DSRs contradicted by feedback

[cq_tech]

I sold an item last July for which the buyer left me positive feedback which stated "fast delivery item pretty much as described" then promptly hit me with a 3 for item description, which of course is a defect. In my opinion, doing so directly contradicts the feedback he left. At the time, I blocked him and left a reply to his feedback which named him and warned other sellers to be wary but now I am wondering if it's worth contacting CS with a view to having that defect removed because of that contradiciton.

[designerlabels4u*]

Good luck ..I really do hope you have better success than what I have had in the past 2 days with a similar issue.

 I am a top rated seller, no negs or neutrals ... sold a gorgeous dress just last month, measurements all included etc .. received feedback " Fantastic Seller.Lovely item exactly as described.Thank You "

On checking my seller dashboard I saw this buyer had left a 3 or below for item description so of course triggered a defect.There had been no contact at all from the buyer even though I always pop in a note thanking them for their purchase and please let me know if there are any issues etc .

  So I called eBay and spent an hour and a half on Friday (45 mins on hold, then transferred to 3 different depts ) finally was told yes it would be removed and check tomorrow (which was yesterday ).

I checked and the defect was still there so I called eBay again ..another hour call and was told that the rep who said it would be removed was wrong and it would definitely NOT be removed as it was the buyers opinion of the transaction. I argued with them for about half an hour that the buyers "opinion " was already left in the feedback ..made no difference whatsoever ..they will not remove a defect even if it contradicts the feedback when a positive rating is left .

All in all ..a complete waste of a couple of a couple of hours of my precious time for no sucess ..and got the same ending of the call..

..is there anything else I can help you with ? Have a nice day, Merry Christmas and thanks for choosing eBay !!

[horizon1907]

jasmia, You hit the nail on the head. "It's the buyers opinion" It depends on what mood the buyer is in 😞  There was post on here the other day which said something on the lines of, Copped a defect because the White Shirt wasn't the kinda White I wanted. Give me a break !!!!!  Most sellers I know, bend over backwards to try & please their buyers, but some buyers want more.  It's all very nice to sit behind a Computer Screen and be a Cyber Buyer and smack people across the head with defects, just because you can.  Sellers have to basically cop it. Unless you want to sit on the phone to ebay for hours on end pleading your case, just to find out nothing will be done.

IMO the defect caper is nothing more than A Mood Moderator.

[springyzone]

It's not a contradiction.

"item pretty much as described' means the buyer was reasonably happy with it but there was something there that he felt either didn't exactly match the description or else something that was not mentioned in the description that he thinks maybe should have been.

Under those circumstances, a 3 is a perfectly reasonable star rating, it means middle of the road.

The fact ebay rates it as a defect is where the contradiction comes in. Only a 1 or 2 star rating should cop that, in any sort of logical system.

Most ebayers don't come in here, how would they know 3 is a defect, especially if ebay does not alert them?

In real life, most people never give the top or bottom rating to anyone or anything in most surveys. Why should ebay assume a star rating will be any different?

[cq_tech]

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@bigbrickshop wrote:

Don't blame the buyer, the problem is eBay's definition of a 3 DSR for Item Description.

Neither Inaccurate nor Accurate

It has to be one or the other. If something is not Inaccurate then it is Accurate.

If a buyer doesn't think the item exactly matches the description then they're not going to give it a 5 and I suppose most buyers would see a 3 as 'average'.

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I do blame the buyer as it happens, because the item was brand new in its box.

How could it be anything but exactly as described, and therefore worth 5 stars?

Did you also know that eBay don't warn the buyer that giving a 3 triggers a defect?

[mbselections00]

jasmia & cq

I have mentioned this in another thread, so apologies if it seems repetitive to other members.  I had a case back in October - fabulous Feedback but coped a defect for item as described.  As it was a completely new line I was hand making myself I was very curious to find out why the defect, so very politely messaged the Buyer to ask why.  She replied almost instantly & was horrified I had received a Defect as she loved the product & was sure she left 5 Stars.  (There is the first problem - it's to do with 'Clicking' the number of Stars - but that is another issue). 

She asked if there was a way she could fix it.

I explained I didn't want to put her to any more inconvenience & that (as I had read here on the boards), it should be a SIMPLE matter of me sending copies of our messages to eBay & they would be able to fix.

So,  I sent CS copies of the 3 messages & held my breath with fingers crossed !  The saga should end here - but it doesn't.  I got a lovely reply back - didn't even sound like the usual Cut & Paste response.  They had looked into the situation, could see the Defect should not have been there & would have it removed on 6th December (which incidentally was not the first Thursday following my request, it was the second - only mention that because my understanding is that Defects are removed on Thursdays)

It is now 14th, I still have the Defect - messaged CS on 7th & once again, have in writing, an apology, the Defect should not be there  (wow, like I didn't already know that !), they will look into it & can't tell me why it hasn't been removed !

So, all I can say is Good Luck   Don't give up !  I intend pestering CS until it is removed (might take 12 months, lol, by which time it will drop off).  I do believe from other threads it is relatively important to have a message from the Buyer stating they did not intend to leave Negative Feedback, so if you message them to get that response - just clarify how the DEFECTIVE system works - 1,2 & 3 are Negatives and only 4 & 5 are positive.  In my case, in her response, the Buyer actually said she was positive she left 5 Stars for everything because she was very happy !

Sorry, to  be so long winded folks

[mbselections00]

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@cq_tech wrote:

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@bigbrickshop wrote:

Don't blame the buyer, the problem is eBay's definition of a 3 DSR for Item Description.

Neither Inaccurate nor Accurate

It has to be one or the other. If something is not Inaccurate then it is Accurate.

If a buyer doesn't think the item exactly matches the description then they're not going to give it a 5 and I suppose most buyers would see a 3 as 'average'.

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I do blame the buyer as it happens, because the item was brand new in its box.

How could it be anything but exactly as described, and therefore worth 5 stars?

Did you also know that eBay don't warn the buyer that giving a 3 triggers a defect?

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I sympathize & get your point now that you have explained the item was brand new in its box.

As soon as I first read about this new system and 3 Stars being considered a Defect, I rang CS, tried to speak to the correct people to highlight the issue here - they said it was a valid point and would be passed on, you know the usual blurb. And then do nothing . . . . .

I have messaged on several occasions pointing out that most Buyers do not understand the intricacies of this Defective System & so therefore it should be highlighted as being a Neg every time a Buyer attempts to leave a 3, the same way it is if they leave a 1 or 2 - better still, if they refuse to do that, then there should only be ratings out of 4 (to state the obvious, 1 & 2 being Neg - 3 & 4 being Positive) Get rid of the apparent Neutral !

Maybe what we need is for EVERY Seller to bombard CS with messages requesting change or a detailed explanation/alert appearing when Buyers leave Feedback.  I know it won't happen, but what other options are there ?

[cq_tech]

I remember that thread, and you're saying that eBay still haven't removed the defect? You must be absolutely ropable by now (I know I would be). What is it with eBay's complete lack of respect towards the people who pay their wages - their sellers? Do they want us here or not? I've become so disillusioned by this whole DSR and defect business that I'm ready to give it all away in disgust.

As I said elsewhere recently, eBay really has become the Titanic of the internet and is sinking faster than anybody could have imagined. Dunno about you, but I think it's about time to abandon ship before I go down with it. I don't think I've ever seen a company so intent on self-destruction as I have eBay, and I have to say they've done a bloody good job of it.

[horizon1907]

BINGO cq. !!!!!!

[cmcoins2000]

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@cq_tech wrote:
I remember that thread, and you're saying that eBay still haven't removed the defect? You must be absolutely ropable by now (I know I would be). What is it with eBay's complete lack of respect towards the people who pay their wages - their sellers? Do they want us here or not? I've become so disillusioned by this whole DSR and defect business that I'm ready to give it all away in disgust.

As I said elsewhere recently, eBay really has become the Titanic of the internet and is sinking faster than anybody could have imagined. Dunno about you, but I think it's about time to abandon ship before I go down with it. I don't think I've ever seen a company so intent on self-destruction as I have eBay, and I have to say they've done a bloody good job of it.

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I still get apoplexy every time I think of a Negative for an item TOO CLEAN.

WWWAAAAAAAAA.

[cq_tech]

Helen, I'm very loath to call buyers idiots while I still have some listings up, but I'd be lying if I said I thought any differently. All 3 of my defects were from either malicious or stupid buyers and I've had a gutful of eBay for intentionally setting up sellers to fail, especially at the hands of ignorant or stupid buyers who should know better. I've decided that I won't be coming back after Christmas and believe me, I won't be sorry to see the back of this bloody place either.