Most of our buyers have been great to deal with, but just a few bad apples can impact listings negatively. Nearly all of our Neg/Neutral feedback has been left by scammers who didn’t get their own way. What they do is purchase an item and then when they receive it, they pretend that it is not as described, damaged, wrong colour, wrong size, or the old ‘not quite what they expected’ line etc ... When we offer to refund, they don't want the refund. They want the item and the refund. Sometimes we offer a FULL refund, where we pay postage both ways, plus refund for the item, so that it costs them nothing at all to return it, but again ... it's NOT what they want. They want the item, PLUS the refund ... and when they don't get what they want, then they pay us back!
Understandably, Ebay will not remove these feedbacks, because the buyers involved are too smart to resort to straight out threatening/ and or extortion in emails to us. So from Ebay's perspective, it ends up our word against theirs. On a couple of occasions, we have been able to prove, through our Ebay activity [correspondance, original listing], where buyers have deliberately left dishonest feedback and Ebay staff said, "The buyer is entitled to their opinion, even if it is not true." And I they are, because dishonesty, when it can be proven, is within the guidelines. However, we recently had a follow up comment removed, that we left within Ebay's guidelines, because the staff involved did not want it to 'upset the buyer.' The truth hurts, apparently.
I have seen another seller warning others, that the buyer wanted the item and refund as well, in a follow up comment. She didn’t give in. But sadly, I also know of sellers, who give into the demands of these scammers, which makes them think that they can get away with it again. There have been several times, as a buyer, where the seller refunded me, after I did not receive the item, only to have it arrive at a later date. When I contacted the seller, to try and repay them, they wouldn't let me!?, telling me to keep the item and the money 'with their compliments'. They would not let me repay them through fear of Neg feedback. It's very sad to see sellers afraid. I’ve chosen to stand my ground, but it has meant a loss of exposure and special promotions due to low DSRs.
Incidentally, there have been several times where the mistake has been ours and we have refunded the buyer in FULL with our apologies and have allowed them to keep [or throw away] the unwanted item as well, rather than us pay to have it returned.
im bemused by all the bemusement ????
