my opinion about buyers beeing "too protected"

[vivagifts]

Hello, since sellers are not allowed to leave negative feedback to any buyers even if a lot of them deserve this rating, I think ebay should adjust the website so that any buyer that receives a refund is NOT ABLE to leave ANY feedback to the seller. 

I had issues with many buyers that have claimed not receiving items and subsequently asking for refunds (in most cases I had the tracking proving the item had been posted or delivered, but ebay still sided with them) and not only did they get the item and keep their money but they also had the privilege of leaving me a negative feedback. 

I feel that if a transaction ends with a refund, the buyer should NOT be entitled in ANY WAY to leave feedback.  Just a like a non paying buyer is not allowed to leave feedback, so should a buyer that receives a full refund.  PLEASE MAKE THIS CHANGE as your website is literally 100% in the buyer's favour.  They are in control and us sellers have no privileges or protection, we cop it from every end of the stick.

[j*oono]

I also disagree.  Sellers could manipulate your idea in so many ways.

Most people are basically honest.  As a larger seller you will come across those that aren't more than most, but ebay gives you the tools to work with them.

[amber-eyed-girl]

Interesting suggestion. Just today, I left feedback for a seller who had issued a refund.

They sent me the wrong item (a different colour). I asked what they would like to do. After initially suggesting I was mistaken, but offering a refund (which I refused, as not a big issue), they checked and said I was correct and issued an immediate refund. I gave them good, honest feedback highlighting their positives (fast post and communication). If a seller makes a mistake and fixes it, then they should be able to get the credit for that with a positive feedback.

[springyzone]

I think there are a lot of things wrong with the way ebay has things set up.

The star rating and 'defects' for 3 stars leaps to mind.

Although I understand where you are comeing from, I think so much can depend on how a person receives a refund.

If something has gone wrong & a buyer has had to fight for a fair deal, the buyer should be able to give honest feedback.

I will give you an example. Years back, a friend bought a phone on ebay. Photos a bit dark, a long description but it was a copy of all the phone specs, probably taken from a website. Now, personally i would not have bought (She paid $80)

The phone arrived. It would not work and the inside was covered in mould.

My friend was upset, contacted seller with her concerns and was told bad luck, she 'hadn't asked' if it worked etc

I said to her that okay, she didn't ask but a buiyer had a right to expect basic faults to be mentioned. She fought with the seller for a while, he started collecting a few negs on other sales then capitulated and refunded her money.

She asked me and I told her she was quite within her rights to give negative feedback, given the seller seemed quite unscrupulous.

[chameleon54]

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@lane-ends wrote:

Disagree, dodgy sellers can then be tempted to send out rubbish, and if there is a complaint refund and hence guarded against anyone knowing they send out rubbish. playing the odds game that most buyers wont complain.

If you send out rubbish, and buyer then has to chase you for a refund, then how can it be said to be a postive experience.

I get your sentiment but it would reduce the gap between quality sellers and dodgy ones.

The stats that used to escalate with two way blackmailing over feedback where frankly horrendous, and they made the whole place look dodgy. Given buyer fb serves no purpose I dont want negging buyers brought back.

However the ease with which negs/defects can be left needs tightening up, contact first a must/auto defect and INR protection for tracked items etc.

The dumb tthing is Ebay want sellers to list higher value items, yet make it so risky to do so. I wont list anything know that I can't afford to lose the odd one occasionally.

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I have to agree about this bit. There are plenty of unscrupulous sellers out there, waiting to rip buyers off if they can get away with it. Why should the ones who try to do the right thing be dragged down by the "dodgy brothers."

I realise the problem buyers are worse and harder to please in some catagories, more so than others, but have to say most of ebays recent changes have had very little effect on my accounts. I have only had one refund request and that may have been genuine, I have 1.5% defects on one store ( getting up a bit ) but several of these where for refunds to buyers before the defect system was introduced, retospectively penalising sellers who chose the "wrong" reason for refund. ( it didnt matter back then ).  Basically all of the recent changes are not having any major effect on me at the moment. This is on three selling accounts with over 2000 listings, so large enough sales to get a fairly good idea of the impacts of recent changes.

I dont consider what I do in regards to item descriptions, customer service etc. to be anything really exceptional. I just try to describe things accurately, with photos of faults. I mail most days, so things get delivered in a timely manner. I try to stay calm and answer silly questions politely. I try to sort problems efficiently and fairly without actually chasing after people or grovelling too much. Its just basic stuff really and all three accounts have 100% pos. feedback with only minor dings in stars. This includes around 25% of sales going to international clients. Maybe i,ve just been very lucky so far.

I agree that the ease of leaving Negs needs to be looked at. Contact with seller should be essential before the neg goes up.

Another improvement that would make a big difference is to have an automatically generated NEG feedback with standard message for non paying buyers, once a seller has gone through the resolution process. This would go a long way to evening up the disparity between buyer and seller feedback, and make the system more balanced and equitable.

[lane-ends]

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@amber-eyed-girl wrote:

Interesting suggestion. Just today, I left feedback for a seller who had issued a refund.

They sent me the wrong item (a different colour). I asked what they would like to do. After initially suggesting I was mistaken, but offering a refund (which I refused, as not a big issue), they checked and said I was correct and issued an immediate refund. I gave them good, honest feedback highlighting their positives (fast post and communication). If a seller makes a mistake and fixes it, then they should be able to get the credit for that with a positive feedback.

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Some of my best feedbacks come from fixing my own stuff ups..

Potential buyers want to know how a seller deals with issues if they arise, and they will, not have them censored, as though stuff ups never happen.

A seller who invariabliy replies by jumping up and down and always denying responsibilty is a very telling feature in fb. A feedback that says seller sent wrong item but quickly addresssed the issue with no fuss, is a seller I would buy from.

[crazyplacecostumes]

Some of my best feedbacks come from fixing my own stuff ups..

Ditto. I have some awesome repeat customers who we have made an error with, or our carrier has delayed / lost the item, and we fixed it and resolved it. We are human, which is easily forgotten sometimes. We'll bend over backwards to assist in any way we can but we just need to know about it. These are the 'smart buyers' who contact us if there's a problem, rather than go straight for the dispute. 

There are plenty of unscrupulous sellers out there, waiting to rip buyers off if they can get away with it. Why should the ones who try to do the right thing be dragged down by the "dodgy brothers."

Agree

[joethenuts]

i am afraid thats what happens everywhere ,great seller bad sellers    great buyers bad buyers.   have a nice day

[toysandthings12]

Yes, way way too protected.

Right to the point where they are encouraged to return items for any reason.

B it something breaking down or they break it etc.

Despite it being wear and tear or actual breakage from use and abuse.

Yes its meant to be did not recieve or not as described but it is used for

any purpose they see fit and the seller has no defense.

Cancelled my store back to a basic store and reduced my listings.

Including changing all effected listings to pickup only.

I will not be blackmailed coerced or forced or thieved into

paying return freights and refunds for something that is

a warranty job at best and possibly user breakage user pays

for repairs and parts.

Currently have someone requesting postage to newcastle for

a pickup only item. Nope, not interested.

Since this system came into effect, I had 2 rapid claims(in years of ebaying), both dealt with

but were clearly actually customer use n abuse.

Lucky I happened to live nearby so didnt have to pay for freights and

in both cases I actually intervened and identified on the spot the issues
and fixed, setup, reprogrammed, adjusted customers goods.

Neither was genuine manufacturing faults.

But under this new scheme I would have been forced to refund and

pay frieght both for the sending and retrieving. And have a heavily used

product that my own suppliers would not refund but repair if faulty.

So no, this new scheme has made high usage high impacting low margin high value products

too risky. Products that get looked after and used gently are still valid.

I note paypal is also actively promoting free return postage for returning items,

to the point where they are actively encouraging people to return

for change of mind or incorrectly purchasing something.

[joethenuts]

i see you have most of your products pick up only , which will protect you, just a little help  ,if a buyer wants it delivered, let them organise a carrier  ,that way your protected from damages or not delivered ..