Holding back eBay feedback to ransom

TheFlyingGerbil · 1 February 2007 at 11:30AM

pre script: Sorry it's so long - I'm a bit rambly this morning!

Hi. I haven't used eBay for ages as I don't really trust it too much, but there was something I needed to buy that I couldn't find anywhere else online or in the real world. So I bought the item using Buy It Now and paid within a few minutes using paypal (sellers preffered method), as a buyer I couldn't have done anything better (even if I do say so myself!).

Anyway, I have just received the item and it is not as described (description said it was sealed but the seal is open) this does bother me as due to the type of item it is I wouldn't have bought a second hand one. I don;t think it has been used so am going to keep it and use it but would leave neutral/negative feedback because the seller LIED TO ME but she hasn't left my feedback yet, obviously she should have done by now as my part of the deal was over ages ago and she has evidently been using her account since as I have the item!

I don't want to leave my feedback first as I think it may lead her to give me negative feedback in retaliation when I haven;t done anything wrong and I want to keep my 100%. Am I being overly paranoid, as for example do some people leave all their feedback to do in a batch eg at the end of the week?

If I do give -ve feedback and she does the same for me could I go to eBay and ask them to remove it - I know they don't like to get involved and it would mean I would loose out on a seller rating and I only have a few and want to build them up a bit. I dont want to give her +ve feedback though just so I get it back as that _shouldn't_ be how the system works (though in my opinion it is and that is partly what put me off eBay in the first place).

Joe

soolin · 1 February 2007 at 11:34AM

I'll answer only a few points here as It isn't your fault so don't think I am getting at you, but I can't do the feedback question again.

If the seller leaves you a retaliatory neg or neutral ebay won't remove it.

Also, you do not have to leave feedback, so if it bothers you don't leave any as that is a comment in itself.

Soo

grilli · 1 February 2007 at 11:45AM

i think there are lots of other posts regarding who should give feedback first. I tend to give feedback on items once the seller has. just like i give feedback as soon as i receive items i buy.

Moglex · 1 February 2007 at 12:02PM

soolin wrote:

Also, you do not have to leave feedback, so if it bothers you don't leave any as that is a comment in itself.

Hardly. There is no indication of how many people have not left feedback.

It's a problem with the whole feedback system.

Bad sellers can get away with defrauding customers time and time again by insisting on only leaving feedback after the buyer has, thus intimidating most
buyers into not letting other's know of the seller's dubious business methods.

OTOH, honest sellers like to leave feedback after it has been received to deter complete muppets who leave a neg for stupid reasons (e.g. "I was out the first time the postman called so didn't get the item until the next day").

All this is exacerbated by people's odd attitude to feedback.

I've seen more than one person post that they won't buy from someone who does not have 100% (or, 99.9%). People like that are pretty dim, but they are the customers and people trying to run a business have to allow for their foibles.

rizla01 · 1 February 2007 at 12:10PM

I would leave the feed back that i thought appropriate.

If you get neg in return, is it really that much of a concern?

it''ll do her more harm than you in all probablility.

If she negs you you can always add a comment to your neg afterwards explaining why you recieved a neg.

susplum · 1 February 2007 at 12:13PM

grilli wrote:

i think there are lots of other posts regarding who should give feedback first. I tend to give feedback on items once the seller has. just like i give feedback as soon as i receive items i buy.

I agree. As a seller I don't leave feedback til after my buyer for 2 reasons. Firstly to make sure they have received, and are satisfied with, their item. Secondly because if someone doesn't bother to leave me feedback I don't see why I should bump up theirs.

As a buyer, if I'm satisfied with the item (or not as the case may be) I leave the appropriate feedback. If they then retaliate I just respond to it calmly and move on.

If I ever recieved really harmful negative feedback I'd just report it.

soolin · 1 February 2007 at 12:15PM

Moglex wrote:

Hardly. There is no indication of how many people have not left feedback.

.

You can see total sales for previous 30 days, so if the total sales are high, and feedback left is low that is a worry. It's one of the things I look for if I am unsure about a seller.

Therefore a scammer who sells 100s of fake mobiles, yet only has a handful of feedback for the same period would look very wrong.

Soo

honeypop · 1 February 2007 at 12:15PM

Before you leave a negative, have you actually contacted the seller to let them know about your problem? You should always try and sort something out before leaving a neg, ebay even prompts you to do this when you try and leave the negative feedback.

They may not realise it had been opened/sent the wrong one etc, so do contact them first, as it's unfair to neg them without letting them know you had a problem with it in the first place.

If you can reach a satisfactory conclusion (ie they MAY refund you part of the payment as it's not sealed as described) then a negative should not be used.

Sooler · 1 February 2007 at 12:28PM

There’s no obligation for the buyer or seller to leave feedback, so even if you do leave feedback the seller still may not bother.
Most sellers wait for the buyer to leave feedback first as an indication that the item has been received.
As you’re keeping the item and have not informed the seller of your concerns why not leave +ve feedback – you can still state the seal was open.

May be the seller opened it to check the item before sending it to ensure you received a good item.
The seller may have misguidingly been trying to be of good service rather than out to lie to you – who knows?

rizla01 · 1 February 2007 at 1:01PM

Also, Just wondered if it came with batteries or did you need to buy them separately.:)

TheFlyingGerbil · 1 February 2007 at 1:21PM

rizla01 wrote:

Also, Just wondered if it came with batteries or did you need to buy them separately.:)

:eek: :rotfl:

Strange that two selllers said that thy wait for buyers to leave feedback first, surely once the buyer has paid what difference does it make to the seller if they have received the good, the buyer still paidin time in good faith for the products then they should have +ve feedback. If the buyer paid promptly and then left you negative feedback would you still leave positive feedback for them if they earned it?

Joe

Holding back eBay feedback to ransom

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