Question on Response to a Feedback Comment

[clarry100]

I have been contacted by a seller who is a little bit afraid to post for help on these boards.
They are a small time seller trying to supplement family income.

They sold an item that would have been a bit fragile to mail so thought the safest way would be to hand deliver as the address was in their local area.

So far as I can gather the sale did have a separate postage cost listed.

So they drove about 1.5 hours to hand deliver the item. Not really local.

Now the buyer has left a big red dot with the comment
"Payed for postage and they delivered it themselves feeling a bit ripped off...."

So they thought they were doing the right thing by hand delivering and got slammed.

I think there is very little that could be done about the NEG but what they want to know is some good words to respond to that NEG with.

I'm not that great with these kinda words.

Anyone have any good ideas?

[imastawka]

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@cathyjoyjoy wrote:

It's also illegal to door knock these days anyway

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This statement isn't quite correct (for NSW anyway).  Anyone can approach the front gate or door of your property and ring the doorbell, knock, or deliver a parcel (particularly if you have provided the seller with your specific address !!!!). It is only when you as the occupier ask the person to leave, or for the item to be removed - if they don't do as you request, then they are breaking the law.  Even if you have a sign on the door that says "Door will not be answered to anyone", if you've provided an address for delivery of an item, then on that specific occasion any such sign becomes irrelevant.

Check the Tresspass laws in your state for specifics on this.

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Cathy, I was responding to this post by Scrambler -

Any way what do all you people do when a door to door sales person comes to your home,do you go run and hide

because how dare they turn up before asking you first haha

In Victoria, it is illegal for sales people to knock on your door.

I know sellers have my information.   I just don't want them on my doorstep.

They are not a mail carrier and have no business knocking on my door.

If he'd put it in the letterbox, then all would've been fine - it was only a letter.

But he chose to ring the doorbell, thereby confronting me, without warning.

I will not buy from him again, even though he apologised.

[clarry100]

Yes all communication has been done via ebay messaging, so it will all be recorded.

*** UPDATE ***

The seller has contacted the buyer offering them a 50% refund of the postage amount if they would consider amending/removing their negative feedback.

The buyer has responded in a friendly manner saying they would contact ebay and request that the feedback be removed.

So we will see how this pans out now.

[mbselections00 · Accepted solution]

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@repoohsj52 wrote:

If the ebay messages show the buyer agreed to the hand delivery they will erase the neg.

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Yes, with the extra info to hand, I definitely think the buyers agreement to hand deliver is grounds to request removal of the feedback and unless they also requested and Seller agreed to a refund prior to delivery, personally I don't think they deserve a refund - especially after the neg.  They could and should have asked for a refund before leaving the feedabck.  I think the buyer is plain rude and ungrateful. But that's just my opinion.

Edit  :  Sorry, hadn't seen clarry's last post - great news & fingers crossed for the Seller

[davidc4430]

good to hear, lessons learned. not sure buyer deserves any refund having agreed to the hand delivery and not bringing up a refund at that time. but as long as both parties are happy i guess that will do.

[mbselections00]

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@clarry100 wrote:

Yes all communication has been done via ebay messaging, so it will all be recorded.

*** UPDATE ***

The seller has contacted the buyer offering them a 50% refund of the postage amount if they would consider amending/removing their negative feedback.

The buyer has responded in a friendly manner saying they would contact ebay and request that the feedback be removed.

So we will see how this pans out now.

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Mmmmm great news, I think - to hear the buyer has responded in a friendly manner and is prepared to request the feedback be removed - but, that won't remove the neg will it - only the comment ?  In which case, I would probably prefer the comment remain so a response can be added by the seller.

Better still if eBay remove the neg based on the evidence in the messages

[amber-eyed-girl]

Knowing the buyer was aware of the hand delivery before the fact changes the event completely. Bad behaviour to neg after agreeing to it. Wow.

As for buying online without expecting to meet the seller in person...there are all types out there, buyers and sellers. Most sellers I have dealt with here have a P.O. box as the return address. Buyers, don't always have that option as a fair few sellers won't post to them.

So it is taking the chance that a seller could turn up. As I said it happened to me and it was O.K. (as they were nice) but it isn't what I sign up for when I buy. Sellers need to respect that if they have postage, they post by the paid for method (which is another topic in itself) and don't turn up without prior permission.

Be like knocking on a seller's door to pick up an item when pick up was not the method the seller was expecting. Dropping an item in the letterbox isn't breaking the same boundary.

So a seller can say...no pick up (for no given reason but mostly, inconvenience of waiting around and privacy) but a buyer can't say no delivery. If that makes them uncomfortable maybe that should be an option!

[davidc4430]

the negative left must be removed, thats a non negotiable in this case, it was out of line totally.

[mbselections00]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

the negative left must be removed, thats a non negotiable in this case, it was out of line totally.

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I agree, absolutely - the question is - will eBay remove it ?    You and I and others would, but unfortunately we aren't eBay

If only thoughtless buyers gave a little more consideration before being so quick to condemn.  I wouldn't be surprised from the sounds of things that the buyer has realised they over reacted and condemned the seller unfairly

[digital*ghost]

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@clarry100 wrote:

I've had further contact with the seller and they tell me that indeed they did seek permission to hand deliver from the buyer before they went to their address. Right down to which door to knock on and exactly where to leave the item if they were not at home when they turned up. Well as it happened they were not at home so the item was left where described to them.

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Surely they (the buyer) had an opportunity somewhere in the conversation to say "so, will there be any postage refund since it's not being posted?", if it was something they had an issue with. 

I hope the seller can get a revision or removal. 

[clarry100]

DG...

According to the history I have there had been no discussion whatsoever about any postage compensation during the discussion about delivery before the fact. The seller had thought (and quite rightfully so IMHO) that the postage fee would go some way towards the actual cost to her of performing the delivery. After all the original listing never advertised FREE delivery/postage.

That is why the seller was so flabergasted when the buyer left the NEG. It seemed so uncalled for to her after what she had done in good faith.

It is only now that she has offered a 50% refund of the postage costs in return for removal of the NEG by the buyer.