@11dustyattic,
When you feel that you're given an unfair comment and a negative dot that you don't deserve, I realise it can be upsetting... especially for smaller sellers.
However, what lyndal posted is actually great advice. Ultimately your feedback profile page is an open window to any prospective buyer or indeed any eBay member. You need not only to do the right thing, but to be SEEN doing the right thing. Your most recent negative had a completely uninformative negative comment comprising the single word "Beware". That doesn't convey anything to a prospective buyer and it wouldn't be likely to put off any potential buyer.
But... by replying to it, you've drawn attention to it.
Worse still... if I break down your reply, it consists of the following:
[Derisive laughter] [Claiming that buyer typically buys in order to sell] [Mentioning that there were warning signs (but you don't say what they were)] [Stating that you cancelled the sale] [Explaining your emotional response] [Stating that you subsequently blocked the buyer]
What - of all that - does the buyer need to know in order to feel comfortable in purchasing from you?
None. None of it. It reads as almost childish. It's certainly not professional. Don't you want potential buyers to regard you as a mature, professional seller who is able to deal calmly with issues?
Instead of trying to use the "reply to feedback" option to release your feelings of anger, you should use that option to REASSURE POTENTIAL BUYERS.
- That means ditching the HAHA, for one thing.
- Saying that the buyer is an onseller is pointless. There is nothing in eBay policy or in Australian Consumer Legislation which prevents a person from buying something and then selling it.
- Saying "Red flags" doesn't give anyone the facts, and also doesn't look professional. Can you imagine if a David Jones representative told some of your neighbours that there were some suspicious signs when you recently tried to purchase a collander from them?
- Stating that you cancelled the sale would be fine.
- Your emotional response to that cancellation would not be of any interest to a potential buyer, and would look unprofessional.
- Stating that you've blocked the buyer can be included, but is it necessary?
lyndal's post explained that most buyers would pay absolutely no attention to the buyer's feedback... but the reply that you gave is a missed opportunity to correct the situation and demonstrate that you are a fair, efficient and professional seller.
I might have replied along these lines:
Transaction cancelled as we decline to deal with [username] for various reasons
... or ...
Transaction cancelled. We wish [username] better luck in future purchases from other sellers
That has no "heat" in it from a personal emotional response, and it's very matter-of-fact. It doesn't refer to a dispute, and it doesn't say anything more than necessary. If a prospective buyer read that response, it wouldn't cause that person any alarm about you as a seller. In fact, by showing calmness and no rudeness, it's a great opportunity to showcase what sort of a seller you are.
(I will admit that I don't understand why you cancelled that particular transaction. If it's because the buyer is onselling, it doesn't seem a reason to cancel a sale. If it's for another reason, I respect your right to keep that reason private if you wish.)
When you perceive things as going well, you're a good seller. It looks as though when you perceive things as not going as you expect or want, you become heated and take things personally. If you want to become the best possible seller you can be, you may want to consider taking a day or two to get over your first instinctive "hit back" response if you receive negative feedback, and instead take your time in formulating a reply that shows you as a reasonable and professional person who is able to calmly deal with problems. Believe me, that impresses buyers... Both lyndal and I are BUYERS ONLY (and - in case it needs spelling out - neither of us are eBay employees or eBay management), and we speak from that buyer perspective.
With regard to the transaction where you mention the feedback extortion, the reply you gave is fair enough. It does explain what occurred, but I honestly don't understand why you weren't able to get that feedback removed. Assuming that I'd not been able to get the feedback removed, I'd probably have replied with something like this:
[username], we decline to provide additional items for +ve feedback. Cancelled
... but really that's just another way of saying what you said.
However... assuming that your story of the buyer saying "If you sweeten the pot, I won't leave negative feedback" is accurate, I would certainly have had that negative removed. I'd have contacted eBay via Have us call you, calmly and politely explained the situation, quoted the relevant section from the Feedback exortion policy, asked the CS rep to read the relevant message where the buyer explicitly breached that policy, and requested that the feedback be removed and any appropriate action to be taken against the buyer.
