Ebays new policies

[symbolic-group]

Recently, a customer posted negative feedback, breaking our 100% feedback rate, I have fought hard to maintain this 100% feedback rate.

The customers issue was unjustified, stating in the feedback for the GoPro selfie stick that the remote control that appears in SOME of the photos wasn't included, issue is in the listing description we clearly state 'remote control NOT included', yet another case of customers not reading descriptions when browsing from a mobile device. The customer also didnt communcate with us prior to this AND initiated return with Ebay, without our knowledge of any issue until Ebay had AUTOMATICALLY granted the return and item was on its way back.

I called Ebay about this immediately, explained the situation, and they agreed the customer was at fault, even giving their account a strike for the way they handled this issue, the Ebay rep said the feedback would be removed, and customer wont be reimbursed for the return postage cost.

24 hours goes by, the customers feedback comment had been removed by Ebay, but the negative feedback its self was still present, meaning we still had below 100% and sales had noticably dropped in this time frame (consumer psychology, they will be more likely to purchase from a store that has 100% feedback, hence why I fight hard to maintain this). I call Ebay again and ask why this hasent been removed, informing them sales have dropped because of this, the rep is equally outraged and says she will get it fixed immediately and start an investigation as to why the guy the day before didnt totally remove it.

I wait another 24 hours, its still there, sales continue to drop. I call Ebay again, now quite angry as you'd expect... After being on the phone for atleast 20 minutes with this rep, she finally finds out the issue...

Ebay is unable to remove negative feedback while a dispute on that item is open...

So basically, I'm being held to ransom, over negative feedback that Ebay not only agreed was unjustified, but felt the customer had acted very poorly enough to earn a strike. Yet this new policy means my store will now loose many sales because of a customers error, and this incredibly bad policy of automatically granting a customer the right to return goods without even communicating with that seller first.

This new policy is essentially just a money saver for Ebay, that comes at the expense of sellers, so slowly 'seller protection' that Ebay always goes on about disappears. In this case, I have not been protected, I am loosing sales, and no one wants to be held accountable for this. If Ebay agrees negative feedback should be removed, why the hell can this not be removed? Who came up with this absolutely retarded policy??? Clearly someone who has never been a seller, and has no idea about the seller community they are serving!

I eventually spoke to a supervisor, who said it was essentially my fault, because I have allowed returns on this item, can you believe this arrogence??? Its part of Australian law that returns be allowed for one, and the sheer fact that not only does this guy want to justify a bad Ebay policy, but tries to pass blame onto me for complying with Australian law!

I am so damn furious right now...

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

just thought I'd look at the listing on my mobile.

The description text becomes very misleading when viewed on my Samsung S7.

On my mobile view it looks like the listing says that the remote IS included via the line “Monopod With Wifi Remote” as well as including a “Holder Clip”

as opposed to how the text looks on my iPad

[davewil1964]

I'd be removing ANY reference to a remote being included, too. Like the title.

Sounds like an auto-listing of manufacturer blurb and pics. No time or care taken.

[lyndal1838]

I admit to having NFI what I am even looking at but my take on the title is that the item includes a clip to hold the remote.

It does not look to me as though a remote is included.

[collect247]

Lyndal check the first image in the listing the hand that has the thumb that is pressing on the remote lol

[brerrabbit585]

Can someone tell me when Australian law changed so that everyone is obliged to offer change of mind returns? That's what OP is saying but it's not the case. According to the blurb under the postage tab in any listing it only says businesses are obliged to accept returns for items that don't work or aren't as described.

Not directed at davewil, his just happened to be the last post when I started writing this.

[lyndal1838]

Yes, I get that but my comment was purely to do with the listing title.....I took it to be that the item contained a clip to hold a remote, not the remote itself.

The description also states that it is a clip to hold the remote.    I would take it that the picture showing the remote was purely to indicate how the clip worked

.

But what would I know.....as I said I have NFI what the item is anyway.  I was just using commonsense and my knowledge of the English language....and the fact that the listing staes that the remote is not included.

[davewil1964]

People don't understand, and eBay don't explain, that eBay returns policies are for change of mind. I have 'no returns' selected. Admittedly, I sell 2nd hand goods, so no statutory warranties apply, but a seller of new goods could also select 'no returns'. In their case statutory warranties would still apply, but they wouldn't be opted in to COM..

[brerrabbit585]

As a seller I make sure I check out what I'm signing up to before I do it (as you do), and other sellers should do the same. This is the problem with too many sellers - they don't do their homework and then want to blame everyone else when they have a problem.

[chameleon54]

I had a look at the OP's sales and while it is true it has been two days since they have had a sale, there are other occasions in the last month when they have gone at least two days without a sale. The suggestion that  sales where immediately affected by the neg. is a bit of a stretch.

While it is very possible that a sellers listings could be lowered in visibility by recieving a Neg, the Op would need to go without sales for a much longer period than two days before jumping to any conclusions. Particularly at a time when many sellers have reported dramatic falls in sales numbers in recent days, no doubt due to Christmas spending overhang and the large numbers of people on annual leave at the moment.

While I respect the fact the OP has strived to maintain 100% feedback, it is simply not possible to please all of the buyers all of the time. As sellers we make mistakes. We might know what our listings mean to convey, but others reading the same thing can reach an entirely different conclusion. And sometimes,.............. I know this is hard to believe, ..................but not all buyers read listings carefully....... 

Ebay sellers need to accept the odd neutral or neg now and again as just a natural part of doing business on the platform.........All the mock outrage aint gonna change it.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@kopenhagen5 wrote:

There you go, feedback removed.............................not the neg of course.

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we have seen this before . . . . . the comment is removed but the red dot remains . . . . . sometimes because the seller replied to the neg in a follow-up comment, which also remains.

Just another reason to sit back and wait a few days before even considering a follow-up comment to a neg.