Neutral feedback within a handling period

[kara03labrador]

Hi,

I have reccently dealt with a trader for an item with a 20 business day handling time as I work away and don't carry stock(I send when I am back home). The item included free postage purchased on the 13th October 2015, todays date being the 28th October. He has gone and left feedback that is neutral, effecting my seller rating. I am wondering what can be done as the latest I should have been sent is on the 10 November (31 days in october), thus he should not have left feedback when the listing clearly states this. 

Thanks,

Nathan

[digital*ghost]

It's definitely worth a shot to call eBay and see if they'll remove it - especially if you have tracking info that proves the item was sent / received well within handling time (I know the timing of the buyer's FB should be enough, but that's generally not acceptable to eBay as proof of receipt). It's probably 50/50 given the comment itself, but I'd try once or twice (sometimes talking to a different rep will get better results 😉 ).

Since you have a store, it might be worth activating the holiday settings while you're away (you may have done that already, but even though it's a small notification on the listings, it's a bit more noticable than the handling time and ETA - I don't think the buyer's FB is reasonable, given the details, but it might help you to avoid similar in the future.....that's assuming it wasn't on while you were away). 

[clarry100]

IMHO Nathan there will be very little you can do about it. If you speak to a CSR I'm quite sure they will just say that is the buyer's opinion of the transaction and the feedback will stand. Very difficult to get them to remove feedback unless it clearly breaches policy and even the it's difficult.
I would probably just leave a factual and unemotional reply and then put it behind you and move on. Make itclear to iother readers (buyers) what has happened and it should not affect your selling.

[joethenuts]

hi it sounds like you go away a bit , and you have a 20 day business handling time  in fact a month, wow   i am not a buyer but that would be close to a record high for a local handling time. ,   maybe a lot of buyers dont read the handling time  so maybe you need to put it in large letters maybe in the discription.    maybe another poster might know if there is a limmit om handling times as a month is huge.

[*tippy*toes*]

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@joethenuts wrote:

hi it sounds like you go away a bit , and you have a 20 day business handling time  in fact a month, wow   i am not a buyer but that would be close to a record high for a local handling time. ,   maybe a lot of buyers dont read the handling time  so maybe you need to put it in large letters maybe in the discription.    maybe another poster might know if there is a limmit om handling times as a month is huge.

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You can set a handling time of up to 30 days.

To the OP, if you have tracking showing that the item was posted within your handling time, at the very least eBay should remove the defect for the transaction. I have had them removed when a buyer trashed my stars for postage time. My handling time is 5 days and it was posted within an hour of payment. They received it interstate 4 days later....still within my handling time.

If they refuse to remove the feedback, as mentioned, a factual non confrontational reply to the feedback, including adding their username to the reply so others can see who they are. For example, "My handling time is 20 days *tippy*toes*. I posted within that time" (or whatever fits in the box).

[joethenuts]

hi  i can see that you have put on some of your items  a warning about handling times  thats good.

but you can see what the buyers see , now i clicked on 1 of your items and it says estimate delivery up to the 4th which is 6 days away , which is fine , but then have another look and its the 4th of december  36 days away. but some buyers might not have seen that , and that might be the reason the buyer is now not happy jan. mind you looks like you have only had 1 not happy buyer , so count yourself lucky. unless you sell hard to get items , i am sure buyers would go to other sellers to buy from , without an aprox month handling time.

even though you prob can get the feedback deleted  because of your handling time. but because you have some cheaper items that prob dont have tracking , you might get some nasty buyers saying they did not get there item  or its not as discribed or whatever.

thats my opinion, way too much handling time.

[*tippy*toes*]

Joe there are many reasons why a seller may have a long handling time. I used to make custom made items, so had a handling time of 20 days because it would take 14-16 days to make each item. As they were custom made to the buyers specifications, it wasn't something I could make ahead of time.

Some people because of where they live will have a longer handling time due to only being able to post once a fortnight. Not everyone lives in the city and can get to the post office every day.

[joethenuts]

the op has already stated that they work away from home  prob a truck driver or a rep or whatever he does not make his items or lives too far from the city,  his words he works away from home 

[*tippy*toes*]

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@joethenuts wrote:

the op has already stated that they work away from home  prob a truck driver or a rep or whatever he does not make his items or lives too far from the city,  his words he works away from home 

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Which is a valid reason for having a longer handling time. Why should be OP have to take all his items with him on the off chance that someone buys something while he's away? If buyers are too ignorant to read the listings, rather than just look at the title and photo, that's their problem. If having a 20 or 30 day handling time was unreasonable, eBay wouldn't offer it. Simple as that.

[joethenuts]

then the op if going away for a month at a time or what ever should have his store on holidays  simple as that,  also i am saying to the op it might cause other problems down the road   and we know buyers do not read everything , and we also know some buyers are not nice and will take matters further.