What to do when feedback keeps being removed?

[aj12070929]

Recently I purchased an item from a seller with a score of 35,483 and rating of 100% with ZERO negative feedback in the past 4 years.  The whole process was a nightmare with this seller, with automated emails, incorrect item being sent and a totally frustrating experience. 

It's very rare that I leave any negative feedback, especially if the seller has such a high score and 100% rating, but I had to share my experience.

The following day I recieved 2 emails.  One saying that ebay has released my contact details to the seller (which I'm told is allowed) and the second email sending me my chat transcript.  Interestingly, I did not have any online chat with ebay, but the transcript shows me failing the identification questions, but still being able to remove feedback which "I left in error..."

I spoke to ebay who assured me they would investigate and the feedback was reinstated 48 hours later.  When I checked again, I saw there was 1 other negative feedback as well from another buyer.  

Out of curiosity I checked the following day and both feedbacks were again gone, with the seller back to 100% positive and no negative feedbacks ever.

Again, I spoke to ebay and the feedback was reinstated.   I looked a couple of days later and again 6 other people had left negative feedback.  The following day, all of the feedback again was removed and the seller had a clean slate.

Today I reported this once again and expect the feedback reistated, but I wonder if anyone else has experienced this and what is the best way to progress because it is a worry if super-sellers who attract multiple negative feedbacks in just a couple of days can show a 100% satisfaction rating along with zero negative feedback in their history.

[kopenhagen5]

High volume sellers can have 100% with negs because their negs may total less then 0.01 %.

Although not good if a seller is having warranted negs removed that are within eBay rules.

[imastawka]

The following day I recieved 2 emails.  One saying that ebay has released my contact details to the seller (which I'm told is allowed) and the second email sending me my chat transcript.  Interestingly, I did not have any online chat with ebay, but the transcript shows me failing the identification questions, but still being able to remove feedback which "I left in error..."

Sounds suspiciously like the seller impersonating his neg givers, to me.  Which is why 

they failed the ID questions.

What to do?  Get on to a supervisor?  Ombudsman?  Dunno. Someone else might though.

But there's something fishy in Denmark, and it ain't Kopes.

What is the point of secret questions, if ebay themselves ignore incorrect answers and allow imposters to do what they like?????

[melbourneclearance]

Apparently this is quite common.

Anchor Stores pay $550/month and they get a personal account manager provided by ebay. These account managers are quite crafty magicians in making negative feedbacks disappear. They usually don't weave their magic all the way to 100%, but this particular one may be super competent.

Seeing that these are ebay employees, there is very little anyone can do apart from complaining to ebay often about it. Maybe one day they will decide that it is not worth their effort.

[springyzone]

It stinks.

It makes me feel very annoyed to tell the truth. The whole point of feedback is to give buyers a general feel for what that seller might be like.If negs are constantly removed for the special few, it gives a false impression.

The fact 6 other people could leave a neg and all of it was removed, coupled with the fact you have several times talked to ebay to have the feedback reinstated smacks of out and out incompetency on the part of ebay. One of the ebay employees should have had the nouse to attach a note to the whole transaction to put others in the picture . I also think the seller is impersonating buyers and that shouldn't slip through. 

Either feedback is within the allowable guidelines or it isn't but I'm with stawka here. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

[padi*0409]

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@springyzone wrote:

It stinks.

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I'd go furthur than that springy, I think that it's disgusting that an anchor seller can have an eBay employee in their back pocked to falsify feedback, and give the dodgy seller a squeaky clean feedback rating.

In most other scenarios it would be unlawful to tamper with evidence of wrongdoing.

Shame on you eBay.............................

[digital*ghost]

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@aj12070929 wrote:

The following day I recieved 2 emails.  One saying that ebay has released my contact details to the seller (which I'm told is allowed) and the second email sending me my chat transcript.  Interestingly, I did not have any online chat with ebay, but the transcript shows me failing the identification questions, but still being able to remove feedback which "I left in error..."

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What the heck... !? 

Whoever is allowing this to happen must know that members would be getting transcripts of these chats, and therefore would be able to dispute what has been requested etc. It's basically "here, have proof of my corruption". 

I'd give eBay one chance to make this right before making the whole issue as public as I could. 

[springyzone]

If you ring a major newspaper & ask to be put through to a reporter, it is easily done.

Take a few different screenshots beforehand though but leave the date & time from the bottom of the screen in them as well. reporters need to know it is current, it isn't a one off etc. You can then add a close up crop to show detail but you need the long version first.

Also a screenshot of your own feedback when it is showing, so there can be no debate about exactly what you said. If a reporter rang ebay, the ebay rep would launch into a spiel about how inappropriate FB is often removed & you need to be able to counter that with-here is a photo of the feedback, explain exactly what was inappropriate. (whoops, reply was to the original question)

[imastawka]

I've been watching this feedback and took a screenshot last week.

There were 3 negs.  Now there's none.   None of them had any reason to remove.

[padi*0409]

Stawks, with the deleted feedbacks, are they showing up in "revised feedback" or are they disappearing off the face of the earth?

If, as I suspect, it's the latter then the falsifying of feedback ratings is an even worse affair than I originally thought.

I know this subject has been brought up on the boards before, so it is most certainly not an uncommon practice by eBay to favour the Anchor Store sellers (in Asia?) 

If this subject is taken to the media, as I hope it will be, then perhaps a link to this and any other thread on the subject could be forwarded to them.