is it possible to get an unreasonable and unwarranted negative feedback removed or retracted

[speedfreak2001]

hello all, is it possible to get an unreasonable or unwarranted negative ffeedback removed or attracted? I sold a used computer  with the item cleearly marked  as "local pickup only" but the successful bidder was over 900 commmoners away in Queensland and I'm in Syydney. I offered to arrange delivery, and said that I would get quotations from couriers with the cheapest being $39 door-to-door. However, my elderly mother fell over and was hospitalised which made a slight delay of a few days in me organising to book the courier. But when I discovered I would need to stay at home for the courier to collect the box I arranged for a friend to take the box to Australia Post to deliver door-to-door. It had a tracking number as well. The computer is an old Apple Macintosh in an original padded Apple Macintosh carry bag which would prevent it from getting any damage in transit. It was placed inside a snug fitting box at Australia Post and then sent and arrived in 2 days. I then informed the buyer that the computer was being delivered by Australia Post he replied stating "I paid $45 for a courier didn't I?". Which I explained that I woulld need to wait at home for the courier (which I was unable to do) and sent it by Australia Post. The tracking shoowed it was delivered in 2 days. When I checked eBay I discovered the buyer left a negative feedback stating "I paid for courier and deliverred by Australia Post. Packed inbox with no padding". any advice would be appreciated. Regards Greg

[countessalmirena]

@speedfreak2001,

You acknowledge that there was a slight delay. Having a family member in hospital can be nerve-racking - I know from experience just how terrifying it can be (in my case a family member almost died three times). When it's a case of a much-loved family member being so close to death, or being seriously ill, I know without even thinking about it that eBay sales would be the least of your concerns. However, fortunately you didn't have such a horrible situation, so the hospital aspect of it shouldn't really have caused much (if any) delay, should it? (Unless the hospital is many hours away from you...?)

The Easter weekend delay is one that - well, let's be honest, you could have anticipated that. Easter didn't suddenly jump out of a hat and shout "Surprise!" at you... so you could have reckoned this into your postage time calculation in good time. However, if things were hectic around that time, I do understand... (I found myself rushing around to four different chocolatiers to get Easter eggs for friends and family members with different dietary needs - some had to be gluten-free, some dairy-free, some sugar-free, and the rest had to be exceptionally gorgeous Belgian chocolate.)

BUT... it does not matter whether I understand and sympathise, or whether other eBay members understand and sympathise. In general, buyers simply do not care about their seller's life issues. It's unfortunate, but sometimes sellers (and buyers too) use stories of hospitals, deaths, fires, floods, and anything you can think of as an excuse for • not paying • paying late • sending late • failing to send • refunding late • failing to refund • retaining funds • demanding refund • etc.

The delay in posting will probably be one reason why the buyer wasn't completely happy with the transaction.

The other reason is that you gave a quotation for a postage method which you did not use. The buyer in effect paid for something that they did not get. Your argument that you wanted to speed up the process does not fully convince; you also mentioned several times that you would have had to wait around for a courier, and I think that's more likely to have affected your decision to end up sending via AP. You said as much to the buyer. The buyer (I think with some justification) felt peeved. If you decided to send by another postage method, you really ought to have communicated with the buyer and ASK for permission to send by a method to which the buyer did not agree. You ought perhaps to have said something like "I apologise for the slight delay in posting; several things have impacted my ability to get this out to you as quickly as possible. To speed things up, would you be happy for me to post by Australia Post, which should take 2 days to get to you? I will of course refund the difference between the courier quotation and the AP quotation (which is $12.60) if you are happy for me to organise postage in this way."

I'm a little puzzled by what you say re you "found out" that you would have to wait for the courier. Surely this is something you knew before offering this postage method to the buyer. It doesn't seem conceivable that this came as a surprise.

You also say that you were doing the buyer "a favour". I understand that you wanted the computer to be picked up. If you feel that you don't want to (or aren't able to) organise postage for buyers who purchase pickup only items but want the item sent to them, that does make sense. The best way to avoid feeling aggrieved by the requirements to organise posting or couriering items that are pick-up only is to learn to say the word "no". You can say it politely - "Dear [buyer], I'm afraid that I am not able to organise postage or a courier for you. The item was listed as pickup only for this very reason. You may, of course, wish to organise a courier on your own behalf. I look forward to hearing from you. &c" - and don't feel you have to oblige a buyer in another state if your listing specifically said pickup only.

BUT... once you've agreed to find a courier, and you've agreed on a price, then it's your responsibility to follow through.

Look on this as a learning experience so that you'll know what to do if a similar situation occurs in future.

Best of luck with your future selling - and hopefully your mother's doing well.

[speedfreak2001]

Thank you very much for your detailed analysis of the situation of which provide some fair comment and suggestions in hindsight. In regard to arranging to send the computer, I haven't used a courier before and thought it would be cheaper than AP, and naïvely thought I could leave the parcel at the front door (in a safe place) for the courier to pick it up. I didn't clarify this process when I got the courier quotation a week earlier, and due to running to and from the hospital over a week, when I attempted to arrange the courier I found I was unable to leave it at the front door. So, as I couldn't wait around for clinics were for the courier it wasn't until I arranged for a friend to go to AP to organise the packaging and sending with my credit card that I discovered it was about $12 cheaper. After getting the tracking number I contacted the buyer to inform him that the parcel has been sent by AP and to let me know when it arrives as it requires a signature. As previously mentioned in my earlier posts, he did not contact me when it arrived to discuss the cost difference when the parcel arrived in 2 days, he just gave me negative feedback on postage but positive on the item. When I contacted him about the negative feedback his answer was that "he did not enjoy the buying experience". No mention of the $12 difference. The fact is that I quoted $45 postage and handling if the $12 was such a big deal for the buyer then he could have discussed it with me prior to leaving the negative feedback. What purpose does it have to leave negative feedback for a seller that has a 100% positive feedback record? Obviously I will learn by this experience but certainly some people must have charmed lives if all they are concerned about is the "buying experience". 

[davewil1964]

Save the paragraph

[lyndal1838]

---

@speedfreak2001wrote:

 When I contacted him about the negative feedback his answer was that "he did not enjoy the buying experience". No mention of the $12 difference. The fact is that I quoted $45 postage and handling if the $12 was such a big deal for the buyer then he could have discussed it with me prior to leaving the negative feedback. What purpose does it have to leave negative feedback for a seller that has a 100% positive feedback record? Obviously I will learn by this experience but certainly some people must have charmed lives if all they are concerned about is the "buying experience".

According to ebay the purpose of feedback is to let other members know what sort of "buying experience" they can expect to have with a certain seller.   Your buyer was doing just that....he was not a happy camper so left feedback to let others know.

Your good selling record in the past is obvious from your positive feedback but in this case you messed up big time which is the reason for the buyer leaving the negative feedback.....in the buyers eyes it was a negative experience which is why he left bad feedback.

As a buyer I avoid sellers who use courier delivery like the plague....my personal circumstances make it almost impossible for me to take delivery from a courier.   I have to make arrangements if I know I am getting an item delivered by courier.  If I had been your buyer and was expecting a courier delivery I would have been spitting chips if you had changed your mind and used AP, especially if you did not offer any postage refund.

[heiner2929]

You can 'reply' to feedback left - if you feel so aggrieved & need to get carp off your chest.

Make it short, sweet ,simple & most of all ....factual.

Don't ever 'bag' a buyers opinion of a purchase/delivery...that is 'their' experience...whether right or wrong in your eyes.

All the best....

[online4profit300]

I think the anser is NO. Once a user leaves feedback it can be withdrawn only if malicious or if the user agrees. I would contact and make an offer to refund half the postage for the 'misunderstanding'. Good faith-good business policy.

James