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Feedback exortion?

I bought a pair of trousers on eBay a couple of months ago, and when they arrived, they were absolutely nothing like the description - different fabric, different length, different brand - and the zip was broken! Emailed the seller and got an incredibly rude reply saying she hadn't looked at them closely enough to really be able to describe them (!) but the zip definitely was not broken when she sent them out, so she was not going to offer a refund. I said fine, we'll go through the eBay dispute process, and she changed her tune and said (in an equally rude email) that she'd accept them back and give me a refund. I told her I was going to use recorded delivery to ensure they got to her, and would she be prepared to refund my return costs. She said okay, then refunded only the original price of the item when she got the trousers back (with another rude PayPal note saying "hope this shuts you up".) I sent a further email saying where's the return postage refund, but got no reply and didn't pursue it further as I know eBay's policy doesn't compel sellers to refund return postage costs.

I duly left negative feedback - okay I got a refund but she paid no attention to listing the item correctly, promised me a return postage refund I didn't get, and she was incredibly rude, so I think a neg was deserved.

Didn't hear another thing till last week when out of the blue, the seller emailed me saying she'll send me £10 via PayPal if I remove the negative feedback and replace it with a positive comment!!!!! I ignored it, and ignored two identical messages the next two days. I then decided she was becoming a pain and reported her for feedback extortion.

Got a reply from eBay today - saying she hasn't committed any offence under their feedback extortion policy. Forgive me if I'm completely stupid, but how is it not feedback extortion to try and bribe someone to remove negative feedback?

Perhaps I'll just take the £10 .... :rotfl:
«13

Comments

  • I went through a similar thing when I left (deserved) negative feedback for a power seller, and she emailed me basically saying "retract it, or I'll block you." Firstly, I was under the impression feedback could not be edited or removed. Secondly, feedback is meant to be honest. Otherwise, the whole process is a farce. I seem to be one of the few people around who isn't too afraid to actually write HONEST feedback! Leaving negative feedback somehow makes ME the baddy! It's almost seen as taboo.

    I replied to the seller telling her I couldn't care less if she blocked me, and there were plenty of other sellers for me to buy from.

    I wasn't aware that what she did was breaking some sort of rule. If it happens to me again I'll know to report it!
  • She said she'd send you the tenner IF you removed the neg? She has no intention of sending you anything. Leave your feedback as a warning to others.
  • Yeah, you can alter feedback and a seller can send you a request through official eBay channels asking you to change your feedback - but generally only if something has changed since you left it - for example maybe an item was lost in the post but has since turned up. What definitely is NOT supposed to happen is a seller contacting you outside eBay!

    Although £10 sounds nice, I would want it BEFORE I altered the feedback ;)
  • EmH
    EmH Posts: 330 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    Tell her to send you the £10, as a gift payment, and then you'll remove the feedback. Then leave the feedback as it is. The money covers the cost to return the trousers, and since she doesn't seem entirely fussed about doing what she's agreed to, or acting fairly, why should you? Sellers like this, as well as the con-artist 'buyers' ruin eBay.

    If negative feedback is deserved, negative feedback should be left, and it should remain. I always leave appropriate feedback.

    May contain nuts
  • I totally agree with EmH. :)
  • lovinituk
    lovinituk Posts: 5,711 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Its not feedback extortion - the seller is offering (not demanding) a solution to the situation and by doing so is asking if you would change the feedback as a result of the resolution. Its a fine line I know, but its not against ebays policies. Perhaps 'feedback bribery' describes this situation more accurately! Some details on what constitutes feedback extortion here - http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/feedback-extortion.html
    EmH wrote: »
    Tell her to send you the £10, as a gift payment, and then you'll remove the feedback. Then leave the feedback as it is.
    That's a silly suggestion! Offering to do something for payment and then not doing said thing when money is received - thats fraud!!


    If it was me, principles would go out the window and I would accept the £10 and change the feedback!!!
  • Why don't you change the feedback and in it, say why you changed it." I got £10 if I would change my feedback." You would be telling the truth, which she can't deny as you have the proof.
    weight loss target 23lbs/49lb
  • mazza111
    mazza111 Posts: 6,327 Forumite
    I would tell her to keep the £10 tbh and let the negative stand on there. After all, feedback is there to advise other buyers. How much did it cost u to post the trousers back to her? Even if you want to accept the £10, I wouldn't revise fb until u have it in your bank account.
    4 Stones and 0 pounds or 25.4kg lighter :j
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    lovinituk wrote: »
    That's a silly suggestion! Offering to do something for payment and then not doing said thing when money is received - thats fraud!!

    If it was me, principles would go out the window and I would accept the £10 and change the feedback!!!

    So why not throw your principles out of the window, accept the £10, then refuse to change the feedback? Either way you're deceiving someone, and surely it's better to deceive the seller who's (presumably) deceived you and messed you around rather than deceiving the innocent public who may read the feedback...?
  • lovinituk
    lovinituk Posts: 5,711 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    esuhl wrote: »
    So why not throw your principles out of the window, accept the £10, then refuse to change the feedback? Either way you're deceiving someone, and surely it's better to deceive the seller who's (presumably) deceived you and messed you around rather than deceiving the innocent public who may read the feedback...?
    Because one is technically illegal and the other isn't!!

    And to 'scam' the seller out of their £10 like that is also likely to lead to further hassle and abuse from them.

    And 2 wrongs don't make a right and all that!
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