Insults in message from ebay seller - can I do anything?

nightsong

Here's my situation -

I bought a bottle of vintage perfume on ebay. The seller chose to use sellotape to stick the cap down, even though it was a screw-top bottle and completely water-tight (I've tried holding the bottle upside down and shaking it - no perfume came out).

When I removed the sellotape (gently) quite a lot of the gold paint on the cap came off with it, leaving ugly black marks.

Since this was clearly a) not the condition I bought it in, as the photos were quite slearly showing an unmarked cap and b) affecting both the value and the aesthetic appeal of the item I requested a partial refund. The perfume itself is unaffected of course, so I can still use it. I didn't want the hassle and expense of sending it back.

So, the seller refused my request and instead proposed I send it back for a refund - which would of course leave me out of pocket as she was not willing to pay the return postage.

All fair enough, and I decided just to keep the damaged item and not buy from her again. However, she sent a number of rambling semi-literate messages (I was careful to be scrupulously polite).

One of them contained this -

"are you buying to sell it again? is that why your bothered you got a bargain to be fair and if your honest you know that do you do this to other ebayers you buy from so as to get the price lowered im beginning to wonder"


Several points - 1. I'm a private buyer and collector, 2. I was the only person who bid on this very obscure item and she was lucky to make a sale at all, 3. No I do not do this to other sellers to get the price lowered!!!

I think this last point in particular is actually very offensive. In fact, defamatory and possibly libelous? She is suggesting that I make a habit of doing something unethical and perhaps illegal.

I know this is all very small scale - please don't think I'm losing sleep over it. But, to get to my question -

Is there some way of reporting her to ebay for this message? I want to leave her negative feedback. Of course, I haven't mentioned feedback at all in our correspondence but regardless, she wrote -

"i think your just making a big issue out of nothing leave what ever feedback you want as ebay says because ive been fair they will remove your feed back if its unfair"

So how can I best leave feedback that won't be removed, and should I take steps before leaving feedback to report what she wrote to me?

If you've got to the end of this, thanks for reading

This_Year

I wouldn't leave any feedback at all. And if you do sell on ebay, I would block her ID! There's a link on each message to report an email (in the bit under Marketplace Safety Tip; Trade Safely)

HTH

nightsong

Thank you 4771 Miles, that's very helpful.

I like your suggestion to request an "amicable solution" next time. I will do that if the situation arises again (no doubt it will ).

I'll leave a neutral. Should I just say "seller damaged item after purchase" do you think? This is not in dispute.

nightsong

This_Year wrote: »

I wouldn't leave any feedback at all. And if you do sell on ebay, I would block her ID! There's a link on each message to report an email (in the bit under Marketplace Safety Tip; Trade Safely)

HTH

Thanks, yes that is very helpful. I have blocked her already! Can do without her bidding on my items and causing trouble.

I'll go to the message and see about reporting it, thanks you for that advice.

oldone_2

Leave a neutral feedback with the words
"Thank you for an interesting experience"

and mark the appropriate DSR stars very low.

That should do the trick.

nightsong

OK, I've reported the message for email abuse, and left neutral feedback with the comment "Seller damaged the item after I paid and sent a message I found offensive".

I also gave one star for communication.

Thanks for the advice all

nightsong

4771_Miles_To_Caracas wrote: »

I would definately leave them feedback if only as a warning to other potential buyers.

You have to tread carefully in what you say, if you said seller damaged item it could sound like they were wilful in doing so and might give eBay grounds to remove it, perhaps paraphrase something along the lines of 'Item was damaged due to poor packaging'

Oops, didn't see your comment till too late, You are right. Oh well, tis done now. Thank anyway!

ballisticbrian

Well, of course, you couldn't have sent it back and they should not have sent it to you. Private sellers (non-business) are not allowed to send perfume through the post under the prohibited goods.

TrickyWicky

nightsong wrote: »

I think this last point in particular is actually very offensive. In fact, defamatory and possibly libelous?

Who did she libel you to? Can you prove it?

From my POV you've just used her comments to libel yourself to us and you're now trying to pin it on the seller because you printed their comment here!

I think you both need help to be honest.. You're looking for a law suit over private messages on ebay and she's looking to vent steam. Both as bad as each other.