One of the things that I had presumed to trust in using eBay has been an honest evaluation of transactions by buyers and sellers. I realize that on either end of the transaction this may not always be the case. Using the feedback mechanism as a tool of retribution by both buyers and sellers has been a form of abuse over the years. But, in the past, a prudent purchaser through due diligence could frequently sort through the maze of charges and counter-charges and come to a frequently accurate conclusion of where the truth may lie.
Today, I encountered a situation that totally astonished and frustrated me. eBay blocked my multiple attempts to leave negative feedback.
On 9 September 2009, I purchased an item on eBay and, as usual I received an invoice for that purchase. Nine days later, around the time I was expecting delivery through media mail, I received a notice of “shipment”. That’s right. Nine days after purchase … with no explanation of delay …, my item was shipped. Five days later, yesterday, 23 September 2009, I received the item.
I don’t consider myself an unreasonable person. As a matter of fact, I encountered a similar problem about a week before. Another seller took about a week to ship an item. But, at least, this seller sent a message at the time of shipment stating that the shipment had been “returned” as undeliverable and was being reshipped. I accepted these excuses or reasons and chose not to leave a neutral or negative feedback even though shipping information didn’t support his contention.
I don’t know who thinks that taking nine days to process an order and arrange shipping is reasonable but I don’t. Period. That’s my standard and no amount of communication with a delinquent seller is going to resolve that sentiment.
But, eBay won’t allow you to leave a “negative” or even “neutral” evaluation of the seller.
I went to the feedback discussion boards and quickly found an entry related to this problem. Following the chain of comments I found some lame reason or excuse that a person had to “wait seven days” before leaving negative feedback. Well, seven days from when?
After taking the time to enter your feedback; 1) rating the seller as either positive, neutral or negative, 2) entering a comment and 3) going through the star ratings, you then click on the button” submit feedback”. If you’ve entered a neutral or negative rating, you’re taken to a page where you have to check on of three comments; 1) that you’ve communicated with the seller to try to resolve the “conflict”, 2) that you’ve allowed enough time for the item to arrive or 3) that your comment is factual and you’ve avoided personal remarks.
Well, “Choice #1″ was unnecessary and irrelevant as was “Choice #2″. I was unaware that the seller was taking nine days to ship until that in fact was the case and once the item was shipped it did arrive in a timely fashion. Choice #3 was the most appropriate. My comment, “The seller took nine days to ship.”, and evaluation was correct and factual. I understand that thinking it’s totally reasonable for sellers to ship promptly is an opinion but it’s my opinion and that’s what the feedback is supposed to be about.
For some reason after repeatedly clicking on the “Continue and leave feedback” button, nothing happened. After going back through the “revise feedback” process, still a dead button. The little highlighted red arrow point to the evaluation line “positive, neutral or negative” glares at you like you’re committing some cardinal sin that is totally unacceptable to eBay. It won’t even allow you to change from “negative” to “neutral” … again a cardinal sin.
I understand that eBay is trying to protect its sellers from harrassment by unreasonable buyers, but where’s the protection for the buyers? Making buyers jump through unnecessary hoops to protect sellers is simply poor policy.
One of the comments was that this policy was designed to protect “high volume” sellers. Well, if high volume sellers are having acute or chronic problems with a high volume of disgruntled buyers, what protection is there for daily buyers on that seller’s site when complaints about the seller are being blocked or delayed for weeks and months?
This is simply a poor implementation of a poor and one sided policy, designed to protect shoddy and unscrupulous sellers from legitimate complaints. It makes the ratings provided by eBay, at best, suspect and more realistically worthless.
Whoever is responsible for implementing this decision should carefully consider the ramifications of their one sided policy. 70% of the American economy is based on consumer purchases. EBay’s business is 100% based on consumer purchases. If eBay can’t figure this out, all of their business is based on “BUYERS” …
No buyers = no sellers!!!
Blocking negative feedback will eventually come back to haunt the powers that be at eBay. Eventually, enough buyers will encounter a bad seller and try to leave negative feedback and realize that the ratings they are depending on for honesty are totally worthless.
And, they will stop using eBay. Then it will be “Goodbye, eBay”. No buyers … and no sellers.
Filed under: Commentary, Consumer Advocacy, Financial News, News | Tagged: eBay, eBay buyers, eBay sellers, feedback, negative feedback
I have been selling things on ebay on and off for the past couple of years. I completely understand your point and agree that buyers should be able to leave negative feedback if they so choose. My thing is that under no cercumstance or waiting period are sellers allowed to post negative or neutral feedback about there buyers. Reguardless if they take 2 weeks to pay (which happens a lot) or changes there mind or whatever. I think it all comes down to whats best for ebay and how they can get those buyers to “feel” more secure and get every fee and percentage they can out of them. Bottom line the feedback policies are in place for one party’s intrest alone and that just happens to be ebay.
Thanks Jon.
I really appreciate your input.
“Feedback” should be just that … feedback … from both buyers and sellers and only referreed by eBay, not restricted or prohibited from either end of the transaction. Ebay, by disabling the Leave Feedback” button for buyers who feel that a seller doesn’t warrant a positive rating is censorship at its worst and not allowing sellers to leave negative feedback for worthless and untrustworthy buyers is equally reprehensible. eBay’s actions make a mockery and farce of the entire Feedback system.
It’s apparently time for reputable buyers and sellers to tell eBay to get their act together and stop their inherently dishonest and fraudulent practices. It makes eBay no better than the lowlife they seem intent on protecting.
I was attacked on the discussion board by a bunch of scuzzbags who thought it was totally appropriate for a seller to take nine days … or more to ship an item. If a buyer can’t or won’t pay within a reasonable time … like immediately or as soon as they have an invoice, then they should receive a negative rating for the transaction. These should be clearly defined rules of the transactions and repeat violators should be banned from doing transactions on eBay. This is not a difficult concept to comprehend.
More than one mega business model has been relagated to the dusty shelves of history by loosing their way either in pursuit of squeezing the last penny out of their business model or perverting the inherent concept that created their success. eBay seems to be doing both.
As I said in a previous comment, 99% of the sellers I’ve done business with deserved and worked hard for their positive rating. I can’t understand eBay selling out for a worthless 1%. It’s almost like they’re trying to destroy their own business.
Thanks again for your input.
Earl
I’m with you! Same thing happened to me. A slooow shipper, with no communication. Then a seller who sent the wrong item and them took 2 weeks to give me credit. Couldn’t leave neutral feedback. I had to leave positive feedback and entered my complaints in the comment line. Hopefully I saved a few people some hassle. I’ll never buy on eBay again.
Thanks for the comment. I really appreciate it.
Today I went to the discussion board and made some comments about eBay’s policy which were immediately attacked by some of the vultures who apparently support eBay’s policy to protect sellers at all costs. After commenting that these people were essentially brainless automated detractors, my comment was deleted and I was blocked from making comments. So much for open discourse on eBay.
99% of the sellers I’ve encountered on eBay have made a conscious effort to serve their buyers well and are the standard by which I judge all eBay sellers. They deserve positive feedback. Apparently, there are those on eBay who think lousy or, at best, mediocre service to buyers rates the same evaluation and buyers are being forced into this position which is inherently dishonest. I refuse to leave a positive feedback for a mediocre or lousy seller. It’s a disservice to the sellers who do a good job and it’s a terrible and dishonest service to eBay buyers.
I understand why you decided to leave the positive feedback since it was the only way you felt you could be heard. Unfortunately, you may be right.
Again, thanks for the comment.
Earl
I am a seller on Ebay and until yesterday I had a 100% rating with 4.9″s and 5.0’s in the Dsr rating system. A buyer (with less than 10 feedbacks) bounced an echeck and did not respond to a polite inquirie. I could not leave him negative feedback (shows up as positive unless one reads the feedback) but I did want to warn other sellers. I left negative feedback through an explanation that he bounced his check and did not respond. He retaliated by calling me a Whack Job and that I had hounded him for money two hours after auction close ( I emailed him a polite note three days after auction asking if he still wanted the $228.99 book set that he bid on). Even though this man never paid for the item he bid on (there were many other bidders-who now are not interested) he was allowed to lower my DSR’s and leave me negative feedback. I agree that sellers should not be allowed to leave negative feedback SO LONG as the buyer keeps his commitment and pays for the item he bid on. Ebay does state that bidding creates a contract. This man has libeled me through feedback and Ebay tells me they will not remove his libelous statement unless I get a court order. It does not matter that I had 966 100% positive rating or that he was allowed to lower my DSR scores. Even though he never participated in the receiving of the books (to determine if item was as described), shipping time (he never paid so item was never shipped) and shipping cost (shipping label was never purchased) he got to leave negative feedback through this rating also. There are four libel statements the buyer committed with no consequences or help from Ebay.
I do have consequences: Ebay has lowered my rate of rebate pay from 20% to 5%. I have lost the other buyers who fairly bid on this item. I have lost my 100% feedback rating that I was so proud of. One could say this is my fault. That I should not have told the truth about the transaction. Isn’t the reason that Ebay stopped sellers from leaving negative feedback is that buyers were afraid to tell the truth because of retaliatory feedback? I know, I didn’t leave negative (or positive) for a horrible seller because he always responded in kind. Under the new system I could have told the truth. That he never responded about the problem of sending the wrong size shoe (they were a 7 1/2 instead of the stated 9). I donated the shoes and never told the truth. This time I did. I am the one who paid. Not EBay and not the bouncing buyer. Sincerely Sue
Sue,
Thanks for responding. I mean it … really. I almost feel like I need to change the title of my article except … I assume that reputable buyers already know how bad eBay is. I’d appreciate you thoughts on any change to the title. It seems that, if all communication between buyers and sellers is handled through the eBay site, they would know the truth behind matters and could handle disputes fairly internally which, by your description, they are totally unwilling to do.
I would presume that nearly every eBay buyer has thoughts of becoming an eBay seller. I have. From what you and Jon (previous comment) have said people who have any sense of decency and being treated fairly should really consider very carefully whether to make that move. I appreciate your courage in selling on eBay in the environment they have created.
As a buyer, and someone who has thought about selling on Ebay, I would like to know that eBay is going to treat me fairly and watch my back … both ways. I have no confidence that they’re doing that for anyone. Their feedback is worthless and my experience with their discussion boards is that they’re a place for eBay pimps and parasites to practice self adulation and ridicule anyone who disagrees with them.
I understand Meg Whitman is planning on running for governor of California. If what eBay has become is supposed to be the shining example of what she can accomplish, well …
Where I grew up, owning and operating a business was about more than making money.
Thanks again.
Earl