Ebay "customer service"
uniship
Posts: 492 ✭✭
Recently as a seller, I received a negative feedback from a total moron who never paid for the card in the first place. It was my first negative ever (533 positives). This jerk for some reason decided to do this to me for no reason. He now has two negatives in 9 feedbacks total.
Now I know this is only one negative and I also know I am overreacting - but I wanted to vent, this is as good a place as any, and this may be of interest to you too.
I can easily prove to Ebay that the guy is full of it, and I emailed them accordingly. Ebay's response to me is listed below. My point is this: beware sellers - there is no real way to combat people randomly leaving you negative feedback. There should be - but there is not. This clown that left me the feedback is like a vandal - and I will be much more aware of bidders feedback's prior to letting them win my auctions. I caution you as a fellow collector and friend. Here is the response from Ebay that I received (my reply email is below that):
"Thank you for writing in with your concern about negative feedback that
was left for you.
We have reviewed the feedback in question to see if it is eligible for
removal. We found that the feedback does not meet the requirements for
removal as outlined in our Feedback Removal Policy. This policy can be
found at:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-removal.html
Unless feedback meets the guidelines outlined in the removal policy we
cannot remove the comment. This can even include situations where the
comments may be libelous or untrue. While eBay strongly encourages
truthful feedback, we would be unable to remove a comment based on this
reason. Unfortunately, good members can sometimes still end up receiving
feedback they feel is inappropriate or unfair. However, unless the
feedback meets the removal policy guidelines regrettably it cannot be
removed.
As outlined in the removal policy, under federal law (the Communications
Decency Act), eBay is not legally responsible for the remarks that users
post on its site, even if those remarks are defamatory.
eBay provides its feedback forum and its boards as places where users
can express their opinions, and eBay will not censor these opinions, or
investigate the remarks for accuracy.
In order to prevent liability, and maintain protection under this act,
eBay must refrain from removing any comments that do not fall into the
special areas outlined in that policy.
We wish that in cases such as yours we could bend the rules. However,
this is one area where we must be rather stringent. This is because of
the liability posed to us should we vary from this policy. Please review
the information found in our feedback removal policy at the URL listed
above. Hopefully, after doing so, you can see how our hands are bound in
this situation.
One other option that could be of help in this matter would be to enter
mediation with the other member through SquareTrade. SquareTrade is an
independent third party mediation service not connected with eBay. If
eBay is provided with a ruling or settlement agreement from SquareTrade,
we are able to remove the comment. However, we can remove the feedback
only after SquareTrade contacts us. Please note that when a feedback
comment is removed, another comment cannot be left in its place. If
you'd like, you can contact SquareTrade at the following URL:
http://www.squaretrade.com/spl/jsp/eby/eb_nf.jsp?marketplace_name=ebay
I am sorry that my response could not be more favorable.
Regards,
Wesley
eBay SafeHarbor
Investigations Team
______________________________
eBay
Your Personal Trading Community (tm)"
HERE IS MY RESPONSE TO EBAY FROM THIS EMAIL
""Wesley":
The fact that you don't leave your last name or a phone number is a joke.
If you think about it in a real sense - it is absolutely ridiculous and
unbelievable. It is the very reason I won't invest in Ebay, as much as I
love the business model. This level of customer service is HORRRRRIBLE -
and it will one day lead to a major hit to the stock.
The fact that you can not remove the feedback - even though I can easily
PROVE that it is false feedback - well, that's a joke too. I won't be
listing anything with you anytime soon, and I am very disappointed in this
unacceptable handling of an unjust situation. Of course, who even knows if
any real person will ever read this email? Does anyone CARE about doing the
right thing? Apparently not. Nevermind.
Sincerely,
someone who can not believe you are going to screw up the best business
concept ever by the worst customer service ever - congrats Meg!"
Now I know this is only one negative and I also know I am overreacting - but I wanted to vent, this is as good a place as any, and this may be of interest to you too.
I can easily prove to Ebay that the guy is full of it, and I emailed them accordingly. Ebay's response to me is listed below. My point is this: beware sellers - there is no real way to combat people randomly leaving you negative feedback. There should be - but there is not. This clown that left me the feedback is like a vandal - and I will be much more aware of bidders feedback's prior to letting them win my auctions. I caution you as a fellow collector and friend. Here is the response from Ebay that I received (my reply email is below that):
"Thank you for writing in with your concern about negative feedback that
was left for you.
We have reviewed the feedback in question to see if it is eligible for
removal. We found that the feedback does not meet the requirements for
removal as outlined in our Feedback Removal Policy. This policy can be
found at:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-removal.html
Unless feedback meets the guidelines outlined in the removal policy we
cannot remove the comment. This can even include situations where the
comments may be libelous or untrue. While eBay strongly encourages
truthful feedback, we would be unable to remove a comment based on this
reason. Unfortunately, good members can sometimes still end up receiving
feedback they feel is inappropriate or unfair. However, unless the
feedback meets the removal policy guidelines regrettably it cannot be
removed.
As outlined in the removal policy, under federal law (the Communications
Decency Act), eBay is not legally responsible for the remarks that users
post on its site, even if those remarks are defamatory.
eBay provides its feedback forum and its boards as places where users
can express their opinions, and eBay will not censor these opinions, or
investigate the remarks for accuracy.
In order to prevent liability, and maintain protection under this act,
eBay must refrain from removing any comments that do not fall into the
special areas outlined in that policy.
We wish that in cases such as yours we could bend the rules. However,
this is one area where we must be rather stringent. This is because of
the liability posed to us should we vary from this policy. Please review
the information found in our feedback removal policy at the URL listed
above. Hopefully, after doing so, you can see how our hands are bound in
this situation.
One other option that could be of help in this matter would be to enter
mediation with the other member through SquareTrade. SquareTrade is an
independent third party mediation service not connected with eBay. If
eBay is provided with a ruling or settlement agreement from SquareTrade,
we are able to remove the comment. However, we can remove the feedback
only after SquareTrade contacts us. Please note that when a feedback
comment is removed, another comment cannot be left in its place. If
you'd like, you can contact SquareTrade at the following URL:
http://www.squaretrade.com/spl/jsp/eby/eb_nf.jsp?marketplace_name=ebay
I am sorry that my response could not be more favorable.
Regards,
Wesley
eBay SafeHarbor
Investigations Team
______________________________
eBay
Your Personal Trading Community (tm)"
HERE IS MY RESPONSE TO EBAY FROM THIS EMAIL
""Wesley":
The fact that you don't leave your last name or a phone number is a joke.
If you think about it in a real sense - it is absolutely ridiculous and
unbelievable. It is the very reason I won't invest in Ebay, as much as I
love the business model. This level of customer service is HORRRRRIBLE -
and it will one day lead to a major hit to the stock.
The fact that you can not remove the feedback - even though I can easily
PROVE that it is false feedback - well, that's a joke too. I won't be
listing anything with you anytime soon, and I am very disappointed in this
unacceptable handling of an unjust situation. Of course, who even knows if
any real person will ever read this email? Does anyone CARE about doing the
right thing? Apparently not. Nevermind.
Sincerely,
someone who can not believe you are going to screw up the best business
concept ever by the worst customer service ever - congrats Meg!"
0
Comments
Good luck,Eric.
Most people will know that it's a load of BS and eventually you'll see a person like that NRU.
My Auctions
Sorry to hear this has happened to you. To those of you who do not know Eric ( UNISHIP ), I can tell you that you would be hard pressed to find any seller on Ebay that takes more pride in their service as he does. It makes it that much more difficult to accept when you offer his level of service.
Rob...
1954
Eric
<< <i>Thanks gentlemen for the kind words. I do feel much better and I think I am ready to get over this injustice. Seriously - this helped. Have a great Holiday!
Eric >>
Thataboy Eric. Nice recovery.
I wouldn't worry about a single negative for two reasons. First, your feedback is otherwise impeccable and pretty high, and if bidders really looked they'd probably see it to be frivolous. Second, the guy will sooner or later get NARU'd and so it'll convert to neutral anyway, if that's a consolation.
2005 Origins Old Judge Brown #/20 and Black 1/1s, 2000 Ultimate Victory Gold #/25
2004 UD Legends Bake McBride autos & parallels, and 1974 Topps #601 PSA 9
Rare Grady Sizemore parallels, printing plates, autographs
Nothing on ebay
<< <i>
<< <i>Thataboy Eric. Nice recovery.
And awfully quick too.
My Auctions
Regards,
Alan
What if you got scammed on your first transaction?
I agree something has to change but I do not think earning the right would be the way to go.
At least now you can leave follow-up messages to explain a situation like this one.
<< <i> Second, the guy will sooner or later get NARU'd and so it'll convert to neutral anyway, if that's a consolation. >>
They no longer do that. Once a negative, always a negative.
Richard
<< <i>There is a larger issue at work in their refusal to remove or edit feedback beyond protecting good folks from idiots. If they were to step in and change the feedback, then they would be basically opening themselves up to be responsible for judging the merit of all feedback. This stems from a case, IIRC, involving AOL a few years ago where they had some sort of editor for discussion groups and curse words were changed to $#@^+ type words. Someone was libeled on the boards and that person in turn sued AOL for not taking the same responsibility for factual content as curse-word content, and he won. So online forums such as these boards and ebay's feedback listings are either completely monitored or hardly at all. If they were to edit your feedback, then anyone who wanted to change anything in any of their feedback would be able to force them to, and possibly sue if denied. The feedback system would then become irretrievably corrupted.
I wouldn't worry about a single negative for two reasons. First, your feedback is otherwise impeccable and pretty high, and if bidders really looked they'd probably see it to be frivolous. Second, the guy will sooner or later get NARU'd and so it'll convert to neutral anyway, if that's a consolation. >>
Helio, they stopped converting them to neutral years ago. A negative is a permanent now.
<< <i>EBAY should consider adopting a policy where a user must EARN the right to leave feedback. Once a user demonstrates that he is responsible...they should be allowed to give feedback.
Regards,
Alan >>
If that were the case aco, most of the people on ebay wouldn't be able to leave feedback.