Unwarranted neg feedback

[cactusfever01]

Hi, a couple of questions.

1. How do I reply to negative feedback?

2. I sold an item. Listed the postage cost, as you do. The buyer won the item, received it and then left neg feedback about the cost of the postage. In the same neg feedback, they complained that the item was sent to the wrong address.....they obviously received the item!

3. Is there any way I can have this feedback removed due to unwarranted response?

There was no email to discuss their concerns, just straight to the negative feedback!

I pride myself on my 100% pos and this has now marred my perfect trade name.

Any help appreciated.

Cheers.

[licoricebabyandfabmama]

Kustom,  I can understand why it would be upsetting.     I think there is so much anxiety about feedback and there have been so many posts lately about how to have bad feedback removed.  Its too bad that sellers have to be at the mercy of buyers when it comes to feedback.

I too have to go through a bit of trouble to get things posted especially since i dont drive.  But if someone orders from me on a thursday afternoon I put my daughter in her pram and off we go to post and for a 20 min walk.   I justify it ( for me ) by saying basically a new business doesnt make money in the first year.  Hopefully one day ill sell a few items a day instead of a week and 'll pick two post days that are more convenient for me.    

Its true its not the buyers problem.   It may be another instance where ebay works better for larger scale businesses,  especially if you want to  work on a time=money frame of thought.  If you want to remain a small seller  it may be a reality that selling on ebay is not worth your time.     If you want to grow your business,  its a sacrifice you make in the beginning i guess.    Thats how i see it anyway.   

[danemoderne]

Firstly, my reply to negative feedback would be as concise and as professional as possible - stating the facts like postage costs etc.

I will now address couple of points made by some of the other members. It is not difficult to log in and use Australia Post calculator. There is no such thing as $2.80 postage for books, unless they are passed on as letters / documents. The thickness of those parcels can not exceed 20mm and this is very quickly picked up by postal stuff when paying to have the item sent.

So to cut to the chase minimum charges for books are $6.50 + bag / satchel = $7.50. If the item is registered it costs an additional $3.50.

The postal charges are the same, whether the parcel is posted within the same city that you reside in, or across Australia.

Communication with buyers / sellers is very important and I would myself make contact the buyer and state the facts. If the postage cost less somehow I would myself refund the money / difference. between your cost and the cost charged.

I hope this helps.

[leader-of-the-band]

So to cut to the chase minimum charges for books are $6.50 + bag / satchel = $7.50. If the item is registered it costs an additional $3.50. 

yet the OP was able to post the book for $1.80 otherwise they would have said so in the opening or subsequent post.  They obviously did not pay $6.50 + bag/satchel or registration.

[leader-of-the-band]

1. How do I reply to negative feedback? 

Personally, I wouldn't reply to the feedback, especially if you are even considering sending a feedback revision request.

Additionally, I would be reducing the postage on your similar listings to $4 and increasing the start bid by $6.  If a buyer is happy to part with $20 for a book they will still bid if your start bid is $16.  You can even put in your listings "If you win this item at the opening bid amount you will have a total spend of $20 including postage."

[alanawent3133]

you rip off on postage - what did you expect ?

[syrupsmummy]

I dont think its unwarranted at all. Dont rip off buyers by charging excessing handling fees.

Im glad the feedback is there as it lets buyers know up front you charge too much.

I have no problem paying a small handling fee but thats excessive.

If it was because of the items location why not of put that in the listing?

Good on the buyer for being factual

I assume kustom sent the book in padded bag. And thickness of the book and padded bag was just under 2cm thickness or Australia post worker assume it was under. That's why it went as $1.80 large letter rate.

Some postal workers make it as parcel rate if the side of the packet touches the gauge, some make it as large letter rate as long as they can push through the gauge.

If sellers charges letter rate and post office charges parcel rate it goes up to $6.60 for parcel under 500g. And the seller had to pay extra from own pocket. It has happened to me before.

If the book was charged as a parcel, with padded bag it would have cost about $8. Then $2 handling cost  was quite reasonable.

I do think the negative feedback is harsh and the buyer should have contacted the seller before leaving the feedback.

[danemoderne]

It maybe so, but it is not obvious to me and I will not jump into any conclusions, unless the seller comes forward and clearly states that was the real cost - the reason for negative feedback. What I find astonishing is how quickly we resort to leaving negative feedback without communication. I have no doubt that some of the sellers would be doing the same for the buyers, if eBay allowed it. Due to Internet use, we have lost our ability to communicate and make peace, resolve problems and I find that extremely sad. Our expeditions can not always be met and voicing those concerns / problems as they arise, should be our first option. If that does not work, yes, by all means leave negative feedback, if it is deserved. Often it is our perception that justifies the means and that causes a lot of anxiety amongst the eBay sellers today. I'm certain that most of the people that ever sold anything on eBay would agree with that.

[gec2002]

Lets see
Item $20 postage Free Total $20  Ebay laughing all the way to the bank, and will never increases shop prices again.
Item $19 postage $1  Total $20   Greatest seller since sliced bread with 100 & 1000s
Item $18 postage $2  Total $20   Greatest seller since sliced bread
Item $15 postage $5  Total $20   Just OK seller
Item $10 postage $10  Total $20   Scammer wreck his business
Item $1 postage $19  Total $20   Total Rip off scammer lets wreck his business low stars and neg public flogging too good for them

Same item same total costs, if you dont like the deal or the postage or the font the seller uses, its easy DON’T BID.  If you think the postage is too high DON’T BID, if you are unsure about the postage ask, communicate, if you don’t like the answer then DON’T BID.  Concerned about only getting $1 back in a dispute as rest is postage Easy DON'T BID

As for some buyers not knowing what the postage cost is so what? Makes no difference to the final total.  You do not how much the buyer paid for the item either but you dont care. So its OK if seller sources an item for free has postage of $3.80 and sells it free post for $20 a 425% markup but totally unacceptable to charge $10 on $3.80 postage (markup 160%) ignoring the cost of packaging and time taken to deliver to letter box or PO.  Seller made $6.20 on postage ignoring other costs probable min time taken was 15 min with delivery etc so he made $24.80/hr.  Watch out Gina your spot as Australia's Richest is in danger.

How did he rip off anybody the cost of postage was clearly displayed for all bidders to see, further he charged exactly what he said he would.  If he had wanted more for post or the item or it wasn't in the condition described then thats a ripoff.

[danemoderne]

Could not agree more gec2002. The problem here is that eBay allows for this thinking / mentality to continue...

[***super_nova***]

Actually, the buyer was rather generous counting $2 for the envelope.  last time I looked the padded bag in that size was around $1 (may have been 80c). 

Talking about jumping into conclusion; how do you know the buyer did not ask about the grossly inflated postage charge before leaving the FB?

If AP staff try to charge people parcel rate for anything less than 2cm thick they are ripping them off.  They tried it on me few times, and when I told them that anything under 2cm entered into the parcel section of the AP calculator gets automatically redirected into large letter section, they sheepishly charged me the correct rate.  There is no excuse to overcharge buyers just because the PO staff might try to charge you wrongly.

According to eBay sellers suppose to charge only the actual cost of postage, packaging materials plus they are allowed to add reasonable handling costs.  That is mainly for large sellers who actually employ people to do the dispatch, and then take it to the PO in bulk, thus dividing the cost of handling between 50, or hundred or whatever items.  Not for person who sells one book and takes it to the PO.  If somebody lives 100km from the nearest PO would you expect them to add the cost of the petrol for the 200km trip to one buyer?  No, of-course not, the seller in this situation has to work out how to post when they already go to the town for something else.