?  Well they were a bonus, so not much.  I don't like getting automated responses and nothing being done from that point.

As an aside - I'm noticing that some messages aren't getting through via eBay messaging - and I'm wondering if this is causing some problems for sellers and buyers.  A private seller and I got into a stouche not long ago because of this, but we both ended up happy once we realised that each was trying to do the right thing.  It's happened with 7 messages in the last month if the sellers aren't lying - and the guy who rang me this morning from the sller I mentioned wanted me to revoke feedback rang because he was waiting on my message which I sent last night.

[r4vi]

🙂

And when they respond with some remark they think is witty or condescending, I become quite infuriated.

Really? I find it extremely amusing, rude,  witty and condescending remarks that are not really witty just make the person who left it look even sillier and make you look like the one in the right.

No matter how many characters you have for feedback anything over the bare facts will dilute the message and for the specifics your tool is the DSR ratings, negs do very little to most aeller accounts however getting only 1s or 2s for their stars has a major impact, more than a couple and dependng on their sales volume they can lose their position in Best March searches and the TRS status.

Agreed.

P.S.  It's existentialist not agnostic 🙂