Unfair feedback - are we really powerless?

[craftylittledevils]

Hi,

So I've been selling from my business on Ebay since 2015.

I have never had a negative feedback until the start of this month.

The buyer bought 2 items from me.

I woke up on the 6th February to 2 negative feedback ratings and comments that the items were not as described.

I know this is completely untrue as all my items are carefully described (I only sell cross stitch kits, which all come from the same manufacturer, contain the same items and are described in the same way on all my listings).

The buyer did not contact me about their issue.

They did not open a return request.

I have messaged the buyer several times to try to find out what the problem is and see how I can resolve it.

They will not respond.

Ebay says if they buyer doesn't agree to remove or change the feedback then that's the end of the story as Ebay will only intervene if it fits into their guidelines (abuse, extortion etc). (Even though when I first called I was told my one CSO that they would investigate the matter and get to the bottom of it for me... but that's a whole other issue I have with Ebay giving different information each time I speak to someone).

To make matters even more strange, this same buyer bought 2 other kits from me a few days after the first ones. 

She messaged me to let me know they hadn't arrived (after 5 days) and I replied and asked her to wait one more business day.

The next business day she replied to say the kits had arrived.

I have since messaged her and asked if everything is ok with these 2 kits and she replied that yes, "All's good".

So, then I took the opportunity to ask her again about the first 2 kits she left negative feedback for and now she won't respond again.

I think there should be a requirement for buyers to at least correspond with the seller about the issue before they can leave negative feedback... or open a return request or SOMETHING to show that it's not just a malicious feedback rating and comment.

Any suggestions on where I go from here?

She brought my score down from 100% to 99.5 in one fell swoop 😞

Thanks, Chris.

[twyngwyn]

is she a competitor?

[craftylittledevils]

Nope. That was my first thought, but nothing in her profile indicates that.

Plus if she was a competitor trying to ruin my scores, I doubt she would've bought the second lot of kits within the same week, as those feedback scores wouldn't count. (not that she's left any feedback for those ones).

I am so frustrated about the whole situation.

[kopenhagen5 · Accepted solution]

99.5% is not bad. It would be if you were selling 10,000 items a month.

The negs will soon be on page 2 and with the kind responses you have left it looks like an impossible to please buyer.

I doubt they will affect your sales.

Make sure to put that buyer on your BBL so they can't do it again.

Just keep doing the good work you do and don't let the numpties get to you.

[craftylittledevils]

Thanks @kopenhagen5 

Oh for sure she is already on my BBL.

[love_of_cars · Accepted solution]

A business expert said the best thing you can do when a disgruntled customer won't budge on feedback is to respond calmly and honestly and professionally, and point out how you would help and/or work to correct the problem for the future.  It tells anyone reading it that you care about customers.

You have done the right thing, not like someone else recently highlighted on this board who responds to negative comments with "you moron" and similar.

[brerrabbit585]

Perhaps she was upset when she realised you're selling Chinese knock-offs with serious copyright issues.

[countessalmirena]

If the customer were upset about that, I doubt that she'd have bought two more.

@craftylittledevils,

Spoiler

I would suggest you do some solid thinking. Simply because a Chinese company makes something - almost certainly without getting copyright permissions from the respective holders of the images involved - does not mean that it's right to sell those items. Chinese views on Intellectual Property are very different to those of the rest of the world, and consequently the issues of legalities, copyright, offences, consequences, are a whole different tapesty in the western world. You could ask the manufacturer whether they have copyright - but you will probably receive a polite lie in return. You would then need to contact, for instance, the copyright holder of the Heffalump image for instance - Disney. I am reasonably certain that they would respond with a "No, we have not granted copyright to that company".)

[springyzone]

You're one of the first sellers I've seen who says they would actually prefer a buyer to open a return request.

I'd look at it this way. You're not out of pocket and the feedback is vague, it doesn't really explain what was wrong with the items so it is probably not going to hurt your future sales. So back away from this one. Don't go giving her ideas.

I don't think it is anyone deliberately trying to be malicious. She has bought other items from you, she was honest about when they arrived and told you she was happy with those later ones.

There's been something with the first items that unsettled her. My guess is she opened them and thought either the sizes or colours weren't what she was expecting or she couldn't find the instructions. Something like that. People can get stroppy if colours are not exactly as they expect, for example. Some people can be very picky too over minor matters.

So she has launched into her feedback and maybe later realised she made a mistake, whatever. It will be something minor but she isn't willing to talk about it & probably not willing to admit if she was in error. So I'd let it drop. I think you'll have to wear it because she is not willing to lose face.

Her issue isn't with copyright issues as if it had been, she wouldn't have been fine with the second lot of purchases.

[brerrabbit585]

It's possibly the size because those items state the fabric size, which is not the design size, but as all non-Chinese knock-offs state the design size she may not have picked up on the fact that the design size wasn't actually mentioned.

@ countess, disney comes down really hard on anyone who sells copies of their images. I'll bet none of the other artists are getting paid royalties for any of their images that are being used either. Unfortunately, those who sell them have no conscience and nor do those who buy them, and such sellers do a roaring trade in their illegal/immoral goods.